Ite Missa Est. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Ite Missa Est. Well, this is the end of the road for HallowedGround. I’m pretty much “blogged out”. Not a bad run, eh? Alot of real great pictures were posted, laughs were had, tears were shed (so melodramatic!). Between work (or possibly in the near future the lack thereof!), and other issues I am just really tired of blogging. Let it be said, that when I first started blogging, I was primarily concerned about the then-fabled “Motu Proprio”. We exhorted each other to pray for it, and the Good Lord being Good was propitious upon his people, and it was issued! Always pray for Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict has put “traditionalism” back into the life of the Church. When I came back to the Church about 5 years ago, it was due in no small part to the Latin Mass. He has taken the Ancient Liturgy from the fringes, and put it back into the Heart of the Church where it belongs. He has given the Church a new, lively step as of late, and things seem like they’re picking up.

If I have said anything to offend anyone, I am sorry. Please pray for this poor sinner, I have always been overly cantankerous.

Yes, the blog will be staying up in perpetuity, or at least until WordPress goes out of business. Also, I promised I would open up the “vaults” when this blogging thing wore out. Please do use them on your blogs, just because I stopped blogging doesn’t mean “Traditional Catholic Visualism” has to end. I have used about 75-80% of the pics I have stored. You can find them in these places:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=  (Search under people, and input my screen names): kjk76_88, kjk76_89, kjk76_90, kjk76_91, kking_888, and kking_88

http://photobucket.com/: Go to my accounts: kjk76_79, kjk76_80, kjk76_91, kjk76_92, kjk76_93, kjk76_94, kjk76_95, kjk76_98, kjk76_00, , kking8888, kking_8888, and kking_88888.

Oh.. A Big P.S.:
Due to repeated questions of  “Ken, where do you  get these great pics?”etc…left in the combox of numerous posts, I have promised that I would eventually provide some tips & hints for finding great pics. Well, here you go:

Foreign Ebay always has tons of great “Churchy”  pics, go to Italian Ebay, and put in Papa Pio/Paolo/Giovanni. Or German Ebay and put in Papst Pius/Paul/Johannes. Or any of the foreign ones for that matter. And the same things go for Foreign Google picture searches: Italian Google. Great Example: French Google: type in Soutane. You get the picture!

Thank you all for coming to this blog, I hope it occasionally edified you.

He that giveth testimony of these things, saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Book of Revelation)

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All Nations Shall Serve Him

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He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth. In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken sway. And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground. The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts: And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him. Psalm 71

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Your Redemption Is At Hand

There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. Gospel 1st Sunday of Advent

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Power and Majesty

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. Matt 24:15-35

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Order Set Up By The Creator

A sound democracy, based on the immutable principles of the natural law and revealed truth, will resolutely turn its back on such corruption as gives to the state legislature in unchecked and unlimited power, and moreover, makes of the democratic regime, notwithstanding an outward show to the contrary, purely and simply a form of absolutism.

State absolutism consists in fact in the false principle that the authority of the state is unlimited and that in face of it — even when it gives free rein to its despotic aims, going beyond the confines between good and evil — to appeal to a higher law obliging in conscience is not admitted.

A man penetrated with right ideas about the state and authority and the power that he wields as guardian of social order, will never think of derogating the majesty of the positive law within the ambit of its natural competence. But this majesty of positive law is only inviolable when it conforms — or at least is not opposed — to the absolute order set up by the Creator and placed in a new light by the revelation of the Gospel. Pius XII: Democracy

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Sacrifice

If any one saith, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or, that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema. Council of Trent, Session 22

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By Scripture Alone…

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Socialists Stealing The Very Gospel Itself

