OUR LADY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES; (Saturday After the Ascension); SAINT UBALDUS (1160 A.D.); SAINT SIMON STOCK (1265 A.D.) Religious

   

OUR LADY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES 

IN SOME PLACES BY SPECIAL INDULT

SAINT UBALDUS

Bishop and Confessor

SAINT SIMON STOCK 

Religious

 

WHITE/INDULT
Mary, the regal Mother of Christ's Apostles and their successors, watches over missioners' souls and persons and fortunes. She is, besides, their special Protectress and support in all that pertains to their work, because they are particularly dedicated to the cause nearest Her Heart -- the salvation of the world by and through Her divine Son. Apostles accordingly have a great and double claim on their heavenly Queen; they know it and are certain that by staying close to Her, they will be kept in every way close to God. Continuing through all the ages and over all the world, this special benevolence of Mary towards Her Son's apostles is something lavish, endless, and boundlessly maternal.

INTROIT Ps. 86:1-3
Her foundation is upon the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Sion more than any of the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. Alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 133:1. Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, You sent Your Holy Spirit upon the Apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us serve Your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your name by word and example. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . . in the unity of the same Holy Spirit.

Commemoration of SAINT UBALDUS

After being consecrated bishop of Gubbio, Italy, in 1129, Ubaldus Baldassini served his flock for more than 30 years with the firm justice, the mildness, and the patience of a true father in Christ. He was revered especially as a peacemaker. On an occasion when rival factions were rioting in the streets of Gubbio, Ubaldus threw himself between the combatants and they laid down their arms at once, for fear of wounding their bishop. At another time, when Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was about to sack Gubbio, Bishop Ubaldus met the Emperor on the road and persuaded him to spare the city.

Help us, O Lord, and stretch out Your right hand in compassion to save us from the wickedness of the devil, through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Ubaldus. 

Commemoration of SAINT SIMON STOCK 
As far as can be ascertained from the earliest references, Simon Stock was an English Prior General, known for his holy way of life, who died about 1265 in Bordeaux in France. After his death, miracles were recorded by those visiting his tomb and during the 14th century a local cult developed in Bordeaux. Our Lady bestowed upon him the Brown Scapular.

God of love,
you called Saint Simon Stock to serve you
in the family of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through his prayers help us
like him to live in your presence and
to work for the salvation of all.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

LESSON Acts 1:1-14  

The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, "which you have heard" (saith he) "by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence." They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?" But he said to them: "It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth." And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments. Who also said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is nigh Jerusalem, within a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
   

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Num. 17:8; Judith 13:17-18  

The rod of Jesse has blossomed. A Virgin has brought forth the God-man. God has restored peace to us, reconciling in Himself the lowness of earth and the highness of heaven. Alleluia! V. Praise the Lord our God, who has not forsaken those who hope in Him, and who by me, His handmaid, has fulfilled His mercy which He promised to the house of Israel; He has killed the enemy of His people by my hand. Alleluia!
 

GOSPEL John 19:25-27  

At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Judith 5:3, 7-8  

It is I, it is I who will sing to the Lord. I will sing to the Lord, the God of Israel. The valiant men ceased and rested in Israel, until a mother arose in Israel. The Lord chose new wars, and He Himself overthrew the gates of the enemies. Alleluia!

SECRET 

May our offering, O Lord, hasten the growth of Your Church and add to the splendor of the virtues of her members through Your mercy and the intercession of the blessed ever-Virgin Mary.  Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT UBALDUS

O Lord, may Your Saints everywhere be a source of joy for us, and may we feel the power of their intercession with You as we solemnly recall the deeds of their lives.

