On working for holiness

The Rosary – How & Why

Posted on by Catholic Candle

Prayer is the lifting of the heart and mind to God. The heart is the will and the mind is the intellect.  The Rosary is a special prayer because it involves both mental prayer and vocal prayer.  One recites the prayers of the Rosary while meditating on the mysteries that the Holy Catholic Church gives us, namely, the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious mysteries.  Yet what does this mean and how does one do it?

Most people do not understand how the Rosary is supposed to be said and hence they find the Rosary boring, tiresome, and let’s face it, “a drag.”  “I just don’t get anything out of the Rosary”; “It is so repetitious and boring to be just saying Hail Mary’s over and over again”; “I get so distracted saying the Rosary” or “I spend the whole time fighting distractions;” “Oh, it takes so long to say the Rosary” or “I don’t have time to say the Rosary.”

  Of course, the devil, who hates the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the one who inspires these discouraging thoughts.  He certainly knows by observation how efficacious the Rosary is, and how powerful the Rosary is, in protecting the soul from his onslaughts.  This is one of the primary reasons why Our Lady requests that we say at least five decades a day. She requested this specifically at Fatima, and at Lourdes.  Our Lady of Fatima said in the end times, that we would only have her Immaculate Heart and the Rosary. Thus, there should be no doubt in a serious Catholic’s mind, that we certainly have a moral obligation to say the Rosary.  We need to have devotion to Our Lady in order to save our souls, and the Rosary is one of the simplest devotional prayers one can say.

It is a positive shame that as many books as have had reference to the Rosary, there doesn’t seem to be anything written on exactly how the Rosary should be said. It seems to be assumed that people would automatically just “know” how to say it. What a clever trick of the devil, to ensure that folks will never say the Rosary, or never say it in the way the Blessed Mother intends it to be said!  Books and pamphlets about the Rosary mention that one says so many Hail Mary’s and an Our Father and Glory Be while meditating on the Mysteries. One can even find a “Scriptural Rosary” book that has basically Scriptural Quotes to be said between Hail Mary’s. Very well indeed, but just saying a Scriptural Quote is not meditating.  One can find books with the pictures of the Rosary depicting each of the 15 decades. Again, all very nice, but these do not explain how to say the Rosary. These books merely are hinting that just thinking or recalling to one’s mind the “story” of each mystery is supposed to be “praying” the Rosary.

There are many books written about mental prayer, yet unfortunately the way one actually is supposed to do it, is not described.  Even the Concise Catholic Dictionary does not give an accurate definition of mental prayer.  Meditation involves bringing some truth to mind and thinking on this truth or one could call it pondering a truth.  One considers the truth and draws what could be called some “profit, insight, or further conclusion” from “the considering” that one is presently doing. This process of considering might be called the preparation for mental prayer.  The actual mental prayer is simply this, that one says something to God.   This saying something to God is referred to as “an affection” or an “act of the will”.  Of course this statement is really said inside and does not have to be spoken aloud, although at times when one is alone, he might find himself saying things to God or the saints aloud.  Because prayer is the “lifting of the heart and mind to God”, the “act of the will” is the “lifting” of the heart.

The consideration can be compared to the tilling of the soil and the act of the will is like the harvest or fruit of the consideration.  The goal of the consideration is the acts of the will. If one does not make acts of the will, then one is not lifting both the heart and the mind to God, and thus, one is not praying.  When one is doing a good job making considerations, then the heart seems to overflow with things to say.  This pouring out of the heart is what is also called the colloquy.  These acts are typically of four kinds, namely, thanksgiving, contrition, petition, or adoration, which are the four types of prayer.

In meditation one considers some truth. One can think and consider about some topic, for example, the fall of the Angels. Then someone would take as many aspects of this topic as he wished to ponder and this pondering would produce many things to say to God, for instance, “Thank-you dear Lord for revealing this truth to mankind”; or “Thank-You dear Lord for saving me from falling into hell”; or “Thank-You for your mercy to me, etc.” One can meditate on a standard Catholic prayer and think about the words of the prayer itself.  This kind of meditation would involve thinking about the meaning of the words [singly, or perhaps, a couple at a time] and dwelling on them in order to appreciate them, and these thoughts would inspire acts of the will.  This might go something like this, maybe taking the Hail Mary:  

  • One would say Hail [thinking inside himself – this is a greeting to Mary]
  • Then, Mary [this name means seas]
  • Then, Full of grace[this means that Mary is completely holy]

These are examples of the considerations one would make and the following are possible “acts of the will” which the considerations might inspire:

  • Thou are so fair, O sweet Mother, and so pure.
  • I love you dear Mary, or, thy sweet name consoles me
  • Help me fair Lady of grace

Now putting these concepts in the sphere of the Rosary, when one is reciting the Hail Mary’s during the decades of the Rosary, one would not do this type of meditating on the words of the Hail Mary. Because meditating only on words of the Hail Mary for each Hail Mary of the entire Rosary would be difficult, the church has us base our considerations on the life of Our Lord and/or Our Lady, and let these considerations inspire our acts of the will. Thus, we only recite the Hail Mary’s, while considering the lives of Our Lord and/or Our Lady and making acts of the will. One may ask, “How can I be thinking about the lives of Our Lord and/or Our Lady, decide what I want to say to them, then say it, while I recite  the Hail Mary?” The simple answer is, that if one is saying the Rosary with someone else, then one can make his considerations, decide his act of the will and say it, (mentally), while the other person is leading or following the Hail Mary. When one is just starting out, one should not worry about making acts of the will when he is leading or following. It may happen at first that one’s act of the will, might slip out into the vocal recitation while following, but despite the embarrassment, know that in time this won’t keep happening.  

After a while of practicing making these acts of the will in this manner, one will find that he is actually able to say acts of the will while leading and/or following.  

One should try to make his acts of the will as simple as one can, because this will help him to get into the habit of mental prayer while he is reciting the vocal prayer.

One may also ask, “What if I am saying the Rosary by myself?” If one is saying the Rosary alone, it is a better thing to say the Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s, and Glory Be’s out loud, in a whisper, or at least mouthing the words with his lips. This makes it easier to say the required internal acts of the will.  Then, similarly one can say his act of the will in between the Hail Mary’s and eventually the acts of the will start “bleeding” into the recited Hail Mary’s. The person will find that he can truly make an act of the will at the same time he is reciting the Rosary. In fact, the expression, “reciting the Rosary” shows that the vocal aspect of the Rosary is merely a recital by rote of the Hail Mary’s.  The recital by rote and simultaneously saying acts of the will can, of course, include the Our Father’s and Glory Be’s as well.  Or one can think of the meaning of the Our Father and Glory Be while reciting them stirring up as much tender love as one can, trying to say them with fervor.  Then while reciting the Hail Mary’s one can pour out acts of the will.  One should not fret if his acts are simple, or if he finds himself making the same act throughout the entire decade.  One will discover that the Rosary becomes something that one really enjoys saying and that the Rosary seems to fly by and has far fewer distractions and maybe no distractions at all.  The Rosary is a powerful prayer and does soothe the soul when said properly. The following is a possible demonstration of how to do what is described above:

If the Rosary is not said alone-

Leader announces: The first joyful Mystery is the Annunciation. Then the leader begins the Our Father.

The follower: {reader of this article} while listening to the first part of the Our Father might say within himself, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all your blessings to me. I am so unworthy,” or he might just internally join in the recital while he tries to focus intensely on the meaning of the words.

The leader: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

The follower: [while the leader leads] internally thinks of considerations or intentions to say to God, Our Lord specifically, Our Lady specifically, or the saints. E.g. “thank-You dear Lord for becoming Man”

The follower: answers the Hail Mary “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen”.

 The leader: says the next Hail Mary. [During this, the follower may ponder longer and come up with more ideas of what to say or add additional acts based on what he said already, e.g. “I adore Thee O Lord for Thy Incarnation,” or “Mary, I thank thee for thy ‘Fiat’”

The follower: answers the 2nd Hail Mary.

And so the process continues for the rest of the Annunciation decade and the rest of the decades.

