Our Martyrs, As Offerings to the Spirit of Traditionis Custodes

Yesterday was the Feast of Ss Edmund Campion, Ralph Sherwin, and Alexander Briant, the Martyrs of Douai or the Martyrs of Oxford. They were alumni of both.

From Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment

In the old English diocesan Calendars which preceded the 1970s, a number of admirable traitors cluster on this day or near it (depending on your view of Elizabeth Tudor ... perhaps she was the Traitor). 

S Edmund Campion, S John's College  and Douay; S Ralph Sherwin, Exeter College and Douay; S Alexander Briant, Hart Hall and Douay. Sometimes one or other of those three is commemorated; sometimes it is Blessed Edmund Campion and his Companions; sometimes the Blessed Martyrs of Douay College; sometimes the Blessed Martyrs of Oxford University. (Vide the old calendars for Birmingham, Portsmouth, Northampton, Westminster, Plymouth, Liverpool, Nottingham.)

December 1 1581, four hundred and forty years ago today, was the day when those three Saints died for Christ at Tyburn; omnes Oxonienses, Duacenses omnes. And, of course, all three now canonised (in 1970 by S Paul VI, a completely genuine pope, poor practised-upon poppet).

Those old calendars are now out of date (except for sedevacantists who contest the canonisations of Papa Montini), and I doubt if Arthur Roche regards their updating as the first priority on his busy daily schedule. In the spirit of Canon 19, it seems to me proper (having asked "What would the nice old Sacra Rituum Congregatio have done?") to celebrate, as a second class feast, or Greater Double, "Saint Edmund Campion and the Holy and Blessed Martyrs of Oxford University".

Come to think of it: it is probable that these three great Saints were hanged, drawn, and quartered for celebrating the 'Pian' edition of the Roman Rite (which had been taught at Douay since 1576.)

If topicality may respectfully be predicated of martyrs, these three must be jolly toppingly topical now in this saeculum pravissimum Traditionis Custodum.

In view of the CDF legislation of 2020, I think it must also now be lawful to say Mass and Office of these Saints and Blesseds even in dioceses other than those listed above. (I certainly would; I remember looking up at the list of Douay martyrs in Allen Hall and the mighty and admirable Mgr Andrew Wadsworth murmuring to me "They're all yours now".)

Ora, Ora, Ora pro nobis! Orate omnes!

In any case, led by PF, we are all surely being led far beyond mere law nowadays! 

You will find no shameful Legalism, no arrogant Rigidity on this blog!!

Word of the Day: Habakkuk (Habacuc)

HABAKKUK. The author of the eighth book of the Minor Prophets, written about 600 B.C. It is a short, philosophic book of three chapters in which he complains of the injustices of life. Evil always triumphs, as evidenced m the ruthlessness of the Chaldeans in trampling on the rights of other peoples (Habakkuk 1:6). One is startled by the insight he shows when he describes them as "A people feared and dreaded; from their might proceeds their right, their greatness" (Habakkuk 1:7). The prophet is comforted, however, by Yahweh's assurance that, in time, goodness will triumph. He concludes, "Calmly I await the day of anguish which is dawning on the people now attacking us" (Habakkuk 3:16).

Dealing With the Enemy's Cultural Hegemony

Dr Shaw looks at the Culture War. Our Græco-Roman Catholic culture is under attack and the enemy, at least for now, has all the heavy artillery. 

From Voice of the Family

By The Hon. Joseph Shaw, PhD, FRSA

If one is to live a Christian life, let alone evangelise in some small way, one has to recognise the unique challenges of one’s time and place. At all times and in all places there is the reality of Original Sin, one’s own sin and the sin of others. For the last century or so, we in the West have also had to live with the fact that being any kind of Christian, and perhaps particularly being Catholic, is regarded by most people as either incomprehensible or malign. In the words of Hilary Mantel, the much-lionised, best-selling author of historical fiction, which twists the narrative to demonise St Thomas More, being a Catholic is not “respectable”.

Mantel, like the author Philip Pullman, seems to have “issues”, as the modern jargon has it, with Catholic faith and culture. She has no intrinsic significance — there have always been strange people around — what is important is the use which has been made of her: she has been awarded all kinds of prizes and her repulsive novels have been adapted for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Pullman, another winner of multiple awards, has had one book made into a film and another into a play. Both writers have received the accolade of special editions of their works done for the bibliophiles of the Folio Society.

The publicity machines have nevertheless found it difficult to explain these peculiar individuals. Mantel was initially praised for the historical accuracy and realism of her work but, as real historians began to notice her material, she hastily rebranded it as a very fictional kind of historical fiction. After pocketing prizes for children’s books, Pullman decided, as his graphic descriptions of child torture began to get a bit out of hand, that this was just a misunderstanding; no, he was writing for adults.

Such U-turns would have sunk lesser folk, but the secularist establishment needs Mantel and Pullman. They possess some literary skill and their work can be used to counter-balance and even to exclude the Christian narratives given to us by writers of a previous generation: notably, Robert Bolt’s play and film, A Man for All Seasons, about St Thomas More, and the children’s books of C.S. Lewis. Literature and historical memory is being remade in the snarling image of secular modernity.

