For the Feast of St. John Vianney

 Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of St. John Mary Vianney on August 8.  Also known as the Cure D'Ars, St. John Vianney is the patron Saint of parish priests.  Born in France in 1786, St. John was ordained to the priesthood on August 13, 1815 and sent to the little town of Ars to be the pastor to the people there, most who lacked the true Faith.  

He provided his parishioners with an example of a true love of God, the Faith, and zeal for souls.  St. John Vianney offered many penances for his parishioners, and he spent long hours in prayer before our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  The Saint told his parishioners, “One need not say much to pray well...  We know that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle. Let us open our hearts to Him, let us rejoice in His sacred presence. That is the best prayer.”

St. John became known as "a great hospital of souls," spending up to 16 hours a day in the confessional, hearing the confessions of people from all over Europe.  God granted the Cure D'Ars the ability to read souls, which allowed him to bring many stubborn hearts back to the Faith.  He also had a great devotion to St. Philomena, whose feast day is August 11, and many miracles worked through him were at the same time through her intercession.

With the good being accomplished through him, St. John Vianney was at times tormented by the devil.  Once, while the Saint was praying his Office at the end of a long day, the devil kept extinguishing his candle, thus making it too dark to read the prayers.  Finally St. John, relighting the candle again, handed it to the devil, making him hold it for him until he finished. 

Act of Love of the Holy Cure D'Ars 

I love Thee, O my God. 

My only desire is to love Thee, 

until the last breath of my life. 

I love Thee, O infinitely loveable God, 

and I prefer to die loving Thee, 

rather than to live for an instant without Thee. 

I love Thee, O my God, 

and I desire only to go to Heaven, 

to have the happiness of loving Thee perfectly. 

I love Thee, O my God, 

and my only fear is to go to Hell, 

because one will never have the sweet 

solace of loving Thee there. 

O my God, if my tongue cannot say

at all times that I love Thee, 

at least I want my heart to repeat it to Thee! 

as many times as I breathe. Ah! Do me the grace 

to suffer while loving Thee, 

to love Thee while suffering, 

and, that when I die: 

I not only will love Thee, 

but experience it in my heart. 

I beg Thee that: the closer I come to my final end, 

Thou wilt increase and perfect my love for Thee.   Amen.

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Just as God worked much good through the life of St. John Vianney, likewise He continues to work through our own priests.  May we daily remember to pray for our priests and the priests throughout the world, thanking God for them and begging His graces to be bestowed abundantly upon them.

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A Prayer for Priests 

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Thy priests within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Thy Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Thy Holy Love surround them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and their everlasting crown hereafter. Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us: obtain for us numerous and holy priests. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer of Thanksgiving

 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great."

Did you see the wonderful news from the Fraternity?  On February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the day of the consecration of the Fraternity of St. Peter to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pope Francis issued a decree concerning the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Traditional Mass.  The link is at the Fraternity website.

"The Holy Father Francis, grants to each and every member of the Society of Apostolic Life “Fraternity of Saint Peter”, founded on July 18, 1988 and declared of “Pontifical Right” by the Holy See, the faculty to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass, and to carry out the sacraments and other sacred rites, as well as to fulfill the Divine Office, according to the typical editions of the liturgical books, namely the Missal, the Ritual, the Pontifical and the Roman Breviary, in force in the year 1962..."

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May we remember to offer Our Blessed Lord and His Holy Mother prayers and penance of thanksgiving for the protection and help granted to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.  May we never take for granted this amazing gift we have been given.  May we also remember to pray for the Holy Father and all of the priests and bishops throughout the Church.  Attending Mass tomorrow on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter would also be a fitting way to offer thanksgiving.

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An Act of Adoration and Thanksgiving 

 O Eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the beginning and end of all things, in Whom we live and move and have our being; prostrate before Thee in body and soul, I adore Thee with the most profound humility. I bless Thee and give Thee thanks for all the benefits Thou has conferred upon me, especially that Thou hast created me out of nothing, made me after Thine own image and likeness, redeemed me with the Precious Blood of Thy Son, and sanctified me with Thy Holy Spirit. I thank Thee that Thou hast called me into Thy Church, helped me by Thy grace, admitted me to Thy Sacraments, watched over me by Thy special Providence, blessed me, not withstanding my sins and unworthiness, with Thy continuing and gracious protection, and for all the innumerable blessings which I owe to Thy undeserved bounty. I thank Thee especially for having preserved me during the past night and for bringing me in safety to the beginning of another day. What return can I make to Thee, O my God, for all that Thou hast done for me? I will bless Thy Holy Name and serve Thee all the days of my life. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me praise His Holy Name. Amen.

