Vigano isn't holding back as apostasy and the establishment of the New Synodal Church unfold.
25 October 2026
Vigano Accuses the Vatican of Apostasy and Cowardice While Europe Burns
Vigano isn't holding back as apostasy and the establishment of the New Synodal Church unfold.
Where Did Medieval People Sleep in an Emergency?
From Modern History TV
Modern History TV explores the diverse and often unconventional options available to medieval travelers facing unexpected lodging needs. Beyond standard inns, this guide examines how individuals utilized religious institutions, guild halls, workplaces, and various rural shelters to secure safety and cover when journeying across the landscape.
Where did medieval travellers sleep when they were on the road?
Travelling in the Middle Ages could be uncomfortable, dangerous and unpredictable. There were medieval inns, but what happened when there wasn't an inn nearby? Where did medieval travellers sleep, and what unusual places could they use for shelter? Medieval travel, medieval history, monastery hospitality
In this episode of Modern History TV, Jason Kingsley, CBE, the Modern Knight, explores some of the strangest and most unexpected places where a medieval traveller might spend the night. From monasteries, churches and medieval inns to barns, abandoned buildings, ruined Roman sites and makeshift shelters, we'll discover how ordinary people actually found somewhere to sleep while travelling in medieval England.
We'll look at medieval travel, medieval roads, medieval inns, pilgrimage, hospitality and everyday life in the Middle Ages, and consider what travelling through medieval Britain was really like after the sun went down.
Because if you were travelling in medieval England, finding somewhere to sleep wasn't simply a matter of booking a room. Sometimes you had to know who might offer you shelter, and sometimes you simply had to make do with whatever you could find.
Where would you sleep if you were travelling through the Middle Ages?
Join modern knight Jason Kingsley on a journey through medieval history as we explore the fascinating world of medieval society and uncover the secrets of where people slept in emergency situations during the middle ages. From medieval peasants to kings, we'll delve into the daily lives of people living in medieval villages, discussing medieval food, clothing, and the social hierarchy of medieval times. This documentary is perfect for fans of history documentaries, the history channel, and those interested in weird history secrets and boring history secrets. If you're a fan of tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, or other role-playing games, you'll love this deep dive into medieval history and medieval fantasy. As we venture into the world of medieval adventure, we'll examine the lives of knights, peasants, and other members of medieval society, giving you a unique glimpse into medieval life and the challenges people faced during this period. With Kingsley as your guide, you'll be transported back in time to the medieval era, exploring the intricacies of medieval culture and the ways in which people coped with emergencies during this fascinating period in world history.
Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | October
Christ the King and the Pantocrator
Today is the Feast of Christ the King. As I explain elsewhere, it was moved and basically destroyed in the deform of the Liturgy by Bugnini.
From Aleteia
By Fr Michael Rennier
The Pantocrator has long fascinated everyone who sees it ... the more you look, the more strange it becomes.
In 1938, two art historians began cataloging the icons at the St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. When they published the results of their study, one of the icons they were intrigued by was of Christ the Pantocrator, or Christ the Ruler of All. They dated the icon to the 13th century, quite old.
The historians suspected it held a secret, though. Their theory was that a far older icon lurked beneath the top layer of paint. Sure enough, in 1962, a restoration revealed the original icon which is dated to the 6th century, one of the oldest known icons in existence.
Created using an ancient Byzantine artistic technique, it’s made of encaustic wax on a wood panel, materials which help give it such an old dating. Thought to have been originally created in Constantinople, it’s inspired by an even older image of Christ found on the main gate of the palace there and was probably brought to the monastery as a gift from the Emperor Justinian who founded the monastery.
There aren’t many icons in existence anymore that predate the iconclasm controversy of the 8th century, during which the iconclasts (those who disapproved of the use of icons in devotion), mistakenly argued that icons are idols and destroyed many of them.
Because of the remote location, St. Catherine’s was able to escape the destruction and preserved their older icons.
Seeing his face
The Pantocrator has long fascinated everyone who sees it. Over the centuries, the face of Christ has remained remarkably consistent in how it’s depicted, indicating that his features, very possibly, are not made-up or imagined. Because of the consistency of artistic tradition, there’s a very real chance that images such as the Pantocrator depict the actual face of Christ exactly as his disciples saw him (compare the Pantocrator, for instance, to the image on the Shroud of Turin).
That said, the image is recognizable but not painted in a life-like manner. Initially, it seems a straightforward portrait, but the more you look, the more strange it becomes. There are a few subtle things going on in the composition that produce the effect.
The first oddity is the “double gaze” of Our Lord. It’s not an unknown iconographic technique, but not something we’re used to seeing in modern painting.
Basically, the picture is divided in half and the face is divided straight down the middle. The features on either side are subtly different, which is easiest to see in the difference in Christ’s eyes. Making a mirror image reveals just how different the two sides of his face really are. The double gaze is an intentional artistic effect meant to illustrate the two natures of Christ. The left side represents his human nature and the right his divine nature. It is the human nature reaching out to the viewer with a hand of blessing. It is the divine nature that holds the Scriptures and has the countenance of Judge.
