Novena in Honor of St. Dominic: Day One

Here's another gem from John Keenan's little treasure chest, Devotions to St. Dominic: a novena in honor of St. Dominic in preparation for his feast day. The book sets the novena to start on July 26th, because it was published at a time when his feast was on August 3rd (which was in fact the date of his death); but since the feast of St. Dominic is now on August 8th, we'll start it today. I'll post an installment each day.

First Day:
The Force of Good Example

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,

Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"He shone in his days as the morning star, in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full; and as the sun, when it shineth, so did he shine in the temple of God." (Ecclus. L, 6, 7)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

LUMEN ECCLESIÆ, LIGHT OF THE CHURCH

St. Dominic was born in Spain, A.D. 1170. With the dawn of reason his whole soul turned to God. His childhood was most pious, and his youth angelic in purity. In the University of Palentia he was the model student. When twenty-five he became a Canon Regular at Osma, and with the religious habit he put on the Lord Jesus Christ and strove in all things to imitate Him. His time was divided into prayer, study of Holy Scripture, and community duties. Silence and retirement were his delight; works of penance and tears of contrition his meat and drink. Going in 1205 to France, he spent many years in every kind of labor for the conversion of the Albigensian heretics. Like Jesus Christ he passed the day in apostolic work, the night in prayer. His penance was extreme, but to others he was gentle, sweet and kind. Many were converted by his miracles, many by the example of his holy life. Six times he journeyed to Rome, once to Spain, once to Paris, walking barefoot, praying or singing on the road, preaching in the towns and villages, spending the nights in contemplation. He founded in 1215 the Order of Friars Preachers for the conversion of souls. He was a man of truly apostolic heart, a column of the faith, a trumpet of the Gospel, the light of Christ to men. He died at Bologna in 1221.

RESPONSORY

The father bids the world prepare
The nuptials of the Lamb to share;
The hour has struck; the Master sends
His faithful servant to His friends.
Rich food of life He offers all,
Who come, responsive to His call.
V. And Dominic His herald names,
Who through the world the feast proclaims.
R. Rich food of life He offers all,
Who come, responsive to His call.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
R. Rich food of life He offers all,
Who come, responsive to His call.
V. Pray for us, O blessed father Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O most enlightened teacher of divine truth, holy father, St. Dominic, who didst teach what was profitable for salvation and didst make thyself all things to all men, that thou mightest win all things to Christ; help us to close our ears and hearts to all false doctrine and whatever may be hurtful to our souls and to open them joyfully to the truths of Holy Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Meanwhile, Back at the Temple of Artemis...

Funny that only the other day, I happened to saunter over to the Victory Ultramontanist Reading List and pull Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter declaring (a) that women cannot be priests, and (b) point (a) is to be definitively held by all the faithful. Because the very next day, thanks to The Crescat, I came across this story from the Santa Barbara Independent about the "ordination" of some womyn into the Catholic Church, the festivities taking place at a sooper seekrit location to which reporters were invited only on condition that they divulge neither the location nor the identities of some actual nuns who were among those present. This was an absolutely wonderful, insightful, dead-on story, only in need of a few tiny corrections, which I hereby graciously supply, as ever, in bolded red:

"Is the candidate worthy?" intoned Bishop Patricia Fresen ceremonially, as lifelong Catholic [and formal and material heretic] Juanita Cordero stood before her in a pure white gown, about to be ["]ordained["] as a priest[ess]. The question was asked three times during the [simulated] ordination ceremony on Sunday, July 22, as one female priest[ess] and two female [faux] deacons were [deceived into believing they were] invested with the power to perform sacraments — a function forbidden to women under canon law[, which is another way of saying they were invested with bupkis]. They are part of a movement from within the Roman Catholic Church [i.e., infiltrators] that has been ["]ordaining["] female priests since 2002, though those involved say that the tradition of women priests and bishops dates as far back as Mary Magdalene, whom they consider an apostle of Jesus. [After all, if you're going to be your own Magisterium, why not also write your own history?] The participants in this movement fervently hope to be embraced by the Vatican, as other [unnamed and unidentified] splinter groups have been before them. [If I was a dissident womyn, and I had actual precedents to back up my claims, I'd be declaiming them from the rooftops. How come these womyn aren't?]

Sunday’s ["]ordination["], witnessed by more than 100 invited guests, took place at an interfaith center [-- a non-Catholic setting being perfectly appropriate for a non-Catholic ceremony --] in Santa Barbara that reporters agreed not to name in exchange for an invitation to attend. (Reporters also agreed not to print the names or orders of the nuns in attendance. [But since God knows who they all are, the joke's on them.]) The women ["]ordained["] Sunday join 18 others in North America who belong to an international organization called Roman Catholic Women Priests, which counts among its number approximately 50 female priests and deacons worldwide [(the Holy Spirit must really be sleeping on the job: His prior record reflects the conversion of three thousand souls just on the day of Pentecost)], including a few[, Satan's double agents,] whose identities remain undisclosed in an effort to protect their jobs within the church. Also secret are the identities of the male bishops who ordained Bishop Fresen. Film and documentary evidence of that ceremony is being kept by a notary public, not to be released until the deaths of the male bishops[, in order to protect such bishops -- if any -- from the public imposition of the justly deserved and probably automatically incurred ecclesiastical penalties that such a travesty would undoubtedly earn].

At least two Santa Barbara women are studying to be ["]ordained["], perhaps as early as next year. Besides their gender deviating from the Catholic priest norm [-- to say the least], neither the priest[ess] nor the two [fake] deacons ["]ordained["] on Sunday — who are scheduled for ["]re-ordination["] as priest[esse]s on July 28 — is celibate. Norma Coon, of San Diego, has been married for 40 years. Toni Tortorilla, of Portland, lives with her lesbian partner[, proving that faithlessness to one teaching of the Church quickly leads to faithlessness to all]. Cordero, a newly anointed priest[ess] who lives in San Luis Obispo, is a former nun who has been married for 30 years to a former Jesuit priest.

The ceremony, which took place on [profaned] the feast day of Mary Magdalene, also differed from the standard [i.e., real] Catholic ordination in the names the presiding clergy used for God, [W]ho is ordinarily referred to as "the Father." [Since Jesus, being a mere male, was too stupid to know what He was doing when He called God "Father," t]he female priests instead referred to "Mother and Father" and to "God/de." (The latter is pronounced like "God," with the silent, extra letters hinting at a goddess that those in the ceremony declined to refer to explicitly.) [Too stupid for comment.] Jesus Christ [was graciously allowed to retain]ed [H]is masculine identity, however.