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Litany of Salutations to Mary 

Hail Mary, daughter of God the Father. Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son. Hail Mary, Spouse, of God the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Blessed Trinity. Hail Mary, Pure Lily of the Trinity, One God. Hail Mary, Celestial Rose of the love of God. Hail Mary, Virgin pure and humble, of whom the King of Heaven willed to be born. Hail Mary, Virgin of virgins. Hail Mary, Queen of Martyrs, whose soul a sword transfixed. Hail Mary, my Queen and my Mother, my life, my sweetness and my hope. Hail Mary, Mother most amiable. Hail Mary, Mother most admirable. Hail Mary, Mother of Divine Love. Hail Mary, Immaculate, conceived without sin. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. 

Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Blessed be your spouse, Saint Joseph, Blessed be your father, Saint Joachim. Blessed be your mother, Saint Anne. Blessed be your guardian, Saint John. Blessed be your holy Angel, Saint Gabriel. Glory be to God the Father, Who chose you. Glory be to God the Son, Who loved you. Glory be to God the Holy Spirit, Who espoused you. O Glorious Virgin Mary. May all people love and praise you. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and bless us, Now and at death, in the name of Jesus, your Divine Son. Amen.

--St. John Eudes

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Marian Prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Most Holy Mary Virgin Mother of God, I am unworthy to be your servant. Yet moved by your motherly care for me and longing to serve you, I choose you this day to be my Queen, my Advocate, and my Mother. I firmly resolve ever to be devoted to you and to do what I can to encourage others to be devoted to you. My loving Mother, through the Precious Blood of your Son shed for me, I beg you to receive me as your servant forever. Aid me in my actions and beg for me the grace never by thought, word, or deed to be displeasing in your sight and that of your most holy Son. Remember me, dearest Mother, and do not abandon me at the hour of death.

--St. Francis de Sales

God bless!

+JMJ+

Corona of the Immaculate Conception

                                                                 

Holy Mother Church honors Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception with a holy day of obligation on December 8, and in 1846 our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed the Patroness of the United States of America.  A beautiful prayer we can recite to honor our Lady on her feast day is the Corona of the Immaculate Conception, written by Father Marquette.

Father Marquette probably is best known for being a Jesuit missionary to America who helped explore the Mississippi River.  However, as this FSSP article states, his superior Father Claude Dablon  knew him as a very devout and kind priest.

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"We might say much of the rare virtues of this noble missionary: of his zeal, which prompted him to carry the faith so far, and proclaim the gospel to so many peoples who were unknown to us; of his gentleness, which rendered him beloved by all, and made him all things to all men...; of the childlike candor with which he disclosed his heart to his superiors, and even to all kinds of persons, with an ingenuousness which won all hearts; of his angelic chastity; and of his uninterrupted union with God. But that which apparently predominated was a devotion, altogether rare and singular, to the Blessed Virgin, and particularly toward the mystery of her Immaculate Conception...  All his conversations and letters contained something about the Blessed Virgin Immaculate — for so he always called her. From the age of 9 years, he fasted every Saturday; and from his tenderest youth began to say the Little Office of the Conception, inspiring every one with the same devotion."

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Corona of the Immaculate Conception

To pray this prayer to Our Lady:

+ Recite the Creed.  

+ After the Creed, there is said once the Our Father and Hail Mary.

+ Then recite 4 times the following prayer: 

Hail Daughter of God the Father, Hail Mother of God the Son, Hail Spouse of the Holy Ghost, Hail Temple of the entire Trinity. Through thy holy virginity and Immaculate Conception, O Virgin most pure, cleanse my heart and my flesh. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

+Conclude with the Glory Be.

***Repeat the whole sequence of prayers three times.***

God bless!