The second reason the icon has such a powerful effect on the viewer has more to do with iconography, more generally. The image is recognizably Christ, which is to say it isn’t abstract or a completely made-up person, but it also isn’t a real-life, narrative setting. By this, I mean that the picture isn’t a depiction of an event from the life of Christ. It isn’t meant to tell a story.
Contrary to common belief, Christian artists were fully capable of producing a different kind of picture, more in line with, say, what became popular in Renaissance-era art, but they intentionally chose to paint in a different mode. They made sacred art. It’s this sacredness that produces an otherworldly feeling in the viewer.
Prayer over display
Sacred art has its own purposes. As artist Hilary White explains “Sacred art belongs to the realm of worship, specifically liturgical worship ... It mediates the actual presence of divine reality.” In other words, sacred art prioritizes prayer over display. The Pantocrator icon isn’t meant to be hung on a wall and admired. It’s an instrument of prayer.
I remember, a long time ago, watching a television interview that a monk on Mount Athos gave to a reporter (I can't remember what show it was). The monk was showing the reporter some of the ancient icons stored in the sacristy. The icons were slowly decomposing from centuries of prayer. The monks would kiss the icon during their liturgies, causing the paint to peel.
The reporter suggested to the monk that it might be a good idea to put the icons into some sort of museum to protect them from falling apart completely. After all, the icons were irreplaceable treasures. In response, the monk simply said that the icons were made for prayer. There would be no museum.
He didn’t say as much, but it was clear the monk understood the true purpose of the icon. To remove it to a museum would ruin it. Hilary White explains, “Sacred art is participatory, narrative art is illustrative, and you do entirely different things with each. With the former you venerate -- you interact personally and immediately with divine realities, with persons. It brings the person literally, physically face to face with God and heaven.”
An image of grace
This is why the Pantocrator looks the way he does, on a surface of flattened perspective, not-quite-lifelike features, and a formal pose against a simple background. He’s an image of the sacred realm, an eternal order entirely foreign to ours and, yet, somehow, mysteriously piercing the veil between the two. He’s an image of impossible grace. The only possible reaction is prayer and devotion.
Outside of time and space, the Pantocrator commands our attention. And this, ultimately, is why the image discomforts us. It isn’t simply a nice example of Christian art. It’s a doorway into Heaven. Sitting in its presence, looking into the face of Christ and allowing him to look back, makes a connection. Through icons like the Pantocrator, human artists imitate God the Father who made his own Son as an icon. Christ is an image, or revelation, of the heart of God. In a lesser but still very real way, so is the icon.
There’s more. The Pantocrator is an image of Christ not only in his divine personhood. It also gestures towards the way in which he fully takes on humanity. This means that, when we meditate on the icon, we see into the heart of God and also into the heart of humanity. This is art that reveals us to our selves. It is a font of self-knowledge as reflected in the perfected humanity of Christ.
On this celebratory day of Christ the King, I can think of no better meditation on the power and royalty of Our Lord, who is King not only in Heaven or in our hearts, but of all that is and all that ever will be.
24 October 2026
The Best (and Absolute Worst) Catholic Vestments in History
From Purely Catholic
The Catholic Church has a rich history of vestments, but not all of them hit the mark. Today, I’m exploring three of the absolute worst vestment designs alongside three of the most stunning, reverent pieces ever crafted. From 1970s polyester experiments to intricate traditional embroidery, let’s look at the beauty, tradition, and what makes liturgical vestments truly fit for the Mass.
Monseigneur Lefebvre, the SSPX, and I
From 2018, one of the greatest experiences of my life. Now, of course, they have the New Immaculata Church (replacing the one that burned in 1978), one of the largest churches in the state with seating for 1,580.
On St Bonaventure's Day, 1988, just two weeks after the Episcopal Consecrations at Econe, I sent a letter to Monseigneur Lefebvre that I will forever regret. In it I told him that he was a hell-bound excommunicate for consecrating the four Bishops without Papal mandate. He never answered, not that I was surprised.
A couple of years later I was seeing Rome's tepid attitude to enforcement of the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei and I'd had a bit of personal experience with it. I had written my Ordinary with a request that my children be allowed to receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional Form. As a formality, I had copied the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei in Rome.
Weeks passed with no answer. Then one day, out of the blue, I received an answer from the Archbishop. It was four pages long. The first page told me how much he supported the Pope in issuing the motu proprio. The following pages were an explanation of why he would not grant my request, and a long screed accusing me of being a 'Lefebvreite'! Note, I had never mentioned Monseigneur or the SSPX in my letter of request.
Given that I lived, at the time, in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and that both St Vincent de Paul in Kansas City, MO and St Mary's, KS were within comfortable driving distance, had I been a 'Lefebvreite', I'd have had no trouble having my children receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional form.
A day or two later, I received a letter from His Eminence Augustin, Cardinal Mayer. Obviously, the Archbishop had had no intention of replying until he realised Rome was involved. The letter from Cardinal Mayer was a massive disappointment. He told me that if I would assure him that I was not a schismatic (i.e. an adherent of the SSPX) he would request my Ordinary to accede to my request!
