Actions give expression to our beliefs.
An excellent post from Rorate.
I thought it appropriate to make an amendment to this post by adding the following graphic and biblical verse:
Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. – Ps. 83:11
Due to the preparations being made for the October 1 event, we will be extremely busy in the coming week. I may not be posting for the next few days. So, taking the liberty of copying an excerpt from an article posted on Rorate, I leave our readers to ponder, to mediate on the role of our Blessed Lady in the Mass. Prayerfully, take a few minutes each day to delve into this mystery.
May you come to love and appreciate our heavenly Mother more and more!
The Most Holy Virgin has a considerable position in liturgical worship, because she is linked, with an indissoluble connection, to Jesus Christ, who is the center. She is, together with Jesus Christ, the masterpiece with which God displayed His power and His goodness. Because Jesus was born of Mary, she takes greater part in all of His gifts and in His life; she also takes part in His glory and in the distribution of the goods of grace. She received from all creatures and presents it all to Jesus Christ. Thus we have the Mediator between God and men: Jesus Christ; and we have the Mediatrix between Jesus Christ and mankind: Mary – she sings her Magnificat, offering God all the praises, honor, and requests that the creatures send her.– Blessed James Alberione. The Feasts of Mary (“Feste di Maria”, 1951)
Under the right arm of the cross was Our Lady with Her Immaculate Heart in Her hand … (She appeared as Our Lady of Fatima, with Her Immaculate Heart in Her left hand, without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames) under the left arm [of the cross], in large letters, like crystalline water which flowed over the altar, forming these words: “Grace and Mercy”.
“What I fear for you is not those poor wretches from the Commune of Paris, veritable demons escaped from hell who walk upon the earth. What I fear is these wretched politics, this Catholic liberalism which is the true plague…I refer to that fatal system, which is always dreaming of accommodating two irreconcilable things, the Church and the Revolution. I have already condemned this, but I would condemn it again forty times if necessary.” (Allocution to the French people, 1871)This predilect spiritual son of the Blessed Virgin, a vicar of Christ, was born on a May 13, a significant date relevant to the apocalyptic apparitions of our Lady of Fatima which were to commence on May 13, 1917.
Special graces granted to this holy pontiff included being miraculously cured of epilepsy at the age of 26; proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception; issuing the Syllabus of Errors on December 8, 1864, convening the dogmatic council of Vatican I in 1868.
Regarding the Syllabus, this holy pope wrote: “The world is lost in darkness; I published the Syllabus so that it should serve as a beacon and put it back on the road of truth.” The text formulates the errors of liberal Catholics and then condemns those errors in clear, precise language easily understood by all. He wrote: “Therefore, by Our Apostolic authority, We reprobate, We proscribe, We condemn, and We wish and ordain that all the children of the Catholic Church should hold as reprobated, proscribed and condemned, each and every one of the evil opinions and doctrines severally described in this Letter.”
Now, consider what was reported in a Jan. 1999 CRC newsletter:
“After the Council [VII], theologians thought that it was incumbent to devise arguments ‘proving’ that there is no essential contradiction between what the Church taught under Pius IX and what is being taught now. They felt it necessary for the sake of the Church’s continuity… [Yet]
“In 1977, the Abbe de Nantes confronted one of the Council’s leading theologians, the late Father Yves Congar, OP, to become Cardinal Congar in his latter years, at a conference organized at Annecy on the 8th February of that year. In the course of a debate, the Abbe put it to Father Congar: ‘ Materially, you say, the declaration on religious liberty [of VII] goes against the prescripts of the Syllabus.’ To which Fr. Congar answered with a vexed look: ‘Yes…’ ”
I would have never believed that there existed in the entire planet a diocesan priest like Father Rodriguez. Look for his sermons. You’ll be blown away.
Stay the course, Father! I assure you of my prayers.
Recall that the apostates, or near-apostates have been calling traditionalist Catholics “schismatics”, or “near-schismatics” for clinging to the nearly 2,000 year Faith. (The highlights are mine.)