If the Rosary is said alone-

Here the Leader and the follower are the reader.  So the reader as the leader announces the first Mystery. “The Annunciation” Then the reader says aloud, in a whisper, or at least mouthing the words recites the Our Father with a fervent focus on the words of the Our Father striving to say it with love.  Or the reader can say a short act of the will before beginning to recite the Our Father. {Of course the person praying can say any particular intention he may have when announcing the decade and this may inspire acts of the will likewise.}

Before saying the first Hail Mary, the reader should say an act of the will aloud, in a whisper, or at least mouth the words, e.g. “I love Thee O Lord for Thy Humility in becoming Man.” Then the reader should recite the first Hail Mary. He should simply recite the Hail  Mary,think of a different theme or continue with the same idea that he started with, e.g. “O Lord, I thank Thee for Thy Mercy.” [This process can also be done during the Our Father, and Glory Be.]

 

Below are some sample acts of the will that may help in understanding how one says the Rosary by making acts of the will while one is reciting the decades by rote. One can be as ornate in his acts as he wishes to be, or is inspired to be.  God is certainly pleased with our contrite prayers and humble begging of His help.  As one becomes more proficient, one can get more elaborate.

Sample Acts of the Will

The Joyful Mysteries

{The Annunciation}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, teach me humility.  2. Mary, help me be humble.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. I love you, Mary. 5. I adore Thee, O Lord.  

Flowery Acts

1. Mary, rich in humility, teach me.  2. Thank-you Lord for becoming Man. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Thank-you, Mary for your fiat. 5. O Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, thank-you for your examples.  6. Mary, teach me your ways.

Poetic Acts

1. Mary, model of humility, please teach me humility.  2. Mary, O humble handmaid, help me be humble.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. I thank-you for your humble submission to God’s Will. 5. O Incarnate Wisdom, I adore Thee. 6. O Hypostatic Union, I adore Thee. 7. How can I thank Thee enough O Lord for Thy incarnation? I love Thee, O Lord.

{The Visitation}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, teach me generosity.  2. Mary, help me be selfless.  3. Mary, teach me love of neighbor. 4. I love thy virtue, Mary. 5. Mary, help me stay close to Jesus.

Flowery Acts

1. Mary, model of generosity, teach me.  2. Mary, help me be give of myself completely.             3. Mary, help me follow your sweet example. 4. O Sweet Mary, I love you. 5. I love your examples, O Mary.

Poetic Acts

1. Mary, O sweet model of charity, help me.  2. Mary, help me be selfless like thee.  3. Mary, help me stay close to Our Lord. 4. Mary, model of generosity, teach me to be unselfish. 5. O Mary, vessel of devotion, keep me close to your heart. 6. Mary, Mother of my sweet Jesus, I love you.

{The Nativity}

Simple Acts

1.  Infant King, I love Thee. 2. Thank-you dear Jesus for coming.  3. Mary, help me adore thy Son. 4. Dear Infant Jesus, help me be humble.

Flowery Acts

1. Sweet Infant Jesus, I love Thee.  2. I thank Thee dear Jesus for Thy sweet example of humility.  3. I adore Thee O sweet Infant King. 4. I love Thee dear Infant Jesus. 5.  Mary, help me accept God’s Will as you and St. Joseph did. 6. O heavenly Mother and patriarch St. Joseph, help me to have a real spirit of Poverty.

Poetic Acts

1. Dear Jesus, help me be detached from the world.  2. Mary, teach me a love of poverty.  3. Mary and St. Joseph teach me holy detachment. 4. Thank-you dear Jesus for your example of humility. 5. Help me, O Holy Family to love the things of heaven.

{The Presentation}

Simple Acts

1. Mary and St. Joseph, teach me obedience 2. O Infant King, I love Thee. 3. O Infant King, I love Thy humility.

Flowery Acts

1. Mary and St. Joseph thank you for your example.  2. Mary, help me give myself to the Infant King.  3. Mary, keep me close to Thy Divine Son. 4. Mary, thank–you for your tender heart.

Poetic Acts

1. Mary, present me to the Infant Jesus.  2. Thank-you for listening to my wretched woes. 3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Mary, help me present my heart to God. 5. I am so unworthy dear Mary, please help me. 6. O Mary, you understand my woes, thou art my consolation. 7. Thank-you dear Lord for giving us Mary.

{The Finding of the Child Jesus}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, teach me resignation to God’s Will.  2. Mary, help me love God.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. Mary, keep me close to the Child Jesus.

Flowery Acts

1. Mary, teach me how to love God’s Will.  2. O Holy Family, keep me close to the Child Jesus.  3. Mary, help me keep the Child Jesus in my heart. 4. O Mother of Sorrows, teach me patience in my sorrows. 5. Dear Mother of Sorrows, please convert poor sinners.

Poetic Acts

1. Mary, model of patience, I love you.  2. Mary, help me always seek Our Lord.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will with generosity. 4. Mary, help me love God with all my heart.

5. O Child Jesus, please help me be patient teaching others. 6. O Child Jesus, please help me always do the Will of Thy Father with love. 7. O Child Jesus, please unite me to Thee always.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

{The Agony in the Garden}

Simple Acts

1. O Lord, I am sorry for my pride.  2. O Lord, help me be humble.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will. 4. O Lord, I love Thee.  5. O Lord, help me be patient.

Flowery Acts

1. O Lord, I am weak, teach me.  2. O Lord, help me always accept Thy Holy Will.  3. I thank Thee O Lord for Thy examples of humility.4. I thank Thee for Thy example of patience. 5. O Lord, help me follow Thy example of patience.

Poetic Acts

1. O My Agonizing Jesus, please forgive my cold and conceited heart. 2. O Lord, help me follow Thy example of humility. 3. I adore Thee O Lord in Thy suffering for me. 4. I am so sorry for me sins of pride. 5. O Lord, I see what my wretched pride hath done to Thee. 6. O Lord, I beseech Thee to give me tears of compunction.

{The Scourging at the Pillar}

Simple Acts

1. O Lord, I am sorry for my self-indulgence.  2. O Lord, help me be selfless.  3. Dear Jesus, I love Thee.

Flowery Acts

1. Dear Jesus, help me mortify myself.  2. I thank Thee for suffering such cruelty for my sake.  3. Mary, help me willingly suffer for Christ. 4. O Lord, help me love Thee. 5.  Dear Lord, help me suffer willingly for Thee.

Poetic Acts

1. Dear Lord, I am sorry for my sins of pampering myself.  2. Mary, help me mortify my flesh. 3. Dear Lord, I love Thee with my whole heart and soul. 4. I give Thee my heart dear Lord. 5. O Lord, I adore Thy Precious Blood. 6. Bathe my wretched, ungrateful heart in Thy Precious Blood, O Lord.

{The Crowning with Thorns}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, teach me humility.  2. O Jesus, help me be humble.  3. O Lord, I am sorry for my pride.

Flowery Acts

1. O Lord, I thank Thee for Thy Humility.  2. Mary, help me love humility with all my heart.  3. Mary, help me accept every pain that God sends me. 4. Thank Our Lord for us, O Mary, for all the humble examples He gives us. 5. Help me Dear Lord to stand up for Thy Glory. 6. O Jesus, I am sorry for my horrible sins of pride.

Poetic Acts

1. O Crown of my Savior, I love Thee.  2. O Crown of my Savior, I adore Thee.  3. O My dearest Jesus, please forgive me for my wretched pride. 4. Dear Jesus, help me mortify my imagination. 5. O Sacred Head so wounded, I love Thee. 6. O Humble Jesus, help me to be unconcerned about the insults and hatred I receive from others.

{The Carrying of the Cross}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, help me bear suffering well.  2. O Jesus, give me patience.  3. Mary, help me accept God’s Will.

Flowery Acts

1. O Lord I am sorry for my sins of impatience.  2. Mary, help me unite with thee in suffering.  3. Jesus, help me carry my cross with love. 4. Jesus, I adore Thee and praise Thee. 5. O Jesus, help me to love my cross for love of Thee. 6. Mary, help me cling to the Cross of Our Lord.

Poetic Acts

1. I adore Thee and I praise Thee O Lord, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.  2. Thy Cross, O Lord is my hope and my refuge.  3. O Mother of Sorrows, be my guide. 4. Mary, help me compassionate Thy Dear Son. 5. Mary, show me the sweetness of the Cross. 6. O Mary, help me joyfully sacrifice for Thy Son.7. Dear Mary, please help me carry my crosses joyfully. 8. Dear Lord, please help me carry my crosses in the way that pleases Thee most and serves Thee best.

{The Crucifixion}

Simple Acts

1. Jesus, I love Thee with my whole heart.  2. Mother of Sorrows, guide me.   3. Mary, help me have true contrition. 4. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins.