+JMJ+

Ember Days

 Ember Days are three days--Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday--set aside at the beginning of each of the four seasons to offer God prayer, fasting, and abstinence.  The focus of Ember Days, which coincide with the seasons of harvest, are placed to offer God thanksgiving for His creation, to ask for a bountiful harvest, and to ask His help in using it well.  The Ember Days were instituted in the first centuries of the Church, although the exact year is unknown, as a way to counteract the pagan harvest feasts.  St. Leo the Great believed they were even of Apostolic origin, although other sources suggest the 3rd or 4th century.  Eventually the Ember Days were set to fall after Ash Wednesday, Whitsunday, the Exaltation of the Cross (specifically during the third week of September), and the feast of St. Lucy.  On Ember Wednesday and Saturday traditionally one fasts and partakes of partial abstinence, and on Ember Friday one fasts and fully abstains.

Pope St. Leo the Great wrote of the Ember Days after Whitsunday, "And so those teachers, who have instructed all the Church's sons by their examples and their traditions, began the rudiments of the Christian warfare with holy fasts, that, having to fight against spiritual wickednesses, they might take the armour of abstinence, wherewith to slay the incentives to vice... The desire to hurt us is indeed ever active in the tempter, but he will be disarmed and powerless, if he find no vantage ground within us from which to attack us... Therefore, after the days of holy gladness, which we have devoted to the honour of the Lord rising from the dead and then ascending into heaven, and after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, a fast is ordained as a wholesome and needful practice, so that, if perchance through neglect or disorder even amid the joys of the festival any undue licence has broken out, it may be corrected by the remedy of strict abstinence, which must be the more scrupulously carried out in order that what was on this day Divinely bestowed on the Church may abide in us. For being made the Temple of the Holy Ghost, and watered with a greater supply than ever of the Divine Stream, we ought not to be conquered by any lusts nor held in possession by any vices in order that the habitation of Divine power may be stained with no pollution."

In the 5th century Pope Gelasius I prescribed that all ordinations take place on Ember Saturdays, following apostolic tradition.  "Then they, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away" (Acts 13:3).  Thus, linking ordinations with Ember Days, not only did the candidates fast and pray for a few days before receiving Holy Orders, but all of the faithful joined in as well for the sanctification of the priests.  May we likewise use these upcoming Ember Days to offer prayer and penance to God for our newly ordained priests, deacons, and all priests.

Thomas A Kempis wrote beautifully of the priest.  "A priest clad in his sacred vestments is Christ's vicegerent, to pray to God for himself, and for all the people, in a suppliant and humble manner; he has before and behind him the sign of the Cross of the Lord, that he may always remember the Passion of Christ; he bears the Cross before him in his vestment, that he may diligently behold the footsteps of Christ, and fervently endeavor to follow them; he is marked with the Cross behind, that he may mildly suffer, for God's sake, whatsoever adversities shall befall him from others; he wears the Cross before him, that he may bewail his own sins; and behind him, that, through compassion, he may lament the sins of others, and know that he is placed as it were, a mediator betwixt God and the sinner; neither ought he to cease from prayer and oblation, till he be favored with the grace and mercy which he implores.  When a priest celebrates, he honors God, he rejoices the Angels, he edifies the Church, he helps the living, he obtains rest for the dead, and makes himself a partaker of all that is good."

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A Prayer for Priests

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Thy priests within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Thy Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with Thy Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Thy Holy Love surround them from the world's contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister
be their joy and consolation here and their everlasting crown hereafter.
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us: obtain for us numerous and holy priests. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer for our Priests

 The second Sunday after Easter is called Good Shepherd Sunday, since it is on this Sunday that we hear in the Gospel Jesus telling the Pharisees, “I am the Good Shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.” Dom Gueranger writes, “Divine Shepherd of our souls! How great is Thy love for Thy Sheep! Thou givest even Thy life to save them. The fury of wolves does not make Thee flee from us; Thou becomes their prey, that we may escape, Thou diedst in our stead, because Thou wast our Shepherd.” In the upcoming days the Gospels will tell us of Jesus establishing His Church, giving St. Peter care of His Lambs and Sheep and of making Peter the Shepherd of His whole Church, from whom Christ’s authority would be continued through St. Peter’s successors.