The cultural legacy of Christianity remains vast, however, and the literary efforts of its adversaries are puny by comparison. In a generation or two Pullman and Mantel will be forgotten. What we can call “classical culture” — the things that remain of interest to scholars and the general reader even after the lapse of time — has become an important field of conflict. This is a conflict between those who want to suppress all reference to the former civilisation of the West, the culture of “less enlightened times”, and those who would at least like to have it available for study and critique. Custodians of culture in universities and schools seem to have taken all too seriously the double meaning of custos, and regard themselves too often as jailers rather than as trustees. But others can still be found, including those more attuned to market forces, who will give Christian culture an airing.

In the summer, I visited the exhibition on St Thomas Becket put on by the British Museum, and was very pleasantly surprised by the open-minded and scholarly presentation of the material, as well as by the abundance, beauty, and interest of the exhibits, which included devotional items and reliquaries. More recently, I attended a recital of what may be the greatest Christian work of literature, in English, of the last 100 years: T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, recited, with all the subtle refinements of stagecraft, by Ralph Fiennes. Putting on an exhibition about St Thomas Becket or a one-man recital of Four Quartets are things that can only happen if the various people involved believe that these are subjects of profound importance. They are successful in commercial terms only if members of the public agree. Both have been tremendous successes, packed out and praised to the skies by critics.

These are not, to be sure, mass-market products: the British Museum and a short run in the small Harold Pinter Theatre are, in their different ways, decidedly niche. Re-watching the film adaptations of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and The Lord of the Rings (2001–3), it seems impossible that such films should be made today. Even at the time, critics were astonished that Mel Gibson’s Passion was such a commercial success and I understand that this convinced the makers of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that they didn’t need to de-Christianise it quite as much as they had planned. To the same era belongs an anecdote about The Daily Telegraph, whose Anglican (since, Catholic convert) then-editor, Charles Moore, decided, against some internal opposition, to do a series of features on Christianity to mark the new millennium. It was a great success. When Moore was congratulated for this in a meeting of senior journalists, it was met with a stony silence.

The stony silence is an important clue. New cultural products, like the above-mentioned films and prominent newspaper series, are not going to be coming our way again soon, not because there is no demand for them, but because the decision-makers would not want to be associated with them. Such ventures are not the way to gain status: you gain status by showing you are more “woke” than other people. It is better to be the man who lost money doing something daringly woke than the man who made money doing something reactionary: you’re more likely to be invited to the parties and given the exciting jobs.

This explains why even successful public protests against progressive outrages don’t have a wider effect. The recent resignation of (Ms) Robin Appleby as the headteacher of the American School in London — after she insisted on lessons teaching the children that all white people are racist — will not, on its own, give much pause to the plans of other schools, and I doubt she will be out of a job for long. This kind of battle needs to be won in every single school, and will need to be re-fought every few years.

That is what it means to be living in an era in which the enemy has cultural hegemony. It is not that ordinary people are sinners: that has always been the case. The problem is that the normal incentives to do something beautiful, popular, or of genuine cultural value have been counter-balanced in a wide range of institutions by the imperatives of a hostile ideology, against which people are constantly judged. Good things can still happen: we have not yet got to the point of totalitarian coercion. But they tend to happen in niche ways or for special reasons. At this stage of his career, Ralph Fiennes doesn’t need to worry about pleasing casting directors any more. The people at the British Museum can do a good exhibition on Becket because they do exhibitions about all kinds of things all the time. In both cases their productions were not presented as being from a Christian perspective and, in some ways, the Christian confessional content was played down. But the material was allowed to speak for itself and the message it conveyed was a powerful one.

Francis Plans Bloodbath: Roman Rite Communities Will Be FORCED Into Novus Ordo

Remember, in early July, Traditionis Custodes was 'just a rumour' derided by many as evidence of a nutter, paranoid conspiracy theory.

From Gloria.tv

Michael Charlier writes on Summorum-Pontificum.de (30 November) that measures will be announced before the end of 2021 to force all Roman Rite communities into the Novus Ordo.

Charlier has published accurate reports and predictions in the past. Francis wants to "return" the Roman Rite communities "to the single mode of celebration" of the New Pseudo-Rite, before publishing regulations for Traditionis Custodes.

According to Charlier, papal delegates will be sent to these communities. Unlike commissioners, they won't replace existing superiors but will be their superiors. Their mandate is "to reconcile" their communities "with the spirit of the Council".

As a first step, presiding the Eucharist will be ordered to totally replace the celebration of Mass so that these priests can subsequently be integrated into Novus Ordo pastoral work.

The public celebration of Mass, which is still permitted for the time being, will be entrusted only to Novus Ordo priests who are faithful to the failed Council. Roman Rite priests will only be allowed to celebrate Mass internally and in exceptional cases. The administration of the other sacraments will be forbidden.

The papal delegates are not authorised to be flexible and to negotiate with the communities. Rigidity, legalism and refusal of dialogue will reign.

Charlier assumes that the "papal delegates" will succeed in subduing "parts and probably majorities of the leadership of some communities" but not a "large majority" of the members, thus "the communities will break up - which may well be in the spirit of Francis' strategy."