Commemoration of SAINT SIMON STOCK
God of all mercy,
you transformed Saint Simon Stock
and made him a new creature in your image. Renew us in the same way
by making our gifts of peace acceptable to you.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

 COMMUNION ANTIPHON  

Blessed Mother and spotless Virgin, glorious Queen of the world, intercede for us with the Lord, for you are the glory of Israel, the honor of our people. Alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION  

O Lord, the Sacrament we have received will help us towards salvation. May we persevere in doing Your holy Will so that Your Church may always increase under the protection of the blessed ever-Virgin Mary, the Queen of Apostles. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT UBALDUS

O Almighty God, may the expression of our gratitude to You for all Your gifts bring us even greater benefits, through the intercession of Your blesses Confessor bishop Ubaldus. 

Commemoration of SAINT SIMON STOCK 
All-powerful God,
may we who are strengthened by the power of this sacrament learn from the example of Saint Simon Stock
to seek you above all things
and to live in this world as your new creation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE (1719 A.D.) Confessor; SAINT DYMPHNA (620 A.D.) Martyr

   

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE

Confessor

 DOUBLE / WHITE

John Baptist de la Salle (1651-1719) was born of a titled family in Rheims. Although a private fortune and a high order of talent promised a brilliant secular career, John Baptist studied for the priesthood (at St. Sulpice), offering his first Mass with an intensity of devotion that never afterward left him. Gradually the heretical mood of the times and the abysmal ignorance of the poor disclosed a special vocation to him" "to teach the poor and to lead the young in the path of truth" (Collect). Weathering the reverses and heartbreaks that beleaguer every creative spirit, John baptist established the Brothers of the Christian Schools, whose vocation would be to teach and only to teach.
Although good teaching was important to John Baptist, spiritual formation was more so; and, in the face of a rampant Jansenism, he was advocating frequent and even daily Communion. When his foundation was firmly rooted and oriented, he resigned as superior, living thereafter as the humblest of his subjects. He died two years later, on Good Friday.

Mass of a CONFESSOR OF THE FAITH, except

INTROIT Ps. 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justly. The law of God is in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia! 
Be not envious of evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
V. Glory be to the Father . . .

GLORIA

Probably the most famous portrait of St. John Baptist de La Salle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COLLECT
O God, You inspired the holy confessor John Baptist to teach the poor and to lead the young in the path of truth, and then founded a new congregation in Your Church through him. May his intercession and example fill us with zeal to glorify You by the saving of souls, so that we may also share his reward in Heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
 

LESSON Eccl. (31:8-11)

[Sirach 31:8-11]

⁸ Blessed is the man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.

⁹ Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things in his life.

¹⁰ Who hath been tried thereby, and made perfect, he shall have glory everlasting. He that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed: and could do evil things, and hath not done them:

¹¹ Therefore are his goods established in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall declare his alms.

[Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition]

ALLELUIA, alleluia. Jac. 1:12

 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 18: 1-5
At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in their midst, and said, "Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such little child for My sake, receives Me."

Offertory
Ps. 88:25
My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My name shall his horn be exalted. Alleluia.

SECRET
We offer You, O Lord, this sacrifice of praise in memory of Your Saints. Free us from evil now and in the future through their intercession. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Matt 24:46-47
Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his goods. Alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION
Refreshed with heavenly Food and Drink we humbly pray You, our God, that we may be strengthened by the prayers of Your Saint, in whose memory we have received this Sacrament. Through our Lord . . .

 

SAINT DYMPHNA

Pinterest.com image

Dymphna was fourteen when her mother died. Damon, her father, is said to have been afflicted with a mental illness, brought on by his grief. He sent messengers throughout his town and other lands to find some woman of noble birth, resembling his wife, who would be willing to marry him. When none could be found, his evil advisers told him to marry his own daughter. Dymphna fled from her castle together with St. Gerebran, her confessor and two other friends. Damon found them in Belgium. He gave orders that the priest's head be cut off. Then Damon tried to persuade his daughter to return to Ireland with him. When she refused, he drew his sword and struck off her head. She was then only fifteen years of age. Dymphna received the crown of martyrdom in defense of her purity about the year 620. She is the patron of those suffering from nervous and mental afflictions. Many miracles have taken place at her shrine, built on the spot where she was buried in Gheel, Belgium.
Prayer: Hear us, O God, Our Saviour, as we honor St. Dymphna, patron of those afflicted with mental and emotional illness. Help us to be inspired by her example and comforted by her merciful help. Amen.