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St. Catherine of Siena, whose feast day is celebrated on April 30, dedicated her life to prayer, penance, and works of charity, especially for the Roman Pontiff and priests. On her deathbed she prayed to God, saying, “O eternal God, receive the sacrifice of my life on behalf of the Mystical Body of the Holy Church. I have nothing else to give, except what You have given me." May we imitate St. Catherine, remembering to pray and sacrifice for Holy Mother Church, especially for our priests and the Pope.

Our priests are so important in our spiritual lives, providing us with numerous opportunities for sanctifying grace through the sacraments and guiding us on our path to sanctification. In return we need to pray daily for them, asking our Lord to shower them with His abundant graces and mercy. We should also pray to our Lady that she may keep them steadfast in all things pleasing to God and safe from the snares of the devil. This following prayer is a fitting and most beautiful one with which to accomplish this.

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The People's Prayer for their Priests

O loving Heart of Jesus! deign to listen to the pleading supplication of Thy people for the sanctification of their pastors. O Heart of Love! teach them to love Thee as Thou desire; make them holy, make them pure, make them prudent, make them wise, make them “be all things to all men” after Thy divine example.

They are the guardians of Thy sacred Flesh and Blood: Oh! make them faithful to this holy trust. Give them excessive reverence for Thy pure Body and a longing thirst for Thy precious Blood, so that having tasted of Its sweetness they may be sanctified, strengthened and purified in the consuming flame of divine love.

O dearest Jesus! do not refuse our humble prayer. Look down with love on Thy priests; fill them with burning zeal for the conversion of sinners; keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Thy Immaculate Body; keep unsullied their lips purpled with Thy Precious Blood; keep pure and unearthly a heart sealed with the sublime marks of Thy glorious Priesthood; bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may those to whom they have ministered on earth be one day their joy and consolation in Heaven. O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, model of the priestly heart, give us holy priests. Amen.

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The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life's early morning,

We need them again at its close;

We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,

We seek them when tasting life's woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,

And the hands of a king on his throne

Are not equal to them in their greatness;

Their dignity stands all alone;

And when we are tempted and wander,

To pathways of shame and of sin,

It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us--

Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner,

Other hands may prepare us a feast,

But the hand that will bless and unite us--

Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,

For the Host which their fingers caress;

When can a poor sinner do better,

Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,

May our courage and strength be increased,

By seeing raised over us in blessing--

The beautiful hands of a priest.

--Author unknown from an old prayer card

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers for those Soon to be Ordained to the Priesthood

 On Saturday, May 26 the FSSP will ordain ten new priests in Nebraska.  The names of the 2018 ordinandi for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter are:

Rev. Mr. Martin Adams
Rev. Mr. Stephen Braun
Rev. Mr. Michael Cunningham
Rev. Mr. Christopher Fitzpatrick
Rev. Mr. Graham Latimer
Rev. Mr. Aaron Liebert
Rev. Mr. Daniel Mould
Rev. Mr. Martin Rangel-Garcia
Rev. Mr. Andrew Rapoport
Rev. Mr. Richard Wallace

Additionally Rev. Mr. Seth Phipps will be ordained in the United Kingdom of June 7.

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Please keep all of the men in your prayers, asking God to bless their priesthood and help them become holy priests.  In fact today a friend of mine, Christine, reminded me that if one wishes to pray a novena for these young men, the prayer would begin today.  I know I am posting this reminder late; however, even if you begin on another day, I encourage you to offer your prayers for them as they use these final days, preparing for ordination.  Really any novena prayer would suffice for this intention.  You could also pray St. Catherine of Siena's Prayer for the Church and Priests or the  Prayer for Priests.

I have met many of these deacons, and they are truly wonderful, holy men.  We are so blessed to be a part of the Fraternity of St. Peter.  The impressive formation these men receive is clearly seen.  Thus please join me in praying for them, now and in the years to come, that they may remain steadfast in the True Faith.


The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them when tasting life's woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness;
Their dignity stands all alone;

And when we are tempted and wander,
To pathways of shame and of sin,
It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us--
Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner,
Other hands may prepare us a feast,
But the hand that will bless and unite us--
Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress;
When can a poor sinner do better,
Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,
May our courage and strength be increased,
By seeing raised over us in blessing--
The beautiful hands of a priest.