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For, indeed, although the socialists, stealing the very Gospel itself with a view to deceive more easily the unwary, have been accustomed to distort it so as to suit their own purposes, nevertheless so great is the difference between their depraved teachings and the most pure doctrine of Christ that none greater could exist: “for what participation hath justice with injustice or what fellowship hath light with darkness?” Their habit, as we have intimated, is always to maintain that nature has made all men equal, and that, therefore, neither honor nor respect is due to majesty, nor obedience to laws, unless, perhaps, to those sanctioned by their own good pleasure. But, on the contrary, in accordance with the teachings of the Gospel, the equality of men consists in this: that all, having inherited the same nature, are called to the same most high dignity of the sons of God, and that, as one and the same end is set before all, each one is to be judged by the same law and will receive punishment or reward according to his deserts. The inequality of rights and of power proceeds from the very Author of nature, “from whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named.” Pope Leo XIII on Socialism

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Pius XII and the Miracle of the Sun

The papal note says that at 4 p.m. on Oct. 30, 1950, during his “habitual walk in the Vatican Gardens, reading and studying,” having arrived to the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, “toward the top of the hill  I was awestruck by a phenomenon that before now I had never seen.”

“The sun, which was still quite high, looked like a pale, opaque sphere, entirely surrounded by a luminous circle,” he recounted. And one could look at the sun, “without the slightest bother. There was a very light little cloud in front of it. “Pius XII said he saw the same phenomenon “the 31st of October and Nov. 1, the day of the definition of the dogma of the Assumption, and then again Nov. 8, and after that, no more.” (Zenit Article)

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The Fallacious Appearance Of Social Progress

Safeguard the cause of the Church, to care for its affairs, and to repress the efforts of the nefarious enemies of men. These must be overcome by the united and persistent vigilance of the bishops. If at any time whatsoever, then surely now in this most sad age, it is the duty of bishops to battle most strenuously against the enemies of the faith. Hence the bishops, relying on divine aid, must raise their episcopal voice and must preach the gospel to all. They must announce, teach, explain, and impress upon both the wise and the foolish, the eternal truths of our divine faith along with its doctrines and precepts. The bishops are also bound to explain and to show to both the highest princes and the government the deplorable evils and damage which affect the people and the princes themselves. This is the result of the present-day contempt of religion and of the spirit of unbelief rising from the darkness under the fallacious appearance of social progress; this, of course, harms the Christian and the civil government. Everywhere it daily grows stronger; it perverts and corrupts the minds and souls of men. Bl. Pius IX: Maximae Quidem

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Shine, Perishing Republic

While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening
to empire
And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the
mass hardens,
I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots
to make earth.
Out of the mother; and through the spring exultances, ripeness and decadence; and home to the mother.
You making haste haste on decay: not blameworthy; life is good, be it stubbornly long or suddenly
A mortal splendor: meteors are not needed less than mountains:
shine, perishing republic.
But for my children, I would have them keep their distance from the thickening center; corruption
Never has been compulsory, when the cities lie at the monster’s feet there
are left the mountains.
And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant,
insufferable master.
There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught – they say –
God, when he walked on earth. Robinson Jeffers: Shine, Perishing Republic

Oh Cincinnatus of the Potomac! Weep for the Republic! Leftist Rabble have taken the ramparts…The Leathery Wings of Socialism are casting a dark shadow over our fair land. The Bureaucratic Vampires of the Nanny State are sharpening their teeth, and marking our veins. The Grand Turk has taken the reins…. The Demoniac Party’s planks of Atheism, Socialism, and Pre-Natal Infanticide will be further entrenched into law. My countrymen have become “flakes”, they are the most gullible politically-corrected dullards, they have elected their own chains. I never thought we would buy into Euro-style short-leash Socialism. Evidently they want Big-Daddy government handing out bread. They forget there’s a price attached. They have castrated and lobotomized themselves, and call it Freedom. Elected a man who has done nothing for this country. The Ayatollah Barak-Hussein-Obama will have a Demoniac Majority Congress, and he will stack an aging Supreme Court with like minded men. I just finished watching the crowds on the TV news shows, flashing to triumphant Obama supporters quipped up into a Hitlerite Euphoria. <Sigh>As the Omnipotent state rises, Thank God for the 2nd Amendment. It’s over Johnny, it’s over. America in 30 years: picture the slums of Rio, with snow.
The Obama Youth Brigade circa 2011:

(Found at this great Spanish blog)

As for you American “Catholics” out there who voted for this guy…If you’re a Catholic I’m an Algonquin Shaman. You have just added velocity to the downward trajectory of this country, and virtually guaranteed the continuance of child murder for another 30 years. And legalized Homo-marriage. Hang your heads in Shame. Disgusting.

