Basilica of St. George, Prague

It's been awhile since I've written a rant, rave, and muse Apologetic-type post. Looking back through my blog archives, readers can see that I used to be more involved with Apologetic kinds of discussions than I have been of late. It used to be that any sort of Catholic debate caught my eye, whether online or offline...I loved to jump in and help out, and hopefully shed some Truth on the discussion. I wasn't one of those Apologetic-debaters who would, without Charity, launch an "all-out-attack" on the person(s) I was discussing the Faith with. No, rather, I always had a very gentle, tender approach. But neither was I one to shy away from such a discussion. Do I regret spending so much time in discussion and debate? No, in fact, just the opposite -- it was good for me. Discussions such as the ones I participated in helped strengthen my own Faith, and I must say that I learned a lot in the process -- both about the Faith and about myself.

Upper Chapel, Basilica, Assisi, Italy

Rarely do I seek opportunities for Apologetic discussions anymore, however. Not because I can't still discuss Apologetics -- believe me I will and I do if circumstances dictate; and not because I'm ill-equipped to do so -- once one learns how to defend the Faith it isn't something they easily forget; but rather because lately I've just decided to instead devote more time to just plain enjoying the Faith. After all, ours is the most beautiful Truth on earth, and in Heaven!

St. Thomas More confronting Wosley

Lately I've just grown, well, weary of consistent research and debate on why the Sedevacantists are just plain wrong, why the New Mass is not (usually) invalid, why the Tridentine Rite was never abrogated, why Baptism of Desire is real, why the SSPX weren't in schism, and why the FSSP didn't compromise...anyway, you get my drift. It's not that studying and discussing these things is wrong, it's just perhaps a mature realization on my part that there's more to the Faith than these kinds of things. There's more to my Faith than these kinds of things. The Catholic Faith holds the keys to the most sublime blessings on earth and the richest rewards of Heaven: the Blessed Eucharist, the Mass, vigils, prayer, lives of the saints, the Rosary, Sacred Music, Sacred Art, Sacred Architecture, the Roman Martyrology -- the list goes on and on. Why wouldn't we want to devote time to these blessings? If we devoted an amount of time to these blessings equavalent to the amount of time spent in Apologetics (mainly I am thinking here of online debate, whether in blog or forum form), I'd rather venture to say that the Faith of the world would be vastly strengthened -- and it would show.

I'd rather sing Gregorian Chant than blog-surf. I'd rather teach my siblings about Church History than take part in a discussion over why Communion in the hand is wrong (unless I thought it would do some positive good for the person who believed Communion in the hand is okay). I'd rather pray a Rosary than take part in an online debate...which is, by the way, one of the reasons I no longer visit or post on places like FishEaters. Every once in a great while, when I peek back to the Catholic forums I used to frequent, it makes my heart ache to see all the uncharitable discussions going on, all the time lost in such online discussions and debates -- time that could be spent in mental prayer, in getting out and organizing a real-life-in-person Rosary crusaid, in standing on the sidewak front of an abortion clinic praying a novena or litany or chanting the Requiem for the unborn, in going to daily Mass, in studying the Catechism. Sorry to all the online forum-visiters, posters, and lurkers -- not trying to poke at you in particular, but it's just not healthy. Perhaps in small quantities, when one has a question or some helpful information to pass along, but long-term long-session long-debates...and especially between and among the laity, who probably shouldn't be fostering or participating in long-in-depth discussions on how Canon Law can be interpreted anyway.

St. Nicholas, High Altar, Prague

It's not that I don't still partake in Apologetic discussions from time to time, I'm just not that into it "full-time" anymore. There are way more important things to do instead. We must spread the Faith, and defend it, yes -- Our Lord called us to teach all nations -- but not at the expense of our own souls or at the expense of Charity, something that seems, to me at least, to be quite common these days. Perhaps I've become disheartened by -- especially in the blogsphere lately -- the plethora of excellent (dogmatic-wise) posts and debates over doctrine and dogma that just aren't that excellent (with respect to Charity). It seems that with many good Apologetic posts I run across, there is more often thatn not an alarming and glarring lack of Charity that seems to go along with it.