After this exchange of correspondence, I wrote Monseigneur Lefebvre again. I apologised for my earlier letter and told him that I had come to view him as the Athanasius of the 20th century. Ever the Catholic gentleman and holy Bishop, he not only replied to this missive but also gave me his Episcopal Blessing and included some holy cards from the jubilee of his Consecration as a Bishop.
Fast forward a few years. I joined FishEaters Forum in 2006. Over the ensuing almost 13 years, I have defended Monseigneur Lefebvre and the SSPX on countless occasions. I have pointed out that the 1988 'excommunications' were on extremely shaky grounds under the 1983 Code of Canon Law. With each defence, I included a disclosure that I had never in my life attended an SSPX Mass. This past Friday, however, I posted on the Forum,
The Solemn High Mass of the Feast of Christ the King was scheduled for 10.30. We arrived at St Mary's Academy at about 10.20 and followed the crowd to the Academy auditorium, where the Mass was to be celebrated.
It was glorious! I haven't been to a Latin Mass since I returned from Canada, and I've only been privileged once or twice before to hear a Solemn High Mass. The auditorium was packed! Father Carlyle (sp?) later told us he estimated there were 2,000 people in the congregation! In fact, we were late enough that we didn't see any available seats when we entered. I was leaning on my walking staff and a solicitous usher offered to find me a chair.
I refused. Many years ago, as an altar boy, I once complained about having to kneel on the marble altar steps. My Pastor said, 'Our Lord hung on the Cross for three hours for you. You can kneel on stone for a few minutes on Sunday'. I've kept that admonition in mind ever since when I suffer discomfort at Mass. I just offer it up.
After Mass, the entire congregation formed up into a Eucharistic Procession. We processed through the Academy grounds, out onto US Highway 24 with the police blocking traffic. After about half a block, we turned south on Grand Avenue to East Palmer St. We processed about a mile on Palmer. We crossed a small bridge over a creek. An arch had been erected over it in honour of Our Eucharistic King. Some of the homes were displaying banners honouring Our Eucharistic Lord. Walking down Palmer St, we passed directly behind Immaculate Conception Church, the Novus Ordo Parish.
When we turned north off Palmer, we stopped at a temporary Altar in a vacant lot in downtown St. Mary's for the first Benediction. Then we crossed US 24 again, north to Mission Street, where we headed east, back to the Academy. Again, homes had banners. There were also slogans chalked on the pavement on our route. 'Christus Vincit!+Christus Regnat!+Christus Imperat!', 'Ave Maria', and others of that sort.
On several occasions, between songs (I'm not much of a singer, so I was reciting my Rosary!), a voice would ring out, '¡Viva Cristo Rey!', and the Procession would shout back, '¡Viva!'
When we arrived back on the Academy grounds, we halted at another temporary Altar for the second Benediction and then dispersed for the Christ the King Festival. The quad was filled with booths from different nationalities dispensing ethnic foods. The food was free, but one did have to pay for a Guinness, a bottle of cider, or an Irish coffee.
Lucas and I had originally thought we wouldn't stay at the Festival for long (long drive home!), but we found some new friends to talk with, had a couple of adult beverages, and chatted amiably until we realised that the Solemn Sung Vespers at 17.00 was approaching, so we decided to attend that before leaving.
All afternoon, I had been looking for Fr Ken Novak, one of the 12 priests of the Priory. Many years ago, I met Fr Novak briefly at a drugstore in which I was a manager. After talking for a bit, I knelt in the aisle for his blessing. I wanted to find him to say hi. I finally did, as we were entering the auditorium. I told him who I was, and he said, 'How about another one?' I knelt; he blessed me, placing his hand on my head. And then, he played drums on my pate, drumming out a quick rhythm, as I started to chuckle!
It was a glorious and beautiful day! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the food was great, the fellowship outstanding. Two thousand people of all ages, mothers and fathers carrying small infants, older people with canes or walking staffs (moi), all of us, marching to honour Christ our King, Ruler of all creation!
A couple of years later I was seeing Rome's tepid attitude to enforcement of the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei and I'd had a bit of personal experience with it. I had written my Ordinary with a request that my children be allowed to receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional Form. As a formality, I had copied the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei in Rome.
Weeks passed with no answer. Then one day, out of the blue, I received an answer from the Archbishop. It was four pages long. The first page told me how much he supported the Pope in issuing the motu proprio. The following pages were an explanation of why he would not grant my request, and a long screed accusing me of being a 'Lefebvreite'! Note, I had never mentioned Monseigneur or the SSPX in my letter of request.
Given that I lived, at the time, in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and that both St Vincent de Paul in Kansas City, MO and St Mary's, KS were within comfortable driving distance, had I been a 'Lefebvreite', I'd have had no trouble having my children receive the First Sacraments in the Traditional form.
A day or two later, I received a letter from His Eminence Augustin, Cardinal Mayer. Obviously, the Archbishop had had no intention of replying until he realised Rome was involved. The letter from Cardinal Mayer was a massive disappointment. He told me that if I would assure him that I was not a schismatic (i.e. an adherent of the SSPX) he would request my Ordinary to accede to my request!