Royal News Roundup

King Simeon of Bulgaria was accused of being the 'Red Tsar'!

From The Mad Monarchist (31 August 2013)

Starting in the British Isles, it seems complaints about minimum wage standards are costing jobs on both sides of the pond this week. Advertisements had previously gone out for a maid to be employed at the Queen’s residence in Scotland only to have the offer withdrawn after “social justice” types complained that the position only paid minimum wage (the perk of getting to live in a palace must not have impressed them). Buckingham Palace officials have said that the initial advertisement was a mistake. Meanwhile, rumors were swirling this week that the Duke and Duchess of York may be becoming an item again (MM rolling his eyes). HRH the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted for the first time in public since the birth of Prince George, doing a little grocery shopping. The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry will be joining forces next month for a charity party in London’s Canary Wharf to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. And, in reference to the special report last week, Britain’s elite SAS is launching an investigation into who said what concerning the accusations that they were involved in the death of the late Princess of Wales. British army commander General Sir Peter Wall is reportedly furious that the elite special forces unit has had its reputation attacked in this way.

As to royals from the continent, HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover and family have been relaxing on St Tropez, perhaps resting up for the approaching wedding of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo. Daughter Charlotte Casiraghi was also on hand and, from the photos taken, the rumors of her pregnancy have definitely been confirmed. In Luxembourg, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie have departed for a visit to Germany to mark the anniversary of the Weilburg Militia which was founded in 1813 to mark the wedding of two ancestors of the Luxembourg Royal Family. In the Kingdom of Sweden TM the King and Queen visited Norrbotten County this week and Prince Carl Philip presented the racing cup that has his name on it to the winners of the Lidkoeping Open karting competition. And, in Bulgaria, the former monarch is drawing criticism from the political right over accusations that he “sold out” to the leftist government in return for their giving him back confiscated royal properties. The criticism came from the minor “Order, Law and Justice party” after King Simeon took to his website to condemn the protests against the government. The party accused the King of supporting the government (a coalition of the leftist Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, a party of ethnic Turks) in exchange for a promise to restore royal property. A party spokesman referred to King Simeon as the “Red Tsar” and called him an advocate for former communists.

In the Middle East the threat of U.S. intervention in the Syrian civil war got most of the headlines this week. Just to re-cap, the Arab monarchies are all pretty unanimous in wanting the Assad regime to go but are not prepared to go beyond funding the rebels or at least the rebel faction of their choice. Assad is not and never has been to their taste, though they are almost all concerned with any civil unrest as it has proven a rather contagious problem. In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan protestors took to the street to voice their opposition to the American intervention President Obama is still thinking about. The top royals were not in Jordan at the time though as TM King Abdullah II and Queen Rania visited Rome this week where they met with HH Pope Francis. Meanwhile, unnamed members of the Saudi Royal Family have, we are told, been holding somewhat secretive meetings with the Russians in an effort to gain some assurance that Russia will not decide to take any action if the United States intervenes against their Syrian allies for the significant reason that if American intervention goes forward and Vladimir Putin so much as snorts in the direction of an American ship or plane then Obama would soil himself. And this week the Emir of Qatar signed a new border accord with Saudi Arabia but, with everything going on in Syria, I doubt many people noticed.

Finally, in the lands of Eternal Asia, TM the King and Queen of Bhutan attended the graduation ceremonies at the Royal Institute of Management this week. The King told the graduating class that they had a responsibility to use the knowledge and experience they have gained to serve the country and that by strengthening the rule of law they could contribute to maintaining the security and sovereignty of Bhutan. Great. The King also said they all had to work on strengthening democracy. Yawn. Meanwhile, in the Land of the Rising Sun, a new generation have suddenly became aware of the fact (long known to many of us) that HM the Empress is pretty cool man, she’s pretty with-it and all that. While on a visit to the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo HM the Empress saw an exhibit on the virtual pop star sensation Hatsune Miku and pointed her out saying, “Ah, I suppose this is Miku-chan, isn’t it?” At which point young people all over Japan dropped their jaws in amazement that HM the Empress actually recognized a pop culture figure and seems to be up on what is ‘hip and cool’ with the kids these days. Personally, ever since I found out what a big sumo fan HM the Empress is, nothing surprises me. So, yes, young people, congratulations on finding out what we all already knew: the Empress is awesome. In other news, TM the Emperor and Empress visited another museum in Nagano prefecture this week before taking a little time off for a friendly game of tennis.

2 December, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Blessedness of Those Who Suffer Persecution

1. It would seem impossible that suffering and persecution could bring us happiness. Yet we have our Lord's assurance for it. “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake,” He says, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men reproach you, and persecute you, and, speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in heaven.”( Mt.5:9-12)

Not only is this true of persecution borne in defence of the faith and of the Church, but it is equally true of any kind of trouble and suffering as long as it is endured for the love of God. “Rejoice,” writes St. Peter, “in so far as you are partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that you may also rejoice with exultation in the revelation of his glory.” (1 Peter 4:13)

