Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Image via Wikipedia

The Sower

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY

SAINT GABRIEL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / PURPLE

This Sunday moves deeper into immediate preparation for Lent. It is a day of testing the soil of human hearts, to find out how ready everyone is for the good seed of grace that God is sure to offer. Has our vision enlarged to see all men as our brothers? Has our love reached out to all the world's sufferers, at least by sympathy and prayer? Is our hand open to the needy of our local community?

The Collect recalls that in old Rome this Mass was always said at the "stational" church of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls.

INTROIT Ps. 43:23-26

Awake! Why are you asleep, O Lord? Arise! Cast us not off forever! Why do you hide your face and forget our troubles? Our bodies are pressed to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and free us!
Ps. 43:2. O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have spoken to us.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, You see that we place no trust in our ability and actions. May the prayers of the Doctor of the Gentiles defend us against all adversity. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL

Gabriel Possenti (1838-62), the son of a distinguished Italian lawyer, entered the novitiate of the Passionist Fathers, receiving in religion the name of Brother Gabriel of Our lady of Sorrows. The story of the remaining six years of this young saint's life is largely a record of an extraordinary effort to attain spiritual perfection in small things, but his devotion to Mary was exceptional. Pope Leo XIII said of him: "Because of his filial love for Mary at the foot of the cross, he deserves to take his place by St. John, the beloved disciple, to whom Jesus in His dying hour commended His Mother."

O God, You taught blessed Gabriel to meditate constantly on the sorrows of Your most sweet Mother, and You exalted him by glorious virtues and miracles. Through his prayers and example may we share the sorrows of Your Mother and come to eternal life under Her motherly care; who lives and rules with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

EPISTLE II Cor. 11:19-33; 12:1-9

Brethren: For you gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

I seek according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise): I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods: once I was stoned: thrice I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness: Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall: and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ: above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth): That he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter.

For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.
And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

GRADUAL Ps. 82:19, 14

Let the nations know that You whose name is God, alone are the Most High over all the earth. 
V. O my God, whirl them about like chaff before the wind!

TRACT Ps. 59:4, 6

You have shaken the earth, O Lord, and thrown it into confusion. 
V. Repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
V. That they may flee out of bowshot; that Your chosen ones may escape.

GOSPEL Luke 8:4-15

At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities, unto him, he spoke by a similitude. "The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side. And it was trodden down: and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock. And as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns. And the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground and, being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold." Saying these things, he cried out: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said: "To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that 'seeing they may not see and hearing may not understand.' Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way side are they that hear: then the devil cometh and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock are they who when they hear receive the word with joy: and these have no roots: for they believe for a while and in time of temptation they fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they who have heard and, going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it and bring forth fruit in patience."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 16:5, 6-7

Keep my steps steadfast in Your paths, that my feet may not falter. Incline Your ear and hear my words. Show Your wondrous kindness, O Savior of those who trust in You, O Lord.

SECRET

May the sacrifice we offer You, O Lord, bring us new life and keep us safe. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL

We offer You, O Lord, this life-giving sacrifice in memory of blessed Gabriel. make us always remember the sacrifice of Your death, and let us share in the abundant effects of that sacrifice through the merits of the sorrowing Virgin; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 42:4

I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth.

POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, we humbly ask that those who are nourished with Your Sacrament may live a life of worthy service pleasing to You. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL
O Lord, on this feast of Your holy confessor Gabriel, we give thanks for all we have received from You. Graciously accept our gratitude through the hands of the glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, from whom You took flesh--the same flesh that we have received in this Banquet of Salvation; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

News from an Italian source about the Instruction on Summorum Pontificum

Posted on 19 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

There is a good deal of hand-wringing going on right now about the possibility that the upcoming “Instruction” aboutSummorum Pontificum will water-down the provisions which the Supreme Pontiff made the law of the Latin Church.

About this Instruction, I gave an initial comment here.

Such an Instruction has been expected, like Godot, for a long time.  I long ago stopped hoping for it.  I actively stopped hoping for it, as a matter of fact.

But it is coming and many people, in anticipation of its arrival, are chewing their own skulls in anxiety.

I can understand why people would be upset at the reports about the Instruction.  So many who mourned the loss of the older forms of worship have been mistreated by the Church’s shepherds.  Many who knew the older forms back when, and younger people who prefer them now, are still being treated like second-class trash who get to sit in the back of the bus.  And there only grudgingly.   You can understand why they would be anxious about this Instruction, given how many positions of power are still in the hands of enemies of the Holy Father’s vision and provisions.