Couldn’t get this song out of my head last night:

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Make Them Pass Over From Death To Life

Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection at the last day.  Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live…When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet, and saith to him: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, And said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. John 11:22

Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
free the souls of all the faithful departed
from infernal punishment and the deep pit.
Free them from the mouth of the lion;
do not let Tartarus swallow them,
nor let them fall into darkness;
but may the sign-bearer, Saint Michael,
lead them into the holy light
which you promised to Abraham and his seed.

O Lord, we offer you
sacrifices and prayers in praise;
accept them on behalf of the souls
whom we remember today.
Make them pass over from death to life,
as you promised to Abraham and his seed. Offertory of Requiem Mass

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Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God? They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting up his eyes said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bands; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him, and let him go.  Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. John 11:40

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Choose Therefore Life

I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live. Deut 30:18
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“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.” Barack Obama, March 29th 2008

Obama holding about a 15 lb. “punishment”
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Pope John Paul II holding a small person called to Eternal Life

It is no less true that we are confronted by an even larger reality, which can be described as a veritable structure of sin. This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable “culture of death”. This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency. Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another. A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favoured tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated. In this way a kind of “conspiracy against life” is unleashed. Pope John Paul II: Evangelium Vitae

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She Will Be Sorely Afflicted

The Church well knows that the gates of hell will not prevail against her. Furthermore, she knows that she will be sorely afflicted; that her apostles are sent as lambs among wolves; that her followers will always bear the brunt of hatred and contempt, just as her Divine Founder received hatred and contempt. So the Church advances unafraid, spreading the Kingdom of God wherever she preaches and studying every possible means she can use in regaining the losses in the kingdom already conquered. “To restore all things in Christ” has always been the Church’s motto, and it is especially Our Own during these fearful moments through which we are now passing. “To restore all things” — not in any haphazard fashion, but “in Christ”; and the Apostle adds, “both those in the heavens and those on the earth.” “To restore all things in Christ” includes not only what properly pertains to the divine mission of the Church, namely, leading souls to God, but also what We have already explained as flowing from that divine mission, namely, Christian civilization in each and every one of the elements composing it. St. Pius X: Catholic Action

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In Hoc Signo Vinces

On this day (October 28) 312 A.D. : Constantine was directed in a dream to cause the heavenly sign to be delineated on the shields of his soldiers, and so to proceed to battle. He did as he had been commanded, and he marked on their shields the letter X, with a perpendicular line drawn through it and turned round thus at the top (P), being the cipher of CHRISTOS. Having this sign, his troops stood to arms.

The enemies advanced, but without their emperor, and they crossed the bridge. The armies met, and fought with the utmost exertions of valour, and firmly maintained their ground. In the meantime a sedition arose at Rome, and Maxentius was reviled as one who had abandoned all concern for the safety of the commonweal; and suddenly, while he exhibited the Circensian games on the anniversary of his reign, the people cried with one voice, “Constantine cannot be overcome!”

Dismayed at this, Maxentius burst from the assembly, and having called some senators together, ordered the Sibylline books to be searched. In them it was found that:- “On the same day the enemy of the Romans should perish.” Lactantius Account of Conversion of Constantine

He (Constantine) said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. At this sight he himself was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. He said, moreover, that he doubted within himself what the import of this apparition could be. And while he continued to ponder and reason on its meaning, night suddenly came on; then in his sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the same sign which he had seen in the heavens, and commanded him to make a likeness of that sign which he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in all engagements with his enemies. AT dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his friends: and then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he sat in the midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had seen, bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones. And this representation I myself have had an opportunity of seeing.