"It is good for us now and then," ‘The Imitation of Christ’ assures us, "to have some troubles and adversities; for oftentimes they make a man enter into himself, that he may know that he is an exile, and place not his hopes in anything of the world. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradictions, and to allow people to think ill and slightingly of us, even when we do and mean well. These are often helps to humility, and rid us of vain glory. For then we more earnestly seek God to be witness of what passes within us, when outwardly we are slighted by men, and incur their discredit." (Bk.1, c. 12)

This is a repetition of the teaching of Jesus Christ, Who said: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

The happiness which our Lord promises us is that which results from our own self-renewal and from the acceptance of our cross. This happiness is not easy to acquire, because our selfish and sensual impulses, as well as the insults of others, seem to be forever stirring up a nest of vipers inside us. Too often our hearts are overflowing, not with happiness, but with rebellion. How can we remedy this? There is only one way. We must love God so much that we are prepared to endure everything willingly for love of Him. Those who suffer are blessed, therefore, only on one condition, namely, on condition that they suffer for love of God.

2. Why did God will to grant us happiness only on this condition that we deny ourselves and carry the cross with resignation? The reason is that we should no longer be ourselves, but should belong entirely to God, and should no longer live our own lives, as St. Paul expresses it, but should live the life of Jesus Christ. We ought to become like Him, the Man of sorrows Who redeemed us at the price of His Precious Blood and forgave His executioners from the Cross. We must suffer, moreover, so that by our suffering we may expiate our sins, purify our souls, detach ourselves from the world, and begin to lead a heavenly life even on this earth.

We should not imagine that this will make our lives sad and dreary. On the contrary, it will fill them with the lasting joy which God sends from on high. Let us acquire the peace which is founded on complete control of the passions, on absolute dedication to God, and on the power of charity, which can overcome all obstacles. Before we can acquire it, of course, we must be enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. It was not until after Pentecost that the Apostles achieved this happiness, so that “they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. (Acts 5:41)

3. Let us implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to grant us this serene joy, which is a reflection of the happiness of Heaven.

Eastern Rite - Feasts of 2 December AM 7530

Today is the Feast of the Holy Prophet Habacuc and the Commemoration of the Passing into Eternal Life of Blessed Hieromartyr Ivan Sleziuk, Catacomb Bishop of Ivano-Frankivs’k and Confessor.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Holy Prophet Habacuc, the eighth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, was descended from the Tribe of Simeon, and he prophesied around 650 B.C.

The Prophet Habacuc foresaw the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity and the later return of the captives to their native land. During the war with the Babylonians, the prophet withdrew to Arabia, where the following miracle occurred. When he was bringing dinner to the reapers, he met an angel of the Lord, and instantly by the strength of his spirit he was transported to Babylon, where at the time the Prophet Daniel was languishing in prison. The food intended for the reapers assuaged the hunger of the exhausted Prophet Daniel (Dan. 14:33-37).

After the end of the war with the Babylonians, the Prophet Habacuc returned to his homeland and died at a great old age. His relics were found at the time of Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), together with the relics of the Prophet Micheas (August 14).

The Fourth Ode of the Psalter (“O Lord, I have heard thy report, and was afraid...”) is based on Habacuc 3:2-19.

Troparion — Tone 2

We celebrate the memory / of Your prophet Habacuc, O Lord; / through him, we entreat You, / save our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 8

Divinely eloquent Habacuc, / you announced to the world the coming forth of God from the south, from the Virgin. / Standing on the divine watch, you received a report from the radiant angel: / “You proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ to the world!” / Therefore in gladness we cry out to you: / “Rejoice, splendid adornment of the prophets!”

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Blessed Hieromartyr Ivan Sleziuk was born on 14 January 1896, in the village of Zhyvachiv, Zhyvachiv, in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1923 he was ordained to the Priesthood. In April of 1945 Bishop Hryhoriy Khomyshyn consecrated him as his co-adjutor with right of succession to the Eparchy of Stanyslaviv (now Ivano-Frankivs’k). On June 2, 1945, Bishop Ivan was arrested for his faith, and sentenced to ten years in the forced labour camps in Vorkuta, Russia. He was transferred in 1950 to Mordovia, RSFSR. He was released on 15 November 1954, and returned to Ivano-Frankivs’k, UkSSR. Arrested again for his faith in 1962, he was sentenced to five years in the forced labour camps. Released on 30 November 1968, he had to go often to the KGB for regular "talks." The last visit was two weeks before his death, which occurred 2 December 1973, in Ivano-Frankivs’k. He was declared Venerable on 24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II by a decree of martyrdom and was Beatified on 27 June 2001, again by Pope John Paul II in Ukraine.

Blessed Hieromartyr Ivan is also commemorated on 27 June as one of the Martyrs Killed Under Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe.

Testimony of Bishop Sofron Dmyterko:

“As the deceased himself said, they locked him in a separate isolated area, and no one visited him. He stayed there for two hours. Then they told him: ‘You’re free to go.’ It was difficult for him to walk because, as he himself said, after this he felt dizzy, as if he had a fever, his skin was burning. The Sisters of St. Vincent, who helped him out, also said that the bishop returned from this ‘conversation’ with a very red face, he felt exhausted, stayed in bed and died two weeks later. There was and still is a suspicion that the KGB used radiation to get rid of one more Uniate bishop.” – From the testimony of Bishop Sofron Dmyterko

IN LUMINE FIDEI: 2 DECEMBER – SAINT BIBIANA (Virgin and Martyr)

IN LUMINE FIDEI: 2 DECEMBER – SAINT BIBIANA (Virgin and Martyr): Bibiana was a Roman virgin, noble by birth, but more noble by her profession of the Christian faith. For, under the most wicked tyrant Ju...

