Prayer Crusade led by the SSPX

On October 10, 2010, eve of the traditional feast of Kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Society of Pius X (SSPX) led a prayer crusade against the passing of the RH Bill in Congress at the Our Lady of Victories Church in New Manila Quezon City. The prayer crusade started with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament exactly at 12pm and a recitation of the Holy Rosary. At 2pm, the Blessed Sacrament was reposed as a Solemn High Mass, Votive Mass of our Lady of Mediatrix, was about to begin. (The Mass was suppose to be at the presence of the Blessed Sacrament but due to the complexity of the rubrics, the priests opted to repose the Blessed Sacrament at the duration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass). At the end of the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was once again exposed. The Van De Steen Choir with the choir of the Our Lady of Victories sung the hymns.

We should commend the SSPX for taking the initiative of organizing the prayer crusade despite the fact that their regularization within the Church is still in the process.

Father Zerrudo's All Souls Day Homily

...And yet, no matter how vehemently the world tries to deny these realities, the truth remains: there is death and judgment. One day, we shall die and the world is afraid of this. This fear of death comes from the fact that it does not have any idea of what lies beyond it. Denying what is invisible, the world sees nothing beyond the materiality of death. Thus, death to the eyes of the world is simply the end: the end of life, the end of relationships, and the end of existence. And this thought drives man to take all he can out of life – to eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we die. Live without accountability. Enjoy without responsibility. Nothing waits for you at the end...

Read the complete homily here: On Death and Judgement

Father Zerrudo's All Saints Day Homily

 ...The saints are the real survivors of the struggles of this life – not the artificially stranded people whose tasks consisted in games and contests, and definitely not housemates whose tasks veer toward stupidity and foolishness. The saints are the ones who have survived the great distress. They are the ones who have shown us the real stuff that our humanity is made of and meant for...

Read the complete homily here: On Realism of the Saints

The Priests are God's men.

The priests are God's men. They have given their lives for Him and so they belong to Him and Him alone. Let them do their sacred duty of offering the Sacrifice of Calvary that brings us closer to His heavenly glory. Let us not give the world the opportunity to own them once more and trap them but instead let us allow these priests of our Lord the opportunity to bring us closer to God our Father in heaven. Encourage them to wear their cassocks more often, if not always, for they are priests not only when administering sacraments but they are priests all the time: they should be easily recognizable as such, priests. They should not feel ashamed to wear garments proper to who they are: priests. Encourage them to pray their breviaries everyday for it is through daily prayer and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and not social functions where they gather their strength. Let God's grace work through them for they are the link, called by God, that binds heaven and earth. The priests are God's men. When they fall, it is only because we are stubborn not to let go of the world. When they fall, it is only because we do not support them with our prayers. When they fall, it is because we do not love them as priests. Love them not as celebrities but love them with a sense of sacredness and awe for they are priests. These priests are God's men chosen by Him, elected by Him.


Photo Credits: Jesson Gonzaga Allerite
                       New Liturgical Movement

Schedule of Exposition of the Relics of St. John Marie Vianney

From an Email:

January 23 - Arrival at NAIA at 9:30 a.m., National Shrine of the Sacred Heart at 11 am

January 24 - EDSA Shrine at 12 noon

January 25 to 29 - 2nd National Congress of the Clergy at the World Trade Center

January 29 - Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish at 12 noon

January 30 - Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene at 12 noon

January 31 - St. John Mary Vianney Parish at 12 noon

February 1 - Departure at NAIA at 11:30 a.m.

Thanks to Miguel Madarang Ramirez for the info.

Helping our Priests

Let's help our priests spend their time more time in prayer, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass more than anything else.

Solemnity of Christ the King (Ordinary Form)

Let all of us be reminded that Christ's, our Lord God and our Sovereign King. Therefore all of us, especially those who have positions of influence: parents, elders, teachers, professors, religious formators, catechists, lawyers, politicians, priests, bishops should never ever surrender ourselves to false teachings, false theologies, false bills that would undermine the sovereign authority of our Lord over this world, the same world He redeemed with the price of His Blood, and false teachings, false theologies, false bills that would corrupt His beloved children.

Is the Mass a meal or a sacrifice?

Being brought up in a Catholic family and having studied in a Catholic Institution, I was always taught that the Mass is special and sacred... it is a sacred meal and a sacrifice. But it was only when I attended my first TLM almost 2 years ago that the reality of the nature of the Mass was made clear. Even the most simplest of its forms, the Low Mass, clearly illustrates its sacredness, its mystery and its sacrificial nature. Is it the orientation, silence, the gestures, or the language, or even the priestly vestments? It is no question that these elements I mentioned contributes to the sacredness and sense of mystery to the Mass and perhaps the de-emphasis on the orientation, silence, gestures and language led to the de-emphasis on the sacredness, mystery, solemnity that eventually led to the de-emphasis on its sacrificial nature. What is left is the emphasis, or should I say over emphasis of the meal aspect, over emphasis that "transforms" it into merely a "communal" meal.