Now it was made in the following manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour’s name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre,and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the embroidered banner. Eusebius of Caesarea’s account of the Conversion of Constantine

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Another Step To Destruction

St. Paul: Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith. But if they would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church. 1 Cor 14 (wouldn’t it be funny/sad/telling if this reading was in the N.O. lectionary, and was being read to the congregation by a woman?!)

Contra St. Paul: ***Probably the most newsy — and somewhat unexpected — item in the final propositions of the Synod of Bishops on the Bible was a proposal to allow women to be officially installed in the ministry of lector.

The issue was raised in Proposition 17 on “The ministry of the word and women,” and on Saturday morning it passed with 191 votes in favor, 45 opposed and three abstentions, according to our sources***.CNS article

Isn’t that special? I cringe when I hear people speak of Modernism in the past tense, as if it was some early 20th century heresy that was crushed, vanquished, and we can now breathe easy. Nonsense. Modernism has the Church in a strangle hold, and is slowly squeezing the life out of Her as we watch. These men with itchy ears are running the Church, and are the instruments of destruction. You never know what they are going to do, they’re almost totally untrustworthy. Another abuse becomes the norm.

Just a matter of time for Mothers instead of Fathers?:

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He Must Reign

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If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God. If all these truths are presented to the faithful for their consideration, they will prove a powerful incentive to perfection. Pius XI: On Christ the King

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Acting Like a Bishop

A presidential election forum at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church on Sunday centered mainly on abortion. The argument and audience, however, erupted when Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino unexpectedly arrived and vehemently expressed his distaste for what was said about the church’s stance on voting for pro-choice candidates and the exclusion of his anti-abortion letter at the forum, which recommends voting against pro-choice candidates for moral reasons. Martino, who arrived while the panelists were stating their viewpoints, took issue with the USCCB statement, which was handed out to everyone at the meeting, and also that his letter was not mentioned once at the forum.

“No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,” said Martino. “The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”

“The only relevant document … is my letter,” he said. “There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”….The letter also states that Catholic public officials who “persist in public support for abortion” should “not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion.”

“No social issue has caused the death of 50 million people,” he said, nothing that he no longer supports the Democratic Party. “This is madness people.” Full Article (hat tip to Aufer a Nobis)

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Recognize His True Church

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We therefore beg and implore Christ Our Mediator and Advocate with the Father to give all Christians the grace to recognize those marks by which His true Church is distinguished from all others, and to become its devoted sons. May God in His infinite kindness hasten the dawn of that long-awaited day of joyful, universal reconciliation. Then will all Christ’s redeemed, united in a single family, join in praising the divine Mercy, singing in joyous harmony those words of the psalmist of old: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” John XXIII: On Leo I and the Wisdom of God

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The Last Roman

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Throughout his papacy Pope Pius XII was almost universally, regarded as a saintly man, a scholar, a man of peace, a tower of strength, and a compassionate defender and protector of all victims of the war and genocide that had drenched Europe in blood. At the end of the war Western nations paid tribute to his efforts on behalf of the oppressed. When Pius XII died, Jews praised him for his help and were among the first to express sorrow and gratitude for his solicitude during the Holocaust. Immediately after his death, the world at large proclaimed Pope Pius XII worthy of the title, Saint. Referring to Pius XII’s sanctity in his letter to Margherita Marchione (February 22, 2001), Bernard Tiffany quoted the following letter from Padre Pio’s secretary, Reverend Dominic Meyer, OFM, Cap.: “Padre Pio told me he saw the Pope in Heaven during his Mass. And many miracles have been attributed to His intercession in various parts of the world. Pictures of the Pope have been printed with a prayer for His beatification. But so far I have not seen any with the prayer in English (June 30, 1959).”

