St. Francis Xavier's Prayer for Unbelievers

Priest: Eternal God, Creator of all things remember that the souls of and unbelievers have been created by Thee and formed to Thy own People: image and likeness. Behold, O Lord, how to Thy dishonor hell is being filled with these very souls. Remember that Jesus Christ, Thy Son for their salvation suffered a most cruel death. Do not permit, O Lord, I beseech Thee that Thy divine Son be any longer despised by unbelievers, but rather, being appeased by the prayers of Thy saints and the Church the most holy spouse of Thy Son, deign to be mindful of Thy mercy and forgetting their idolatry and their unbelief, bring them to know Him Whom Thou didst send Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who is our health, life, and resurrection, through Whom we have been redeemed and saved, to Whom be all glory forever. Amen.

Priest: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier, 

People: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Priest: O God, Who did deign, by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits, may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

Amen.

+ St. Francis Xavier, Pray for Us! +

Are You a "Conservative Priest"? - Fr. Hollowell

An awesome homily by Father

Pray for priests!!!!

+JMJ+

Overkill

Perhaps you have heard:

Venerable John Paul I

A document advancing the beatification of John Paul I is ready, and will be given to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints this autumn, according to the emeritus Secretary of State.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone announced the milestone during his homily at Mass in the Belluno cathedral July 20.
The beatification process of John Paul I had been slowed because the “positio” had not been completed. The positio is the document that the postulator prepares, presenting the “pros” and “cons” of a person's possible beatification...
Shortly after his death, requests to begin his beatification process came from many parts of the world. These requests were formalized in 1990, with a document signed by 226 Brazilian bishops.

You can read the rest HERE

I only have a few thoughts.

1. Canonize all the post-concilliar pontiffs, including (as Fr. Reese said) Blessed Francis
2. What exactly did this cardinal/Pope do that was so extraordinary again?
3. Brazilian Bishops leading the way in pushing for the canonization when all around them the country goes into apostasy
4. Prudence is seriously lacking in this machine

On the happy front, its my Feast Day!

+St. James, Pray for Us!+

Something you might not know about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Girolamo Savonarola

Until about a year ago I was unfamiliar with Pier Frassati, but thanks to Terry for posting on this amazing contemporary man of faith and making me more familiar with him.

With that said many people know that Pier was a third order Dominican, but few people

know where he got his third order name of Girolamo from.  Truth be told Blessed Frassati was a great supporter of the often maligned Friar Girolamo Savonarola who was a constant thorn in the side of corruption in the church at his time including the wrongly maligned (future posts will make this clear) Alexander VI.  Savonarola was burned at the stake but did accept from Pope Alexander VI a plenary indulgence for accepting his fate.  Often times protestants will point at Savonarola as a forbearer of the protestant revolt but this is fanciful thinking.  Savonarola was a Catholic through and through and his work would later form many saintly lives including St. Phillip Neri who was trained by the Friars remaining brothers.

This is what Blessed Pier Frassati said of the Friar:

"I would very much love it if you would take the name of Fra Girolamo, not because it is the name that I have as a son of St. Dominic, but because it recalls a figure who is dear to me and certainly to you as well, since you share my feelings against corrupt morals – Girolamo Savonarola, whose name I most unworthily bear. I am a fervent admirer of this friar, who died at the stake as a saint, I wanted to take him as a model when I became a tertiary, but I am far from imitating him. Think about it and then write to me with your ideas regarding this."

Blessed Frassatis signature with Girolamo used instead of Pier

There was a push for Savonarola’s canonization not to long ago but it would propably be incredibly imprudent to push him through considering some of the things he did were not especially good. 

A HUGE, HUGE thank you to Terry over at Abbe Roads who brought this up a while back!

+JMJ+

Why are so many apostolates fruitless?

Dom Chautard

So many enterprises in our time, and yet so often fruitless: why is it that they have not put society back on its feet? Let us admit it once again: they can be counted in far greater numbers than in preceding ages, and yet they have been unable to check the frightful ravages of impiety in the field of family life. Why? Because they are not firmly enough based on the interior life, the Eucharistic life, the liturgical life, fully and properly understood. Leaders of Catholic Action, at the head of these enterprises, have been full of logic, and talent, and even of a certain piety. They have poured forth floods of light, and have managed to introduce some devotional practices: and that, of course, is already something. But because they have not gone back nearly enough to the Source of life, they have not been able to pass on to others that fervor which tempers wills to their great task. Vain have been their attempts to produce that hidden but powerful devotion to the cause, that active ferment working through whole groups of men. Those centers of supernatural attraction for which there is no substitute and which, without noise, unceasingly spread the fire around about them and slowly but surely penetrate all classes of persons with whom they come into contact. These results are beyond such apostles because their life in Christ is too weak.

