CatholicVoice Omnia possum in eo, qui me confortat
11 September - 24 September 2020
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Issue 299
Stabat Mater Dolorosa Stabat mater dolorósa juxta Crucem lacrimósa, dum pendébat Fílius.
At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last.
Cuius ánimam geméntem, contristátam et doléntem pertransívit gládius.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflícta fuit illa benedícta, mater Unigéniti!
O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One.
Quae mœrébat et dolébat, pia Mater, dum vidébat nati pœnas ínclyti.
Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret, matrem Christi si vidéret in tanto supplício? Quis non posset contristári Christi Matrem contemplári doléntem cum Fílio?
Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother’s pain untold?
Pro peccátis suæ gentis vidit Iésum in torméntis, et flagéllis súbditum
For the sins of His own nation, She saw Jesus wracked with torment, All with scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriéndo desolátum, dum emísit spíritum.
She beheld her tender Child, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent.
Pietro Perugino (c. 1446 - 1523)
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12 WE MUST PERSEVERE
Catholic Voice
11th September 2020
The Mind Controllers Are After Your Children Final Installment - John Lacken Please, let us pause for one moment to offer up one Ave for our bishops. We continue to receive phone calls and e-mails detailing abuses of Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. The number of these abuses is increasing in these extraordinary times in which we live and they bring to mind Jesus’ words to St Margaret Mary Alacoque. “Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love.” So please, let us pray earnestly for our bishops that they will bring these abuses to an end and that they will restore the norm of the Catholic Church for receiving Holy Communion reverently - that is - on the tongue whilst kneeling. Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen I would like to conclude this short series of articles, which looked at how our Catholic faith is being attacked in very subtle ways, with some broad advice especially to parents of young children. The re-opening of schools, and this is not just in Ireland, has a very dystopian look to it. Young boys are not allowed to play any games
that involve physical contact with others; children who come to school with a slight cold or sniffles are at risk of being placed in an isolation area for suspected covid-19; children are being kept apart and some have to wear masks all day whilst being taught by teachers who will also be wearing masks. I greatly fear that this will do tremendous psychological damage to the children who are subjected to these abuses of their innocence and their freedom. I recently came across a story from communist Russia, written by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, who grew up there and was present during the start of the 1917 revolution. The following extract is quite moving. “One day, it happened! It happened in church. It was an old church with a cold stone floor - without lights, except for the tabernacle light and two slender candles. It happened right after the Consecration, while the priest’s hands were still raised high to allow us all, who were living under a “sentence of death” as it were, to behold Him Who died for love of us, and to give us courage if the need arose, to try to die as gallantly for the love of Him. White were the hands of the priest. White was the Host, shining white were the candles - dark and dim the church - when suddenly the side door opened with a bang, and rough voices shouted, “Stand still!” The priest froze with the Host still lifted high. We became statues of immobility lost in the dimness of the church. Soldiers! - for that is who they were. Red Army soldiers.
One of them slowly lifted his rifle and slowly took aim. One shot rang out. Only one. The priest quivered, swayed, and fell sideways. The consecrated Host rolled down, down the steps, onto the floor, coming to rest, still and white, on the dark floor by the altar railing in two pieces. Silence took over, only to be broken and shattered by the rhythmic steps of the hobnailed boots of the soldiers walking toward the tabernacle, then vaulting over the railing. Triumphantly their voices suddenly rang out while one of them crushed the consecrated Host under his heel: “There is no God! We have crushed him.” Silence wrapped up his voice and killed it. Silence. The silence of Golgotha entered the church. It hung - even like Christ on the cross - only to be broken again by the thin, reedy voice of an old, old man who spoke from the intense shadows of the church. “Father, forgive them, even if they know what they do.” Slowly, the old man arose. He was a patriarchal figure, with a long white beard and flowing hair. Reverently he gathered the crushed pieces of the consecrated Host. Slowly he bade us to come forward and to receive them in our last Communion. Maybe our viaticum. We did. Then we got holy water and scrubbed the floor. And we stayed on, to pray in reparation. We buried the priest secretly. He was the last priest in town; there would be no more Mass, no sacraments.” (Catherine de Hueck Doherty - excerpt from ‘Christmas without Christ’)
11th September 2020
Catholic Voice
WE MUST PERSEVERE 13
Reading this story gives us a certain perspective on how Catholicism has been persecuted in the past by the use of force and violence. But our enemies have learned that such tactics tend to produce Holy Martyrs, and so they have changed their tactics away from violence towards more subtle, psychological and deceitful methods, some of which have been noted in these recent articles. The author Walter Macken, summed
it up beautifully in his 1959 book ‘Seek the Fair Land’. In a powerful scene, Fr Sebastian, who is about to be martyred by the redcoats, is giving his sermon during what will be his last Mass at the Mass Rock on the mountain. He addresses the people as follows. “The future depends on you, it is not an easy future. You will not hold your faith easily. Like a granite rock throws off the water you will have to throw off persecution. It is easy enough to fight and conquer persecution. But it is not as easy to conquer the inducements of the easy road.” The Catholic faith in Ireland, which survived many years of violent persecution, is now being destroyed by ‘the inducements of the easy road’. The future of the Catholic faith in Ireland depends on ordinary Catholics remaining loyal to Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The future of the Catholic faith in Ireland depends on Catholic parents handing on the Catholic faith, in its beautiful fullness, to their children. Parents must teach their children to love Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and this love will encourage their children to persevere in living their lives according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Catholic parents have a grave moral duty to make sure that the children God entrusts to their care are taught the Catholic faith which has been bequeathed to the Catholic Church by Jesus Christ.