In his Diario, one finds a confirmation of the above statement. When Pius XII died on October 9, 1958, Padre Pio was consoled “by a vision of the former pontiff in his heavenly home,” according to Padre Agostino. A more recent confirmation of this event comes from Pius XII’s niece, Marchesina Elena Rossignani Pacelli, to whom Padre Pio repeated the same words. On May 19, 2002, Elena Pacelli confirmed this statement. (Article on Pius XII)

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Funeral of Pius XII:

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Terrible As An Army Set In Array

One is my dove, my perfect one is but one, she is the only one of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and declared her most blessed: the queens and concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array? Canticles 6:9

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The Turks, with their haughty emperor, were seized with the utmost consternation at the news of their dreadful overthrow; and the city of Constantinople was as much alarmed as if the enemy had been at the gates; many of the inhabitants carried their treasures to the Christians to keep for them, as if the town had been already in their hands. The infidels, who, elated by their rapid conquests in the East, had already swallowed up, in their imagination, Italy and all the rest of Christendom, were taught by this defeat that the tide of their victories was stemmed. The holy pope, from the beginning of the expedition, had ordered public prayers and fasts, and had not ceased to solicit heaven, with uplifted hands, like Moses on the mountain, besides afflicting his body by watching and fasting. At the hour of the battle, the procession of the Rosary in the church at the Minerva was pouring forth solemn prayers for the victory. The pope was then conversing with some cardinals on business; but, on a sudden, left them abruptly, opened the window, stood some time with his eyes fixed on the heavens, and then shutting the casement, said, “It is not now a time to talk any more upon business; but to give thanks to God for the victory he has granted to the arms of the Christians.” This fact was carefully attested, and authentically recorded both at that time and again in the process of the saint’s canonization.

In consequence of this miraculous victory, the pope ordered the festival of the Rosary to be kept on the first Sunday of October in perpetual thanksgiving to God, and in the litany of our Lady inserted those words, “succour of Christians.” He caused a triumph to be decreed Don John, which was graced with many illustrious prisoners; and he bestowed honours and gratifications on other generals and officers. Article on Lepanto

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Romanism! XIII

Hail, O Rome,
Eternal abode of memories;
A thousand palms and a thousand altars
Sing your praises.

O city of the Apostles,
Mother and guide of the elect,
Light of the nations,
And hope of the world!
Hail, O Rome!
Your light will never fade;
The splendour of your beauty
Disperses hatred and shame.

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O city of the Apostles,
Mother and guide of the elect,
Light of the nations,
And hope of the world! Pontifical Hymn

(See Romanism Page)
(Church Fathers on the  Primacy of Rome)

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He Gave Them Power

And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. Matt 10:1

The cult that has emerged here in Sarsina, a town in the hills between Tuscany and the northern Adriatic Sea, centers on the metal collar. Legend has it that St. Vicinus, bishop in Sarsina around AD 300, used it first as a form of self-castigation when he prayed. It resembles a shackle that might be used on a slave. He would put it around his neck attached to a heavy stone to focus his mind in penitence.

Eventually he began to use it to ward off evil spirits. St. Vicinus became one of the church’s early exorcists, and the fame of the collar and its purported powers have endured. (The one used now is not said to be St. Vicinus’ original but is believed to date to the 8th or 9th century, roughly the same time the church was built.) St. Vicinus

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Another

I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. John 5:43

With their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. Matt 13:15

One of the many “Anothers”: I remember quite a few years back, when the gentleman on the  billboards (Menachem Schneerson) passed away his followers plastered stickers, and ads throughout NYC emblazoned with the word “Mosiach” (Messiah). Evidently some of the NY Hasidim considered him to be the long-awaitied Messiah. Some of them waited for his Resurrection (perhaps some still are). Some interesting articles below:

NY times Article: The messianists, who say they believe they can hasten the rebbe’s return by persuading as many people as possible that he is the messiah, promote their agenda in the streets, proselytizing regularly in non-Lubavitch neighborhoods, approaching strangers and prodding them to recite Yechi. Their calls are echoed by two messianic talk-radio shows, ”Living With Moshiach” (the Hebrew word for messiah) and ”Moshiach in the Air.”