Declaration of Catholic Faith addressed to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV by Fr. Davide Pagliarani Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

 

[youtube.com image]

May 14, 2026

Source: FSSPX News

Declaration of Catholic Faith addressed to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV by Fr. Davide Pagliarani Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

Most Holy Father,

For more than fifty years, the Society of Saint Pius X has endeavoured to set before the Holy See a matter of conscience in the face of the errors that are destroying Catholic faith and morals. Regrettably, all the discussions entered into have remained without result, and none of the concerns expressed have received any truly satisfactory response.

For more than fifty years, the only solution truly considered by the Holy See has appeared to be that of canonical sanctions. To our great regret, it seems to us that canon law is thus being used, not to confirm in the Faith, but to lead away from it.

In the text that follows, the Society of Saint Pius X is glad to express to You, filially and sincerely, its devotion to the Catholic Faith, concealing nothing, either from Your Holiness or from the Universal Church.

The Society places this simple Declaration of Faith in Your hands. It seems to us to correspond to the minimum indispensable to be in communion with the Church, and to truly call ourselves Catholics and, consequently, your sons.

We have no other desire than that of living and being confirmed in the Roman Catholic Faith.

“Thus, remaining firmly rooted and established in the true Catholic Faith, strive always to be worthy ministers of the divine Sacrifice and of the Church of God, which is the Body of Christ.

For, as the Apostle says: ‘all that is not of faith is sin’,1 schismatic and outside the unity of the Church.”2

DECLARATION OF CATHOLIC FAITH

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, divine Wisdom, the Word Incarnate, Who willed one sole religion, Who rendered the Old Covenant definitively null and void, Who founded one sole Church, Who triumphed over Satan, Who conquered the world, Who remains with us until the end of time and Who shall come again to judge the living and the dead.

He, the perfect Image of the Father, the Son of God made man, was appointed the sole Redeemer and Saviour of the world through the Incarnation and the voluntary offering of the Sacrifice of the Cross. Our Lord satisfied divine justice by shedding His Most Precious Blood, and it is in that Blood that He established the New and Eternal Covenant, abolishing the Old. He is therefore the sole Mediator between God and men and the sole way to come to the Father. Only he who knows Him knows the Father.

By divine decree, the Most Holy Virgin Mary has been directly and intimately associated with the entire work of Redemption; to deny this association — in the terms received from Tradition — is therefore to alter the very notion of Redemption as willed by divine Providence.

There is only one Faith and one Church by which we may be saved. Outside the Roman Catholic Church, and without the profession of Faith that she has always taught, there is neither salvation nor remission of sins.

Consequently, every man must be a member of the Catholic Church in order to save his soul, and there is but one baptism as the means of being incorporated into her. This necessity concerns the whole of humanity without exception and embraces without distinction Christians, Jews, Muslims, pagans, and atheists.

The mandate received by the Apostles, to preach the Gospel to every man and to convert every man to the Catholic Faith, remains binding until the end of time and responds to the most absolute and most pressing necessity in the world. “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.”3 Therefore, to renounce the fulfilment of this mandate constitutes the gravest of crimes against humanity.

The Roman Church alone possesses simultaneously the four marks that characterize the Church founded by Jesus Christ: Unity, Holiness, Catholicity, and Apostolicity.

Her unity flows essentially from the adherence of all her members to the one true Faith, faithfully preserved, taught, and handed down by the Catholic hierarchy throughout the centuries.

The denial of even a single truth of the Faith destroys faith itself and renders radically impossible all communion with the Catholic Church.

The only possible path to restoring unity among Christians of different confessions consists in the urgent and charitable appeal addressed to non-Catholics to profess the one true Faith within the one true Church.