IN LUMINE FIDEI: 2 DECEMBER – THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

IN LUMINE FIDEI: 2 DECEMBER – THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT: Lesson at Matins – Isaias v. 1‒7 I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard ...

2 December, A Chesterton Calendar

DECEMBER 2nd

Our wisdom, whether expressed in private or public, belongs to the world, but our folly belongs to those we love.

'Browning.'

2 December, The Holy Rule of St Benedict, Father of Western Monks

CHAPTER LI. Of the Brethren who go not very far off

2 Apr. 2 Aug. 2 Dec.

Let not the brother who is sent out on any business, and hopeth to return that same day to the Monastery, presume to eat while abroad, even although pressed by any one to do so, unless perchance he have been bidden by his Abbot. If he do otherwise, let him be excommunicated.

3 December, The Roman Martyrology

Quarto Nonas Decémbris Luna vicésima séptima Anno Dómini 2021

December 2nd 2021, the 27th day of the Moon, were born into the better life:

At Rome, (about the year 363,) the holy Virgin and martyr Bibiana, who under, the profane Emperor Julian was for Christ's sake flogged to death with scourges loaded with lead.
There likewise, the holy martyrs the Priest Eusebius, the Deacon Marcellus, Hippolytus, Maximus, Adria, Paulina, Neo, Mary, Martana, and Aurelia, who suffered martyrdom under the judge Secundian, in the persecution under the Emperor Valerian, (in the year 256.)
Likewise at Rome, (at the end of the 2nd century,) the holy martyr Pontian and four others.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Severus, Securus, Januarius, and Victorinus, who were there crowned with martyrdom, (about the year of Christ 300.) At Aquileia, (about the year 409,) the holy Confessor Chromatius, Bishop (of that see.)
At Imola, (in the year 450,) holy Peter, Bishop of Ravenna, styled Chrysologus, (or him of the golden words,) famous for his teaching and holiness, whose feast we keep upon the 4th day of this present month.
At Verona, (in the sixth century,) the holy Confessor Lupus, Bishop (of that see.)
At Edessa, (about the year 468,) holy Nonnus, Bishop (first of that see, and afterwards of Heliopolis in Syria,) through whose prayers Pelagia the penitent was converted to Christ.
At Troas, in Phrygia, holy Bishop Silvanus, famous for miracles.
At Brescia, holy Bishop Evasius.
V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
R. Thanks be to God.

Memes of the Day

 

What’s the Meaning of the Seasons’ Traditions?

Mrs Bogle looks at the traditional customs of Advent and Christmas-tide from Stir-Up Sunday to the Christmas Crib and galette des rois on Three Kings Day.

From Simply Catholic

By Joanna Bogle

C.S. Lewis, the great Christian writer who gave us Narnia, wrote a superb parody about Christmas, describing a baffled time traveler visiting Britain and finding people forced to buy squares of decorated cardboard and mail them to one another.

It is true that many semi-obligatory things, apparently belonging to Christmas in Western countries, bear very little relation to the awesome reality of the birth of Jesus Christ and the redemption of mankind. And it’s getting even sillier: in the Britain of the 1950s that Lewis knew, churchgoing was at least still a mainstream activity — it is not so now.

The commercial pressure attached to Christmas now starts in August — and, of course, manufacturers and marketers have been busy long before that. Recent additions to the “must have” of what is now regarded as a proper traditional Christmas include plastic reindeer antlers worn on the head, piped recordings of Santa Claus songs in supermarkets and battery-operated bow ties that light up.

Preparing for Christ’s Birth

For Christians, though, the glorious reality of Christmas starts with its real place in the calendar. An important date is March 25, the Annunciation — the old name is Lady Day, and it’s 40 weeks before Christmas. A baby is 40 weeks in the womb. That’s a significant number: It’s why it’s so important in the Scriptures. Think of Noah in the ark for 40 days, the Israelites traveling 40 years to the Promised Land, and Christ spending 40 days in prayer in the wilderness.

Christmas is linked to the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The Annunciation is in the spring, linked to the vernal equinox, equal day and night.

The date of Christmas, Dec. 25, was set by Emperor Constantine in 336; Jesus’ birthday isn’t recorded in Scripture. Some say Dec. 25 was chosen as the date to celebrate Jesus’ birthday because of the ancient Roman midwinter pagan festivals coinciding with the winter solstice that occurred around this date — Christian citizens of the Roman Empire no longer worshiped the Sun God, but the Son of God.

We should relish our Christmas customs, even starting with Advent, the four weeks of preparation for the great feast. The tradition of an Advent wreath comes from the snowy parts of Europe, when, in winter, the wheels would be taken off the wagons and runners put on instead. A cartwheel makes a strong base for a great Advent wreath, with four candles, one for each week. Some traditions affirm red candles, but most use three purple and one pink, the latter signifying Gaudete Sunday, its name coming from the Latin word for joy. This is the Third Sunday of Advent, when the season of solemn preparation gives way to a note of joyful expectation. Prayers around the Advent wreath, with one candle alight during the first week, two in the second and so on, are something special on winter evenings. The great Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” dates back to the O antiphons of the eighth century.