--Author unknown from an old prayer card

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers Requested and Our Lady of Fatima

 +  Please remember in your prayers Fr. Goodwin, FSSP, who suffered a major stroke today.  He is currently in the hospital in a coma.  Please pray for a speedy recovery for him, or, if it is God's will instead, his entrance into heaven.  May God reward you.  +

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Tomorrow, October 13, is the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun in connection with the appearances of Our Lady of Fatima.  To honor Mary on this day, it would be most fitting to recite the Rosary and do acts of penance, as Our Lady requested at Fatima.  Another method through which to honor our Lady of Fatima is the recitation of the following prayer, "Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima."  In this beautiful prayer we pray for Mary's intentions, rather than our own, realizing that nothing we could ask could be as perfect as her requests.  We, her children, give her our hearts, trusting her to love and guide us as our Heavenly Mother.

The prayer is labeled a novena, so it would be most appropriate to pray it nine days prior to this anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, beginning on October 4, or nine days prior to Our Lady of Fatima's feast (which is on May 13).  It could also be prayed for nine days beginning with October 13, this anniversary of her appearance, and extended from there.  Such a beautiful prayer also seems like a wonderful prayer to recite throughout October, to provide our Heavenly Mother with greater devotion and love from us.  

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima

Immaculate Heart of Mary, my Mother, I come to you this day as a little child in prayer.  I beg to make this offering of my heart as simple and childlike as I can.  The three little ones of Fatima have taught us what it is that  pleases your maternal heart.

I earnestly desire that all the people of the world be brought back to a humble knowledge and love of the Sacred Heart of your dear Son.  I pray, dear Mother of my God, that the indescribable beauty and the glow-white purity of your own Immaculate Heart may so captivate our souls that we will detest all sin and dedicate our lives to the honor and glory of the God Who created us.  As much as I feel the need of many things, I do not dare in this novena, Mother Mary, to ask one selfish petition for myself.  You revealed the secrets of your own sad heart at Fatima and begged for the restoration of the world to God.  What can I ask of greater good than to unite my heart to yours in this great yearning?  What can I add but the fervent prayer that all the world may listen to your pleading?

I give my heart to you, my heavenly Queen, and in utmost confidence I leave to you the choice of what is best for me in answer to my prayer of love and reparation.  Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, I give you my heart.  Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, I put my trust entirely in you.  

Immaculate Heart of the Mother of my God, we implore, through your powerful intercession the conversion of the hearts of men, complete victory over sin, and the return of peace which you have promised.  Amen.  

God bless!

+JMJ+

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem

 I first came across the following prayer by St. Ephrem in the FSSP's (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) Confraternity newsletter.  It is a wonderful Lenten prayer and is recommended for recitation upon rising in the morning and before retiring for the night!  

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St. Ephrem was born around 306 AD.  Upon becoming a deacon St. Ephrem began writing deeply theological hymns, often using these as a means to defend the teachings of the Church against heretics.  It is believed that throughout his life, St. Ephrem may have written nearly three million lines; 400 of his hymns are still in existence.  Because of his extensive list of hymns, St. Ephrem has been given the title "Harp of the Spirit."

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem

(Making a prostration)
O Lord, Master of my life, grant that I may not be infected with the spirit of slothfulness and inquisitiveness, with the spirit of ambition and vain talking.

(Making a prostration)
Grant instead to me, your servant, the spirit of purity and of humility, the spirit of patience and neighborly love.

(Making a third prostration)
O Lord and King, grant me the grace of being aware of my sins and of not thinking evil of those of my brethren.
For you are blessed, now and ever, and forever.  Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings, You have power over life and death.  You know what is secret and hidden, and neither our thoughts nor our feelings are concealed from You. Cure me of duplicity; I have done evil before You.

Now my life declines from day to day, and my sins increase.  O Lord, God of souls and bodies, You know the extreme frailty of my soul and my flesh.  Grant me strength in weakness, O Lord, and sustain me in my misery.  Give me a grateful soul that I may ever cease to recall Your benefits, O Lord most bountiful.  Be not mindful of my many sins, but forgive all my misdeeds.  O Lord, disdain not my prayer- the prayer of a wretched sinner; sustain me with Your grace until the end, that it may protect me as in the past.  It is Your grace which has taught me wisdom; blessed are they who have been my help and my protection.  May the name of Your majesty be praised forever.  To You, our God, be glory.  Amen.