Flowery Acts

1. O Lord, draw me to Thy Sacred Heart.  2. Jesus, I am unworthy to be Thine.  3. O Incarnate Wisdom, I thank Thee and I love Thee. 4. Dear Mary, help me love my Lord more and more. 5. I adore Thee O Christ because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. 6. O Lord, never let me abandon Thee.

Poetic Acts

1. I am so sorry, Lord, for all my sins, especially my sins of pride.  2. Melt my cold heart, dear Lord.  3. Mary at the foot of the Cross, teach me to love thy Son with all my heart. 4. O Sacred Heart of melting wax, soften my heart, and make me melt with love for Thee. 5. O Sorrowful Heart of Mary, teach me compassion. 6. O Sorrowful Mother, help me compassionate thy Son. 7. I adore Thee and I love Thee O Lord for enduring the wound on Thy left wrist. [likewise, one could mention the right wrist, the left foot, the right foot, and the pain of the Most Sacred Heart- the painful throbbing and inflammation as well as the moral and spiritual suffering of His Heart.]

The Glorious Mysteries

{The Resurrection}

Simple Acts

1. I thank Thee Lord for the gift of faith.  2. O Lord, strengthen my faith.  3. O Lord, help me love the faith more.

Flowery Acts

1. O Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.  2. Thank Thee, O Lord for resurrecting. 3. Mary, you who ever kept the faith, help me always keep the faith. 4. O Mary, keep us strong in the faith in this Great Apostasy in which we live. 5. O Holy Apostles, protect us in this Great Apostasy.

Poetic Acts

1. O Victorious Lord and Redeemer, may Thou ever be praised.  2. O Compassionate Lord, I adore and praise Thy many apparitions.  3. I adore Thee, praise Thee, thank Thee, and love Thee, O Lord, for Thy Glorious Resurrection. 4. Please keep me faithful to Thee, O Lord.  

5. I adore Thee, God the Father, for Thy Divine Plan for redeeming mankind. 6. I adore Thee, God the Son, for being obedient unto the death of the Cross. 7. I adore Thee, God the Holy Ghost, for Thy Divine Plan for man’s redemption.

{The Ascension}

Simple Acts

1. O Lord, I adore Thee for Thy Ascension.  2. O Lord, increase my hope.  3. O Lord, give me a great desire for heaven.

Flowery Acts

1. Thank Thee O Lord, for ascending into heaven.  2. O Lord, I beg Thee to make me one of Thy elect. 3. Mary, help me have a burning desire for heaven.

Poetic Acts

1. I adore Thee, O Lord, for Thy Glorious Ascension.  2. Mary, help me have an intense desire for heaven.  3. Mary, my life, my sweetness and my hope, pray for me. 4. O Sweet Jesus, please increase my hope for heaven.

{The Descent of the Holy Ghost}

Simple Acts

1. O Holy Ghost, I adore Thee.  2. O Holy Ghost, I love Thee.  3. Mary, teach me to love.

Flowery Acts

1. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, I adore Thee.  2. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, I love Thee.   3. O Holy Ghost, Infinite Love between the Father and the Son, please open my heart. 4. O Paraclete, please inspire me, and guide me. 5. O Paraclete, grant that I learn and have virtue in my heart.

Poetic Acts

1. Fill my heart I beg Thee, O Holy Ghost.  2. I can do nothing without Thee, O Holy Ghost, please teach me.  3. Mary, spouse of the Holy Ghost, beg Him to teach me how to love. 4. O Paraclete, I, a creature, can neither give nor receive Thy Infinite Love, yet make my poor finite love pure. 5. I can only receive and give finite love yet please grant that my love be pure. 6. O Holy Ghost, grant that I ever love the Truth.

{The Assumption}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, please pray for me.  2. Thank Thee dear Lord for giving us Mary.  3. Mary, please obtain for us a holy death.

Flowery Acts

1. Mary, Mediatrix of all grace, please obtain for us the grace of final perseverance.  2. O Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.  3. Sweet Mother Mary, please guide us and protect us. 4. I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy wonderful gift of Mary, for our Mother.

Poetic Acts

1. O Lord, I cannot thank Thee enough, for Thy bountiful gift of Mary.   2. Mary, help us to love God with all our hearts.  3. Mary, Our Mother, help us and keep us safe. 4. Mary, Our Blessed Mother, help us ever lean on thee. 5. Mary, model of all virtue, teach us who are thy poor children.

{The Coronation of Mary as Queen of All Creation}

Simple Acts

1. Mary, powerful Queen, pray for us.  2. Mary, dear humble Queen, help me be humble.  3. Mary, Our Queen, protect us.

Flowery Acts

1. Mary, please increase our devotion to thee.  2. Mary, no one can go to Jesus except through thee, please help us stay close to thee.  3. Mary, never let us abandon thee..

Poetic Acts

1. O Infinite Goodness of God, I thank Thee with my whole heart for giving Mary to us.  2. O dear Lord, Mary is Thy masterpiece; I cannot thank Thee enough for creating such a treasure as Mary.  3. O Mary, my Mistress and Queen, protect me. 4. O Queen of Heaven and all creation, keep me ever safe with thee.

Thus one can see that the rosary is the wise prayer of the church to teach her children the principles of meditation which draw the soul to the life of contemplation and a mystical union with Christ which is part of God’s intention for Catholic souls.

The Basics of the Church’s Traditional Laws of Fast and Abstinence

Posted on by Catholic Candle

Catholic Candle note: With Lent fast approaching, we are pleased to print an expanded version of an excellent article from a woman who has always been Traditional Catholic and who has been continually fighting liberalism since before Vatican II.  We printed her original article in 2016.

In these days of shocking scandals in the conciliar church and creeping liberalism in the “new” SSPX, we sometimes forget one of the basic duties of a good Catholic: observing the Church’s Rules of Fast and Abstinence.  In the old days, our parish priests reminded us of them in a timely manner:  four times a year (Ember Days approximately at the change of seasons) and Vigils of four Feast days.

However, it was not always easy to keep them clear in our minds.  Thus, in the 1970s our (traditional Catholic) pastor put together and distributed a chart (included below, in a simplified form which more closely follows the 1917 code).  It was a real plus for us traditional Catholic families.  You may want to save this chart as well as copy it to give to others.  

Having said that, it is worthwhile noting that the Church’s obligatory laws of fast and abstinence have always required a bare minimum and not the recommended or ideal amount.  We should do much more fasting and abstinence than what is required.  “Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish.”  St. Luke, 13:5.

We are traditional Catholics and so we follow the “traditional rules” – not choosing the easier path as the conciliar church has.  Further, we recommended that Catholics:

  • Fast even after turning 59, if they can, to be more generous with Our Lord;

  • Fast and abstain until Easter Sunday morning, rather than ending these Lenten observances at noon Holy Saturday; (the 1955 extension of fast and abstinence until midnight was historically connected with the 1955 changes in the Holy Week liturgy.  The merits of those liturgical changes are a separate issue.)

  • Have children begin to abstain from meat with the rest of the family, before the rules absolutely require it.  This would send the right message to younger children (and not harm their health in the least).  This shows them that a serious Catholic does not ask, “How little can I do?”

Two further points: 

  1. The traditional (pre-1983) rules required fasting beginning at 21 until turning 59, but the Church’s fasting law is perhaps the only occasion when the new code is stronger (in a very narrow respect) – it requires fasting beginning at age 18 – although only on a (wimpy) two days per year.  We need more fasting (and other penance), not less, and so it is a good thing we are required to begin fasting at 18.  Because we recognize the validity of the pope who issued the law that fasting begins at 18 years old, we must obey that law because it does not oppose the Traditional Catholic Faith and morals.

  1. Contrary to what the conciliar church does in practice, the new code of Canon Law (despite its countless flaws) does require abstinence on all Fridays.  Although the 1983 Code of Canon Law – canon 1251 – does allow a national bishops’ conference to substitute the penance of abstaining from a different food, we are not aware of any national conference of bishops which has done so.[1] 

    Indult groups like the “new” SSPX wrongly follow the soft conciliar practice of asserting that no abstinence is mandatory under pain of mortal sin, on most Fridays of the year.  This soft practice ignores:

  1. the traditional law of the Church;
  2. even the lax 1983 code of Canon Law they purport to follow; and
  3. the fact that the bishops’ conferences have never specified any other food from which Catholics must abstain on Fridays instead of meat.