The reason that the women are determined to [claim that they] remain Roman Catholics, instead of forming their own ["]church["] [, which they have in fact effectively done,] or joining another  --  such as the Episcopal Church, which ordains female clergy -- is that they consider the Roman Catholic Church to be their family, albeit a dysfunctional one, and they have no intention of abandoning it [-- or rather, of admitting that they have in fact abandoned it]. "It's in my bones," said Fresen. "It's in my blood. There are a lot of things wrong within the church, but I love it, and the only way to change it is to stay." [Typical of the extremely dysfunctional to think everybody but them are the ones with the problem.] They added that excommunication, contrary to popular belief, does not remove one from the church; it only [only!] means that one cannot receive the [S]acraments. [These women claim to be Catholics, yet utterly fail to recognize the full horror of being cut off from the Sacraments. Then again, the Sacraments can't possibly be a big deal to people who don't care whether they are being validly administered.] "Nothing can put you out of the church once you have been baptized," said Fresen. However, after the first seven women priests ["]ordained["] on the Danube in 2002 were promptly excommunicated, none of the other ordained females has been excommunicated. [Guess again. Excommunication need not be publicly announced in order to be effective.]

"The meaningfulness of the Catholic tradition to me is the long history of mysticism in the church," said priest[ess] Victoria Rue, who also teaches theology [good God] and theater [highly appropriate] at San Jose State University. She finds particular inspiration in the women mystics of the Middle Ages. "Priesthood," added Rue, "is about leadership within the community." [For once, an honest exposure of hte true motive behind the priestess movement: power. Gosh: wasn't that one of the temptations Satan tried to lay on Jesus in the desert? Did He in fact give in to that temptation, and I missed it?] There are many types of ministries to which people are called, she said, concluding, "I feel called [by what?] to the ministry of the liturgy," which she described as communal worship[having little or no clue as to what liturgy is all about].

In Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II lays out the case against women in the priesthood, with this argument that, to my way of thinking, is particularly unanswerable:

[T]he fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord of the universe.

The force of this argument is demonstrated by the fact that the women's ordination crowd has no choice but to try to denigrate the Blessed Mother who, after all, was too benighted to realize how oppressed and discriminated against she was. This, like all the priestesses' other emanations, bodes ill for their immortal souls, which need an awful lot of prayers for conversion.

Requiescat in Pace

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Cliff Nielsen, brother of my friend Aage Nielsen, who just passed away this week. He leaves behind his brother and sister, his mother, and his children and grandchildren.

Cliff lived Purgatory right here on earth, especially in the last few years of his life. His battle with the demons of drug and alcohol addiction was so fierce and unrelenting that he could not let his guard down even for an instant. This led to a forest of other crosses: every minute, he paid a heavy price for sobriety. Yet he was kind and courteous in his dealings with others, and within the last couple of years, he was able to reach out with comfort and understanding to others who also struggled out of the deep, dark pit he knew so well.

Let us pray that God will look with mercy on Cliff, and accept his dreadful sufferings as atonement for his sins. Let us pray also that He will look with mercy on those Cliff leaves behind, especially his mother, who has been in dangerously poor health, and who now faces the unspeakable sorrow of burying one of her children.

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen.

Blogger Reflection Award

Letitia at Cause of Our Joy has graciously awarded me the Blogger Reflection Award, and said some very nice things about me and my little institution here into the bargain.

But the purpose of the Award is not merely to give me the opportunity to bask in praise: it also carries with it the responsibility to spread the sunshine to five other bloggers. So herewith the five new Reflecting Blogger Award winners:

1. The redoubtable Marcus Magnus and the incomparable John Keenan at Dominican Idaho. Their unique blend of solid spirituality, top-notch writing, hard-hitting analysis and whimsical humor make Dominican Idaho an essential stop on any tour of the blogosphere. Besides all of which, both are very dear personally. And I'm not just saying that because John is the formation director of my lay Dominican chapter (and I'm getting ready to apply for my first temporary profession), or because Mark is our prior -- although neither fact hurts!

2. The Paramedic Golden Girl at Salve Regina. One of my earliest supporters among fellow bloggers, P.G.G.'s humor, orthodoxy, and gentleness -- in a woman whose exceedingly demanding job makes being a public defender look like a life of idle luxury -- make Salve Regina essential reading.

3. Simon-Peter Vickers-Buckley at Simon-Peter Says. Probably he's going to spew a bunch of crappola about how nuts it is to nominate him for an award, but I don't care. I love his blog. In addition to the hard-hitting and humorous content, I like the abundant pics and sidebar features, especially the thousand bottles of beer on the wall and the Anglo-Saxon babies with the Stella Artois.

4. R.B. at The Joy of Hats. He hasn't posted much so far on this brand-new blog, but what he has posted is beautiful and almost poetical. Plus, he's another Tertiary Dominican, which doesn't hurt!

5. Jay Anderson at Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate. I have to love a lawyer who promotes orthodox Catholicism, family, citizenship, and devotion to my dear patron, St. Thomas More. Only one thing is lacking: Jay, have you ever considered the Third Order Dominicans?

Congratulations to all winners! You deserve it, and more!

July 25, 2006: A Blog Is Born

One year ago today, I founded V for Victory! for the purpose of maintaining my sanity during a period of unemployment and other high drama, to improve my mind by increasing my output of writing, and to become an all-around better person by opening new horizons of creativity.

Yeah, right!

Prayer Alert Today!

Please pray for a special intention for me at 13:30 Mountain Time (that's 15:30 Eastern, or 3:30 p.m. Eastern for those of you in Rio Linda). Please pray to St. Thomas More for me; and I in turn ask him to help with his powerful intercession all who help me.

Glorious St. Thomas More, I beg you to take up my cause, confident that you will advocate for me before God's Throne with the same zeal and diligence that marked your career on earth. If it be in accord with God's will, obtain for me the favor I seek, namely _______.

V. Pray for us, O Blessed St. Thomas More.
R. That we may faithfully follow you on the hard road that leads to the narrow gate of eternal life.

Monstrancities

From the Presentation Chapel of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist in Pocatello, Idaho, made from part of an irrigation valve. An irrigation valve on a length of irrigation pipe make up the tabernacle. At least they wear habits.