After this exchange of correspondence, I wrote Monseigneur Lefebvre again. I apologised for my earlier letter and told him that I had come to view him as the Athanasius of the 20th century. Ever the Catholic gentleman and holy Bishop, he not only replied to this missive but also gave me his Episcopal Blessing and included some holy cards from the jubilee of his Consecration as a Bishop.
Fast forward a few years. I joined FishEaters Forum in 2006. Over the ensuing almost 13 years, I have defended Monseigneur Lefebvre and the SSPX on countless occasions. I have pointed out that the 1988 'excommunications' were on extremely shaky grounds under the 1983 Code of Canon Law. With each defence, I included a disclosure that I had never in my life attended an SSPX Mass. This past Friday, however, I posted on the Forum,
I've been swimming in the Tank for almost 13 years. In that time on innumerable occasions, I have defended the SSPX. I've always included the disclosure that I have never attended a Mass offered by an SSPX Priest. Well, after Sunday, I will not be able to say that.It was an adventure! My friend, Lucas, lives in Broken Bow, NE, in the Diocese of Grand Island, which is almost 200 miles from Wilber. St. Mary's, Kansas is another 130 miles from here. He drove to Beatrice, just a bit down the road from Wilber, on Saturday and stayed the night with friends before picking me up at 07.45 Sunday morning.
A Facebook friend from western Nebraska is going to pick me up and we're driving down to St Marys for the Feast of Christ the King, a procession, and a festival celebrating Christ as King. Vivat Christus Rex! ¡Viva Cristo Rey! Vive le Christ-roi! Long live Christ the King!
The Solemn High Mass of the Feast of Christ the King was scheduled for 10.30. We arrived at St Mary's Academy at about 10.20 and followed the crowd to the Academy auditorium, where the Mass was to be celebrated.
It was glorious! I haven't been to a Latin Mass since I returned from Canada, and I've only been privileged once or twice before to hear a Solemn High Mass. The auditorium was packed! Father Carlyle (sp?) later told us he estimated there were 2,000 people in the congregation! In fact, we were late enough that we didn't see any available seats when we entered. I was leaning on my walking staff and a solicitous usher offered to find me a chair.
I refused. Many years ago, as an altar boy, I once complained about having to kneel on the marble altar steps. My Pastor said, 'Our Lord hung on the Cross for three hours for you. You can kneel on stone for a few minutes on Sunday'. I've kept that admonition in mind ever since when I suffer discomfort at Mass. I just offer it up.
After Mass, the entire congregation formed up into a Eucharistic Procession. We processed through the Academy grounds, out onto US Highway 24 with the police blocking traffic. After about half a block, we turned south on Grand Avenue to East Palmer St. We processed about a mile on Palmer. We crossed a small bridge over a creek. An arch had been erected over it in honour of Our Eucharistic King. Some of the homes were displaying banners honouring Our Eucharistic Lord. Walking down Palmer St, we passed directly behind Immaculate Conception Church, the Novus Ordo Parish.
When we turned north off Palmer, we stopped at a temporary Altar in a vacant lot in downtown St. Mary's for the first Benediction. Then we crossed US 24 again, north to Mission Street, where we headed east, back to the Academy. Again, homes had banners. There were also slogans chalked on the pavement on our route. 'Christus Vincit!+Christus Regnat!+Christus Imperat!', 'Ave Maria', and others of that sort.
On several occasions, between songs (I'm not much of a singer, so I was reciting my Rosary!), a voice would ring out, '¡Viva Cristo Rey!', and the Procession would shout back, '¡Viva!'
When we arrived back on the Academy grounds, we halted at another temporary Altar for the second Benediction and then dispersed for the Christ the King Festival. The quad was filled with booths from different nationalities dispensing ethnic foods. The food was free, but one did have to pay for a Guinness, a bottle of cider, or an Irish coffee.
Lucas and I had originally thought we wouldn't stay at the Festival for long (long drive home!), but we found some new friends to talk with, had a couple of adult beverages, and chatted amiably until we realised that the Solemn Sung Vespers at 17.00 was approaching, so we decided to attend that before leaving.
All afternoon, I had been looking for Fr Ken Novak, one of the 12 priests of the Priory. Many years ago, I met Fr Novak briefly at a drugstore in which I was a manager. After talking for a bit, I knelt in the aisle for his blessing. I wanted to find him to say hi. I finally did, as we were entering the auditorium. I told him who I was, and he said, 'How about another one?' I knelt; he blessed me, placing his hand on my head. And then, he played drums on my pate, drumming out a quick rhythm, as I started to chuckle!
It was a glorious and beautiful day! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the food was great, the fellowship outstanding. Two thousand people of all ages, mothers and fathers carrying small infants, older people with canes or walking staffs (moi), all of us, marching to honour Christ our King, Ruler of all creation!