The Lamentation of Christ, The Hohenfurther Altar, tempera on panel, 1346-1356, Národní Galerie, Prague

Anyway, I'm not saying to stop defending the Faith. :) Just remember to do so in the spirit of Charity. More souls can be won by a sense of Charity and good example than by a brilliant Apologetic argument.

Before closing, I have below a prayer written by Thomas More while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London awaiting execution. At first read-through the prayer may sound rather gloomy, but if interpreted in light of what I have written above, I find the prayer rather appropriate.

Give me the grace, Good Lord

To set the world at naught. To set my mind firmly on You and not to hang upon the words of men’s mouths.

To be content to be solitary. Not to long for worldly pleasures. Little by little utterly to cast off the world and rid my mind of all its business.

Not to long to hear of earthly things, but that the hearing of worldly fancies may be displeasing to me.

Gladly to be thinking of God, piteously to call for His help. To lean into the comfort of God. Busily to labor to love Him.

To know my own vileness and wretchedness. To humble myself under the mighty hand of God. To bewail my sins and, for the purging of them, patiently to suffer adversity.

Gladly to bear my purgatory here. To be joyful in tribulations. To walk the narrow way that leads to life.

To have the last thing in remembrance. To have ever before my eyes my death that is ever at hand. To make death no stranger to me. To foresee and consider the everlasting fire of Hell. To pray for pardon before the judge comes.

To have continually in mind the passion that Christ suffered for me. For His benefits unceasingly to give Him thanks.

To buy the time again that I have lost. To abstain from vain conversations. To shun foolish mirth and gladness. To cut off unnecessary recreations.

Of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss at naught, for the winning of Christ.

To think my worst enemies my best friends, for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.

These minds are more to be desired of every man than all the treasures of all the princes and kings, Christian and heathen, were it gathered and laid together all in one heap.

Amen.

|

This past weekend was our performance of Ludwig Van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. The performance was spectacular; hundreds attended and enjoyed the massive sound of the Missa. Not long after the forte Dona nobis pacem! of the choir and the soft strains of the violins vaded away, the organist, chamber orchestra, soloists, and our choir received a standing (the choir received a roaring ;-) ovation. It was an incredible experience, one I am thrilled to have had a part in.

I'd write up my own thoughts about the Missa Solemnis, but our choir directior did a fantastic job of doing just that, so here I will re-print his words (originally printed in the concert playbill) about Beethoven and this thrilling work.

Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis
“Well I know that God is nearer to me than to other artists. I associate with Him
without fear; I have always recognized and understood Him, and have no fear for my
music.”
-Ludwig van Beethoven in a letter to Bettina von Arnim

The same creative period that produced the ninth symphony, the “Diabelli” variations,
and the late string quartets, also produced the Missa Solemnis. It is a monumental work
of epic, symphonic, proportions and great pathos. The depth of the Missa Solemnis’
musical and religious expression places it in the same lofty category as J. S. Bach’ B
Minor Mass, Johannes Brahms’ Requiem and Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service. It is a work
that presents a side of Beethoven not heard before this moment in his life. He had been
composing at the highest musical levels for over thirty years and still he continued to
inspire and astonish listeners with his innovative creative artistry. Robert Shaw, in a
letter dated January 1987 remarked, “The work is one of the most extraordinary vessels
of man’s aesthetic and religious thinking”.