Now we see this.

Paolo Rodari writes on Palazzo Apostolico with my emphases and comments in my rapid translation.

They are writing here, here and here that in the Vatican they are trying to water-down the implementing decree ["Instruction"] of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

In substance, according to the blogs mentioned above, the decree instead of giving a greater impetus to the Motu Proprio, explaining to bishops how to implement it in a better way, would say that the old liturgy is a concession made only to “traditionalists”, in recognition of their particular ‘sensibility”.  The blogs still write that the fabricators of this watering-down are Msgr. Charles Scicluna, the Maltese promoter of justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Antonio Card. Canizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

I personally made the necessary verifications and I can say that, according to sources inside the Vatican, the news items given here above, “are completely without foundation”.  The implementing decree will not water-down anything and neither Scicluna nor Canizares are working in that sense.

The Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”, which today is presided over by the Prefect for Doctrine of the Faith William Joseph Card. Levada, already has the text of the decree ready, [I have the sense that someone has told the writer something along the lines of "Get this out there so that the trouble-makers will stop making a fuss!"] is waiting for the difficult work of the translations to finish, and counts on publishing it all (if the translations aren’t subject to delays) before Easter.

Take that for what it is worth.  Rodari doesn’t offer anything that can be verified either.

We don’t know what the text will say.  Most of the people who are talking about the text to me in private – most, not all – don’t know what is in the text.

Given that we don’t know many of the actual details of the text, I can only recommend that people who are deeply concern get on their knees and pray that Pope Benedict be strengthened in his mandate as Vicar of Christ and that his enemies – far from him and close to him – be weakened and confounded.

Do what a committed Catholic warrior would do for a cause that is dear.

I have started a month long “novena”, a Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict to end on 19 March, which is the Holy Father’s “name day”, the Feast of St. Joseph.

Please participate in this Spiritual Bouquet.

In the meantime, drink some Mystic Monk coffee and, if you want to sign something, go to this site and put your signature to a kind of open-letter or petition.

Also, in the next days and weeks consider that the Holy Father is unlikely to put his signature to something which would so undermine his position and authority.

Finally, I will ask the readers for some help with something.

We could use an up-to-date list of the members (not the workers) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the members (not workers) of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.  We need to know who has been involved in this and who may also need prayers.  It would be nice to get this before the 2011 Annuario Pontificio is released.   Please don’t waste our time with “This guy used to be the list” or “I think he is a member” or even worse “I think X should be on it!”  We need facts, not old news or guesses.  If you don’t know, don’t write about it.

And now…

From the the Enchiridion of Indulgences, #25:

A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a spirit of filial devotion, devoutly recite any duly approved prayer for the Supreme Pontiff (e.g., the Oremus pro Pontifice):

V. Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and bless him upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

Our Father.  Hail Mary.

Let us pray.

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you Fr. Zuklusdorf http://wdtprs.com/blog/ 

SAINT SIMEON
Bishop and Martyr

SIMPLE / RED
St. Simeon was a close relative of the Blessed Virgin. The Apostles chose him to succeed the martyred St. James the Lesser as bishop of Jerusalem. In all probability Simeon directed the Christians in their retreat to Pella, when the Holy City was destroyed. During Trajan's persecution, Simeon was denounced to the governor Atticus as being not only a Christian, but also a descendant of David. The venerable bishop endured two days of torture before his crucifixion in the year 106.

COLLECT

Almighty God, look upon our weakness and the heavy burden we carry because of our own deeds. Let the prayers of Your blessed martyr bishop Simeon in Heaven be our protection. Through Our Lord . . .


SECRET
O Lord, graciously accept the gifts we offer You in honor of Your blessed martyr bishop Simeon and grant us Your unending assistance through these offerings. Through our Lord . . .


POSTCOMMUNION
We are refreshed by the reception of Your sacred Gift, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyr bishop Simeon make us feel the benefit of the sacred rite we have performed. Through our Lord . . .