I pray you are having a very blessed Holy Week!

+JMJ

Our Prayer Corner

 In the upcoming week I plan to post about some of our family’s Lenten plans.

Today, however, I wanted to share our family’s prayer corner. I would love to have a separate room in our home with a few kneelers just for family prayer or anytime someone wants some quiet time with God. However, with six kids that will never happen in this house. Perhaps someday…:)

Currently we have set up a corner in our living room where we gather for family night prayer. (Please ignore the thermostat).

 It began with this beautiful crucifix my brother gave us when we got married and has progressed from there.

Now our little prayer desk includes my son’s Infant of Prague statue, my St. Anne and Mary statue Seamus gave me for Mother's Day one year, and this beautiful holy card that my mom gave me years ago. I have always loved it, since it depicts Mary so gently and beautifully!

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Two items, the candle and vestment on the cross, get changed to represent the correct liturgical color, depending on the feast or Liturgical season.

Black is used for All Souls Day and Masses of the Faithfully Departed; traditionally it is used for Good Friday as well.

Red is used on Feasts of Our Lord's Passion, Death, and Cross.  It is also used on the feasts of martyred saints, Palm Sunday, and Pentecost.

Gold can be used to replace white, red, or green; however, it cannot replace violet or black.

Rose is used for Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, and Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Violet is used for days of Advent and Lent.  In the Traditional Mass it is also used for days of Septuagesima, Rotation Days, Ember Days, and Vigils.

White  i is used during the Christmas and Easter season, on the feasts of Our Lord, excluding feasts of His Passion, feasts of Mary, feasts of angels, and the feasts of saints who were not martyred.

Green is used on days after Pentecost and days after Epiphany.

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The idea for the vestment I found from Jessica, and I even printed her pattern, which can be found at the end of her post, to use for the Traditional Roman fiddleback vestments. I love the traditional vestments! (Jessica has so many great ideas, doesn't she?  On her site Jessica provides links to the various blogs which inspired her design.)

While they took some time to complete, I enjoyed making the vestments, and I am very happy with how they turned out. I used Jessica’s pattern to cut the vestment from fabric. Then I used a fabric glue to attach the trim around the edges and the detail on the front and back.

I gave the set of vestments with the wooden cross stand to my kids one year as an Easter gift.

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The candle holder contains a simple white pillar candle, blessed by our parish priest. The glass holders I found at our local Catholic books and gifts store. They were on clearance for $2 each, so I picked up a color for each liturgical season, except white and black, since they did not have those. I know blue is not actually a Church color, but since there was not a white option, we decided to use the blue one for Marian feasts.

Each night after family prayer we look ahead on the calendar to the next day’s feast and replace the color and vestment with the correct color. I use this planner, which includes traditional, new, and historical feasts for each day, and the beautiful calendar from the FSSP (the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter). This provides a brief preparation for the upcoming feast day early, which is helpful since mornings can be rushed around here. I find this helpful since I can quickly gather any prayers, saint books, or materials I might need for the next day’s feast.

This week we will be praying the Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes and the Consecration to the Holy Family, besides are nightly rosary or decade. I am gradually preparing our family prayer ideas for Lent, which seems to be approaching quickly.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Please Pray

 I am asking each of you to include a special intention in your prayers.  A terrible incident has occurred, and I cannot even begin to comprehend this action.

 Last night the Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission in Phoenix, Arizona, the Latin Mass Parish, was burglarized.  Two priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter were attacked.  Fr. Kenneth Walker, FSSP was shot and killed, and Fr. Joseph Terra was severely hurt.  He is in critical, but stable condition.  Please pray for the soul of Fr. Walker and for his family.  Also please pray for a full recovery for Fr. Terra.  Finally prayers for the entire Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter would be wonderful as well as they face this difficult situation.
A link to the Fraternity concerning Fr. Walker follows: Pray for the Priests of Mater Misericordiae in Phoenix, AZ


+Requiem aeternum dona ei Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Requiescat in Pace. Sacerdos in Aeternum. Amen.+

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May he rest in peace.