The Catholic Church can in no way be regarded or treated on an equal footing with a false form of worship or a false church.

The Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ, is the sole possessor of supreme authority over the whole Church. He alone directly confers on the other members of the Catholic hierarchy jurisdiction over souls.

“The Holy Ghost was not promised to the successors of Peter that they might make known, by His revelation, a new doctrine, but that, by His assistance, they might inviolably keep and faithfully expound the revelation transmitted by the Apostles, that is, the Deposit of the Faith.”4

To a unique Faith there corresponds a unique form of worship, the supreme, authentic, and perfect expression of that same Faith.

The Holy Mass is the perpetuation in time of the Sacrifice of the Cross, offered for many and renewed upon the altar. Although offered in an unbloody manner, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is essentially expiatory and propitiatory. No other form of worship offers perfect adoration. No other form of worship that is not ordered to it is pleasing to God. No other means is sufficient for the sanctification of souls.

Consequently, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can in no way be reduced to a mere commemoration, to a spiritual meal, to a sacred assembly celebrated by the people, to the celebration of the Paschal mystery without sacrifice, without satisfaction of divine justice, without expiation of sins, without propitiation, and without the Cross.

The help afforded to souls by the Sacraments of the Catholic Church is sufficient in every circumstance and in every age to enable the faithful to live in a state of grace.

The moral law contained in the Decalogue and perfected in the Sermon on the Mount is the only one practicable for obtaining the salvation of souls. Every other moral code — founded, for example, on respect for creation or on the rights of the human person — is radically insufficient to sanctify and save souls. In no way can it replace the one true moral law.

Following the example of St. John the Baptist, true charity obliges us to warn sinners and never to renounce the means necessary to save their souls.

He who eats the Body of Our Lord and drinks His Blood whilst in a state of sin eats and drinks his own condemnation, and no authority can alter this law contained in the teaching of St. Paul and in Tradition.

Sins of impurity that are against nature are of such gravity that they always and in every circumstance cry to God for vengeance and are radically incompatible with every form of authentic Christian love. Such a ‘lifestyle’ can therefore in no way be recognized as a gift from God. A couple practising this vice must be helped to free themselves from it and can in no way be blessed — formally or informally — by ministers of the Church.

The submission of institutions and nations, as such, to the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ flows directly from the Incarnation and the Redemption. Therefore, secularism of institutions and nations constitutes an implicit denial of the divinity and universal kingship of Our Lord.

Christendom is not a mere historical phenomenon, but the only order willed by God among men.

It is not for the Church to conform herself to the world, but for the world to be transformed by the Church.

It is in this Faith and in these principles that we ask to be instructed and confirmed by Him Who has received the charism to do so. With the help of Our Lord, we would rather die than renounce them. It is in this immutable Faith that we desire to live and die, in the hope that it may give way to the direct vision of the immutable eternal Truth.

Menzingen, 14 May 2026, on the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord

Davide Pagliarani

• 1Rom. 14:23
• 2Roman Pontifical, Admonition to ordinands to the subdiaconate
• 3Mark 16:16
• 4Pastor Aeternus, ch. 4

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD; SAINT BONIFACE OF TARSUS (306 A.D.) Martyr

  

 

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

Boniface of Tarsus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[Commemoration]

SAINT BONIFACE

OF TARSUS 
Martyr

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
Our Lord ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us. is apostles were sent to teach all nations what He had commanded them. We must now cleanse our hearts from sin, which cannot enter heaven, and store up good deeds, performed in the state of grace. These will speak for us when we appear before God.

INTROIT Acts 1:11
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? Alleluia! He shall come in the same way as you have seen him going up to heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 46:2. O, clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of exultation.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O Almighty God, we firmly believe that Your only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day into heaven. May our minds dwell always on this heavenly home. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE 
Boniface, a young Roman who lived the early years of the fourth century, was notorious for his dissipated life. But there was much good in Boniface, too; He was always extremely kind to the poor. The hour of grace struck for him when he was asked to journey to Asia Minor to recover the bodies of certain martyrs. At Tarsus Boniface rushed to join a group of Christians being tortured for their Faith, and then he himself was put to death with savage cruelty.