The First Sunday of Advent is called “stir up Sunday” when Christmas puddings are made in Britain. With plenty of alcohol in it, the puddings will most certainly keep until Christmas. Everyone in the household should take a turn at stirring the mixture and making a wish. The pudding originated in Britain as plum porridge and seems to date from the 18th century. Mincemeat — chopped-up dried fruit, spices, lemon and orange peel, and shredded suet — is an older dish, originally containing minced meat, dried and preserved. Mince pies are traditionally oval in shape, representing the manger, with Christ the sweetness inside.

In the United States and Northern Europe, Christmas is synonymous with wintry things, but, for most of the world, it’s not like that. For instance, in India — where Catholic tradition goes back to St. Thomas, one of Christ’s own apostles — midnight Mass is celebrated on a warm summer night and is traditionally followed by visits to family and friends with feasting.

Feasts within Advent

St. Nicholas — from whence Santa Claus came — the saintly bishop of the early church who helped the poor, has his feast on Dec. 6, and so has become linked with Christmas. In much of Europe he arrives dressed as a bishop, mitred and robed, but in America and Britain his robes have become a red and fur-trimmed outfit. Stockings are associated with Christmas because of him. Known for his charity, he dropped money down the chimney discreetly for three poor girls — and it went into their stockings, hung by the fire to dry.

Dec. 12 is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Coatlallope), the Patroness of the Americas. Mary appeared to the saintly Aztec Juan Diego, imprinting her picture on his tilma, or cloak. You can still see it in the great basilica in Mexico City, the most popular shrine in the Western Hemisphere, visited by millions every year. Mary is pregnant with the Savior and wears the traditional ribbon of an Aztec expectant mother. Coatlallope in Aztec dialect means “one who treads on snakes” — Mary crushed the serpent’s head as was prophesied of her in Genesis.

The date for the feast isn’t accidental — it’s God’s timing, linking with Christmas. Many celebrate the feast with a piñata, essentially a pineapple shape made out of papier-mâché, filled with toys and sweets, hung up over the heads of partygoers, who bash at it until it breaks, showering the gifts down on everyone.

Scandinavians especially celebrate St. Lucy — her name means “light” — on Dec. 13, the date for midwinter in the old Julian calendar. Girls dress in white robes, with red sashes to symbolize her martyrdom, and crowns bearing candles on their heads. They bring sugary pastries, fresh coffee and treats to hospitals and community groups.

Trees, Carols and More

Christmas trees began with the eighth-century St. Boniface, who converted the pagan Germans. They saw their great evergreens as sacred because the trees did not shed their needles or appear to die in winter like other trees. St. Boniface — his Latin name means “one doing good” — taught them to worship, not the evergreen tree, but Christ who died on a tree, and who thereby offers us eternal life. Eventually, he was martyred, but meanwhile an evergreen decorated with candles became the Christmas tree. Many centuries later Prince Albert, who was of German descent and married Britain’s Queen Victoria, brought the custom to England, and from there it went to other lands.

Many cultures celebrate the Christmas season until Feb. 2, which is Candlemas, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. Before the revisions of the liturgical calendar following the Second Vatican Council, that’s when the season ended. Many homes retain some Christmas decorations — certainly the manger — all through that time. Crib scenes, in churches and homes, are said to have begun with St. Francis of Assisi in 1223. While the manger is empty all through Advent, many places are known to have faithful bring the Christ Child to be blessed at Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent — Bambino Sunday — before traditionally placing him in the manger on Christmas morning.

Many cultures traditionally mark Christmas Eve by abstaining from meat. Italian-Americans are known for celebrating the “Feast of Seven Fishes” on that day. Roast beef or pork used to be standard in English-speaking countries on Christmas Day, but now turkey or ham is commonplace.

Christmas games, quizzes and jokes all date back to medieval times as ways of making merry in the long dark evenings of winter. Even today, with television dominating our lives, Christmas is still a time for singalongs, special programs and games.

Many carols are medieval in origin, but the 17th century gave us “While Shepherds Watched” and the 19th gave us “Away in a Manger” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Incidentally, a legend that the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was a code used by Catholics in the days of persecution is untrue: that story only started in the 1970s.

Epiphany — remembering the arrival of the Three Kings — is a big celebration in Spain. Still fixed on Jan. 6, freshly polished shoes of Spanish children are left ready on the previous evening, wherein the kings will deposit presents. Meanwhile, the Three Kings arrive at household manger scenes around the world, often having traveled from room to room around the house. The French have given us the galette des rois — a delicious pastry with a small king embedded inside. Whoever gets him is king or queen for the evening, wears a golden paper crown and chooses the first game to be played. These are known today in the United States as king cakes in many regions claiming French ancestry, such as Louisiana, where they are eaten all the way through Mardi Gras.