Traditional Catholic

Fast and Abstinence Recommendations

Based on the 1917 Code of Canon Law, §§1250-54, slightly revised to include later canonical requirements where they are stricter.

Abstinence: no meat or meat-sourced broth (binds persons who have turned 7 years old)

Fast: only one meal per day and two small meatless collations* (binds persons who have turned 18† and have not yet turned 59)

Fridays

✓

Ash Wednesday

✓

✓

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays between Ash Wednesday & Easter

✓

Fridays & Saturdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter‡

✓

✓

Ember Days

✓

✓

Day before Pentecost

✓

✓

August 14 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

October 31 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

December 24 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓


* As a concession to human weakness, traditional rules allow two small meatless collations in addition to the meal.  The New Marian Missal, by Silvester P. Juergens, S.M., Regina Press, NY, NY, 1961, p.11.

† The New Code of Canon Law (§1252) changes the 1917 Code by revising the beginning age from 21 to 18.

‡ Under the 1917 Code, fasting and abstaining ends at noon on Holy Saturday.  Canon Law later extended this penance until mid-night.  Cf., New Marian Missal, by Silvester P. Juergens, S.M., Regina Press, NY, NY, 1961, p.11.

Appendix

Catholic Candle note: Above, is our recommendation for fasting and abstaining and the reasons for those recommendations.  Below, is a historical analysis showing the weakening of the fasting/abstinence rules over the 1900s.  

This weakening is important because fasting and abstaining is a strong defense against impurity and gluttony as well as all sins and heresies.  The weakening in the Church’s fasting and abstaining laws grew much worse after Vatican II.  But the weakening before Vatican II could have played some role in reducing Catholics’ readiness to resist the doctrinal and moral attacks beginning in the 1960s.

How Catholic fasting law relaxed over the 1900s

Canons 1250-54 (1917)

Dr Sylvester Juergens, The New Marian Missal for Daily Mass (ca. 1955)* (another source for same text)

Canons 97 §1, 1251-52 (1983)

definition of abstinence

no flesh or flesh-sourced broth

no flesh or flesh-sourced broth

no flesh

definition of fasting

one meal per day; one may take some additional food (aliquid cibi) at two other times in the day; the meal may not be in the morning

one meal per day; one may take some additional food, so long as it is not flesh and does not add up to a second meal, at two other times in the day

undefined

how old one is when one must abstain

7+

7+

14+

how old one is when one must fast

21-58

21-58

18-58

abstinence

fast

abstinence

fast

abstinence

fast

All Fridays

✓

✓

✓

Ash Wednesday

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

All days after Ash Wednesday and before Easter, except Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays

✓

✓

Fridays between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not including Good Friday

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

Saturdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not including Holy Saturday

✓

✓

✓

Good Friday

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

Holy Saturday forenoon

✓

✓

✓

✓

Holy Saturday afternoon

✓

✓

Ember Fridays

✓

✓

✓

✓

Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays

✓

✓

✓

Eve of Whitsunday

✓

✓

✓

August 14 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

October 31 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

December 7 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

December 24 (unless Sunday)

✓

✓

✓

✓


* We would be grateful for a more authoritative source for tracking how the rules changed between the early 1950s and the early 1960s. It is hard to track Vatican legislation between codifications; some of it is online, but poorly organized and labeled even on the Vatican website. Dr. Juergens’ book is difficult to date, because Pius XII’s administration extended the Holy Saturday fast till midnight with the decree Maxima Redemptionis nostrae mysteria (16 Nov. 1955), but the administration had already abolished the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception, December 7, by the decree Cum nostra hac aetate (23 March 1955).

[1]        Further, promoting collective authority of the national conferences of “bishops” is a conciliar error and one of the countless evils of Vatican II (collegiality).  This conciliar evil aims both to diminish the monarchical authority of the pope and to diminish the authority of individual “bishops” in their own dioceses.

        Faithful and informed Catholics know that conciliar ordinations and consecrations are inherently doubtful and so must be treated as invalid.  For an explanation why this is true, read these articles:

        Although there are inherent doubts concerning the “ordinations” and “consecrations” of conciliar “bishops”, this does not mean that those clergy do not possess the jurisdiction of their offices (for governing).  For a full explanation of this principle, read this article: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/against-sedevacantism.html#section-10

What 3 Things Help Most to Convert Souls and to Pass on Catholic Tradition?

Posted on by Catholic Candle

(Hint: it is not Giving Money to the N-SSPX, which is the

N-SSPX’s Own Avaricious Answer.)

The three greatest helps to passing on the Catholic Faith (i.e., converting souls) are:

  1. Sanctifying our own souls;

  1. Increasing our knowledge of the Catholic Faith; and

  1. Increasing our devotion to Our Lady, in particular.

Below, we examine each one of these crucial helps to convert others to the Catholic Faith.[1]

  1. Sanctifying our own soul is a great help in converting other people.

When a person converts to the Catholic Faith, he is beginning his road to holiness.  Although converting souls is God’s work, we can be better tools for God’s use, by being holier ourselves because “you can’t give what you don’t have” (as the proverb says).[2] 

Further, when we sanctify our own souls more, this shows a potential convert that we are serious about our souls and we give him a model and example of pursuing holiness seriously.

  1. Increasing our knowledge of the Catholic Faith is a great help in converting other people.

God uses human instruments to explain the Catholic Faith to potential converts.  Thus, knowing the Faith better ourselves allows us to better explain it and answer a potential convert’s questions.[3]

Further, when we continually study our Faith (as the Church instructs us to do) this shows the potential convert that the true Faith is important and we set a good example to him.

  1. Increasing our devotion to Our Lady is a great help in converting souls.

Drawing closer to Our Lady and being more devoted to her, will increase her help bringing potential converts to her Son, as she brings us closer to her Son also.  Strengthening our devotion and friendship with the Blessed Virgin Mary is crucial for increasing our interior life, for saving our own souls, and for winning converts to her Son because:  

  • Our Lady is the “Neck of the Mystical Body of Christ”.[4]  This means that everyone who goes to our Lord Jesus Christ, goes to Him (the Head of the Mystical Body), through the Neck (Our Lady).

  • Devotion to Our Lady is not an optional devotion for us or for the person we seek to convert to the Catholic Faith.[5]  The potential convert sees the example of our devotion to Our Lady and thereby understands that the way to Our Lord is through His mother.

  • Conversion to the true Catholic Faith is a gift of God which no one can merit for himself.  All conversions require grace.  Our Lady is the Mediatrix of All Graces.  Thus, we must be devoted to her and lead potential converts toward devotion to her, who supplies the grace to convert to the Faith and to grow in it.[6]

  • Our Lady is the Co-Redemptrix of mankind.  She joined in Our Lord’s Sacrifice to redeem the “lost sheep” (mankind).  Joining with her Son to redeem man, she is most ready to apply that salvific merit to individual souls.  Our increased devotion helps us to unite with her those persons whom we seek to convert.

Conclusion of this article so far

The three greatest helps to passing on the Catholic Faith (i.e., converting souls) are:

  1. Sanctifying our own souls;

  1. Increasing our knowledge of the Catholic Faith; and

  1. Increasing our devotion to Our Lady, in particular.

Let us use them to cooperate with God in sanctifying our souls and being God’s tools in leading others to heaven.

The “New” SSPX says the best way to pass on the Catholic Faith is to give the N-SSPX money.

The “new” SSPX has a very different, unspiritual outlook.  It tells people that the best way we can spread the Catholic Faith is by giving the N-SSPX money in our wills or trusts.  Here are its words:

There is no more meaningful or lasting way to pass on the gift of Catholic Tradition and the traditional Latin Mass, than to make a legacy gift [viz., to the N-SSPX].[7]

There are two problems with this statement:

  • giving money is not the best of all ways to pass on Catholic Tradition (as shown above); and

  • it is proud self-interest for the N-SSPX to declare that it is the best place to give money for this purpose.[8]

How different is the Catholic truth, from the N-SSPX’s money-grubbing claim![9]  Above, we see that sanctity and studying the Faith are our best means to pass on the Faith.  The Catholic Church focuses on the spiritual, whereas the N-SSPX is money-focused.  The Venerable Bede, Doctor of the Church, teaches that priests should trust so much in Providence and be so focused on the eternal things of God that they give no thought to temporal things.  Here are his words:

For such should be the preacher's trust in God, that, though he takes no thought for supplying his own wants in this present world, yet he should feel most certain that these will not be left unsatisfied, lest whilst his mind is taken up with temporal things, he should provide less of eternal things to others.[10]

The “old” SSPX did not used to be so money-focused.  For example, in the mid-1990s we remember an SSPX priest who was newly-assigned to our area.  In his first sermon, he told the congregation that:

You won’t hear me talk much about money.  I think that if I do my job [viz., sanctifying souls], the money will take care of itself.  

