" PAST " GUARDIAN OF THE SAVIOR CHILD

 

THE FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH  19TH MARCH

From the Preface of St. Joseph

".......who, being a just man,was given by Thee as Spouse to the Virgin Mother of God, and,as a faithful and prudent servant, was set over Thy Family, that with fatherly care he might guard Thine only - begotten Son, conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, even Jesus Christ our Lord."

Dear St. Joseph, Patron of so many of God's faithful and of so many of the Church's institutions, and especially Patron of Joseph Ratzinger our beloved  Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI Pray for us!

" PAST " HAIL GLORIOUS SAINT PATRICK

 

 HAIL GLORIOUS SAINT PATRICK

Grateful notes to Heaven ascending,
To the world new joys proclaim,
Faith  and love together blending,
We revere our Patrick's name,
Happy Saint!, in bliss adoring,
Jesus, Saviour of Mankind,
Hear thy children Thee imploring;
May we Thy protection find!


In grateful thanks for the Faith which flourished in Ireland thanks to you beloved St.Patrick, and which your sons and daughters spread ,in the fullness of time, across the oceans to Australia and the United States and from there to the missions of the world.
 

A HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO EVERYONE!
GOD BLESS OLD IRELAND!

" PAST " "COOEES FROM THE CLOISTER"

 The Blog "COOEES FROM THE CLOISTER" has disappeared in recent days, having taken the veil of "invited membership only". 

Curious. Some months ago another Blog which it had spawned, "COOEE'S PRIORY", also took the veil after some posts of unpleasant tone. In the most recent case, posting , nominally by several individuals each identified only by a nom de plume, seems to have taken the veil rather suddenly ,perhaps at the request of an Ordinary. 

The bloggers - obviously  clerics for the most part , and perhaps mainly from Melbourne, had long hidden their identities, now they have  hidden their works also. These works were sometimes witty, sometimes less than kind,sometimes inaccurate.They had a strangely negative attitude to Father Mark Withoos (young Melbourne priest currently serving in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments - envy?)- and evidenced an unwillingness to publish anything revealing the unusual ideas of Bishop Michael Putney of Townsville, whilst delighting in irreverent posts about "Dionysius"- His Grace Archbishop Denis Hart.
 

Farewell Reverend Gentlemen & others,one suspects your uncertain trumpet will be missed by few.

" NEW " SAINT MARY OF THE SNOW REVISED

SAINT MARY OF THE SNOW      REVISED

                                            St.Mary Major - Papal Basilica Rome 

                                         photo via Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
TODAY 5th August, is the Feast ( III CLASS) of the Dedication of the Church of St.Mary of the Snow in the Calendar of the Traditional Latin Mass which was THE Mass for nearly 1,700 years in the Latin Church. Since the Second Vatican Council, the date was preserved in the new calendar , but the Feast was re-named "The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, and it was made an Optional Memorial .

 

"The Basilica of Our Lady of the Snow,called also St .Mary Major, was built on the Esquiline hill at Rome by St. Liberius, Pope from 352 to 366 .Popular  tradition relates that the site was traced out by a miraculous fall of snow on this date , which is that of the church's Dedication". (Daily Missal)

 

 That was not all that changed in the transition after the Second Vatican Council. In the Mass of the day, before the Council, we had the INTROIT prayer :

 

"Hail holy parent,that didst bring forth the King Who ruleth Heaven and earth for ever and ever  (Psalm) My heart hath uttered a good word.I speak of my works to the King. Glory be to the Father. Hail holy parent..." 

The Collect of the Traditional Latin Mass read as follows: 

"Grant to us Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body: and through the intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin may be delivered from present sorrow and possess eternal joy.Through Our Lord.."    

In the Post Conciliar Novus Ordo Mass the approach is rather different :

"Pardon the faults of your servants , we pray, O Lord, that we who cannot please you by our own deeds, may be saved through the intercession of The Mother of Your Son and Our Lord. Who lives and reigns  with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever." 

The Traditional Latin Mass then presents the Epistle which on this Feast is taken from the Book of Wisdom. In the chosen passage Wisdom Herself ( here a figure of the Blessed Virgin) speaks of herself, her origin, her dwelling, her dignity and her fruits.

"from the beginning , and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not case to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before Him.And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested , and my power was in Jerusalem.And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance, and mine abode is in the full assembly of saints."

The Traditional Liturgy goes on via the Gradual :

"Blessed and venerable art thou, O Virgin Mary: who without loss of purity wert found to be the Mother of Our Savior. Virgin Mother of God, He Whom the whole world cannot hold, enclosed Himself in thy womb, and became man."

The Post Conciliar Novus Ordo presents the Responsorial Psalm relying on the Book of Judith 13:18-19.R. 15:9

Responsorial Psalm

R. "You are the highest honour of our race!

1. May you be blessed my daughter, by God Most High,

beyond all women on earth,

and may the Lord God be blessed,

the Creator of Heaven and Earth.R.