Blessed Miguel Pro just before his execution in Mexico in 1927 Most of us will not be given the opportunity for a heroic martyrdom such as that of Fr Miguel Pro, pictured above, because our enemies have changed tactics. Catholic parents, especially those with young children, cannot wait for our bishops to reform the dysfunctional Catholic school system which teaches error to children. The enemies of the Church have been so successful in undermining Catholic doctrine in the minds of the general public, that they do not need to use violence against us. Now they close our churches, with the full cooperation of our bishops, in order to allegedly protect our bodily health from a virus that is so deadly that most people recover from it. Now they undermine and abuse Jesus Christ truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar by mandating practices which deny Catholics the opportunity to receive Jesus Christ in accordance with the legal norms of the Catholic Church, and our bishops implement these government directives, which contradict canon law and trample, not just on the rights of the faithful, but on the right of Jesus Christ to come to us in this humble and humbling manner.
We can complain; we can get rightfully angry; we can protest; and we can write letters to bishops, most of which whilst perhaps necessary, will not do much to change the course of the future for the Catholic faith here in Ireland. This was brought home to me in a very beautiful and unexpected way on a recent visit to a nearby Catholic church. I was perturbed to see a masked man, dressed in a full security uniform, standing outside of the church questioning people as they were entering. As I approached the church he asked me if I was going to Mass. I said ‘no’, walked past him, and entered the church to pray. My peace was disturbed and I was angry at what is happening to our beloved Catholic Church. It took me a while to compose myself and to say my few prayers. I noticed two men, one of whom was handicapped and probably the son of the other man, sitting together in front of St Joseph’s altar. The older man, arose, genuflected in the side aisle and began walking towards the exit. The younger, handicapped man then arose and began walking towards the exit. He stopped, turned around to face the main altar, knelt down and in a loud voice that was both childlike and adult he said ‘Thank You Jesus’ then arose
16 SAINT MICHAEL DEFEND US
Catholic Voice
11th September 2020
St Michael The Archangel Excerpts from ‘The Feast of the Dedication of the Archangel St. Michael’ by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877
In Apulia, there is a mountain formerly called Gargano, now Monte St. Angelo, or Angel’s mountain. Near this mountain, a herdsman was keeping his cattle. A steer strayed away from his herd and went into the woods on the mountain, to the entrance of a cave which was concealed by bushes. The herdsman, to drive the animal out of the cave back to the herd, shot an arrow at it. The arrow, however, turned and flew with great force back to him. The herdsman and those who were present were terrified at this and none dared to go nearer to the cave. They went to the bishop, who was at Siponto, a neighboring city, and informed him of what had occurred. The bishop, not doubting that a divine mystery was concealed under it, ordered his congregation to fast and pray three days, in order that God might graciously reveal it to them. At the expiration of the three days, St. Michael, the Archangel, appeared to the bishop and announced to him that the place whither the steer had fled was under his especial protection, and that he desired that they should dedicate the spot to the honor of God, and to the memory of St. Michael and all the Angels. The bishop, greatly rejoiced, called the clergy and the people together, and having informed them of the revelation, formed a large procession and ascended the mountain. They found a large cave which was like a Church hewn out of the rock. Above the entrance was an opening by which the whole interior received light. To offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass in it, only the altar was wanting; but it was speedily erected by the pious bishop. The Church itself was soon after dedicated with great solemnity to St. Michael and all holy Angels. The fame of this event spread in a short time all around and drew a great many pilgrims to the Church, while the many miracles that took place there, were a visible sign that the veneration and invocation of St. Michael and the other holy angels must be very agreeable to the Most High. Besides this, other apparitions of St. Michael are recorded, which gave occasion, at different times, to the erection of splendid Churches in his honor, at Constantinople, at Rome and in France, as is to be read in the history of the Church. Experience has taught that
this considerably increased the veneration of this great prince of heaven, and in truth we have most important reasons to show him especial honor; for, he is the head, or, as the Church expresses it, the prince of the heavenly legions. He is the first of those happy spirits who are continually in the presence of God, standing before His throne. It was he who, at the first moment of his existence, turned to the Almighty and submitted to Him in perfect obedience. It was he, who, so to say, first took up arms against the proud Lucifer, who would not be subject, but equal to the Most High. His humility, obedience and zeal for the honour of God raised him above all in heaven; as pride, disobedience and perfidy abased the proud Lucifer and precipitated him into hell. St. Michael has been chosen by the Almighty as the protector of the Church of Christ, as in the old Covenant he was the protector of the Synagogue. He was, in olden times, solicitous for the welfare of the true believers in the Synagogue, as is evident from the words spoken by the holy Archangel, St. Gabriel, to