Taken from: The Soul of the Apostolate

+JMJ+

A new[?] apologetic against Calvinists

John Calvin

Before I begin, no I don’t consider myself a good apologist like… well you can insert your favorite name wherever.  However when I have a hundred things on my mind (ie: I am going crazy) I do my most sane thinking [ha, take that Chestertonians!].

So the apologetic is focused on disproving the Calvinist notion that we have no free will.  I don’t know if this is a new apologetic but I’m just putting it out there without a copy right because… well… im dumb.

 When Christ was in Gesemene, sweating blood over what was about to happen he asked His Father to take the chalice from him, but that it be the Fathers will and not his own that would be done.

So too St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Hebrews that Christ was like us in all ways, except in sinning. 

If Christ was tempted and choose against sin, and he was like us in all ways except that he would not sin, then that necessitates a free will in man to choose right and wrong.

Some might object that Christ could not choose to sin because He is the “all good, being God”.  If we were concerned here with the first or third Persons of the Blessed trinity this would be true for their only nature is divine, just as their personhood is divine.  Jesus, being the second person of the blessed Trinity indeed was solely a divine person; however, we profess that Christ had two natures, both a human and a divine.  This is often referred to as the hypostatic union and is affirmed even by the Calvinist. 

So since Christ had a human nature he was free to choose that which is good and reject that which is evil (sin).  Since this is true and he is like us in all ways except sin, we as people having a single nature, being human, have a free will to choose right and wrong.  Like our Lord in Gesemene we can say “take this chalice from me”, but we can also state “thy will be done,” because we are not perfected creatures yet.

+JMJ+

Our Lady of Mount Carmel 7/16

OLMC

Gospel Today:

And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, 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. - Luke 11

St. Stans was pretty well attended today for Mass.  My scapular broke last night... 3 years it lasted, so thats pretty good.  Luckily I have an extra one!

+JMJ+

Anglican news?

The General Synod of the Church of England voted July 14 to authorize the ordination of women as bishops and approved motions pledging to respect and work with people who believe that, theologically, the vote was a mistake.
Before the vote, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, told the synod that “to pass this legislation is to commit ourselves to an adventure in faith and hope. Like all adventures, it carries dangers … uncertainties and for success will require integrity and courage.”
One of those uncertainties is its impact on the search for Christian unity. The Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches teach that since Jesus chose only men as his apostles, only men can be ordained priests and bishops.

Read the rest here

So a couple questions come to mind:

1. Will the "Anglo-Catholics" pretend like they are still ok being Anglican
2. Will Fr. Z's hope for a letter from the Archlaymen of Canterbury to disaffected Catholics finally come true?
3. Will the pointless ARCIC talks continue.... wait thats rhetorical we are a Church in dialogue
4. Since they didnt have orders to give then are we not making a story about what is essentially a non issue anyways?
5. How long till the Anglican church by me goes anglo-sedevacante?
6. Will they ever make pizza rolls that taste good when made in a microwave?

Alright thats all I got

[Movie thriller voice] This summer, things are about to get real... sort of... well not really... but in a non judgmental way its going to be intense for three or four people.... but it will be intense!!

Just a good rule of thumb

Grand you are complaining, now pray for him, wont you?

About a year ago I said I was done with the day to day Pope watch madness....

And it will remain as such...

Dont automatically assume the worst, but dont be surprised either...

You dont have to ignore, but quite frankly I being an arrogant laymen have zero authority to correct the pontiff, others might, but I am not in such a position.

I cant stop the Holy Father from talking or saying odd things (note: citations are wanting).  He said he was emancipated liturgically, and others have said he has been more open since his elevation.

Pray for Peter

Pray for the Bishops

Pray for Priests and religous

Pray for a daily death to self!!

"Above all my dear sons, remember that the indispensable condition of true zeal, and the surest pledge of success is purity and holiness of life" - Pope Leo XIII (still not even a Servant of God?)

"A holy, perfect and virtuous man, actually does far more good to souls than a great many others who are merely better educated or more talented." - St. Theresa

"If our own spirit does not submit to the control of a truly Christian and holy way of life, it will be difficult to make others lead a good life. All those called to a life of Catholic works out to be men of a life so spotless that they may give everybody else an effective example." - Pope St. Pius X

+JMJ+ 

Pius X: What is the thing we most need, today, to save society?"