There have been many questions about Beethoven’s religious beliefs. Was Beethoven
Catholic, since the mass is a Catholic text? Was he any sort of practicing Christian at
all? Throughout his life he exhibited questionable business practices and his
relationships with family and friends could, at times, be very cold and harsh. He did
receive the last rites of the church and he did teach his nephew Carl how to pray. But
there is little evidence that he attended church regularly and for the most part he
appears to have kept his religion to himself. But his setting of the Missa mass text is so
very personal. One cannot escape the possibility that Beethoven entered into a period of
revelation for how could anyone compose music so poignant without some divine
inspiration? He seems to have developed an inner conflict between his well
documented humanism and as evidenced by this mass, a profound re-imaging of God.
To further support that idea, Beethoven, in fact, wrote in his score at the beginning of
the Dona Nobis Pacem...”Pray for inner and outer peace”. I believe Beethoven, like
believers of every time and place, questioned his understanding of God and was
transformed by it. For me, divine inspiration and creativity go hand in hand and when
listening to the Missa Solemnis I cannot imagine Beethoven not being a deeply religious man.

In the winter of 1818, word got around in Vienna that the Archduke Rudolph, son of
Emperor Leopold II, was to be made cardinal and archbishop of Olmütz in Moravia.
Rudolph, who had studied piano and composition with Beethoven, had also become an
understanding friend and a very loyal patron. Beethoven and Rudolph enjoyed a long,
but complicated, friendship as is usually the case when one friend depends on the other
for financial security. By June of 1819, Rudolph, made a cardinal two months earlier,
was appointed archbishop of Olmütz and March 9, 1820 was set as the date of his
installation. Beethoven writes to him: “The day on which a Mass composed by me is
performed during the ceremonies solemnized for your Imperial Highness will be the
most glorious day of my life and God will enlighten me so that my poor talents may
contribute to the glorification of that solemn day.” There is no evidence that Rudolph
ever asked Beethoven for a Mass; it seems to be an offering made of the composer’s free
will. Beethoven’s friendship with Rudolph would seem to be the external motivation for
beginning work on the Missa Solemnis. Beethoven’s personal reasons for composing a
second Mass remain unclear. Perhaps it was Beethoven’s desire to silence those
conflicted voices within him. His ninth symphony was his personal expression of his
love for the “brotherhood of man” and a definitive statement of his long adherence to
humanist philosophy. Perhaps he turned again to the Mass, with Rudolph as an excuse,
to express that part of him that longed for a deeper understanding of God. (Beethoven’s
earlier Mass in C Major, an extraordinary work in its own right, is representative of the
classical Mass in the Viennese style. To Beethoven’s disappointment, Prince Nikolaus
Esterhazy who commissioned that Mass criticized him for composing a work that he
felt was unworthy of Beethoven’s creative efforts).

The principle texts of the Mass, those set by Beethoven, first appeared around the 7th
century, and they are known as the Ordinary. They do not change from day to day or
service to service and historical custom has arranged them into a “cycle” of five: the
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus (including the Benedictus) and Agnus Dei (including the Dona
Nobis). In any religious service these texts are imbedded in what is collectively called
the Proper: a series of prayers, lessons and chants which do change from day to day and
from month to month according to season. Theoretically, with the “proper”
accompanying features, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis could be a part of a religious service
even today but it would take an exalted setting and occasion to match its musical magnitude.

Much has been written about the difficulty in singing the choral passages in the Missa
Solemnis. Many believe that Beethoven did not know how to write for the voice. This is
not true for Beethoven exhausted, exploited, and ennobled the voice like no other
composer to this day. He gave it things to say which never had been imagined and
made it an equal partner with the instrumentalists in the orchestra in terms of color,
balance, dynamics, agility, and importance. In this sense the Missa Solemnis is a
terrifyingly avant-garde piece of music.