the prophet Daniel: “Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me” (Daniel 10:13). The angel, under whose protection the Persians were placed, desired that the Israelites should remain longer in Persia, as many Persians came to the knowledge of the true God by associating with the chosen people. The holy Archangel Gabriel, however, desired that the Israelites should be released out of Persia, because he feared that too great intimacy with the Persians might induce them to become faithless to the true God. St. Michael united his prayers with those of St. Gabriel, and thus evinced his care for the true believers. Not less watchful is he now for the faithful of the New Testament and for the entire Church. He comes to help her, prays for her and protects her against her enemies. At the end of the world, he will manifest his protection of her, especially against the Antichrist, the greatest enemy of the Christians, as St. Gabriel revealed to the holy prophet Daniel, saying: “But at that time, Michael shall rise up, the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people” (Daniel 12:1). This holy Archangel is also appointed to bring the souls of men to the throne of the Most High, that they may receive their judgment; and that their sentence may be favourable,
11th September 2020
Catholic Voice
SAINT MICHAEL DEFEND US 17
Defend Us From The Snares of the Devil he strongly assists them in the last combat, which, at the end of their days, they have usually to fight with the Evil one. The devil, at that moment, uses all his powers to overcome man and make him unhappy for all eternity. St. Michael, appointed by God to assist and to strengthen our souls in this dangerous combat, helps us to conquer, Hence the holy Church addresses him in the name of all the faithful in the prayers for the dying, as follows: “Holy Archangel Michael, protect us in our fight, that we may not go to perdition on the day of Judgment.” She teaches us also to invoke this holy Archangel before all other heavenly spirits, in the litany of all Saints.
In conclusion, I will add the beautiful words of St. Lawrence Justinian, by which he admonishes all Christians to venerate the holy Archangel. “It is our duty,” says he, “to give honour to the prince of the heavenly legions. We ought to praise him especially on account of the elevated state of grace in which he is; and because God has distinguished him by bestowing so high a dignity upon him; for his invincible strength, for the Almighty’s favour to him and his heroic constancy in combats; but in all these, we must honour him only in God, who has created him and us, He is very powerful with the Most High. The glorious victory is well known to us, which he won in heaven, soon after the Creation, over the rebellious angels. Not without reason does our Mother, the holy Church, endeavour to honour him especially, because she knows that the divine Majesty has given him to her as protector, mediator and receiver of all elect souls. Hence all should recognize St. Michael as their protector, and duly praising him, honor him with devout prayers, commend their cares to him and rejoice him by reforming their lives, as his love is so great, that he cannot refuse our prayers, nor reject our confidence, nor disregard our love; as he protects the humble, loves the chaste, guides the innocent, guards the pious in this temporal life, and leads them to their heavenly home.”
But if we desire to secure his intercession, and enjoy his assistance in our last combat, it is necessary that we endeavour to imitate his example and fight bravely against the evil spirit, whom, at the end of our lives, we desire to conquer with St. Michael’s assistance. Among different representations of St. Michael there is one in which he has a shield in his hand, upon which are the words: “Who is like unto God?” The word “ Michael “ means in Hebrew, “ Who is like God?” St. Michael used this as a weapon, so to say, against the proud Lucifer who desired to be equal to the Lord. “Who is like God?” “Who is equal to God?” With these words, he conquered and precipitated Lucifer and his followers into hell. The same Practical Considerations. weapons, the same shield we also St. Michael remained true to God should use in all temptations. “Who when thousands of other angels is like God?” Who is so mighty, so became faithless to Him. He followed wise, so beautiful, so amiable as God.” not their example. You also should not Who is so much to be feared as God? Who follow the bad example of others, but fulfil can recompense my service as God? Who can God’s commandments. Remain faithful to the do so much good or so much Lord though thousands of harm to me as God? Whom The Apparition of St Michael on Mt Gargano others leave Him. St. Michael have I reason to serve and was zealous in honouring God and opposed those who obey as God? Whose grace have I to seek more than would not be obedient to the Creator. You can also do the grace of God? Whose disfavor have I to fear more this. When others speak against the true faith in your than the disfavor of God? presence, against the ceremonies and commandments of the true Church, against purity, against the honour Whosoever uses these and other wholesome thoughts of your neighbour; when you see that they transgress as spiritual weapons against the spirit of hell, fights the laws of God and of the Church, you should defend after the example of St. Michael, and will always the honour of the Almighty and prevent all the evil you conquer Satan. And those who accustom themselves can. If you are so situated that you cannot say or do now to combat thus, have reason to hope that they much, show, by your silence, by your seriousness, that will vanquish Satan in the last fight, and that the holy you are displeased by such offences against the Majesty Archangel will surely assist them at that important of the Most High. St. Michael fought valiantly against moment. Lucifer and his adherents.