"Transformers: Robots in disguise! Transformers: More than meets the eye!"

I really hope this one isn't supposed to be a real monstrance.


The Lidless Eye of Sauron.

Tilting at windmills.

Attention Spirit of Vatican II people: time to stand back and leave the business of designing monstrances to the professionals who actually believe in the Real Presence:

St. Thomas More: On the Move?

St. Thomas More is everywhere. He's in a lot of places I expect to find him: on Jay Anderson's blog; on this blog; in my office, where I keep a framed print of the famous Hans Holbein portrait that I was given for my graduation from law school. His feast day was June 22nd, and Fr. Donoghue preached a very nice homily about him, even though Father doesn't usually preach about saints on their feast days.

That Most Human of Saints has also been popping up in some unexpected places lately. When I was sick a couple of weeks ago, A Man For All Seasons came on. After posting the Prayer to St. Thomas More last night, he came up unexpectedly today, twice -- once at the start of my day, and again at the end of it. This morning at daily Mass, Fr. Donoghue preached a wonderful homily all about how St. Thomas More lived today's very short Gospel reading (Matthew 11:28-30). Then, when I got home from work this evening, I found an envelope in my mailbox from the Diocese of Boise. It was a letter from the bishop, dated July 18th. Here is the full text:

Dear Ms. Moore:

Thank you for your letter of April 23, 2007 regarding your composition of a novena to St. Thomas More. I apologize for the great delay in responding to you.

After review, and after speaking with Mr. Mark Raper, Director of the Office of Canonical Affairs about this matter, I find no doctrinal or moral errors contained within the novena. That being the case, and in accord with the norms of law, I do hereby grant my permission to you, as its author, to publish the novena for public and private devotion in the Church.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Michael P. Driscoll, MSW, DD
Bishop of Boise

C.S. Lewis once said that for the Christian, there are no coincidences. Clearly, something is going on, and my dear St. Thomas is at the bottom of it. May he forgive me for ever doubting him! Now that St. Thomas More's novena has been approved for public and private devotion, and to thank him in advance for whatever it is he is doing, here it is.

First Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of prudence. You never thrust yourself rashly into any serious undertaking; instead, you tested the strength of your powers and waited on God's will in prayer and penance, then boldly carried it out without hesitation. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the virtues of patience, prudence, wisdom and courage. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Glorious St. Thomas More, I beg you to take up my cause, confident that you will advocate for me before God's Throne with the same zeal and diligence that marked your career on earth. If it be in accord with God's will, obtain for me the favor I seek, namely _______.

V. Pray for us, O Blessed St. Thomas More.
R. That we may faithfully follow you on the hard road that leads to the narrow gate of eternal life.

Second Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of diligence. You shunned procrastination, applied yourself with fervor to your studies, and spared no effort in achieving mastery in any skill. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and persistence in my preparations for all undertakings. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Third Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of industriousness. You threw yourself wholeheartedly into everything you did, and you found enjoyment even in the most serious things. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of always having suitable employment, the grace to find interest in everything fitting, and the fortitude always to pursue excellence in whatever task God gives me to do. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Fourth Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a brilliant lawyer and a just and compassionate judge. You attended to the smallest details of your legal duties with the greatest care, and you were unflagging in your pursuit of justice tempered by mercy. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace to overcome every temptation to laxity, arrogance, and rash judgment in my (legal) duties. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Fifth Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of humility. You never allowed pride to lead you to take on enterprises beyond your abilities; even in the midst of earthly wealth and honor, you never forgot your total dependence on your Heavenly Father. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of an increase in humility, and the wisdom not to overestimate my own powers. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Sixth Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model husband and father. You were loving and faithful to both of your wives, and a diligent provider and example of virtue for your children. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of a happy home, peace in my family, and the strength to persevere in chastity according to my state of life. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Seventh Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of Christian fortitude. You suffered bereavement, disgrace, poverty, imprisonment and a violent death; yet you bore all with the strength and good cheer for which you were known throughout your life. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace to bear all the crosses that God sends me with patience and joy. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Eighth Day

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a loyal child of God and a steadfast son of the Church, never taking your eyes off the crown for which you strove. Even in the face of death, you trusted in God to give you the victory, and He rewarded you with the palm of martyrdom. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me and mine the grace of final perseverance and protection from sudden and unprovided death, so that we may one day enjoy the Beatific Vision in your glorious company. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

Ninth Day

Dear St. Thomas More, you spent your whole earthly life preparing for the life to come. Everything you endured prepared you not only for the glory God wished to bestow upon you in heaven, but for your work as the patron of lawyers, judges and statesmen, and steadfast friend to all who call upon you. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for us aid in all our necessities, both corporal and spiritual, and the grace to follow in your footsteps, until at last we are safely home with you in the mansions our Father has prepared for us in heaven. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... Glorious St. Thomas More...

The Litany of St. Thomas More

This Litany of St. Thomas More was composed in 2005 by Bishop Michael Saltarelli of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, in order to promote respect for life.

V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ, have mercy
R. Christ have mercy
V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ hear us
R. Christ, graciously hear us

V. St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr,
R. Pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates
St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life
St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ
St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage
St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith
St. Thomas More, Defender of the Weak and the Poor
St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity

V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Spare us O Lord
V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Graciously hear us O Lord
V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Have mercy on us

Let us pray:

O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life - the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Prayers Needed

I've got an iron in the fire at the moment, and I could really use prayers for success. Don't worry: it's not about medical issues, or biopsy results or anything like that. It's about something within the province of the august saint pictured to the left. Please pray for this intention. In turn, I ask a special blessing on all who come to my aid.

Prayer to St. Thomas More

Thomas More, counselor of law and statesman of integrity, merry martyr and most human of saints:

Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, ever attentive to conscience. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients' tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.

Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain—their good servant, and God's first.

Amen.

Dark Rosaleen

O MY Dark Rosaleen,
Do not sigh, do not weep!
The priests are on the ocean green,
They march along the deep.
There 's wine from the royal Pope,
Upon the ocean green;
And Spanish ale shall give you hope,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
Shall glad your heart, shall give you hope,
Shall give you health, and help, and hope,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Over hills, and thro' dales,
Have I roam'd for your sake;
All yesterday I sail'd with sails
On river and on lake.
The Erne, at its highest flood,
I dash'd across unseen,
For there was lightning in my blood,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
O, there was lightning in my blood,
Red lightning lighten'd thro' my blood.
My Dark Rosaleen!