The Kyrie is composed in a three part form with almost perfect proportions between the
three sections. The middle section, Christe eleison, is written in three-quarter time while
the opening and closing Kyrie eleison are written in duple meter. This sort of equal
proportion need not be conscious in the ear of the listener in order to convey its
structural message of balance, weight, and completeness. The difficulty of the choral
writing is evident at the outset with the initial entrance of the chorus as Beethoven has
the sopranos singing the opening Kyrie, forte on a high “A” on the first two syllables
followed by a piano on the final syllable, something that is very difficult to negotiate.
But the effect is dramatic and Beethoven immediately captures our attention. The
Christe eleison is a contrasting section where the solo quartet lovingly shapes the
emotional plea, Christ have mercy. The Kyrie returns, this time with a coda that provides
musical closure to what has been an emotional encounter.

The Gloria, arguably the most brilliantly conceived writing of any choral work, is a
challenge to every soloist and chorus. Beethoven composes a beautifully proportioned
movement where the final section features a powerful fugue with each vocal section
singing at the extreme top, and bottom, of their vocal ranges followed by a coda with
the tempo marked presto, which requires the chorus to sing at their outer most limits.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this coda is the fact that, just before sending the
completed score to his publisher, Beethoven rewrote the final measure allowing the
chorus to sing one final shout of “Gloria” over and beyond the orchestra’s last note. It is
a phenomenal and inspirational moment that catches the listener off guard even if you
know its coming.

The Credo is the wordiest of the five movements and Beethoven exploits each statement
of belief with extreme contrasts in tempi, dynamics, rhythm, color, and style. Beethoven
pays an homage to the music of Palestrina with his hauntingly beautiful setting of the
text, et incarntus est. (Beethoven had long admired and studied Palestrina’s
compositional style and felt he composed some of the most exquisite music ever
composed for the church). The text of the closing double fugue, Et vitam venturi saeculi,
Amen, “I await the life of the world to come”, is pure Beethoven at his most creative. He
builds, and then sustains (for what seems an eternity to the singers) a beautiful malaise
of intense joyful pleasure. It is a stunning conclusion to a movement where heavenly
inspiration coincides with Beethoven’s earthly panache. Few scholars will disagree that
this double fugue is one the most difficult to sing in the entire choral repertoire.

The fourth movement in our liturgical cycle of five is the Sanctus with its concluding
Benedictus. Very often, composers give us a Sanctus that endeavors to transport us out
of this world, towards a heavenly world through glorious sounds and imagery. One has
only to think of the Requiem by Mozart or the late Masses of Haydn. This is not so for
Beethoven. In his Sanctus, Beethoven offers us some of his most genteel and deeply
heartfelt music. Beethoven marks the movement Mit Andacht (with devotion). The
opening mood is calm, solemn, and reverent as the low strings create an intensely
personal, prayerful moment. The soloists, led by the alto, entice the listener to seek God
from within themselves. This opening section comes to serene close as the soloists,
singing ever softer, arrive at a cadence that is a hushed pianissimo. The chorus arouses
us with a spirited dance-like setting on the text Pleni sunt coeli (heaven and earth are full
of thy glory) followed by a playful setting of Hosanna in excelsis (Hosanna in the
highest).

As listeners we have now arrived at the central moment in the Mass where the Priest
elevates the Host and the moment calls for the singing to cease so that the choir may
join the congregation in adoration. Tradition has the organist play, perhaps improvise,
an interlude before the Benedictus. Beethoven actually composes such a bridge, but for
orchestra. Calling it “Präludium” Beethoven means that it is a prelude to the
Benedictus, but he also remembers that “präludieren” means to improvise, which refers
to the traditional practice at this moment in the Mass. It is one of Beethoven’s most
sublime moments. This bridge ends with the darkest, softest tones of the orchestra.
Beethoven then surprises yet again with the entrance of a solo violin, playing sweetly at
the very top of its range. This moment, this ray of sunshine, is an opening in the
heavens that allow us to hear what Beethoven visualizes in his mind, the light of God.
The soloists and chorus enters singing the text Benedictus qui venit in nomine
Domini…” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. It is a remarkable moment.