(Bracketed explanation added to this priest’s words, to show the context.)  This priest still belongs to the (new) SSPX but has been marginalized in recent years by his superiors, who are money-focused and unspiritual.

Conclusion

 

Let us focus on holiness and on studying the Catholic Faith, and not on giving money to the N-SSPX.

[1]          In footnotes below, we quote The Soul of the Apostolate, which is a book about holiness and prayer.  This book lucidly demonstrates that converting and sanctifying other persons especially requires our own sanctification.  We heartily urge all Catholics to read this wonderful book on prayer and holiness, as the means to converting other people!

Pope St. Pius X read this book and admired it so much that he declared:

If you desire that God should bless your apostolate and make it fruitful, undertake everything for His glory, saturate yourself and your devoted fellow-workers with the spirit of Jesus Christ, animating yourself with an intense interior life.  To this end, I can offer you no better guide than The Soul of the Apostolate, by Dom Chautard, Cistercian Abbot, I warmly recommend this book to you, as I value it very highly and have myself made it my bedside book.

Quoted from the Introduction of The Soul of the Apostolate, by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O., Abbot of Notre Dame de Sept-Fons, Abbey of Gethsemane Press, U.S.A., ©1946.

Pope Benedict XV wrote the author, Dom J. B. Chautard, about The Soul of the Apostolate, in these words:

We congratulate you sincerely upon having brought out so clearly the absolute necessity of the interior life for those engaged in good works, a life so necessary for the success of their ministry.

Expressing a wish that this work in which are found gathered together doctrinal lessons and practical advice suited to the needs of our times may continue to spend and do good, We send with all Our Heart to its esteemed author, an affectionate Apostolic Blessing,

[signed] Benedict PP XV

Id.

[2]          Here is how The Soul of the Apostolate expresses this truth:

  • The apostle should always remember that “the extent to which you yourself are able to live on the love of Our Lord, will be the exact measure of your ability to stir it up in other people.  What it all comes to, is that you base everything on the inner life.”  Page 57.
  • It is crucial to “give [lay apostles] piety, genuine and ardent piety, based on conviction and full of understanding”.  Page 56.

  • For the lay apostle, it is crucial that his “center … will be Jesus and Mary”.  Page 56

[3]          The Soul of the Apostolate explains the importance of “lay apostles” knowing the Catholic Faith well in order to effectively help convert others.  For example, here is an instruction to a priest for forming laymen into effective apostles:

You are going to build up a strong faith in them [viz., laymen], by a series of well-prepared talks, which will take up many of their winter evenings.  Your Christians will go out, after these talks, well enough armed not only to give complete and effective answers to their fellows in the various plants and offices, but also to resist the more treacherous action of newspapers and books.  

The Soul of the Apostolate. page 56.

[4]          Pope Pius X called her the Neck of the Mystical Body, in his Encyclical On the Immaculate Conception, Ad diem illum laetissimum.

[5]          True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort, part 1, ch.1, §3, #39.

[6]          Here is how The Soul of the Apostolate explains this truth:

Whether it be the task of the active worker to rescue souls from sin or to make virtues put forth flowers in their souls, his first objective must always be, as was St. Paul’s, to bring forth Our Lord in them.  Now Bossuet says that God, having once willed to give us Jesus through the Most Blessed Virgin, there is no further change in that order.  It was she who brought forth the Head, and so it is she too who is to bring forth the members.

To isolate Mary from the apostolate would be to misconstrue one of the most vital parts of the divine Plan.  …  St. Bernardine of Siena justly concludes that, since the Incarnation, Mary has acquired a sort of jurisdiction over every temporal mission of the Holy Ghost, in such a way that no creature receives any graces but through her hands.

But the man with true devotion to Mary becomes all-powerful over the Heart of his Mother.  And so, what apostle can doubt the efficacy of his Apostolate when, by his devotions, he can control the all-powerful mediation of Mary in the distribution of the merits of the Precious Blood?

The Soul of the Apostolate, page 286.

[W]e observe that all great converters of souls are filled with an unusually powerful devotion for the Blessed Virgin. …  What persuasive accents will Mary give to her true children, that they may open to Jesus hearts hitherto locked!

The Soul of the Apostolate, page 286-7.

[7]          Quoted from an undated SSPX money-seeking brochure mailed to the U.S. District mailing list in April 2019.

[8]
         With great self-importance, the N-SSPX adds that whatever money you give to the N-SSPX benefits the whole Church.  Here are Fr. Wegner’s words soliciting bequests for the N-SSPX:

And your bequest, one that benefits the whole Church in Her desperate hour of need, will certainly be remembered.

Quoted from the March 28, 2019 letter from Fr. Wegner, N-SSPX District Superior for the U.S. (emphasis added).

[9]
         For additional examples of the N-SSPX’s focus on money, read here: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/priests/sspx-fundraiser-fatigue.html

[10]
         Words of the Venerable Bede, Doctor of the Church, quoted from the Catena Aurea on St. Mark’s Gospel, St. Thomas Aquinas, editor, ch.6 §2 (emphasis added).

What Virtue is the Most Misunderstood

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Catholic Candle note: The article below was written by a man who has always been Traditional Catholic and who has been continually fighting liberalism since before Vatican II.

 

 

 

That virtue is humility.  Why is it misunderstood and rarely practiced?  Because most people believe it’s a sign of weakness and they expect to be taken advantage of.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Our Lord was meek and humble of heart, but He stood up to the Pharisees many times.  (He twice cleared the temple of merchants and thieves with a whip.) 

 

To be humble is courageous and far from cowardly.  Our free will is prone to pride, the antithesis of humility.  So, we must fight against the sin of pride.  Our first parents were filled with pride and were put out of Paradise because of it.

 

There are many benefits from practicing the virtue of humility.  With pride, stress, envy and anger are sure to follow, whereas a humble person has continuous peace.  If there is good in you, you see more good in others, so that you may remain humble.[1]

 

Below are listed things you should know about humility and how it can affect your peace of soul and your salvation.  The points listed are from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VII, page 544.

 

➢  Humility is a repressing virtue opposed to pride.

 

➢  Humility is said to be the foundation of the spiritual edifice.

 

➢  Humility is the first virtue, inasmuch as it removes the obstacles to Faith.

 

➢  It removes pride and makes a person subject to, and a fit recipient of, grace.

 

➢  God resisteth the proud and giveth His grace to the humble.

 

➢  Humility keeps the mind and heart submissive to reason and to God, and it may therefore be said to be a universal virtue.  It is, therefore, a virtue which is necessary for salvation.  Our Lord said, “Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart.”

 

The virtue of humility is of such importance that many Catholic authorities have addressed it over the centuries.

 

The following points about humility and how it will affect your peace of soul and your salvation are from The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapters 6 and 7:

 

·         When a person desires a thing too much, he at once becomes ill at ease.  A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace.

 

·         It may happen, too, that while one’s own opinion may be good, refusal to agree with others when reason and occasion demand it, is a sign of pride and obstinacy.

 

·         God helps the humble and humbles the proud.

 

If you feel guilty when you push yourself forward, you have a start at understanding humility.   The dictionary definition of humility is: “implying absence of vanity and arrogance; meekness, and absence of wrath or vindictiveness”.  These are all qualities you need to save your soul.

 

God created man and angels to have a free will, which is required for a personal and meaningful decision of servitude.  Lucifer rejected humility in favor of pride. (“Non serviam!”)  Thus, he was cast into hell for all eternity.  Humility is that golden key that opens the Gates of Heaven.  Humility puts God first and ourselves second.

 

Humility opens a person’s heart and mind to better listen to God speak, and is a “direct line” to know His will.

 

Humility does not exempt someone from hard work and doing his best to do God’s will in his state of life or holy vocation.

 

The virtue of humility separates us from the animal world by controlling our passions.

 

Pride, the antithesis of humility, rules the world in all aspects, causing wars, murders, etc. 