All day long, in unrest,
To and fro, do I move.
The very soul within my breast
Is wasted for you, love!
The heart in my bosom faints
To think of you, my Queen,
My life of life, my saint of saints,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
To hear your sweet and sad complaints,
My life, my love, my saint of saints,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Woe and pain, pain and woe,
Are my lot, night and noon,
To see your bright face clouded so,
Like to the mournful moon.
But yet will I rear your throne
Again in golden sheen;
'Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
'Tis you shall have the golden throne,
'Tis you shall reign, and reign alone,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Over dews, over sands,
Will I fly, for your weal:
Your holy delicate white hands
Shall girdle me with steel.
At home, in your emerald bowers,
From morning's dawn till e'en,
You'll pray for me, my flower of flowers,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My fond Rosaleen!
You'll think of me through daylight hours,
My virgin flower, my flower of flowers,
My Dark Rosaleen!

I could scale the blue air,
I could plough the high hills,
O, I could kneel all night in prayer,
To heal your many ills!
And one beamy smile from you
Would float like light between
My toils and me, my own, my true,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My fond Rosaleen!
Would give me life and soul anew,
A second life, a soul anew,
My Dark Rosaleen!

O, the Erne shall run red,
With redundance of blood,
The earth shall rock beneath our tread,
And flames wrap hill and wood,
And gun-peal and slogan-cry
Wake many a glen serene,
Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die,
My Dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
The Judgment Hour must first be nigh,
Ere you can fade, ere you can die,
My Dark Rosaleen!

James Clarence Mangan

Blessed Margaret of Castello, Part V: The Mantellata

This is the fifth in a series of talks about Bl. Margaret of Castello, delivered at the meeting of the Idaho Lay Dominicans, Bl. Margaret of Castello Chapter, at Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell, Idaho on Sunday, July 15, 2007.

In Chapter 3, verses 13-15 of his first letter, St. Peter says: “And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? But if also you suffer any thing for justice’s sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.”

The natural thing for Margaret to do after she was expelled from the convent was to seek out her Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. So when the word spread abroad about what had happened to her – for the nuns slipped in holding their tongues in charity just as much as they slipped in observing the Rule – her friends found her at the Chiesa della Carita, kneeling in fervent prayer. Despite their tearful and sympathetic anger on her behalf, Margaret would not allow them to speak ill of the nuns, and blamed herself for trying their patience and not being good enough for the religious life.

Unfortunately, fueled by the comments of the nuns about Margaret’s allegedly eccentric behavior in the convent, coupled with ignorance of all the facts and the unfortunate human tendency to cynicism, it was not long before the citizens of Castello came to agree with Margaret. If she were really a saint, it was held, then she should not have been thrown out of the convent. Nobody could really be as good as Margaret purported to be, it was said; and sure enough, she wasn’t. It was bad enough these rumors were circulating behind Margaret’s back; but, like good Italians, the people were not shy about expressing their opinions to her face, either, or repeating them loudly enough for her to hear. The adults gave themselves virtuous airs over Margaret’s apparent failure of virtue, and their children jeered at her in the streets.

The words of Jesus that St. Luke records in the 6th chapter of his Gospel, verses 22-23, ring especially true when we think about this new trial of Margaret’s: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” And when Jesus was condemned, they put a crown of thorns on His head, and a reed in His hand, and a purple cloak on His shoulders, and mocked Him, and spat on Him, and struck Him. Because Margaret tried faithfully to follow the rule of the convent, she too wore an invisible crown of thorns. But she never gave up her faith, and never stopped trusting absolutely in the God that allowed her to undergo such trials.

And in the fullness of time, God rewarded that trust. First of all, the tide of public opinion began to turn. People began to wake up to the contrast between Margaret’s refusal to defend herself and her attempts to justify the nuns on the one hand, and their failure to refrain from spreading gossip about her on the other. Margaret enjoyed a better reputation than ever before, while the nuns – whose identity, by the way, has sunk into oblivion – went down in public esteem. But even more than that: as Father Bonniwell says in The Life of Blessed Margaret of Castello [p. 64], “there was now conferred up on her – as if in reward for her faith and courage – a gift that was to bring her solid happiness to the day of her death. When things looked blackest, God put Margaret together with the Mantellate.

Father Bonniwell sums up nicely [pp. 64-65] who the Mantellate were:

Mantellate (the term is peculiar to Italy) were lay women who were members of the Order of Penance of St. Dominic – an organization that eventually developed into the present Third Order of St. Dominic. Women who wished to live a more religious life, but who for any reason were unable to enter a convent, could affiliate themselves with the Dominican Order by joining the Order of Penance. In so doing they continued to live at home, but they bound themselves to a more religious schedule of life, and at all times, both at home and abroad, they wore the Dominican religious habit. This consisted of a white tunic, with a leather belt, while over the head was worn a long, soft white veil in the shape of an oblong scarf. There was no scapular, but the members wore a black cloak or mantella, and it was this which gave rise to the popular name of these Sisters – Mantellate.

Up until Little Margaret’s time, only widows of a certain age were eligible to join the Mantellate, with here and there an exception being made for a mature married woman whose husband publicly gave his consent; but no young single women were allowed in. But because of Margaret’s unique situation and set of afflictions, her friends among the Mantellate prevailed upon the Father Prior of the Dominican convent to make an exception in her case. He appointed a committee to scrutinize Margaret’s faith, character and reputation; and when they reported favorably, Margaret was notified, to her great joy, that she was acceptable as a candidate for the Order of Penance of St. Dominic – the first young, unmarried woman to be so accepted.

Father Bonniwell describes Little Margaret’s reception into the Order of Preachers [pp. 67-68]:

The day of her reception was one that always remained sacred in the memory of the blind girl. The church was filled with Dominican friars, members of the Mantellate, and other friends of Margaret. The Prior himself presided at the ceremonies. On the predella of the main altar a throne had been placed; it was here that Fra Luigi took his position. Lying folded on the altar itself was the Dominican habit that was to be given to Margaret.

The blind girl was conducted to the foot of the altar steps, where she knelt. The Prior began the ceremony by asking the formal question:

“What do you seek?”

The girl answered, according to the ritual:

“God’s mercy and yours.”