Since we had stayed for Vespers, we were a bit later leaving than we had planned on. Lucas had intended to drive home to Broken Bow after dropping me off, but after stopping for gas and a snack, it was 21.30 by the time we got to Wilber, so he decided to drive to Adams, 25 miles from Wilber, to stay with friends, and return home Monday morning.
The pictures below were all taken by Lucas since I found it impossible to walk, juggle my (necessary) walking staff, and operate my phone all at the same time.
The pictures below were all taken by Lucas since I found it impossible to walk, juggle my (necessary) walking staff, and operate my phone all at the same time.
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| The Procession forms up |
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| Sculpture of the dead Christ, under an Altar in Assumption Chapel |
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| The reliquary room, containing Relics of the Saints in Assumption Chapel |
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| The auditorium, after the Mass |
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| A shot of the grounds during the festival |
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| The High Altar in Assumption Chapel |
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| A Martyr Saint in Assumption Chapel |
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| Interior shot of Assumption Chapel. It probably seats two or three hundred. Obviously, not big enough for major Feast Day Masses! |
The Differences Between the Feast of Christ the King and the NO 'Solemnity of Christ the King'
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Today, in the General Roman Calendar of 1960, is the Feast of Christ the King. In the General Roman Calendar of 1969, it has been moved to the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, a not insignificant change as we shall see.
It was instituted by His Holiness Pope Pius XI, of Blessed Memory, in 1925 by his Encyclical Letter, Quas Primas.
Quas Primas was a development of ideas going back to the Church Fathers, but concretely presented earlier by Leo XIII, and Pope Pius himself. Pope Leo had said in Annum Sacrum,
His empire extends not only over Catholic nations and those who, having been duly washed in the waters of holy baptism, belong of right to the Church, although erroneous opinions keep them astray, or dissent from her teaching cuts them off from her care; it comprises also all those who are deprived of the Christian faith, so that the whole human race is most truly under the power of Jesus Christ.
And Pope Pius had said in his Ubi arcano Dei consilio,
...(A)s long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations.
A short comparison of the Rites:
The Collect from the Traditional Roman Rite:
Almighty and everlasting God, who in thy beloved Son, the King of the whole world, hast willed to restore all things: mercifully grant that all the families of nations, now kept apart by the wound of sin, may be brought under the sweet yoke of his rule.Who with thee liveth and reigneth, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
And for comparison, the Collect for the Feast from the Missal of Pope Paul VI:
Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
A pretty stark difference, eh? From all the nations of the world brought under the sweet yoke of Christ's rule to all of creation rendering service and proclaiming God's praise. The last time I checked, all of creation, except Man and the fallen angels, did all of that as essential to their nature.
Of course, this was completely in line with Annibale Bugnini's plans to protestantise the Liturgy.
“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren that is for the Protestants.”
“The liturgical reform is a major conquest of the Catholic Church, and it has ecumenical dimensions, since the other Churches and Christian denominations see in it not only something to be admired in itself, but equally as a sign of further progress to come”
With one exception the readings have been changed, as well. In the Traditional Rite, the Epistle is Col 1:12 - 20, and the Gospel is John 18:33 - 37. The Gospel from John survives in Year B in the three year cycle, Year A being Matt 25:31-46, and Year C, Luke 23:35-43
The point of these alterations, along with the change of date, seems to have been to remove the idea that Christ should reign as King today, the date being in the Time after Pentecost, in our hearts, our homes and families, in our societies, and in our nations, to be replaced with the idea that Christ will reign at the end of time, with the date on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. over all creation. In fact, to emphasise that very point, Paul VI changed the name of the feast from the Feast of Christ the King to the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. This, of course, removes the pesky idea that Christ is King, even now, over protestant. Muslim, Jewish, pagan, and atheist hearts, homes, societies and nations. That would be triumphalist and exclusionary!
And, by placing it on the last Sunday in October, it was deliberately placed close to 'Reformation Day', kept by many protestant churches on the same Sunday to celebrate the heresiarch Luther's rebellion against Christ's Holy Catholic Church. Therefore, moving it was done to placate the heretics.
The doctrine of the Feast is expressed very well in this prayer from Fr Stedman's Jesus+Mary+Joseph Novena Manual:
HAIL, CHRIST, OUR KING
MOST SWEET JESUS! Come near to us, Thy children. Receive from our hands that crown which those who are but dust of earth, try to seize from Thee. Enter now in triumph among us, Thy fervent Lawmakers may break the tables of Thy Law, but whilst they lose their thrones and are forgotten, we, Thy subjects, will continue to salute Thee « Hail, Christ, our King!
They have said that Thy GOSPEL is out-of-date, that it hinders progress, and must no longer be considered. They who say this soon disappear into obscurity and are forgotten; whilst we, who adore Thee, continue to salute Thee « Hail, Christ, our King!
The proud, the worldly « those who possess unlawful riches « those who thirst for riches, honors and pleasures alone « declaring Thy moral law to be for past ages « will be hurled against the Rock of Calvary and Thy Church and falling, will be reduced to dust, and sink into oblivion, « whilst we, Thy followers, continue to salute Thee « Hail, Christ, our King!