They are also reclaiming an abandoned element of the religion; Judaism, after all, was the original Western messianic faith. Still, for most Jews today, observant and secular alike, the very concept of a messiah has become, at most, a metaphorical one.

Another Article (Protestant Site): Rebbe Menachem Schneerson wouldn’t be of much interest to most of us outside his movement, except for one fact. Beginning in the1980s, speculation was rife among many followers that the Rebbe was, indeed, the long awaited Messiah, the Moshiach, as they called him. Many Lubavitch were certain that Rebbe Schneerson would reveal himself as Moshiach. You could even see some bumper stickers around New York reading Moshiach Now!

There was only one slight problem. In 1994, the Rebbe died.

Here, though, is the fascinating thing: though Rebbe Schneerson died, speculation that he was the Messiah didn’t. Many followers believed that he would soon be resurrected and assume his rightful position as the Messiah. Rumors abounded that holes were drilled in the top of his coffin so that he could breathe. One Lubavitch newspaper wrote the following about Schneerson–after his death: “May our Master, Teacher, and Rabbi the King Messiah live forever.”
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Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matt 26:64

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Chasubles

Trad?:

When I first came back to the Church 6 years ago (via the Traditional Latin Mass) I was astounded by the beautiful, dignified, vestments of a type I had never seen before. I speak of the “Roman” or “Fiddleback”, which seemed to disappeared between VatII, and my earliest memories. At the time I thought that the “Roman” vestments were vastly superior to the dowdy horse-blankets I remembered the priests wearing when I was a kid (and more “trad” to boot!). However, over the years my aesthetic sensibilities have changed, and I have seen that the Gothic style is every bit as dignified, and traditional, as it’s Roman cousin. It’s just that the modern interpretation of the Gothic seems to be purposely ugly in the name “simplicity”. Long story short: Both styles are traditional, and dignified if made with their final use in mind: The Greater Glory of God (Post on different vestments styles at NLM)

Not Trad ?

Look Familiar?

(St. Bede’s Vestment Studio)

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Hymn of Praise

When the priest conducts the Divine Sacrifice, angels station themselves about him and in a choir they chant a hymn of praise in honor of the Victim Who is sacrificed. St John Chrysostom

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Holy Cross

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And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting. John 3:14

For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God. Cor 1, 1:18

Faithful Cross,above all other, the one noble tree.
None in foliage, nor in blossom,nor in fruit offers more:
Sweetest wood and sweetest iron, Sweetest weight is hung on thee (Crux Fideles)

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The Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same ‘Lex orandi,’ and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church’s Lex orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church’s ‘Lex credendi’ (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite.

It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI: Summorum Pontificum

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Essence Of A Christian Life

Source on Flickr

Now the whole essence of a Christian life is to reject the corruption of the world and to oppose constantly any indulgence in it; this is taught in the words and deeds, the laws and institutions, the life and death of Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of faith.”Hence, however strongly We are deterred by the evil disposition of nature and character, it is our duty to run to the “fight proposed to Us,”fortified and armed with the same desire and the same arms as He who, “having joy set before him, endured the cross.”Wherefore let men understand this specially, that it is most contrary to Christian duty to follow, in worldly fashion, pleasures of every kind, to be afraid of the hardships attending a virtuous life, and to deny nothing to self that soothes and delights the senses. “They that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences” — so that it follows that they who are not accustomed to suffering, and who hold not ease and pleasure in contempt belong not to Christ. By the infinite goodness of God man lived again to the hope of an immortal life, from which he had been cut off, but he cannot attain to it if he strives not to walk in the very footsteps of Christ and conform his mind to Christ’s by the meditation of Christ’s example. Therefore this is not a counsel but a duty, and it is the duty, not of those only who desire a more perfect life, but clearly of every man “always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus.” Leo XIII: Right Ordering of Christian Life