 

Liberalism and modernism are caused by sins of pride.

 

Let us pray for a better understanding of humility, and that it is practiced by all, especially traditional Catholics and priests in the real resistance.

 


[1]              The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapter 7.

 

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Words to Live by – from Catholic Tradition

 

The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and on the left are enemies who never rest.

 

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, Book II, Chapter 9.

A Healthy Mistrust of Self

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Objective Truth Series – reflections article #5

The last reflection was a consideration of how important it is to have a complete submission to, union with, and trust in the Divine Will.

God wants us to have trust in Him, in fact, to have complete confidence in Him. As far as we are concerned, He doesn’t want us to trust in ourselves alone.  Surely, He wants us to have confidence to use the abilities that He gave us and that He expects us to use to do our duty of state. He expects us to not be slothful, having an irrational fear of the difficult. He doesn’t want us to be cowards when it comes to doing our duty.

Furthermore, God expects us to not be lazy and shirk our duties because we don’t “feel” like doing them or because we want to relax. But having confidence in the human abilities that God gave us does not mean we have abilities above our nature, or that we should think that we are using our abilities perfectly. No one should imagine he can do things that are super-human or that he is perfect in any respect.

For example, we cannot know the thoughts of others. We often guess what others are thinking, but unless another communicates his thoughts aloud or in writing, we cannot know with any certitude what another is thinking. Thus, we cannot judge the interior of another. We can only judge the external actions (fruits) of others. To judge the interior is called rash judgment. St. John Chrysostom said, “You will not easily find anyone, either the father of a family or a cloistered religious who is free from rash judgment.”[1]

This quote ought to give us pause and give us a fear and a healthy caution over our thoughts and speech.

We humans get so self-complacent, in other words, self-satisfied, and from this, conceit grows in the soul. Self-importance takes control of the soul usually in a creeping, subtle manner, and, before one knows it, he has over-confidence in himself. “Wherefore, he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1st Corinthians 10; 12).  

A quote like this should prick one’s conscience. Questions then bombard the mind like: Am I self-complacent? Do I say things or act as if I have all the answers, even about a single subject? Do I act over confident? Do I act as if I have been looking down on others, in any way? Do I act as if I realize that any good I have, especially the faith, or insights, has been given to me by God and that I know I do not deserve them? “What hast thou that thou hast not received?  And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”[2]  Do I forget this truth of which St. Paul reminds me? Do I acknowledge the gifts of God to me? If so, do I thank God for His gifts and tender mercies? Do I expect others to have received these same gifts and/or insights, and make all their decisions in the same manner that I make my decisions? And if others do not act in the same manner as I, do I look down on them as if they are big sinners or have something wrong with them?

Oh, how the conscience does prick when we realize how easily we humans get into this typical complacent frame of mind. We have to be so cautious and follow St. Paul’s advice, namely, “With fear and trembling work out your salvation” (Philippians Ch 2; 12). Likewise, we need to heed carefully Our Lord’s words, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” Here Our Lord is clearly warning against judging the interior of a person.

Nor can we forget our human roots, namely, how Eve was tempted with thinking she could become like God. The devil certainly knows how to trap us humans with this temptation and tries to puff us up. Self-complacence is one of the devil’s subtle tools to achieve this. Thus, we need to see that we need advice, and be willing to get advice. This will help us avoid self-complacence.

Our Lady explained the Rules for the Discernment of Spirits to St. Ignatius of Loyola, when giving him the Spiritual Exercises. She explained in Rule #5 in the Second Week that we must pay close attention to the course of our thoughts and look carefully at their beginning, middle, and end to see whether they are inspired by the good angel or the devil. This means a person must truly distrust himself and have a healthy mistrust of his own motive for acting. Again, Our Lady knows how the devil tricks us poor humans with self-conceit and, being Our Good Mother, she warns her children about his snares.

With all of the above in mind, perhaps our thoughts naturally will flow into something like the following:

Oh, my soul, if I have a treasure,

Am I grateful, or do I take pleasure?

Thinking this gem, is a gift self-bestowed

That it comes from God, to me, not owed?

Do I remember, my God to thank?

Am I really, with myself frank?

This gift, this talent, from where did it come?

Could I e’re pay for it, with any sum?

I am nothing, a worthless being

Whence this prize, that I am seeing?

Tis not really mine, to the Lord, belongs

Only He gets the credit, [only I do wrongs.]

God could punish, my self-conceit,

This would be fitting, would be meet.

That He could take, this gift away

And not make it last, not one more day

I must be grateful, give God His due

And rely on Him only, tis so true!

I need so much help, and advice

Each plan I make, I must think thrice

Where did it start, where does it lead?

Does it, my self-complacence, feed?

I must tremble, yea, I must quake

Do I work for me, or for God’s sake?

Dear Lord, help me ever recall

Self-complacence, is a trap for all

Help me ne’r judge, things in a flash

Help me avoid, e’er being rash

If I forget my need, of Thee, Lord

Love of self, will become a sword

Which will cut me, from what’s most dear

To displease Thee, give me healthy fear!


[1]           St. Thomas Aquinas quoting St. John Chrysostom in the Catena Aurea on St. Luke’s Gospel, ch.6, vv. 37-38.

[2]           1 Corinthians, 4:7.

God’s Will: Something to submit to, unite to, and trust in

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Catholic Candle note: Below is an article by one of the Catholic Candle Team, which is the fourth in a series of reflections related to humility.  Here are the first three in this series:

➢  https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/god-is-the-sculptor-of-souls.html

➢  https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/gods-school-of-sanctity-humility-hunting-a-source-of-great-delight-for-the-soul.html

 

➢  https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/our-nothingness.html

 

Sweet submission to God’s Will leads to

Uniformity with It and complete trust in God

 

Objective Truth Series – reflections article #4

Who doesn’t feel the need to be safe?  When there is a calamity of nature or some kind of disaster, we seek protection and to survive, and so it is with our souls. God made us this way.   We do ever forget our need of Him and His wonderful Providence, yet God’s draws the soul and teaches it, little by little.  He shows the entire need we have of Him, until finally, the soul is convinced, and has no doubt of its need. A little child knows for sure that he needs his Dad and Mom. The child delights even to see Mom or Dad return home and runs to embrace his parent. Oh, to please his parents is such sweetness! He understands his proper place as the subordinate to his parents. He knows his ignorance, sees what his parents have done and still do for him, and thus sees his debt and what he owes to his parents. Thus, he has such gratitude, and this all builds such loving willingness to please.

Furthermore, a child feels so safe to be in the arms of his parent, he doesn’t care if it’s hot and humid, he just wants to remain there. With such knowledge and confidence in his parents, a child also learns to have a like knowledge of God and a trustful surrender to God. Our Lord alludes to this when He says: “Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.”  St. Matthew, 18:3.  With this trustful surrender comes such an all-embracing peace of soul that one does not doubt that God is in charge and planning what He wills to do for His friends.  St. Paul reminds us of our need to submit to God and to see ourselves as little children, when he teaches: “For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named.”  Ephesians, 3:14-15.

God’s Providence continually cares for and assists His friend – the soul of His adopted child.  How wonderful to ponder on this objective truth that we are really adopted children of God!  Now let us sincerely pray to live our true role in God’s eternal plan and lovingly trust Our Heavenly Father!  Then our hearts would perhaps spill over in the following words:

To see my needs is to count without number,

I am in Thy hands, O Lord, like a child in slumber,

How can I help, grateful to be?

When I see how thou carest for me?

 

My biggest need of all, is that I see,

My longing to say, that I love thee,

And I give Thee, a thankful embrace,

And I thankfully fall, before Thy Face.

 

I thankfully rest, once safely in Thy arms,

And I’m so overwhelmed, with Thy charms,

And with Thy wonderful care,

How could I ever wish or dare.

 

To run away from Thee,

Now knowing Thou wouldst ne’r abandon me?

Thou hast given me, complete desire to ev’r see,

That I am lost, if I run away from Thee.

 

But now my heart is filled,

To ever do, what Thou hast willed,

Thy Will is my heart’s desire,

My only safety, my only fire.

 

Oh, for Thy Will, I ever burn,

Oh, for Thy Will, my heart will e’er yearn,

Without Thy help, where can I be?

I need Thee, there is nothing in me.

 

Oh, sweet submission and surrender,

I unite my will with God, so tender,

I am cared for by Him, Whom I trust,

Into His Hands, my heart I thrust.