Those who seek the dawn of a material civilization, divorced from God, will surely die, poisoned by their own false doctrine, deserted and cursed by their own children « whilst we, who would console Thee, will continue to salute Thee« Hail, Christ, our King!
Yes, hail to Thee, O Christ, our King! Put to flight Lucifer, the fallen angel of darkness, from our homes, schools and society « force him and his agents into Hell « chain him there everlastingly « whilst we, Thy friends, continue to salute Thee« Hail, Christ, our King!
Stedman, Fr. Joseph F.. Jesus, Mary, Joseph Novena Manual: The New Revised (Kindle Locations 935-952). Confraternity of the Precious Blood. Kindle Edition.
An excellent explanation of the ideas and doctrines of the Feast of Christ the King may be read in Mr Michael Davies', The Reign of Christ the King. This booklet is a transcript of the keynote speech at the Catholic Voice International Conference in Chicago in the early 1990s. I was also a speaker at the conference on the subject of Christ the King and Monarchism, so I got to hear Mr Davies deliver his speech, after having been privileged to have dinner with him the night before.
And for those who do not have access to the prayers and hymns of the Traditional Office of Christ the King, here is a 'Little Office' I compiled some years ago, based on the example of the approved Little Offices, such as the Immaculate Conception, St Joseph, and the Holy Angels. (pdf file available here.)
Here is a traditional prayer to Christ the King, which is really an Oath of Allegiance to His Kingly Powers:
Prayer to Christ the King
O CHRIST, JESUS, I acknowledge Thee as Universal King.
For Thee, all creatures have been made. Do Thou exercise
over me all the rights that Thou hast.
Renewing my Baptismal Vows, I renounce Satan,
with all his works and pomps, and I promise to live as a
good Catholic: Especially, do I pledge myself, by all
the means in my power, to bring about the triumph of the
rights of God and of Thy Church.
Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee all my poor actions to obtain that all hearts may recognize Thy Sacred Royalty and that thus the Reign of Thy Peace may be established throughout the entire world.
Amen.
Christ The King From "The Saint Andrew Daily Missal" (1953):
Pope Pius XI (whose motto was: Pax Christi in regno Christi) instituted the feast of Christ the King as a solemn affirmation of our Lord's kingship over every human society; He is King, not only of the soul and conscience, intelligence and will of all men but also of families and cities, peoples and states and the whole universe. In his Encyclical Letter "Quas primas"the Pope showed how laicism or secularism, organizing society without any reference to God, leads to the apostasy of the masses and the ruin of society because it is a complete denial of Christ's Kingship. This is one of the great heresies of our time, and the Pope considered that this annual, public, social and official assertion of Christ's divine right of Kingship over men in the liturgy would be an effective means of combating it.
That Christ is King over all creation is the theme of the whole Mass and Office of the feast. The Mass begins with the magnificent Apocalyptic vision of the Lamb of God, sacrificed but henceforth glorified forever, acclaimed by the innumerable host of Angels and Saints (Introit). By its position on the last Sunday of October, towards the end of the Liturgical year and just before All Saints, the feast of Christ the King comes as the climax of our celebration of all Christ's mysteries and a kind of earthly anticipation of his everlasting reign over the elect in the glory of heaven. It sums up the Christian message that by his Death and Resurrection Christ has conquered sin and death and reigns in the glory of his victory among the elect who are its fruit. Christ is the creative Word; He is the Man-God, seated at the right hand of the Father; He is our Saviour; these are His three titles to kingship.
That Christ is King over all creation is the theme of the whole Mass and Office of the feast. The Mass begins with the magnificent Apocalyptic vision of the Lamb of God, sacrificed but henceforth glorified forever, acclaimed by the innumerable host of Angels and Saints (Introit). By its position on the last Sunday of October, towards the end of the Liturgical year and just before All Saints, the feast of Christ the King comes as the climax of our celebration of all Christ's mysteries and a kind of earthly anticipation of his everlasting reign over the elect in the glory of heaven. It sums up the Christian message that by his Death and Resurrection Christ has conquered sin and death and reigns in the glory of his victory among the elect who are its fruit. Christ is the creative Word; He is the Man-God, seated at the right hand of the Father; He is our Saviour; these are His three titles to kingship.
Happy Feast Day!
Ss Chrysanthus & Daria, Martyrs
From Dom Prosper Guéranger's Liturgical Year:
Chrysanthus was united, in his confession of our Lord, with her whom he had won to Christianity and to the love of the angelic virtue. Our forefathers had a great veneration for these two martyrs who, having lived together in holy virginity, were together buried alive in a sand pit at Rome for refusing to honor the false gods.