O Almighty God, may the prayers of Your blessed martyr Boniface aid us as we celebrate his feast today. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 1:1-11
In the former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, "which you have heard"(saith he) "by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence."
They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?" But he said to them: "It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth."
And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments. Who also said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven."

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets. Alleluia!
V. Ps. 67:18-19. The Lord is in Sinai, in the holy place; ascending on high, He has led captivity captive. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:14-20
At that time, Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. And he said to them: "Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover." 
And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

After the Gospel, the Paschal Candle is extinguished

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets, alleluia!

SECRET 
Accept, O Lord, the gifts we offer to celebrate the glorious ascension of Your Son. May Your mercy free us from our present dangers and lead us to eternal life. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE 
Accept our offerings and prayers, O Lord. Cleanse us by this heavenly rite, and in Your mercy hear our petitions. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 67:33-34
Sing to the Lord, who ascends above the heaven of heavens to the East, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION 
Almighty and merciful God, grant that this Sacrament, which we have received in this visible sacred Rite, may bring us Your invisible help. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE
We are refreshed by the reception of Your Sacred Gift, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyr Boniface make us feel the benefit of the Sacred Rite we have performed. Through Our Lord . . . 

Our Lady of Fatima; Mass of The Immaculate Heart of Mary; VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION; SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE (1621 A.D.), Bishop and Doctor of the Church

  

 

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated 4/5/2017, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
Fatima owes its present popularity in the Church very largely to the interest and encouragement of Pope Pius XII. Although the bishops of Portugal had authorized the cultus of Our Lady of Fatima in 1930, and Pius XI made an implicit reference to the "extra-ordinary benefits with which the Blessed Virgin recently favored" Portugal, it was Pius XII among the Popes who first explicitly referred to Fatima in a formal papal document. Pleading for more vocations to the missions, he wrote in 1940, "Let the faithful, when reciting the Rosary so strongly recommended by Our Lady of Fatima, not omit to address an invocation to the Blessed Virgin in favor of missionary vocations" (L’Osservatore, June 29, 1940). This was so significant that the Portuguese Hierarchy in 1942 were able to say, "We are happy to see the Supreme Authority of the Vicar of Jesus Christ evoke thus the testimony of Fatima, and proclaim Urbi et orbi the name of Our Lady of Fatima in an Apostolic Letter addressed to the Portuguese Bishops, but published for the whole world" (Da Cruz, Fatima, 1949, 99).

On October 31, 1942, the Holy Father associated himself with the closing celebrations of the Jubilee of Fatima, by consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima had requested. And in the same year he extended the Office and Mass of the Immaculate Heart to the Universal Church, appointing the 22nd of August as the feast day. More recently Pope Pius XII sent, for the second time, an official delegate to Fatima, to represent, as he said, "Our own person at the shrine of the Virgin of Fatima, to act in Our own name, and to preside with Our authority" (A.A.S., 43, 781). Cardinal Tedeschini, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, was the papal legate who assisted at the Fatima celebration on October 13, 1951, when more than a million pilgrims came to the Portuguese shrine.

In his own radio message to the pilgrims, the Holy Father emphasized one practical aspect of the message of Fatima which deserves to be better known: the Family Rosary. "The Virgin Mother's insistence on the recitation of the family Rosary," he said, "was meant to teach us that the secret of peace in family life lies in imitating the virtues of the Holy Family" (A.A.S., 43, 801). via Fr. Hardon S.J. 

Commemoration of the VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION

[Commemoration]

SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE

Bishop and Doctor of the Church

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE

The apparitions of Mary at Fatima in 1917 were not the first supernatural events reported there – two years before Mary appeared to the three shepherd children – Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto – they saw a strange sight while praying the rosary in the field, according to the memoirs of Sister Lucia, who had become a Carmelite nun.