2. The trust you have shown, 

shall not pass from the memories of men,

but shall ever remind them,

of the power of God.  R "

The Traditioonal Latin Mass goes on to greet the Gospel:

"Alleluia,alleluia. After His birth a Virgin entire thou didst remain: O Mother of God, intercede for us.Alleluia"

The Post Conciliar Novus Ordo liturgy gives us :

"Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are they who hear the word of God,

and keep it.

Alleluia!"

Both Liturgies use the  Gospel of Luke 11 27-28.

The Traditional Latin Mass reads:

 

"At that time, as Jesus was speaking to the multitudes, a certain woman from the crowd , lifting up her voice , said to Him blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the paps that gave Thee suck." But He said : "Yea rather blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it."

 

The Post-Conciliar Novus Ordo reads:

"As Jesus was speaking a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said,"Happy the womb that bore You and the breasts you sucked!" But He replied "Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

 

The Gospel of the Lord." 

 

The Traditional Latin Mass presents us with the SECRET prayer (" SECRET" has also the sense of Private in Latin) :

"By Thy gracious mercy O Lord, and the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may this offering be of avail to us for welfare and peace now and for evermore. Through Our Lord."

The Traditional Latin Mass uses a particular Preface for the Feast whereas the Post- Conciliar Novus Ordo presents two  Prefaces for use as chosen. As usual, the Prefaces in both Masses are exemplary.

SUMMARY

Saint Mary of the Snow was the first church in the West dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Hence the later title of Saint Mary Major. The great church as we see it today is a remarkably successful blending of additions in a variety of styles over the many intervening centuries.

The changes in this  particular  liturgy since the Council, have little to do with the Council documents or decisions themselves. They seem to represent the effects of the Bugnini faction to over simplify the wording, to de-emphasise in a very cautious way devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the ancient origins of the church.The preservation of the date of the celebration is not only an unavoidable  recognition of the date of the event but also of the inviolability in the life of the faithful, of respect and honor for the Mother of God. The III Class ranking is the lowest under the revisions approved by Pope Saint John XXIII. We can be grateful for the preservation of the Traditional texts, with their greater solemnity and greater  recognition of the true nature of the relationship between God and man and the intercessory status of the Blessed Virgin.

Saint Mary Major is one of the Four major basilicas in Rome : Saint John the Lateran (the Cathedral of Rome), Saint Peter's Basilica, Saint Paul Outside the Walls (when I was a child it used to be "Without" the Walls which caused me some slight amusement.) And least of all Saint Mary Major. The celebration of their separate Dedications is a steady reminder of our indestructible and essential links to the early Church and the See of Saint Peter.

" PAST " BEEN THERE TWICE - AND BEEN DONE BY THAT!

 To-day with my dear wife,I went to the movies. We saw "COMPANY MEN".

Without hesitation I urge you to see it. It is very much a story of our times - the shedding of activities and employees by major companies seeking to ride out difficult times. Along the way , we are shown the degrading effects of being "let go" , of family and personal degradation by the rolling consequences of lost position and status. And interestingly and very accurately, we are shown how tough it is even for small business operators to stay afloat in hard times. We are still feeling the "crush of the wagon wheels"which a Wyoming Jesuit once hoped I would avoid.

The acting and direction are brilliant, the whole being very tightly managed and free of unnecessary theatrics, making it so much more effective.

Having been twice a victim of such a situation, though with very different backgrounds, I found the movie very realistic, and telling. In fact, afterwards I could scarcely talk about it without being moved to tears. Go! See it! Please, for my sake and yours - these are uncertain times.You may begin to understand.

I thank God someone has made this movie , and with such integrity.

" PAST "CANONISATION OF BLESSED MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

 Following the Public Consistory held in the Apostolic Palace, the Holy See has announced that Blessed Mary of the Cross MacKillop will be formally Canonised along with five other Beati, at a ceremony to be held on Sunday 17th October, 2010.

The very first Australian Saint - praise God for the gift of her life and her work and fidelity in the Church in this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. 

Let us pray that her Sisters of Saint Joseph may begin the work of conforming their present lives in every way to the letter and the spirit of their saintly Foundress.

* PAST "CANONISATION OF BLESSED MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP ANNOUNCED

 The Holy See has announced that the Public Consistory for the Canonisation of Blessed Mary of the Cross(Mary Helen) MacKillop, virgin, Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart along with 5 other Beati, will take place at 11.00 a.m. on Friday 19th February, 2010 in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.

This is of course the first Canonisation of an Australian, and cause for great rejoicing and reflection and thanks to God here in "the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit"as the pre discovery "maps" used to call the land mass they hypothesised existed.

Saint Mary of the Cross, Pray for us.