The final movement of the Missa Solemnis, the Agnus Dei, is a movement difficult to
comprehend as Beethoven intertwines three brief orchestra interludes depicting, what’s
often referred to, as sounds of war, interspersed with the chorus’ profound pleas for
peace. Scholars continue to debate Beethoven’s reasoning for doing this. Beethoven did
experience the bombing of Vienna during the Napoleonic wars and for many that’s
reason enough. But for me I look at the man himself and his spiritual conflicts. As I
mentioned earlier, Beethoven wrote in his score at the beginning of the Dona Nobis
Pacem section, “pray for inner and outer peace”. The sounds of conflict we hear are not
those of warring nations but those of a man at war with himself. In this light,
Beethoven’s setting of the Agnus dei provides us an entirely new understanding of a
man who often so misunderstood.

One final thought about the Missa Solemnis…on the title page of his personal score
Beethoven wrote these words, “Von Herzen, möge es wieder, zu Herzen gehen!” (From
the heart, may it go again to the heart!). What a remarkable gift of music from a most remarkable man.

Notes on the Missa Solemnis, written by our chorus Conductor

|

Last Judgement Triptych (central panel), Hans Memling, 1440-1494, Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk, Poland

This morning I awoke at 4:30am in order to attend the early-morning High Requiem Mass being offered in our parish for the Souls in Purgatory. It was absolutely beautiful...there's nothing like being in a cathedral before the rest of the world is awake, watching those early morning rays just beginning to peek through the magnificent stained glass windows, listening to the haunting chant of the Gregorian Chant schola sing the Dies Irae, Dies Illa!, marveling as the priest, clothed in the black Requiem vestments, chants the Requiescat in pace!

Dies Irae, Dies Illa, Solvet saeclum in favilla: Teste David cum Sibylla.
Day of wrath, day that will dissolve the world into burning coals, as David bore witness with the Sibyl.

Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando iudex est venturus. Cuncta stricte discussurus!
How great a tremor is to be, when the judge is to come briskly shattering every (grave).

...

Lacrimosa dies illa, Qua resurget ex favilla Judicandus homo reus: Huic ergo parce, Deus.
That sorrowful day, on which will arise from the burning coals man accused to be judged: therefore, O God, do Thou spare him.

Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.
Faithful Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Amen.

|

Happy Feast of All Saints (yesterday)!

The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they appeared to perish, but they are in peace, alleluia!
-Wisdom 3:1-2, 3

|

Bless me, Father, for I have been ordinary...

Cowgirl hat-tip to the parishioner to whom credit must be given for the above line. :-)

We Catholics, Trads especially, seem to be particularly fond of groups and labels. Gather any number of Catholics in a room, ask them who's side they're on, and you'll receive a myriad of answers:

"Oh, I'm a Sedevacantist. The Chair of Peter has been vacant since the election of John XXIII."

"I go to the SSPX. All other Roman Rite groups either compromised or don't have a valid Mass."

"I attend a FSSP parish; the SSPX are schismatics and the Independent priests don't have jurisdiction."

"I'm a Feeneyite; the only form of Baptism is Baptism of Water, and everyone who hasn't been baptized by water isn't gonna make it into Heaven."

"The Diamond Brothers, from Most Holy Family Monastery, I side with them on Church matters. They're always right-on when it comes to the real Pope and such things."

"FSSP? SSPX? Feeneyite? Dimond Brothers? What...? I'm just Catholic, I go to the parish down the street from my house. How do you understand the Mass if it's in Latin, anyways?"

"Side? I am on nobody's side, because nobody is on my side, little orc."

Granted, the above examples are extreme, and yes I'm being particularly hard on these groups here. The examples are only provided for perspective, however, and they are in no way reflective of my affiliation with or opinions of any of these groups. Of course, I'm sure it's obvious from the blog that I'm a Tridentine Latin Mass fan, so it follows that I must be in favor of one or more of the above groups, but which group or groups specifically -- I leave that a mystery. :-)

Anyway, there are many different groups of Catholics out there, and they all have labels. It's no wonder that people become confused and end up in the hands of the Dimond Brothers' Most Holy Family Monastery or some other such nonsensical sect.