Dying like the seed in the earth, they yielded the fruit of martyrdom. On the anniversary day of their triumph, numbers of the faithful had gathered in the catacomb on the Salarian Way for the liturgical Synaxis, when the pagans surprised them and walled up the entrance of the vault. Many years passed away. When the hour of victory had sounded for the Church, and the Christians discovered again the way to the sacred crypt, a wonderful spectacle was presented to their gaze: before the tomb where reposed Chrysanthus and Daria was grouped the family they had begotten to martyrdom. Each person was still in the attitude in which he had been overtaken by death. Beside the ministers of the Altar, which was surrounded by men, women, and children, assistants at that most solemn of Masses, were to be seen the silver vessels of the Sacrifice: that Sacrifice in which the conquering Lamb had so closely united to himself so many noble victims. Pope Damasus adorned the venerable spot with monumental inscriptions. But no one dared to touch the holy bodies, or to alter any arrangement in that incomparable scene. The crypt was walled up again, but a narrow opening was left so that the pilgrim could look into the august sanctuary and animate his courage for the struggles of life by the contemplation of what had been required of his ancestors in the faith during the ages of martyrdom. (Greg. Turen. De gloria martyrum, i. 38)
The following is the liturgical Legend of the feast.
Chrysanthus and Daria were husband and wife, noble by birth, and still more by their faith, which Daria had received together with baptism through her husband’s persuasion. At Rome they converted an immense multitude to Christ, Daria instructing the women and Chrysanthus the men. On this account the prefect Celerinus arrested them, and handed them over to the tribune Claudius, who ordered his soldiers to bind Chrysanthus and put him to the torture. But all his bonds were loosed, and the fetters which were put upon him were broken.
They then wrapped him in the skin of an ox and exposed him to a burning sun; and next cast him, chained hand and foot, into a very dark dungeon; but his chains were broken, and the prison filled with a brilliant light. Daria was dragged to a place of infamy; but at her prayer God defended her from insult by sending a lion to protect her. Finally, they were both led to the sand-pits on the Salarian Way, where they were thrown into a pit and covered with a heap of stones; and thus they together won the crown of martyrdom.
I will give to my Saints a place of honor in the kingdom of my Father, saith the Lord. (1st Antiphon of the 2nd Nocturn for Martyrs) Thus sings the Church in your praise, O martyrs. And herself following up that word of her divine Spouse, she made the Lateran Basilica your earthly home, and assigned for your resting place the most hallowed spot, the very Confession, upon which rests the high Altar of that first of all churches. (S. Rit. Congr. 7 Aug. 1857, ad achiep. Colon.) It was a fitting recompense for your labors and sufferings in that city of Rome, where you had shared in the preaching of the Apostles, and like them had sealed the word with your blood. Cease not to justify the confidence of the eternal City; render her faith, which is ever pure, more and more fruitful; and as long as she is ruled by a stranger, maintain unaltered her devotedness to the Pontiff-king, whose presence makes her the capital of the world and the vestibule of heaven. But your holy relics have also, through Rome’s generosity, carried your protection abroad. Deign to second by your intercession the prayer we borrow from your devout clients of Münstereifel: (A monastery & town in the archdiocese of Cologne honoring these saints) “O God, who in thy Saints Chrysanthus and Daria didst enhance the honor of virginity by the consecration of martyrdom, grant that, assisted by their intercession, we may extinguish in ourselves the flame of vice, and may merit to become thy temple, in the company of the pure in heart.”
St Crispin’s Day & Bld Thaddeus McCarthy: St. Crispin’s Day Speech Explained
A sermon for today. Please remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the Priest.
Christ the King: A World Without Caesar | On the Eternal Kingship of Our Lord
A sermon for today. Please remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the Priest.
Ss Crispin & Crispinian, Martyrs
See Tillemont, t. 4, p. 461; Bosquet, Hist. Eccl. de France,1. 5, c. 156; Le Moine, Hist. Antiqu. Soissons, Paris, 1771, t. 1, p. 154; the new Paris Breviary, and Baillet from ancient Martyrologies; for the acts of these martyrs are of small authority.
A. D. 287.
THE names of these two glorious martyrs are not less famous in France than those of the two former at Rome. They came from Rome to preach the faith in Gaul towards the middle of the third century, together with St. Quintin and others. Fixing their residence at Soissons, in imitation of St. Paul they instructed many in the faith of Christ, which they preached publicly in the day, at seasonable times; and in imitation of St. Paul, worked with their hands in the night, making shoes, though they are said to have been nobly born, and brothers. The infidels listened to their instructions, and were astonished at the example of their lives, especially of their charity, disinterestedness, heavenly piety, and contempt of glory and all earthly things; and the effect was the conversion of many to the Christian faith. The brothers had continued this employment several years when the emperor Maximian Herculeus coming into the Belgic Gaul, a complaint was lodged against them. The emperor, perhaps as much to gratify their accusers as to indulge his own superstition, and give way to his savage cruelty, gave order that they should be convened before Rictius Varus, the most implacable enemy of the Christian name, whom he had first made governor of that part of Gaul, and had then advanced to the dignity of prefect of the prtorium. The martyrs were victorious over his most inhuman judge, by the patience and constancy with which they bore the most cruel torments, and finished their course by the sword about the year 287.* They are mentioned in the Martyrologies of St. Jerom, Bede, Florus, Ado, Usuard, &c. A great church was built at Soissons in their honor in the sixth century, and St. Eligius richly ornamented their sacred shrine.