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Except By Means Of Jesus Christ

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We shall never, however much we exert ourselves, succeed in calling men back to the majesty and empire of God, except by means of Jesus Christ. “No one,” the Apostle admonishes us, “can lay other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I. Cor., iii., II.) It is Christ alone “whom the Father sanctified and sent into this world” (Is. x., 36), “the splendor of the Father and the image of His substance” (Hebr. i., 3), true God and true man: without whom nobody can know God with the knowledge for salvation, “neither doth anyone know the Father but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him.” (Matth. xi., 27.) Hence it follows that to restore all things in Christ and to lead men back to submission to God is one and the same aim. To this, then, it behoves Us to devote Our care — to lead back mankind under the dominion of Christ; this done, We shall have brought it back to God. When We say to God We do not mean to that inert being heedless of all things human which the dream of materialists has imagined, but to the true and living God, one in nature, triple in person, Creator of the world, most wise Ordainer of all things, Lawgiver most just, who punishes the wicked and has reward in store for virtue. St. Pius X: Restoring All Things In Christ

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For a little video clip of our Saint (fast forward to 6:00)

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The Rock

When evil thoughts come into one’s heart, to dash them against Christ immediately. Rule of St. Benedict

And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank. Num 20:11

O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us. Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock. Psalm 136

And all drank the same spiritual drink; (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.)  Cor 10:4

The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing: and it is wonderful in our eyes  Psalm 117

And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone or stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And very many of them shall stumble and fall, and shall be broken in pieces, and shall be snared, and taken. Isiah 8:14

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation. He that believeth, let him not hasten. Isiah 28:16

Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock. Matt 7:24

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Time Off

I will be taking a short hiatus from the blog. I will return!

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A Life Of Loving Service

The Catholic Church has always believed and professed and as was fitting for her who was raised to the incomparable dignity of divine motherhood– was a life of such perfect union with the Son that she shared in His joys, sorrows and triumphs. And even after Christ had ascended to heaven she remained united to Him by a most ardent love while she faithfully fulfilled the new mission of spiritual Mother of the most beloved of the disciples and of the nascent Church. It can be asserted that the whole life of the humble handmaid of the Lord, from the moment when she was greeted by the Angel, until her assumption in body and soul to heavenly glory, was a life of loving service. (Paul VI: The Great Sign)

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The Same Forever

Jesus Christ, yesterday, and today; and the same for ever. Heb 13:8

Some suggested that the Holy Father distributed Communion in the traditional manner only because it was the Feast of Corpus Christi–of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ–and that he was making a point about the sacredness of the Eucharist. A new interview with the master of ceremonies for papal Masses, however, makes it clear that he was indeed making a point, but that this was not a one-time thing. In L’Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican, Monsignor Guido Marini was asked whether the “practice [is] destined to become habitual in papal ceremonies.” (Article)

***All well & good. Thanks be to God, the Holy Father has reintroduced a common sense way of receiving the “Source & Summit” of Christianity (Christ Himself). However, why just Papal ceremonies? Is the Eucharist received from the Pope somehow more “special” than received at a humble parish Mass? Is Jesus more present?  Of course not. Same Christ, Same Sacrifice no matter where offered, by whichever Priest of the Church. So, if it is indeed true it is a “more reverent” way of receiving Holy Communion then it is an Objectively “more reverent” way, and should be done in all Churches by all Catholics. Unless of course we don’t want to reverence God any more than what we do now, which should be seen as absurd. Right? ***

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Blessed Art Thou

The Lord hath blessed thee by His power, because by thee He hath brought our enemies to nought. Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies. Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people. (Reading for the Assumption)

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Last Penny

Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing. (Matt 5:26)

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