The Prior solemnly addressed her in these words:

“Sister Margaret! You are about to become a member of the Order of St. Dominic. Such a step carries with it the gravest obligations. Henceforth, though you live in the world, you must not be part of the world. Your religious habit will be at once a solemn pledge, and a constant reminder, that you have dedicated yourself to the service and love of God, without reserve or conditions other than expressed in the written Rule.

“From now on, Sister, your greatest concern must be to serve God (and your fellowman, out of love of God) to the maximum degree. The attainment of this ideal is possible only if you make your life one of constant prayer, continual mortification and cheerful sacrifice.

“May the spotless white habit you are about to receive be preserved without stain by you until death!”

Turning to the altar, Fra Luigi blessed the religious habit which as on the altar, and handed it to the two Mantellate who were standing beside Margaret. They in turn clothed the girl with the white robe and the black mantle of the Order, while the whole assembly sang the Veni Creator Spiritus.

The climax of the ceremony strikingly resembled the manner in which a knight took the oath of fealty to his seigneur.

Fra Luigi took his seat on the throne placed before the altar. The two Sisters led the blind girl up to the altar steps, directly in front of him. Here Margaret knelt, placed her hands on those of the Prior, and in a voice charged with emotion made her profession:

“To the honor of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of St. Dominic, and in the presence of you, most reverend Father, Prior of the Order of St. Dominic in Citta di Castello, I, Sister Margaret, do make my profession.”

Abruptly her voice broke. She felt that if her happiness were to become any greater she would surely die. After a moment or two she regained control of herself, and now her voice, firm and earnest, rang through the church:

And I do promise that henceforth I will live according to the form and Rule of the same Order of Penance of St. Dominic, until death!”

As the two Sisters guided Margaret down the altar steps, all the Mantellate surged forward, eager to give her the Pax, or Kiss of Peace, for from that day forth the homeless beggar was their very own Sister in Christ.

The Prior stood at the foot of the altar, and raising his arms to Heaven, invoking a blessing on the new Mantellata:

“May He who has begun this good work in you perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus!”

Another Tentacle in Idaho

Just what we need: Planned Parenthood intends to open a new office in Idaho sometime in the next year or two.

Planned Parenthood already has offices in Boise (which has at least half a dozen other abortion clinics, including one across the street from a Catholic church), Twin Falls and Nampa. Probably this new one will be situated in such a way as to cull the surplus population of northern Idaho rubes, hicks and hayseeds.

Calling All Friends, Especially Dominicans...

...please take a few minutes and pray A Cry of Anguish for one of our own who really needs it today.

The Dominican Litany of Saints

The use of the Dominican Rite Litany of the Saints is explained by the following historical episode:

Innocent IV (born around 1200 and Pope from June 25, 1243) became a foe of the Order when the Dominican community in Genoa, the Pope's home town, would not give him their Priory and its land for a castle he wanted to build there to protect his relatives from his enemies. Angered by what he considered to be Dominican ingratitude in the face of favors he had granted the Order, Innocent now acceded to the long-standing demands of some of the secular clergy who were upset by the Friars' popularity in the pastoral ministry, in preaching, and in university teaching.

Thus, on May 10, 1254, the Pope placed some restrictions on the apostolate of the Dominicans in the French town of Saint-Quentin, and then began limiting the activities of the other French Priories. On June 4, he in effect expelled the Dominican professors from the University of Paris. This new animosity on the part of the Supreme Pontiff frightened the Friars, who began to say the Litany of the Saints for a deliverance from what they saw as the impending suppression of the whole Order.

On November 21, 1254, Innocent IV signed a decree rescinding all the privileges of the Order of Preachers, and instead forbidding all Dominicans to receive any lay person in their churches on Sundays and holidays, to preach in their churches on other days before the Solemn Mass in the local diocesan parish church, to preach in an episcopal town if the bishop was to preach there that day, and to hear anyone's confession without the permission of the penitent's pastor. A Cardinal who supported the Pope in this affair had even further restrictions to suggest to Innocent. On the day the latter signed the aforementioned decree, the said Cardinal tumbled down some stairs and shortly thereafter died of the injuries. The Pope himself, on that very same day, November 21, 1254, after signing the decree, suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed. Sixteen days later, on December 7, 1254, Pope Innocent IV died. The new Pope, Alexander IV, restored all its privileges to the Order on December 22, 1254, thirty-one days after their suppression and on the 38th anniversary of the Order's approval by Honorius III on December 22, 1216.

As a result of the foregoing, the saying arose: "Beware the Litanies of the Dominicans."

This Litany is therefore recommended as a Novena in especially critical circumstances.

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy. God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy.

Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God...
Holy Virgin of Virgins...
St. Michael...
St. Gabriel...
St. Raphael...
All you holy angels and archangels...
All you holy orders of blessed spirits...
St. John the Baptist...
St. Joseph...
All you holy patriarchs and prophets...
St. Peter...
St. Paul...
St. Andrew...
St. James...
St. John...
St. Thomas...
St. James...
St. Phillip...
St. Bartholomew...
St. Matthew...
St. Simon...
St. Thaddeus...
St. Matthias...
St. Barnabas...
St. Mark...
St. Luke...
All you holy disciples of Our Lord...
All you Holy Innocents...
St. Stephen...
St. Clement...
St. Cornelius...
St. Cyprian...
St. Lawrence...
St. Vincent...
St. Denis with your companions...
St. Maurice with your companions...
St. Januarius with your companions...
Sts. Fabian and Sebastian...
Sts. Cosmas and Damien...
St. Thomas [Becket]...
St. Peter [Martyr]...
St. John [of Cologne] with your companions...
St. Dominic [Ibañez] with your companions...
St. Ignatius [Delgado] with your companions...
All you holy martyrs...
St. Silvester...
St. Gregory...
St. Pius V...
St. Ambrose...
St. Augustine...
St. Jerome...
St. Hilary...
St. Martin [of Tours]...
St. Nicholas...
St. Antoninus...
Holy Father Dominic...
Holy Father Dominic...
St. Albert [the Great]...
St. Thomas [Aquinas]...
St. Vincent [Ferrer]...
St. Hyachinth...
St. Raymond [of Penafort]...
St. Louis [King of France]...
St. Anthony [of the Desert]...
St. Benedict...
St. Bernard [of Clairvaux]...
Holy Father Francis...
St. Martin [de Porres]...
St. John [Macias]...
All you holy confessors...
St. Ann...
St. Mary Magdalene...
St. Martha...
St. Felicity...
St. Perpetua...
St. Agatha...
St. Lucy...
St. Agnes...
St. Cecilia...
St. Ursula with your companions...
St. Catherine [dei Ricci]...
St. Rose [of Lima]...
St. Agnes [of Montepulciano]...
St. Catherine [of Siena]...
St. Margaret [of Hungary]...
All you holy virgins and widows...
All you saints...