A theology of the Mass that is totally centered on "communal" meal aspect makes me ask myself: are we witnessing or partaking a mere breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack with some music and prayers? Are we just eating a mere bread and drinking a mere wine? Or are we witnessing a miracle, the greatest miracle that happens daily...the transformation of bread made by human hands, and wine made of fruit of the vine, into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are we meeting some dignitary that we should show some sign of respect, or are we meeting the King of kings and Lord of lords face to face that we should show the greatest signs of reverence that we have? Is it a mere bread, or is it our God and King? What should our actions, our demeanor, our disposition be like in front of our God, our Lord and King who offers His Body and Blood for the sanctification of our souls?

The realization of the meal aspect, will never go away, unless we remove the bread and wine so that we can never communicate. The mere fact that bread and wine is present at Mass to be eaten is a sign and indication that it is a meal but the realization of the sacredness of the meal and the sacredness of sacrificial aspect can easily be hidden or taken away by means of the abuses and banality that had crept into the Mass, by making the priest face the people the entire Mass, by taking away and limiting the silence and gestures, sacred art and architecture, and even vestments that reminds us of the Real Presence of our Lord all in the name of simplification. The realization of the sacredness and sacrificial nature of the Mass, of our Lord's real presence, should in fact move us to show greater signs of respect, that is reverence and adoration towards the Lord by our disposition, our demeanor, gestures, music, sacred art and architecture, vestments, and prayers.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary continue to be our model and guide as she witnessed and united herself in the sacrifice of her beloved Son for the salvation of our souls.

Revering the hands of a newly ordained priest

Antipolo, May 2008

A Filipino Medical Student shares his first Latin Mass experience

An excerpt from a very moving post from the blog: Meditations of a Discerning Soul. Thanks to Frank for sending us the link. Emphasis mine.

Domine, non sum dignus....

(...)

Yes, brothers and sisters, if you are fans of the Traditional Roman Rite of 1962, you may recognize this Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. What point am I driving to? I am very excited to just type this here: I attended my first Latin Mass this afternoon! Being brought up in the Novus Ordo Mass, I had no idea what a Latin Mass was like until I experienced it this afternoon.

After having spent the previous night at a house of a very close friend, something made me attend Mass in their parish. I then realized that their parish celebrated a Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form. I made my way to the church, all the while realizing the need for a missal. Good thing a very kindly lady already seated on one of the pews lent hers.

Actually during the start of the rite, I tried to recall all the videos I have watched about the Traditional Rite, and I began to get excited at the fact that I was about to witness everything before my very eyes. The silence was invigorating, inspiring, elevating!

What led my soul to great joy was when I saw the Host and the Chalice elevated, and later the Host coming into my very being in such a special way: kneeling, tongue out, and the priest giving it himself. My inner yearning for such a way of celebrating and assisting at Holy Mass has at last been realized. I can only praise the Lord for such grace!

(...)

* I attended this very beautiful Mass at the Divine Mercy Parish, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Talk by Father Jocis Syquia

You are cordially invited to a talk on

ANG PAGHAHARI NG DIOS SA KABILA NG
{ESPIRITWAL} na KAPANSANAN

to be delivered by

The Rev. Fr. Jose Francisco Jocis Syquia
Director of the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism
Assistant Exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila

this Saturday 19th of July 2008 from 7:30 am to 12nn
at the LayForce Chapel,
San Carlos Seminary Complex, EDSA

His new book, Exorcism, 2nd Edition will be available at the Site.

Pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Communion, prelate says

From CBCP News

OZAMIZ CITY, July 13, 2008 – Reiterating the Catholic Church stand against abortion Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus A. Dosado, CM said pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Holy Communion until they bring to an end the objective situation of sin.

In a pastoral letter released today, Dosado said a Catholic politician who consistently campaign and vote for permissive abortion should be instructed on Church’s teachings and informed by parish priests that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin or otherwise he will be denied the Eucharist.

Quoting from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration “Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics” [2000], number 3-4, the prelate stressed that when these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they where not possible, and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.

Dosado added that this decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of the Holy Communion passing judgment on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

Citing the General Principles of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), June 2004, titled “Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion” Dosado said taking Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgment regarding one’s worthiness to do so. The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that
must be corrected.

Dosado stressed not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion.

“For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war, but not about abortion,” he added.

The local ordinary said apart from an individual’s judgment about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave. (Wendell Talibong)

Spirituality of the Tridentine Mass

A nice resource about the spirituality of the Tridentine Mass with materials written by Dom Prosper Gueranger, Cardinal Alfons Stickler, Dietrich Von Hildebrand, and many more.

Sancta Missa: Spirituality of the Tridentine Mass

Venite Adoremus