 

Where rest, peace, and safety I find,

To serve, and love Him with a child-like mind,

On this true view of things so sweet,

There my happiness— my joy complete!

Let’s “Walk A Mile” In Our Lord’s Sandals To Better Understand How He Is Suffering, And How To Comfort Him

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To “walk a mile” in Our Lord’s sandals, we will witness how He has suffered for over 50 years because of the crisis which the Second Vatican Council caused in His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church.

 It is something like a member of your family who has lost the Faith and is now plotting against you as a Traditionalist. For the past 50-plus years Our Lord has been put through His Passion all over again, due to the evil and destructive changes of Vatican II. We will also witness how Church leadership turned against Him to implement these evil heresies. Some of these leaders are anti-Catholic Masons.

To again drive the nails in Our Lord’s hands and feet, Rome is making “saints” of these traitorous conciliar popes.

For a time, there was an archbishop and a society giving comfort to Our Lord by upholding Tradition and resisting the changes. But with the death of Archbishop Lefebvre and with the current leadership in the Society that succumbed to Modernist pressure and Liberalism, all that changed.

This weak leadership is currently willing to compromise principles and lead their followers into the conciliar church and out of the Catholic Church. They do this by making the misguided effort to be recognized by (and subject to) Rome, the seat of the anti-Christ. Much the same as the Society of St. Peter and other religious societies that made a deal with Rome.

Today, the only comfort for Our Lord is the very small remnant of uncompromising Traditional Catholics, who must stand firm, come what may, in order to comfort Our Lord.

This conciliar church is not merely a liberal way of thinking. It is a human organization (which deceptively uses the name “Catholic”).

Listed below are some of the VC II evil, destructive, anti-Catholic heresies put in place by the conciliar church. Consider each one as a painful lash of the whip, as Christ is again scourged at the pillar.

1.            False doctrines (e.g., the teachings of Vatican II);

 

2.            False and sacrilegious worship (e.g., the new mass, with the words of Consecration changed, as if Our Lord didn’t know better and second-guessed Himself);

 

3.            Places for sacrileges (viz., the conciliar churches that were stolen from the Catholic Church;

 

4.            False priesthood (the new concept of priesthood; doubtfully valid ordinations;

 

5.            False laws (e.g., the bad 1983 Code of Canon Law);

 

6.            False catechisms (e.g., the conciliar church catechism, called the “Catechism of the Catholic Church”);

 

7.            False bibles (e.g., those replacing the Douay Rheims Bible);

 

8.            The new politically-correct “Decalogue” (i.e., the new “Ten Commandments”) promoted by “saint” Pope John Paul II);

 

9.            The new politically-correct “beatitudes” promoted by Pope Francis;

 

10.         The new rosary (the so-called “luminous mysteries”);

 

11.         New (supposed) “saints” (e.g., so-called “saint” Pope John Paul II), and the new canonization process;

 

12.         The new (supposed) “sacraments” with conciliar names and formulae;

 

13.         The new (supposed) “miracles” and “apparitions”;

 

14.         The hierarchy, who serve in the Catholic Church’s hierarchy and also in the (anti-Catholic) conciliar church’s hierarchy;

 

15.         The Amazonian Synod pushing for female priests and against priestly celibacy;

 

16.         Corrupt Catholic religious organizations; and

 

17.         All-but-eliminating religious clothing, thereby effectively making priests and sisters a part of the world.

 

This conciliar church is a different (and false) religion. It uses the power structures of the Catholic Church for its own ends, punishing (including excommunicating) those who resist this (false) conciliar church. Again, the conciliar church is a human organization, not just a mindset.

 It is easy to understand how greatly Our Lord is suffering all over again in His

Passion because of the traitorous, conciliar Church leaders implementing anti-Catholic changes in the human element of the Church that He died to establish. Just consider all the souls lost – and will be lost – until Russia is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We were told by the leaders of Vatican II that changes must be made – first: in order to be a part of the world, and second: in order to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. These changes have resulted in the destruction of the human element in the Catholic Church.

Christ loves mankind very much to be so exceedingly patient (i.e., giving us time to repent), and for not striking a quick final blow to end this blasphemy.

The above list of heresies promoted by the conciliar church dictates a question that only the New (liberal) SSPX leadership can answer: Why – Why – would any responsible leader want to negotiate a deal with Rome that would subject its followers and clergy to the jurisdiction of the conciliar church?

So, uncompromising Traditional Catholics must continue to comfort Our Lord with

steadfast loyalty to Catholic Tradition and to Christ the King.

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Words to Live by – from Catholic Tradition

No man appears in safety before the public eye unless he first relishes obscurity.  No man is safe in speaking unless he loves to be silent.  No man rules safely unless he is willing to be ruled.  No man commands safely unless he has learned well how to obey.  No man rejoices safely unless he has within him the testimony of a good conscience.

The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapter 20.

Our Souls should be Docile Brides of Christ

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Catholic Candle note:  God put us on earth to begin (and then to advance in) the spiritual life.  But how do we do this?  As always, the Catholic Church has the answer! 

In Sacred Scripture and in the teachings of the Doctors of the Church, the Church gives us many helps and explanations.  One tremendous guide to understanding how to advance in the spiritual life, is the comparison of how our spiritual life is like a happy and harmonious, good Catholic marriage.

 

Charity (and the whole spiritual life) are inherently Divine Friendship.[1]  More specifically, the spiritual life should be a spiritual marriage between Christ and each of our souls.  Because spouses should be the very best of friends, marriage is the perfect figure for this union we should have with Christ.

The Canticle of Canticles is full of this imagery of marriage and romantic interchange of lovers, as a way to teach us about the spiritual relationship we should have with Christ.  This spiritual marriage is a soul’s complete surrender to Christ in all things, a total generosity which is prefigured by a happy and harmonious, good Catholic marriage. 

Not only should our souls be spouses of Christ, but they should be as a bride, not as the bridegroom, in this spiritual marriage.  Christ calls Himself the Bridegroom, not the bride.  St. Matthew’s Gospel, 9:15.

Concerning this spiritual marriage which our souls should have with Christ, the great Mystical Doctor, St. John of the Cross, continually calls the soul Christ’s bride and “a maiden”.[2]

Fittingly, the usual word for “soul” (in Latin) is “anima”, which is in the feminine declension, showing the disposition the soul should have towards Christ.  For:

Ø  Just as a wife should be passive and receptive to her husband and be led by him (rather than leading him), likewise the soul should be passive and receptive to her Spouse, Christ, and be led by Him. 

Ø  Just as a bride joins her husband’s life, leaving behind her past life (fittingly signifying this by taking his last name) likewise the soul joins Christ’s Life, and leaves behind her past life.[3]

Conclusion

Let us strive all we can that our souls are good brides to their Spouse, Our Lord Jesus Christ!  Let them be passive and receptive to Christ!  Let them be led wherever Christ leads!  Let them leave behind them their past lives and completely join His life!


[1]           Here is how St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest Doctor of the Church, explains this truth:

 

It is written (John 15:15): “I will not now call you servants . . . but My friends.” Now this was said to them by reason of nothing else than charity. Therefore, charity is friendship. …

 

According to the Philosopher (Ethic. viii, 2,3) not every love has the character of friendship, but that love which is together with benevolence, when, to wit, we love someone so as to wish good to him.  If, however, we do not wish good to what we love, but wish its good for ourselves, (thus we are said to love wine, or a horse, or the like), it is love not of friendship, but of a kind of concupiscence. For it would be absurd to speak of having friendship for wine or for a horse.

 

Yet neither does well-wishing suffice for friendship, for a certain mutual love is requisite, since friendship is between friend and friend: and this well-wishing is founded on some kind of communication.

 

Accordingly, since there is a communication between man and God, inasmuch as He communicates His happiness to us, some kind of friendship must needs be based on this same communication, of which it is written (1 Corinthians 1:9): “God is faithful: by Whom you are called unto the fellowship of His Son."  The love which is based on this communication, is charity: wherefore it is evident that charity is the friendship of man for God.

 

Summa, IIa IIae, Q.23, a.1, sed contra and respondeo.

[2]           See, e.g., Spiritual Canticle, St. John of the Cross, Stanza XVIII.