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From eternal damnation, O Lord, deliver us.
From a sudden and unprovided death...
From the scourges that threaten our sins...
From the snares of the devil...
From all uncleanness of mind and body...
From anger, hatred and all ill-will...
From unclean thoughts...
From blindness of heart...
From lightning and storm...
From plague, famine and war...
From the scourge of earthquake...
From all evil...
Through the mystery of Your Holy Incarnation...
Through Your Passion and Cross...
Through Your glorious Resurrection...
Through Your wonderful Ascension...
Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter...
On the Day of Judgment...

We sinners, Beseech You, hear us.
That You would give us peace, We beseech You, hear us.
That Your mercy and love would preserve us...
That You would direct and defend Your Church...
That You would preserve our Apostolic Prelate [the Pope] and all the orders of the Church in holy religion...
That You would preserve our bishops and prelates and all the congregations committed to them in Your holy service...
That You would humble the enemies of Holy Church...
That You would give peace and true concord and victory to our civil rulers...
That You would preserve the whole Christian people redeemed by Your Blood...
That You wouuld recall to the unity of the Church all who are in error, and lead all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel...
That You would give eternal happiness to all our benefactors...
That You would rescue our souls and those of our kinsfolk from eternal damnation...
That You would preserve the fruits of the earth...
That You would turn towards us the eyes of Your mercy...
That You would make our worship a reasonable service...
That You would raise our minds to heavenly desires...
That You would regard and relieve the misery of the poor and captives...
That You would visit and comfort our homes and all who dwell therein...
That You would protect and keep this state and all its people...
That You would lead to a safe haven all the faithful traveling by land or sea...
That You would instruct us in a good life...
That You would give eternal rest to all the faithful departed...
That You would hear us...
Son of God...

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let us pray.

Almighty and provident God, through the intercession of Blessed Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and of all the angels and saints, whom we have just invoked, we earnestly beg You to bless, guide, and support our Bishop, ____. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Making Up for St. Benedict's Lack of Vision

What is wrong with the Benedictines in Idaho? There is no shortage of symptoms, and between the eco-feminist spirituality, yoga and centering prayer that has infiltrated the life of legitimate Catholic spirituality, it's hard to decide which is the worst. But here's a choice one, a retreat coming up in October at St. Gertrude's Monastery in Cottonwood:

Spirit, Soul and Body: The Universal Call to Contemplation
Oct.12 – 16, 2007 Fri. 7:30 pm – Tues. 1:30 pm

Presenter: Fr. Cyprian Consiglio

The call to contemplation and mystical depth is found in every spiritual tradition and is meant for every person. Cyprian integrates techniques from the East with the wisdom of Eastern and Western Christianity for an experience aimed at the whole person. The days will include yoga, meditation, chanting, sacred reading, teaching, prayer, discussion and a concert.

The "wisdom of Eastern and Western Christianity"? When I see that, I think of the eastern rites, or the orthodox churches. But Christianity is sure to keep a very low profile in any affair that features yoga and Fr. Cyprian Consiglio. Herewith an excerpt from Father's faculty profile from the Omega Institute, a New-Age entity in Rhinebeck, New York:

A student of the writings of Bede Griffiths [aka Swami Dayananda] and Abhishiktananda, Cyprian has a great love for comparative religion and inter-faith ritual. He regularly leads conferences on meditation, and has been to India three times, both studying and teaching.

And here is Father's introduction to a song called "Compassionate and Wise," to which Father has made some special adaptations of his own:

This is an intercessory prayer taught to me by my Buddhist brother monk, Rev. Heng Sure. The lyric is translated from Chinese and its melodic setting was written by a gifted Canadian composer, Loreena McKennitt. She wrote the melody for a verse by a Catholic Mystic, St. John of the Cross. I'm a Roman Catholic hermit and I've added a Sanskrit peace mantra to bring it full circle. I'm on this bridge to world peace and I'm staying on it!

Let's see now...I'm thinking really hard...but I'm drawing a blank: which saint was it that made it to heaven on eastern mysticism again? Oh, wait. That's right: there isn't one! What greater testimony to the efficaciousness of yoga and centering prayer! So then it only makes sense to teach this to the nuns and the oblates and their guests.

Somehow, Christianity staggered on without yoga, mantras, or any other practice of eastern mysticism for two thousand years, all the while managing -- somehow -- to win countless souls, produce thousands of saints, and, incidentally, bring about the blossoming of Western Civilization. Yet there seems to be no shortage of people who think they can improve upon the teachings of the Father of Monasticism and even upon those of the Founder of the Faith, notwithstanding St. Paul's warning in Galatians 1:8: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.

I am not trying to cast stones or disparage the Benedictine Order: God knows the Dominicans have our share of kookburgers. But the destruction of authentic Catholic spirituality in the monasteries spreads beyond their walls. Hopefully, the nuns of St. Gertrude's will stop and ask themselves when and how the Rule of St. Benedict stopped being enough.

More for the New Industry

More greeting cards to celebrate the Mystery of Iniquity.

Sr. Joan Chittister: Fake Benedictine

Now it's serious: the Pope has offended Sr. Joan Chittister. NOW what do we do? Maybe there's still time for the Holy Father to take back the Motu Proprio before the Patroness of Polyester Pantsuits holds her breath until she turns purple and passes out. Her outpourings on Rome's campaign to enforce the actual teachings of Vatican II are a classic backwards tribute to the Rule of St. Benedict: a perfect example of what happens to you when you vow to live by it, and then don't.

Here is Sister Joan's latest screed, with my comments, as always, in red.

* * *

It used to be that if you asked a question about the Catholic church, you got very straightforward answers. No, we did not eat meat on Friday. [Don't Benedictines still abstain from meat on Fridays?] Yes, we had to go to church every Sunday. [We still do.]

Not any more.

In fact, the answers are getting more confusing all the time [-- though this of course is not the fault of infiltrators like Sister Joan]. Consider the question of how the newly revised Roman Missal is better than the last, for instance.