"With is deep understanding of the needs of the Church, Pius X often saw things with a most remarkable clarity. An interesting conversation of the Holy Pontiff with a group of Cardinals was reported in the French clerical publication, L' Ami du Clerge.  The Pope asked them: 

Pius X

Jean-Baptiste Chautard

"What is the thing we most need, today, to save society?" 

"Build Catholic schools," said one 

"No." 

"More Churches," said another.  

"Still no." 

"Speed up the recruiting of priests," said a third 

"No, no," said the Pope, "the MOST necessary thing of all, at this time, is for every parish to possess a group of laymen who will be at the same time virtuous, enlightened, resolute, and truly apostolic." 

Further details enable us to assert that this holy Pope at the end of his life saw no hope for the salvation of the world, unless the clergy could use their zeal to form faithful Christians full of apostolic ardor, preaching by word and example, but especially by example. In the diocese where he served before being elevated to the Papacy, he attached less importance to the census of parishioners than to the list of Christians capable of radiating an apostolate. It was his opinion that shock troops could be formed in any environment. Furthermore, he graded his priests according to the results which their zeal and ability had produced in this regard."

Taken from the book: The Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard


Have a joyous weekend!

+Pray for Christians in the Middle East!!+

So why is Thomas a Kempis not a saint?

Thomas

This might be well known, but since I found it an oddity considering his influence I will make this quick.

Thomas died in 1471, but when his remains were exhumed they found splinters under his finger nails and the coffin scratched up.  In other-words, Thomas was most likely buried alive.  The church seeing this as a situation where Thomas may have despaired decided to not proceed with his canonization cause citing this incident twice when the cause is again and again brought up.

Pray for his soul.

+JMJ+

OTL: Gandhi carried with him two books, a new testament and the Imitation of Christ wherever he went.  Pray for him, he was not ignorant of the faith according to Fr. Hardon

New Father Hardon S.J. videos on Thomas Merton, Usury and more!

+JMJ+

When law violates morality: Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“At the present time it is widely accepted among lawyers that law is higher than morality … The opposite is true: morality is higher than law! ... This view must never be abandoned. We must acknowledge it with our hearts and souls… we, from the whole of our life experience there (in the prison camps), have concluded that there is only one way to withstand violence: with firmness... I would like to call upon America to be more careful with its trust to prevent those pundits who are attempting to establish fine degrees of justice and even finer legal shades of equality … to prevent them from using the struggle for peace and social justice to lead you down a false road. They are trying to weaken you; they are trying to disarm your strong and magnificent country. Your leaders will need profound intuition, spiritual foresight, high qualities of mind and soul. May God grant that in those times you will have at the helm personalities as great as those who created your country. … the men who created your country never lost sight of their moral bearings.”

 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Warning to the West (1975)




I cant recommend his work enough...

+JMJ+

Thank You Lord for ALL Priests!!

Re-post from April, because its important to remember this daily!!

St. Teresa of Avila receiving Holy Communion (Source)

Prayer for Priests by St. Teresa of Avila
O my Most Sweet Jesus, O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep Thy priests in the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where no one can hurt them. Keep their anointed hands unsullied, which daily handle Thy Sacred Body. Keep pure the lips which are reddened with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts which are sealed with the sublime token of Thy glorious priesthood. Cause them to grow in love and loyalty to Thee and protect them from the contamination of the world. With their power of transforming bread and wine, give them the power of transforming hearts. Bless their work with rich fruit and grant them one day the crown of eternal life. Amen.


+JMJ+

St Thomas the Apostle, literally a world traveler!

Did you know St. Thomas went literally around the world to preach the Gospel?



Enjoy the following sermon that goes into St. Thomas' travels!

+JMJ+

Jihad Watch: Islamic State fighter: “Spain is the land of our forefathers, and, Allah willing, we are going to liberate it, with the might of Allah”

“And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you,” says the Qur’an (2:191), and so Islamic holds that any land that was once governed under Islamic law belongs by right to Muslims forever. The imperative to reconquer and re-Islamize Spain springs from the same Islamic wellsprings as the jihad against Israel.
“Spanish-Speaking ISIS Fighter in Syria Warns: We Shall Liberate Spain,” MEMRI, July 1, 2014

Read the rest and watch the video here HERE


That reminds me....

+JMJ+