Perhaps it would be beneficial, at some point, to write a post on the 40 years since Vatican II. Personally, I think 40 years of debate between Catholic groups (labels) is far more than enough debate-time (especially debate among and between laity, who probably shouldn't be debating some of these matters at all). Instead of spending more years continuing to debate over who is right and who has held the most steadfast to Tradition, I'd love to see the different groups -- laity and clergy alike -- join forces to fight for the Mass of All Time.

An Alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together. We come now to honor that allegiance.

When the Motu Proprio was issued, we Trads were given another label by our Pope, Benedict XVI. It's a label I rather like...a label I think we could use instead of "Trad", "SSPX", etc. Pope Benedict, in issuing the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, gave those of us who cling to the Tridentine Rite the label Extraordinary.

Summorum Pontificum, Article 1: The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is to be regarded as the ordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) of the Catholic Church of Latin Rite, while the Roman Missal promulgated by St Pius V and published again by Blessed John XXIII as the extraordinary expression of the law of prayer (lex orandi) and on account of its venerable and ancient use let it enjoy due honor. Hence it is licit to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as the extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church.

What an awesome label, isn't it? The Tridentine Rite is the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Those of us who attend it are Extraordinary Catholics. The Mass is, most definitely, extraordinary in Latin.

By the very nature of all we hold dear about Tradition and our Faith and the Mass of All Time, we are called to be not just Ordinary Catholics but Extraordinary Catholics.

Yes, this is a label I rather like. :-)

If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire. Let the truth be your delight...proclaim it...but with a certain congeniality.
-Saint Catherine of Siena

|

Last Thursday, October 15th, was the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila.

Saint Teresa of Avila, baptized Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was born on March 28th, 1515, at Gotarrendura (Avlia), Old Castile, Spain. She was a prominent Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation. She reformed the Carmelite Order and is considered to be, along with St. John of the Cross, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. She died on October 4th, 1582, at Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, Spain. In 1970 Pope Paul VI named her a Doctor of the Church. Click here to read more about the life of this great saint.

Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Bernini, Gianlorenzo (1647-1652); marble, height c. 11' 6" (3.5m); Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.
-St. Teresa of Avila

Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy, where the Ecstasy of St. Teresa altarpiece by Bernini resides, is one of my favorite churches in Rome. Click the link to read more about this magnificent church.

|

Neque enim quaero intelligere ut credam, sed credo ut intelligam. Nam et hoc credo, quia, nisi credidero, non intelligam...Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand.
-St. Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 – 1109), philosopher, theologian, Archbishop of Canterbury

God is love. The Sacred Heart symbolizes the love that is God. From all eternity, God is love. The essence of love is to give, and within the Trinity, each of the three Divine Persons from all eternity shares the divine nature that each one possesses. God is loving. God is loving not only by bringing us into being, but by bringing us into being as creatures who are capable of love. God could have made us insects or animals or trees or lofty mountains, but these cannot think and love. When this loving God chose to create other beings, it was only because He is loving that He wanted to share what He as God had from all eternity (love) with beings who would not even exist without His love. From the moment of creation and into the endless reaches of eternity, God will continue loving us. If He were to cease loving us, we would cease to exist! God manifested His love by bringing us into existence and making us creatures who are capable of love.

God also manifested His by becoming one of us, and, having become one of us, He has remained and will be for all eternity one of us. When the Word became Flesh, It became Flesh not only for a time, but for all eternity. God will remain Incarnate forever. This loving God, who out of love for us became man and died on the Cross to show His love for us, this God became man and remains man, but He remains man on earth. It is no exaggeration to say that the Sacred Heart is the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the same Infinite Love who is God and who out of love for us became man and is here on earth. Love wants us to be intimate. Love wants us to be near. Love wants us to be close to the one whom it loves. When we receive Him, that same God is within us.
- Father John A. Hardon, S.J.