They tell us now [NOW???] that Mass texts -- including even hymns -- may not include feminine references to God. And this in a church that has routinely addressed God as Key of David, Door of life, wind, fire, light and dove. God who is also, they tell us, "pure spirit" can never, ever, be seen as 'mother.' [Don't overdo it, Sister. Sit down; put your feet up; maybe a glass of water? Let this be a lesson to you: leave argumentation to the professionals. You really shouldn't try this at home.] Are we to think, then, that even hinting at the notion that the image of God includes the image of women as well as the image of men, as God in Genesis says it does, is dangerous to the faith? Antithetical to the faith? Heresy? [Don't sweat it, Sister: whatever church you've been going to that worships Goddess instead of God doesn't care what Rome has to say about liturgical texts anyway.]

Or, too, we learned that the words of the consecration itself would soon be edited to correct the notion that Jesus came to save "all" -- as we had been taught in the past -- to the idea that Jesus came to save "many." [If only Jesus had known better, He wouldn't have said "many" at the Last Supper, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.] The theological implications of changing from "all" to "many" boggles the mind[, particularly the implication that, having free will, we can choose to reject salvation, which is what "many" implies]. Who is it that Jesus did not come to save?

Does such a statement imply again that "only Catholics go to heaven?" And, if read like that by others, is this some kind of subtle retraction of the whole ecumenical movement? [If it's a rejection of the sort of ecumenism that requires Catholics to compromise on the faith, I for one am all for it.]

Now, this week, we got the word that the pope himself, contrary to the advice and concerns of the world's bishops, has restored the Tridentine Latin Rite[, which was never abrogated]. It is being done, the pope explains, to make reconciliation easier with conservative groups[, even though these nutjob fanatical kooks that are raining on your We Are Church parade really deserve to be written off, right, Sister?].

But it does not, at the same time, make reconciliation easier with women, who are now pointedly left out of the Eucharistic celebration entirely [the Blessed Mother doesn't count], certainly in its God-language, even in its pronouns[, which Sister is so busy counting and parsing that she doesn't have any time left for donning a habit, praying the Divine Office, or reading Scripture]. Nor does it seem to care [magical thinking extends to personifying the Motu Proprio -- or does "it" refer to the Holy Father?] about reconciliation with Jews who find themselves in the Tridentine Good Friday rite again as "blind" and objects of conversion[; after all, when someone needs conversion, it's much more compassionate to stop caring whether they go to Hell]. It's difficult not to wonder if reconciliation is really what it's all about[, particularly when you've given the Motu Proprio as careless a reading as Sister evidently has].

What's more, where, in the intervening years, bishops had to give permission for the celebration of Tridentine masses in the local diocese, the new document requires only that the rite be provided at the request of the laity[, who are too stupid to be entrusted with the right to ask for the preconciliar forms, and to have access to the rich patrimony that so many have been denied all these years].

But why the concerns? If some people prefer a Latin mass to an English mass, why not have it? [That's just what the Pope thinks. And by the way, we capitalize the word "Mass."]

The answer depends on what you think the Mass has to do with articulating the essence of the Christian faith. [After all, in the World According to Sister Joan, it has very little to do with worshiping God.]

The Latin Mass, for instance, in which the priest celebrates the Eucharist with his back to the people, in a foreign language -- much of it said silently or at best whispered -- makes the congregation, the laity, observers of the rite rather than participants in it. [A point of view typical of someone so shallow as to worship at the altar of appearances and belittle and discount the interior life, where the real action happens to be going on.]

The celebrant becomes the focal point of the process, the special human being, the one for whom God is a kind of private preserve. [If you think this is such a bad thing, then how come you want women to be priests?]

The symbology of a lone celebrant, removed from and independent of the congregation, is clear [only to a moron]: ordinary people have no access to God. They are entirely dependent on a special caste of males to contact God for them[ -- everyone knows a special caste of females to be the hoi polloi's sole intermediaries with God is infinitely preferable]. They are "not worthy," to receive the host, or as the liturgy says now, even to have Jesus "come under my roof." [No, we are NOT worthy. The only reason we sinners dare to approach the Host -- another word that needs to be capitalized -- is because we are commanded to do so.]

The Eucharist in such a setting is certainly not a celebration of the entire community. It is instead a priestly act, a private devotion of both priest and people, which requires for its integrity three "principal parts" alone -- the offertory, the consecration and the communion. [How terrible to waste all that time worshiping God, when we could be worshiping ourselves!] The Liturgy of the Word -- the instruction in what it means to live a Gospel life -- is, in the Tridentine Rite, at best, a minor element. [Sister lies so much, why should we start believing her now?]

In the Latin mass, the sense of mystery -- of mystique -- the incantation of "heavenly" rather than "vulgar" language in both prayer and music, underscores a theology of transcendence. It lifts a person out of the humdrum, the dusty, the noisy, the crowded chaos of normal life to some other world. It reminds us of the world to come -- beautiful, mystifying, hierarchical, perfumed -- and makes this one distant. It takes us beyond the present, enables us, if only for a while, to "slip the surly bonds of earth" for a world more mystical than mundane. [And the problem is...?]

It privatizes the spiritual life. The Tridentine Mass is a God-and-I liturgy. [Too stupid for comment.]

The Vatican II liturgy, on the other hand, steeps a person in community, in social concern, in the hard, cold, clear reality of the present. The people and priest pray the Mass together, in common language, with a common theme. They interact with one another. They sing "a new church into being,' non-sexist, inclusive, centered together in the Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Galilee curing the sick, raising the dead, talking to women and inviting the Christian community to do the same. [They prefer wallowing in the mud with Sister Joan to lifting their hearts to heaven.]

The Vatican II liturgy grapples with life from the point of view of the distance between life as we know it and life as the gospel defines it for us. It plunges itself into the sanctifying challenges of dailiness. [Yes, here is the key to sanctity: lower your standards to the point where they're already met.]

The Vatican II liturgy carries within it a theology of transformation. It does not seek to create on earth a bit of heaven [we sure would hate to see that]; it does set out to remind us all of the heaven we seek[, even though, as stated above, it's supposed to keep us firmly rooted in our sordid earthly existence.] It does not attempt to transcend the present. It does seek to transform it. [And these are the problems with Sister Joan's brand of "liturgy."] It creates community out of isolates in an isolating society. [Huh???]