[3]           Concerning the role of women and the great work of their life, read this article: https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/the-role-that-god-gave-to-woman-and-the-great-work-of-her-life.html

 

Comparing the spiritual life to Christ’s relationship with souls – even men’s souls – does not conflict with men’s nature.  Although men should be manly and not womanly, there is no contradiction with a man’s soul being as a bride of Christ in a spiritual marriage with Him, and yet still being a manly man of his wife and being the head of his home and of his wife.  St. Paul shows this compatibility when he teaches that “the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church”.  Ephesians, 5:23.

Humility Hunting : A source of great delight for the Soul

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Objective Truth Series – reflections article #2

 The first reflection spoke of the work of God on souls, namely, His forming His Elect.  He has a school of sanctity. What does God teach in this school?  He teaches the life of virtue, most importantly, charity, and its foundation, which is humility.

     

It seems that this school of sanctity happens in levels or stages.  First God attracts the soul to humility. Then the soul seeks knowledge of humility. This fosters more love of this virtue and a desire for more knowledge of it.  By this means God lets the soul absorb humility into the soul and humility gets into the bloodstream, as it were, and into the very marrow of the bones, so to speak. The love of humility takes a sort of hold on the soul and the soul has no desire to stop learning more about humility. On the contrary, the soul becomes more and more enamored with the quest of humility, looking to find examples of this lovely virtue everywhere.

God teaches humility in His school of sanctity to souls throughout their life. His teaching comes in all shapes and forms. It comes in the Scriptures, sermons, good books and articles, from advice of friends, and even from the comments of enemies.  His teaching comes from events and circumstances. His teaching comes from crosses or things that seem like crosses. When a soul begins to seek humility and begins to seek examples of humility, then examples of humility come in abundance!!  For example, when reading Scripture, the words “poor,” and “little”, stand out and represent the humble, whereas, “rich”, and “fat”, represent the proud.  God trains the eye of the soul to spot the words and passages of the Scriptures that refer to the humble and likewise the words and passages that speak of the proud and the words and passages that warn about pride.  

The beauty of humility becomes more and more evident as one “hunts” for examples of humility. Thus, the soul begins to love this virtue with a tender love and delights when it finds another example of humility. The soul becomes able to detect humility in actual examples of those around him as well. Lastly, and most thrilling of all, is the soul taking real notice of the Humility of Jesus Christ Himself. The Gospels take on a wonderful charm of their own when looking to see what the Good Lord Himself shows regarding humility.  There seems to be no end to the examples that Our Lord shows. Our Lord says, “Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Our Lord speaks of humility so often and with such emphasis, that it is certainly clear that Our Lord desires for His Elect to have humility and that humility is absolutely necessary for salvation. When the hunt has begun, words such as these might come to mind:

O Lord that I may ever seek;

Examples that prove that I am weak;

In passages of Thy Word Divine;

May I find humility in every line.

Delight my soul with this edifying fruit;

To hinder pride from taking deeper root.

In my soul make Thy work complete;

Please make me fitting and meet.

May it be our constant prayer, dear reader, that this hunt for humility takes root in our souls and bear an abundant harvest!

 

Our Nothingness

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Catholic Candle note: Below is an article by one of the Catholic Candle Team, which is the third in a series of reflections related to humility.  Here are the first two in this series:

Objective Truth Series – reflections article #3

Since God is the Sculptor of souls and He naturally begins by attracting souls to humility, then it is fitting that God’s next step is to show man what he is as a creature.[1]  Man is a creature and what a creature!  

And He [God] said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis, 1:2.

And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into the face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

Genesis, 2:7.

And where else did this “slime” come from, but from God?

In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.  And the earth was void and empty.

Genesis, 1:1-2.

Imagine, dear reader, our condition – to be made of slime, which was once a void!  Why does “slimy” man think that just because God made man in His Image and Likeness, and gave man dominion over the earth and other creatures existing on earth, that somehow man has the ultimate control over everything around him?

Humans know that although man fell through Original Sin, he still has dominion over the earth and other creatures on the earth.  But man’s “dominion” implies governing and having the care over these things, yet not a control of these things in every way.  However, because of Original Sin, man often thinks that because he has the use of reason, he also has the ultimate control over everything around him.  Man forgets his dependence on God.  A man cannot guarantee himself his next breath nor can he guarantee himself anything else.

Oh, if only we humans could have a tangible sense of our nothingness!  We were created from the slime of the earth and the earth was created out of nothing.

When we see our nothingness, then we see our complete dependence on God.  This helps to humble us. We know from what Our Lord said, “Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Thus, without humility we will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  

How good God is to show us in countless ways our complete dependence on Him!  What a great wonder that God the Son became Man, one with us poor humans!  This is astounding to think of!  Jesus’ Human Nature was created.  This means that His Human Body and Soul were created.  Like us:

this soul, thus vested, did not exist yesterday, and at any moment might turn again to the void if it were not each moment sustained by the Almighty, for the created being, even of a Man-God, is frail and carries within itself the seeds of dissolution ….  What a spectacle this is – the Word face-to-face with the nature He has associated Himself with!  The Soul of Jesus plunges her astonished and enchanted gaze into the depths of this Divine Ocean, depths that are inaccessible even to her.  At all points, her gaze is arrested and she is conscious of an infinite Beyond.  Throughout the centuries of eternity, never will this soul, united to the Word, fully understand the Word.[2]

Thus, the Lord of lords takes flesh to become the Saint of saints!  He knew His created Human Soul and Body was like ours insofar as It was created out of nothing, like ours and would cease to exist if God did not keep It in existence.  Considering this, how much more we can see our nothingness and why Our Lord could truly say, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of Heart.”

We are so dependent on God for everything.  We really can’t help seeing our complete dependence on God.  We depend on God for everything and we are only truly at peace when we see, with all our hearts, our dependence on God.  Very often, God allows us to ponder this truth in our minds.  This is God’s way of instructing us poor creatures and teaching us the habit of pondering this truth – objective truth.  Thus, this beautiful habit, fostered by God, blossoms forth prayers of thanksgiving to God for allowing us to see this basic truth.  We find that we love Him for this truth more and more and this truth takes possession (as it were) of the soul.  Our hearts could burst forth with grateful love of God. May it please God to give us this joy!

Oh, man, oh nothingness,

Created from slime,

Nay, the abyss,

The truth sublime,

Thy creator made you like this.

Dost thou forget,

Your worth is null,

And that thou hast, sin original?

Wounded, ignorant and weak,

You could ne’er speak.

Nor think nor breathe,

Without His leave.

On Him, you depend,

His Goodness wants you,

To be His Friend!

He lets you see,

What you are,

Oh nothingness,

With humility,

He’ll bring you far.

[1]         As St. Ignatius of Loyola points out at the beginning of the Spiritual Exercises, “Man is created …”.

[2]         Path of Humility, Leopold Beaudenom, Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., London, ©1920, pp. 128-129.

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Catholic Candle note: The following was written by one of our readers commenting on our recent article about how to say the Rosary.

How to say the Rosary seemed a secret to me.

I was very consoled when I read the Catholic Candle article about how the Rosary is supposed to be said. I remembered how I felt a few years ago when a friend of mine explained to me, that because prayer is the lifting of the heart and mind to God (i.e., speaking personally to God), one is not praying when he isn’t saying something to God. This friend explained that a person has to make acts of the will when saying the Rosary. I remember how embarrassed I was that I didn’t know how to say the Rosary correctly.  I also felt bad because I wasn’t taught this as a child and I thus had not said my Rosaries properly all my life.  Then some time after my friend explained this to me, our pastor at the “old” SSPX chapel explained this true way of saying the Rosary in one of his sermons. I was really relieved because then any other person who might have been confused like I was about the Rosary, would then be informed on how to say it correctly.  I think a lot of Catholics may have a confused idea of how to say the Rosary. I also think the devil has suppressed the true method of how to say the Rosary so that the faithful will not get the full benefits of the Rosaries they say.

For sure, God sees the heart and intentions of a person saying the Rosary and knows when any one is trying his best, but it makes sense to me that the Rosary would be more fruitful and meritorious when one’s will is lifted with acts said to God.  I know from what our (former) pastor said and by trying to say the Rosary with simple little ejaculations (e.g., thinking “I love dear Lord”) while others are leading the decades, I have found myself able to focus much better on the Rosary. Also, I actually find myself looking forward to saying the Rosary, whereas before I rather dreaded it because I had been so distracted. I am so grateful to God that this confusion about the Rosary is finally being addressed publicly.