From the example of the saints it appears how foolish the pretences of many Christians are, who imagine the care of a family, the business of a farm or a shop, the attention which they are obliged to give to their worldly profession, are impediments which excuse them from aiming at perfection. Such, indeed, they make them; but this is altogether owing to their own sloth and malice. How many saints have made these very employments the means of their perfection! St. Paul made tents; Saints Crispin and Crispinian were shoemakers; the Blessed Virgin was taken up in the care of her poor cottage; Christ himself worked with his reputed father; and those saints who renounced all commerce with the world to devote themselves totally to the contemplation of heavenly things, made mats, tilled the earth, or copied and bound good books. The secret of the art of their sanctification was, that fulfilling the maxims of Christ, they studied to subdue their passions and die to themselves; they, with much earnestness and application, obtained of God, and improved daily in their souls, a spirit of devotion and prayer; their temporal business they regarded as a duty which they owed to God, and sanctified it by a pure and perfect intention, as Christ on earth directed every thing he did to the glory of his Father. In these very employments, they were careful to improve themselves in humility, meekness, resignation, divine charity, and all other virtues, by the occasions which call them forth at every moment, and in every action. Opportunities of every virtue, and every kind of good work never fail in all circumstances; and the chief means of our sanctification may be practised in every state of life, which are self-denial and assiduous prayer, frequent aspirations, and pious meditation or reflections on spiritual truths, which disengage the affections from earthly things, and deeply imprint in the heart those of piety and religion.
Ss Chrysanthus & Daria, Martyrs
From Fr Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints:
See Jos Assemani, in Cal. Universa, t. 6. p. 193, and Falconius comment. ad tab. Ruthenas Capponianus, p. 79, ad 19 Martij. Their acts in Metaphrastes. Lipomanus, and Surius, are of no authority.
IN THE THIRD CENTURY
CHRYSANTHUS and DARIA were strangers, who came from the East to Rome, the first from Alexandria, the second from Athens, as the Greeks tell us in their Mena. They add, that Chrysanthus, after having been espoused to Daria, persuaded her to prefer a state of perpetual virginity to that of marriage, that they might more easily with perfect purity of heart trample the world under their feet, and accomplish the solemn consecration they had made of themselves to Christ in baptism. The zeal with which they professed the faith of Christ distinguished them in the eyes of the idolaters; they were accused; and, after suffering many torments, finished their course by a glorious martyrdom, according to their acts in the reign of Numerian: Baillet thinks rather in the persecution of Valerian, in 237. Several others, who, by the example of their constancy, had been moved to declare themselves Christians, were put to death with them. St. Gregory of Tours says,1 that a numerous assembly of Christians, who were praying at their tomb soon after their martyrdom, were, by the order of the prefect of Rome, walled up in the cave, and buried alive. SS. Chrysanthus and Daria were interred on the Salarian Way, with their companions, whose bodies were found with theirs in the reign of Constantine the Great. This part of the catacombs was long known by the name of the cemetery of SS. Chrysanthus and Daria. Their tomb was decorated by pope Damasus, who composed an epitaph in their honor.2 Their sacred remains were translated by pope Stephen VI., in 866, part into the Lateran basilic, and part into the church of the twelve apostles.3 This at least is true of the relics of their companions. Those of SS. Chrysanthus and Daria, had been translated to the abbey of Prom in the diocese of Triers, in 842, being a gift of Sergius II. In 844, they were removed to the abbey of St. Avol, or St. Navor, in the diocese of Metz.4 The names of SS. Chrysanthus and Daria are famous in the sacramentaries of St. Gelasius and St. Gregory, and in the Martyrologies both of the western and eastern churches. The Greeks honor them on the 19th of March and 17th of October; the Latins on the 25th of October.
Collect of Ss Crispin & Crispinian, Martyrs ~ Indulgenced on the Saints' Feast (See Note)
According to the Apostolic Penitentiary, a partial indulgence is granted to those who, on the feast of any Saint, recite in his honour the oration of the Missal or any other approved by legitimate Authority.
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V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray.
O God, who dost permit us to celebrate the anniversary of the death of Thine holy Martyrs Crispin & Crispinian, grant that we mayest enjoy their companionship in everlasting happiness.
Let us pray.
O God, who dost permit us to celebrate the anniversary of the death of Thine holy Martyrs Crispin & Crispinian, grant that we mayest enjoy their companionship in everlasting happiness.
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
Nota bene ~ Ss Crispin & Crispinian are not celebrated on the Universal Calendar, but according to the Martyrology, today is their Feast Day. The Collect is taken from the Common of Many Martyrs.
Collect of Ss Chrysanthus & Daria, Martyrs ~ Indulgenced on the Saints' Feast
According to the Apostolic Penitentiary, a partial indulgence is granted to those who, on the feast of any Saint, recite in his honour the oration of the Missal or any other approved by legitimate Authority.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray.
Lord, may Thy holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria assist us by their prayers. We offer them our homage; may we always experience their loving aid.
Let us pray.
Lord, may Thy holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria assist us by their prayers. We offer them our homage; may we always experience their loving aid.
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
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