There is a power and a beauty in both liturgical traditions, of course[, even though Sister just got done arguing that beauty is irrelevant at best, and a distraction at worst, proving that heresy really does lower your IQ]. No doubt they both need a bit of the other. Eucharist after all is meant to be both transcendent and transformative. But make no mistake: In their fundamental messages, they present us with more than two different styles of music or two different languages or two different sets of liturgical norms. They present us with two different churches. [Thus Pope Benedict is a liar when he says that the extraordinary form and the ordinary form are "two usages of the one Roman rite."]

The choice between these two different liturgies bring the church to a new crossroads, one more open, more ecumenical, more communal, more earthbound than the other. The question is which one of them is more likely to create the world Jesus models and of which we dream. [And here we all were, misguidedly thinking the purpose of the Mass was to worship God, and to re-present the Sacrifice of Calvary in an unbloody manner on the altar.]

There are many more questions ahead of us as a result of this new turn in the liturgical road than simply the effect of such a decree on parish architecture, seminary education, music styles, language acquisition and multiple Mass schedules[, all of which the faithful are too stupid to cope with].

The theological questions that lurk under the incense and are obscured by the language are far more serious than that. They're about what's really good for the church -- ecumenism or ecclesiastical ghettoism, altars and altar rails, mystique or mystery, incarnation as well as divinity, community or private spirituality[, the ersatz feminist "spirituality" of the Sister Joans of the world or the true Faith as handed down by the Apostles and their successors, the ravings of heretics or the teachings of Peter's Successor]?

From where I stand, it seems obvious that the Fathers of Vatican Council II knew the implications of the two different Eucharistic styles then and bishops around the world know it still. [That's because Sister has never read the actual teachings of Vatican II, which plainly stipulated that the preconciliar rites were to be preserved and nurtured, not suppressed.] But their concerns have been ignored. They don't have much to do with it anymore. Now it's up to the laity to decide which church they really want -- and why. [See, it's only the Golden Age of the Laity Who Dissent from the Magisterium; those who yearn for authentic Catholicism can go to Hell.] Which we choose may well determine the very nature of the church for years to come.

* * *

Sister Joan Chittister has forsaken her calling as a chosen soul, and has become a liar, a cheat, and a heretic desperately in need of (a) public refutation, and (b) prayers for conversion. Instead of being of real use to the Church and to the world, she prefers to gnaw her petty grievances, taking offense where none is intended and leading such of the faithful astray as are still capable of taking her seriously. The church of her dreams is the Communist Bloc of Christendom.

And like the political Communist Bloc, it too is destined for the ash heap of history.

H/T Catholic Church Conservation.

UPDATE: I SWEAR I DID NOT SEE THIS before posting the above...but it is just about as good as mine (and a little nicer).

What Our Priests Should Be Able to Expect From Us

Now that the Holy Father has liberated the old forms of the liturgy, a ray of hope shines for those of us who for years have been sick and tired of all the innovations, gimmicks, distortions, travesties and abuses that have been crammed down our throats at Mass. But the Motu Proprio shouldn't turn us into snotrags. If we really want to see the return of the pre-conciliar liturgical forms, and with them, the expected return of reverence and piety to the Church, we need to do our part. Accordingly, it seems to me we need to resist the following temptations:

1. The temptation to be demanding. Yes, we may now ask our pastors to provide the older forms, and we have the authority of the Pope to back us up; but we shouldn't be snotty about it. We shouldn't assume an adversarial posture when we approach our pastors, regardless of their point of view. Remember that respect for the dignity of priests is part of what we hope to see restored to the life of the Church; let it begin with us.

2. The temptation to impatience. The changes are not going to take place overnight. The Motu Proprio doesn't even take effect until September 14th. The biggest problem is going to be finding priests that are qualified to offer the Tridentine Mass -- a problem that will be especially acute in a rural diocese like the Diocese of Boise (i.e., the entire state of Idaho), where only 2 (two) parishes have hitherto had indult Masses, and not many priests are familiar with the pre-conciliar forms. This problem will take time to remedy. Let's not go storming to the chancery office or the Ecclesia Dei commission just because there is a delay, unless it becomes clear that there really are legitimate grounds for going over the pastor's head. A presumption of innocence ought to apply here, unless rebutted by substantial evidence. (This is a rule I'm going to have a hard time keeping myself, but if I can do it, then anybody can.)

3. The temptation to criticize. Our priests take a lot of grief as it is, without us piling on with petty complaints. Some pastors are going to be reluctant to provide the classical liturgy because they fear an avalanche of hypercriticism -- not an unfounded fear, as this has apparently already been the experience of some priests who have tried to provide the classical liturgy in the past. Mistakes are going to be made in celebrating the classical liturgy: let's not get on our priests' cases about these, lest they lose all the joy they should experience in offering it. Save the remedy-seeking for genuine cases of deliberate and willful abuse.

4. The temptation to complain. If we run into problems getting the Motu Proprio implemented, let's take some concrete action to remove the problems. Here -- not invading the province of the clergy -- is where the talents and expertise of the laity should be tapped for the service of the Church, in accordance with the teachings of Lumen Gentium. If there are any Latinists out there, now is the time to help familiarize clergy and laity with the language and dispel uneasiness about its use in the liturgy (and, incidentally, remove objections grounded on the ignorance of the people). If there is anyone trained in Gregorian Chant, now is the time to start organizing scholas, and start working on the music of the classical liturgy. (I'm willing to bet plenty of people will be interested in participating in this.) If anybody has the resources and connections to make the 1962 Missal widely available for those who can't afford one, or to secure any other necessary materials, now is the time to get busy with that. Most of all, we should all be praying: first, in thanksgiving for this happy development in the history of the Church; second, for its success; and third, for the opening of the hearts of all who are opposed to it.

5. The temptation to view the Novus Ordo as illegitimate. The Holy Father has clearly stated that the Novus Ordo is not only legitimate, but the ordinary form of the liturgy. It's true that it lends itself to a lot of kookburgery, about which I personally have complained loudly and extensively. However, it is still the Mass: to believe otherwise is, frankly, to believe that the gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church, and to disbelieve the lawful authority of the Church. Personally, I'll take a badly celebrated Novus Ordo Mass (as long as it's not so badly celebrated as to render it invalid) over a Communion service any day of the week.

In short, a large part of restoring the pre-conciliar liturgy to its rightful place in the life of the Church is up to us. Let's not turn Motu-mania into a nightmare for our priests.