Christmas is a time for storytelling, family reminiscences, tales of Christmases past. Some are bittersweet, such as the World War I Christmas 1914 truce in the trenches — where soldiers on both sides put down their arms in observance of the Lord’s birth. It really happened and is a symbol of the whole heartbreaking tragedy of that war.

And Christmas is indeed bittersweet: after Christmas Day comes the feasts of the first martyr, St. Stephen (Dec. 26), and the Holy Innocents (Dec. 28).

Christ’s birth is joyful, but our redemption was won through his suffering — and through that, all suffering is redeemed and is redemptive. Christmas for some is a time of loneliness, poignant memories or mild regrets.

But Christ knows about all of that, for He came to bear our sins and bring us new life. As a British folk carol says: “For the holly bears a berry, as red as any blood / And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to do poor sinners good.”

Joanna Bogle is a British Catholic journalist, writer and broadcaster. In 2013, she became a Dame of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. She has authored several books, including “Book of Feasts & Seasons” and blogs at joannabogle.blogspot.com.

Vatican Cardinal Says Women's Ordination Is 'Wrong Path'

I'm sorry Your Eminence, it is not just a 'wrong path'. It is IMPOSSIBLE! Go back and read Ordinatio sacerdotalis again.

From Crux

By Inés San Martín

ROME – Though the week-long Ecclesial Assembly of Latin America offered a long string of bold proposals, the proposal of ordaining women either as deacons or as priests was rarely brought up. And the one time it was, a top-Vatican cardinal dismissed it.

“We still need much synodality,” said Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, during a press conference held Friday, as the Nov. 21-28 assembly was wrapping up.

Asked point blank if the lack of vocations to the priesthood could lead to the ordination of women, even if only to the diaconate, the prelate said that from a “doctrinal point of view” there are “no conclusions that open this door.”

The matter, he said, was studied by a commission set up by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at Pope Francis’s request, to look into the historical figure of female deacons. Formed in 2016, the pontiff told reporters in May 2019 that the 12-member body had been unable to produce a “definitive response” to the matter, due to a lack of consensus regarding the role of deaconesses in early Christianity.

“Personally, I believe that we have to potentiate the particular charisms women have,” Ouellet said during the press conference. “The path is not to completely equate at a ministerial level men and women, because there’s a symbolic importance in the sacramental roles.”

“It’s important to remember that God made an alliance with humanity, and that the nuptial symbol is the privileged symbol in the Church and in the Bible,” he said, speaking in Spanish. “To express God’s relationship with his people, of Christ with the Church. Christ is male, the Church is feminine. The priest who must represent Christ must have a semantic coherence, and this is the reason why the representation of Christ as a husband is reserved to men.”

“It’s a bit evident,” he added.

According to Ouellet, what the Church needs to do is further develop the charisms women have, give them more room, listen to them more and grant them more responsibilities.

“The woman is an excellent catechist,” he said. “She can be the chancellor of a diocese, a [canon] lawyer, work in communication and administration, having very important roles both at a diocese and a parish.”

The Canadian prelate insisted on highlighting the charism of women, saying that they must be granted concrete recognition, without pretending that, simply by being ordained, women would be granted access to all the spaces of the Church. “It’s a wrong path, one that doesn’t respect the peculiarity of the woman.”

What is needed, Ouellet said, is a much deeper synodal reform, that is “more fundamental than imposing the same roles to women and men. The change the Church needs is much greater than giving [women] access to ordained ministry. The revolution must be more profound.”

A Word or Two About Heresy

Yes, heresy exists, and Biden, Pelosi, and other pro-baby killing politicians are not only guilty of it but also guilty of preaching it to the masses!

From The Catholic Thing

By David Carlin

From a Catholic point of view, the trouble with Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi isn’t only that they engage in the sinful act of promoting and facilitating abortion. Rather, it is that they preach heresy, moral heresy. They do this when they say, either expressly or by very clear implication, that abortion, so far from being morally wrong, is a fundamental right that deserves legal protection. This is contrary to the age-old teaching of their religion. The correct name for teaching things contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church is heresy.

Things are made even worse when our bishops rarely chide, and never sanction, Biden and Pelosi for preaching this heresy. And Pope Francis doesn’t help when he welcomes these two heretics to Rome, not by rending his garments, but with smiles and kisses.

By and large, Americans tend to agree with liberal Protestants that the essence of religion is morality. Doctrine is non-essential; it is an accessory, maybe no more than an ornament. “It doesn’t matter what a person believes. The important thing is that he or she be a good person” – this is a characteristically American sentiment. It’s a good sentiment insofar as it helps enable Americans of a great variety of beliefs to live in peace and harmony with one another. And it’s also “good for business,” for it guarantees that doctrinal disputes will not interfere with buying and selling.

But it’s not so good a sentiment from a Catholic point of view, since Catholicism is a religion that regards doctrine – true doctrine, that is – as one of its essential elements. The battle against false doctrine has been going on at least since the writings of St. Paul.

A classic formulation of the idea that doctrine doesn’t matter was given by the great English poet and critic, Matthew Arnold (1822-88), who re-defined religion (by which he meant Christianity) as “morality touched with emotion.” If doctrine doesn’t matter, then neither does heresy. And if neither doctrine nor heresy matter, then who cares if Biden and Pelosi are moral heretics?