An ancient hymn that is still sung in the morning at the canonical hour of Prime in certain traditional religious orders. Performed by the Daughters of Mary, Mother of our Savior, in Round Top, NY.
http://www.daughtersofmary.net/music.php

February 16
FERIAL DAY

Mass of preceding Sunday
is celebrated


SAINT ONESIMUS
[Historical]

Onesimus lived in the first century. He was a slave who robbed his master and ran away to Rome. In Rome he went to see the great apostle, St. Paul, who was a prisoner for his faith. Paul received Onesimus with the kindness and love of a good father. Paul helped the young man realize he had done wrong to steal. But more than that, he led Onesimus to believe in and accept the Christian faith.

After Onesimus became a Christian, Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, who was Paul's friend. But Paul did not send the slave back alone and defenseless. He "armed" Onesimus with a brief, powerful letter. Paul hoped his letter would set everything right for his new friend, Onesimus. Paul wrote to Philemon: "I plead with you for my own son, for Onesimus. I am sending him back to you. Welcome him as though he were my very heart."

That touching letter is in the New Testament of the Bible. Philemon accepted Paul's letter and Paul's advice. When Onesimus returned to his master, he was set free. Later, he went back to St. Paul and became his faithful helper.

St. Paul made Onesimus a priest and then a bishop. The former slave dedicated the rest of his life to preaching the Good News that had changed his life forever. It is believed that during the persecutions, Onesimus was brought in chains to Rome and stoned to death.

Image via Wikipedia

Saints Faustinus & Jovita with the Blessed Virgin Mary and Christ Child. Image via Wikipedia

SAINTS FAUSTINUS AND JOVITA

Martyrs

SIMPLE/RED

Faustinus, a priest and Jovita, a deacon, were brothers, born into a family of the nobility in Brescia, Italy. They preached the Christian religion openly during the persecution under the Emperor Hadrian. When neither threats nor torments could shake their fidelity to Christ, Hadrian ordered their beheading about the year 121.

The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those came out and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels brought them strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a large number of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they knelt down and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons and possesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

COLLECT

We are made happy, O God, by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Faustinus and Jovita. As we joyously remember the merits of these saints, may we also be inspired by their example. Through Our Lord . . .

SECRET 

O Lord, hear the prayers we offer on the feast of Your saints. Since we cannot rely on our own merits, let the merits of those who have been pleasing to You help us. Through Our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION 

We have been nourished by the Sacrament of Salvation, O Lord. Help us also through the prayers of Your saints whom we honor this day. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany

DOUBLE/GREEN

Just as the tiny infant in Mary's arms grew into the physical maturity of Calvary's victim, so His Mystical Body, started with Mary and the Apostles, has spread over the earth, and will continue to grow until the maturity of Judgment Day. In the lives of the martyrs and the saints, in the solid virtue of every genuine Christian, and in every noble word and deed, the irresistible power of Christ shines victoriously. Quietly as leaven spreads by cell dividing from cell, Jesus becomes known to men through those who bear His name, live His life, speak His truth--and share all this with others.

INTROIT Ps. 96:7-8

Adore God, all you His Angels: Sion heard, and was glad: and the daughters of Juda rejoiced. (Psalm) The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. 

V.: Glory be to the Father. Adore God, all you His Angels...

COLLECT

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that ever pondering on reasonable things, we may accomplish, both in words and works, that which is pleasing in Thy sight. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE 1 Thes. 1:2-10

Brethren, We give thanks to God always for you all, making a rembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing, being mindful of the work of your faith and labor and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father: knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election: for our Gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness, as you know what nammer of men we have been among you for your sakes. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is towards God, is gone forth, so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves relate of us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven (Whom He raised from the dead), Jesus, who hath delivered us from the wrath to come.

GRADUAL Ps. 101:15-17

The Gentiles shall fear Thy Name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. For the Lord hath built up Sion: and He shall be seen in His glory.

Alleluia Ps. 96:1

Alleluia, alleluia. The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice, let many islands be glad. Alleluia GOSPEL Matt. 13:13-35 At that time Jesus spoke to the multitudes this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which is the least indeed of all seeds but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in the branches thereof." Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened." All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables He did not speak to them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world." OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 117:16-17 The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength: the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me: I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord. SECRET May this offering O Lord, we beseech Thee, cleanse and renew us, guide and protect us. Through our Lord. COMMUNION ANTIPHON Luke 4:22 All wondered at these things which proceeded from the mouth of God. POSTCOMMUNION Being fed, O Lord, with heavenly delights, we beseech Thee, that we may ever hunger after things by which we truly live. Through our Lord .