“We had hardly begun when, there before our eyes, we saw a figure poised in the air above the trees; it looked like a statue made of snow, rendered almost transparent by the rays of the sun,” she wrote, describing what they saw in 1915.

The next year, Francisco and Jacinta received permission to tend their family’s flocks and Lucia decided to join her cousins in a field owned by their families. It was 1916 when the mysterious figure appeared again, this time approaching close enough “to distinguish its features.”

“Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me,” Sister Lucia recalled the angel saying.

The three told no one about the angel’s visit and received no more heavenly visits until May 13, 1917. While the children tended their sheep and played, they were startled by two flashes of lightning.

As they made their way down a slope, the children saw a “lady all dressed in white” standing on a small tree. It was the first of six apparitions of Mary, who gave a particular message or revelation each time:

– May 13, 1917. When asked by the children who she was and where she came from, the lady said she was “from heaven” and that she would reveal her identity later. She asked the children to come back to the Cova da Iria on the 13th day of the month for the next six months, and she asked them to pray the rosary every day “in order to obtain peace for the world” and the end of World War I.

– June 13, 1917. The lady said she would take Francisco and Jacinta to heaven soon while Lucia would remain on earth for “some time longer” to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart.

– July 13, 1917. The lady said she would reveal her identity in October and “perform a miracle for all to see and believe.” After telling the children to make sacrifices for sinners, she revealed three secrets; two of the secrets were not shared publicly until 1941 and the third secret, written down by Sister Lucia and sent to the Vatican, was not released until 2000.

INTROIT Heb. 4:16 
Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Almighty and Eternal God, You prepared a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May all of us who devoutly celebrate the feast of her Immaculate Heart be blessed to live according to the wishes of Your own Heart. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION

O God, from Whom all good things come, grant, we beseech You, that by Your inspiration, we may think what is right and under Your guidance, accomplish it.

Commemoration of SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church When the great Italian Jesuit, Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), was made a cardinal, Pope Clement VIII said of him: "We elect this man because he has not his equal for learning in the Church of God." Untiring in his powerful opposition to the Protestant enemies of the Church, St. Robert wrote masterpieces of apologetic literature, as well as two famous catechisms. He also won souls through his sermons and lectures, but above all through his ardent prayer and the example of his holy life.

O God, You fortified Your blessed bishop and doctor Robert with remarkable learning and courage to expose the dangers of error and defend the rights of the Holy See. May we grow in love of truth, and may they who have been led astray by falsehood come back to the unity of Your Church through the intercession of Your saint. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Eccli. 24:23-31 [Sirach]
As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL Ps. 12:6; 44:18
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, who has given me all good; I will sing to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
V. They shall remember your name in every generation. Therefore peoples shall praise you forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Luke 1:46
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Luke 1:47, 49
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

SECRET
We offer this perfect Lamb to your majesty, O Lord, and pray that our hearts may be kindled by that divine fire which so wondrously inflamed the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION

Accept, O Lord, the prayers and gifts of Your faithful people, that, through these rites of love and devotion we may pass to the glory of heaven.

Commemoration of SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE
We offer these gifts, O Lord, as a sweet fragrance before You. May the teaching and example of blessed Robert lead us to obey Your commandments with joyous hearts. Through Our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 19:26-27
Jesus said to His Mother, "Woman, behold, thy son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been refreshed by Your Divine Gifts, O Lord. Free us from present dangers and bestow upon us the joys of eternal life through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Immaculate Heart we honor in this feast. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION

Grant, O Lord, that we who have been fed with the strengthening food of Your heavenly table, may desire what is right and obtain what we desire.

Commemoration of SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE
O Lord Our God, may the Sacrament we have received fire us with the same burning love that consumed blessed Robert and made him spend himself ceaselessly in the service of Your Church. Through Our Lord . . .