Biden and Pelosi are the two best-known Catholics in America. And they are not simply well-known people who happen to be Catholic. Their fame as politicians is inseparable from their fame as Catholics. Unlike certain movie stars or professional athletes who happen to be Catholic, but rarely or never mention this fact because they consider their religion to be something quite distinct and separate from their professional skills, Pelosi and Biden wear their Catholicism on their sleeves. They frequently tell us that their political beliefs are largely inspired by their religious beliefs. It’s their Catholic sense of justice and compassion – according to them – that inspires them to keep abortion safe and legal (though not rare) for unfortunate women who will suffer needlessly if abortion is not available.

When the two most famous Catholics in America tell us that their religion – our religion – allows abortion, and when our bishops (not to mention the pope) do little or nothing to contradict the pro-abortion messages given by these ultra-famous Catholics, who can be surprised when many rank-and-file Catholics draw the conclusion that abortion isn’t really wrong?

“However,” it will be objected, “the pope and the bishops have been perfectly clear that abortion is a grave sin. Again and again, they have iterated this ancient Church teaching. Not a single American bishop has ever hinted, let alone asserted, that abortion may be permissible, even in very hard cases. What more can they do to squelch any pro-abortion heresy?”

Sure. But everyone knows there’s a big difference, a very big difference, between saying that something is wrong and really meaning it. We observe this distinction every day in child-rearing. Almost all parents agree that their young children should not eat too much candy. But some parents enforce this rule, while others don’t; they simply pay lip service to it. Likewise, all cops agree that drug dealing is a serious crime. But in a corrupt police department, many cops simply pay lip service to this truth as they take payoffs to look the other way.

Do our Catholic bishops really mean it when they say that abortion is a very grave sin? Or are they simply paying lip service to a Catholic moral doctrine? Now, I don’t think any bishop is taking bribes from the likes of NARAL, Planned Parenthood, or the ACLU. A bishop, no matter how poor he may be in other ways, is above that.

But I’m far from certain that bishops are above taking “bribes” of respect and friendship offered by society’s social and economic leaders, many of whom – probably most – are largely indifferent as to the sinfulness of abortion. What these high-ranking people are really serious about is economic activity: the buying and selling of goods and services. (“The chief business of the American people is business,” as Calvin Coolidge once said.) As long as abortion doesn’t interfere with these activities, why should they care?

They don’t mind when a bishop issues an abstract condemnation of abortion; after all, that’s one of the things he gets paid to do. But if a bishop were to get really serious about this – if, for example, he were to excommunicate a Catholic member of Congress – well, that would be a different story. How could a leader of society continue to respect so wayward a churchman?

Given that the two most famous American Catholics tell us that abortion is compatible with Catholicism, and given that our bishops have had no more than a weak-kneed response to the Biden-Pelosi heresy, who can be surprised when millions of ordinary Catholics, especially young Catholics (whose catechesis, let us remember, has been poor for the last half century), believe that the Catholic religion no longer considers abortion to be a terrible sin?

We no longer burn heretics at the stake, thank God. But it doesn’t follow that Catholicism can afford to pretend that famous heretics are not a grave danger to the faith.

Why Was There No 𝜩 (Xi) Version of the Virus?

Could it have anything to do with the name of the dictator of China?

From The American Catholic

By Donald R. McClarey, JD

 

Go here and here to read the rest.  Our health is in the very best of hands.

Reminder: Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

The monthly reminder: 'Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well.'

From Rorate Cæli

This is our monthly reminder to please enroll Souls of the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society.  The Society now stands at 110 priests saying weekly or monthly traditional Latin Masses for the Souls. 

** Click here to download a "fillable" PDF Mass Card in English to give to the loved ones of the Souls you enroll (you send these to the family and/or friends of the dead, not to us). It's free for anyone to use. CLICK HERE to download in Latin and CLICK HERE to download in Spanish. 

Priests: The Souls still need more of you saying Mass for them! Please email me to offer your services. There's nothing special involved -- all you need to do is offer a weekly or monthly TLM with the intention: "For the repose of the Souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society." And we will always keep you completely anonymous unless you request otherwise. 

How to enroll souls: please email me at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com and submit as follows: "Name, State, Country." If you want to enroll entire families, simply write in the email: "The Jones family, Ohio, USA". Individual names are preferred. Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well.

Please consider forwarding this Society to your family and friends, announcing from the pulpit during Holy Mass or listing in your church bulletin. We need to spread the word and relieve more suffering souls.

Please pray for the enrolled Souls and the 110 holy priests saying Traditional Masses for the Society:

"For all the souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the Faithful departed rest in peace. Amen."

Then ...

Almighty and ever living God,

we ask Thy blessing upon the priests

who offer Masses for the Purgatorial Society.

Give them a greater awareness of the grace

that Thou dost pour out through the Sacraments,

and by their devout celebration of the Sacred Mysteries,

increase in them a love for Thee.

Give strength to Thy priests, O Shepherd of the flock;

when they are in doubt, give them the assurance of faith,

and in Thy goodness confirm them as heralds of Thy Truth

to all who seek to follow in Thy path.

We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Priest,

Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity with the Holy Ghost,

God, for ever and ever. Amen.