O St. Therese, little martyr of Love, you know now even better than in the days of your pilgrimage that Love embraces all; that it is Love alone which counts, which unites us perfectly to God and conforms our will with His. All you sought on earth was love; to love Jesus as He had never yet been loved. Use your power in heaven to make us love Him. If only we love Him we shall desire to make Him loved by others; we shall pray much for souls. We shall no longer fear death, for it will unite us to Him forever. Obtain for us the grace to do all for the love of God, to give Him pleasure, to love Him so well that He may be pleased with us as He was with you.
-Taken from the Novena to St. Therese

|

Atlarpiece, Dominican Church of the Holy Rosary, Rome, Italy

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. This feast was established in 1573 by St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the Catholic victory over the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto.

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
-Luke Chapter 1, Verses 26-28

|

Ever since I heard about Liber Pro, the Liber Usualis for iPlatforms application, I've been eagerly anticipating it's release.

Today, September 29th, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, (cowgirl-hat-tip to the developing team for that sweet Trad touch!) Liber Pro was released to the iTunes app store. Here's an image from the application's iTunes page:

This application looks absolutely, totally, Trad-awesome. I'll download the app and post a review later this week.

|

Today, September 29th, is the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel.

|

Found this piece of news over on Fr. Z's blog, What Does the Prayer Really Say:

Here is something of interest for users of the iPhone and lovers of liturgy.

Dear Fr. Z,

Over the past months I have been working on an application that combines an electronic version of the 1961 Liber Usualis with the Roman Calendar (also 1961), thereby reducing the weight of the Liber and making it easier to navigate. I have called the application Liber Pro, and it will become available for iPhone and iPod Touch on September 29, 2009, at the cost of $14.99.
...
I admit that my purpose in asking this is to get the word out that this application is coming; however, I also think that the app would be of interest to many readers who are particularly attached to the Latin Mass, as I am myself.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Once again, the WDTPRS campus telephone poll receives more staples.

This is totally cool. The entire Liber Usualis on my iPhone! I'm getting a mental image of a full choir loft of Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Bases, all holding iPhones or iPod Touches, singing Missa Orbis Factor...

...or, better yet, a monastery of Benedictines, or a convent of Carmelites, all holding iPhones or iPod Touches, singing Compline.

Oooooh_wow_yeah.

I love being a Trad. :-P

|

Today, September 14th, marks the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

September 14th also marks another important date within the Catholic Church. Summorum Pontificum - the moto proprio promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI on July 7th, 2007, the motu proprio reaffirming to the world that the Tridentine Rite was never abrogated and that the Tridentine Rite will be valid until the end of time - declared:

We order that everything We have established with these Apostolic Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered as "established and decreed", and to be observed from 14 September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, whatever there may be to the contrary.

The decision for the motu proprio to take effect on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross was not a mistake...the history behind the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is analogous to the wide-spread "returning" of the Tridentine Rite.

Early in the fourth century, St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ's life. She razed the Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior's tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher over the tomb. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good Friday celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus' head: Then "all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissing the cross, they move on."To this day the Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica's dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim.

Today, September 14th, marks the day when the True Cross, the most precious relic of the Catholic Church, was restored to its rightful place in Christendom -- similarly, it marks the day when the Tridentine Latin Mass, the jewel of the Catholic Church, was restored to its rightful place in parishes the world over.

Why do you fear to take up the Cross, which is the road to the Kingdom? In the Cross is salvation and life, protection against our enemies, infusion of Heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind, joy of spirit, excellence of virtue, perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross. Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us to follow Thee not only to the Breaking of Bread but also to the drinking of the Cup of Thy Passion. Help us to love Thee for Thine own sake and not for the sake of comfort for ourselves. Make us worthy to suffer for Thy name, Jesus, our Crucified and Risen Lord and Savior, now and forever. Amen.

|