This from Rorate Caeli:
Tectonic shifts: For the Roman Curia, the end of the “super-Council” In 1988, addressing the Chilean bishops, Cardinal Ratzinger affirmed, “The truth is that this particular Council defined no dogma at all, and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level, as a merely pastoral council; and yet many treat it as though it had made itself into a sort of ‘superdogma’ which takes away the importance of all the rest.“
While affirming his remaining attachment to Vatican II, Benedict XVI, on this September 14, 2011, brought down the taboo of the Council. For while no Pope could free a Catholic from the decisions of dogmatic Councils, the Pope, by way of the text of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, liberates the souls from those of a pastoral Council. From now on, one may be of the Church without holding on to the controversial points of Vatican II.In 2007, the helmsman of the Church had already undermined the monopoly held by the Novus Ordo. Four years later, he removes from the Conciliar doctrine its non-negotiable character and its exclusivity. It is not any longer the alpha and the omega of the life of the Church; that life is now once again refocused on its object: Faith.
It is true that, in small steps, the Catholic world, and the Curia in particular, faced with what John Paul II called the “silent apostasy”, have allowed themselves to be interested in the Traditional world, once exiled and condemned, now increasingly esteemed. A French bishop said a while ago that he felt forced to bow to this movement, because the youth was present in it. In Rome, the major master of ceremonies lifts from the dust the traditional ornaments of which the Supreme Pontiffs, from Pius IX to Pius XII, made use. In the doctrinal domain, some parallelism is to be found, even though it is less evident. After Benedict XVI accepted to discuss the Vatican II texts with the Society of Saint Pius X, some prelates, especially the younger ones, decided to find out in the archives what was unanimously believed before the Council. Very slowly, the phenomenon begins and widens, to the detriment of the aggiornamento… And voices rise up in Italy denouncing the spirit of the Council, which has not let fresh air in, but rather a freezing gust. These voices are those of a Monsignor Gherardini and of the author of his preface, Bishop Oliveri. Those of a Roberto de Mattei or of a Bishop Schneider. All take up their pens and do not hesitate to openly demand that the taboo of the Council be finally shattered.
Is this a sign of the times? Recently, a prelate of the Curia, after having read the book “On priestly holiness” (“La sainteté sacerdotale”), by Archbishop Lefebvre, confided, “I cried after a while because I went through seminary and I had never had the priesthood explained to me as he does there. It is a whole world that opens up for us, for no one had explained to us what the priest was.” It is a whole world that opens up…
Italian mystic who predicted fall of Mussolini beatified :: Catholic News Agency (CNA).
No mention of her dire warnings to the church and the world, though.
“As earth far from the sea is arid, so souls which stray from this august Queen cannot produce fruits of life.”
St. Teresa of Avila says that the progress of our soul consists in resolving to do much for God; we must make resolutions and keep them. He asks nothing beyond our capabilities: fulfillment of our daily duty, prayer, prayer, prayer.
The surest and fastest way to make progress in sanctity is to put oneself into the hands of our Blessed Mother. Pray the daily rosary and wear her brown scapular. If it is difficult for you to pray the five mysteries on a daily basis, sign up with the Universal Living Rosary, and ONE daily decade will be assigned to you. That’s only ten Hail Mary’s! There is no excuse for not praying the rosary when God through the authority of His Church condescends to make it so simple. Joined to 14 others like yourself, you will merit the graces of the entire 15 mysterious. (See the ULRA link on the side.)
Now is the time for saints. If you are reading this, God is asking this of you.
Here are some simple and practical suggestions for resolutions:
His Grace will inspire you to think of other resolutions to make and keep.
It is the little souls who are destined to form the heel of the foot of Our Lady that will crush Satan’s head – souls like you who will love our dear Lady as did the three children of Fatima. Little Jacinta was heard to say: “I so love the Immaculate Heart of Mary! It is the Heart of our dear Mother in heaven.”
Sister Lucia, Blessed Francisco and Jacinta, pray for us! Let’s ask God for the grace to love our Lady as did the children of Fatima. The world desperately needs saints.
In view of the forthcoming reply of Bishop Fellay to the Holy See, I thought it worth revisiting this older post originally published on September 13 of last year. Specially pertinent is Fr. Alonso’s remark about the two tendencies in the Church, that of the progressivists, and that of the traditionalists. It goes without saying that the SSPX falls into the latter camp. I sometimes find it incredible that God would have placed me in the world in these apocalyptic times!
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Tomorrow, September 14 will be a historic date. It seems most hopeful that an agreement will be reached between Bishop Fellay and the Holy See when the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Levada, presents the bishop with two pages of documentation. According to Andrea Tornielli, “The former Holy Office will be asking him to take his time in evaluating it and to then offer a response within a reasonable space of time, if not immediately. “
Even if an immediate response is not given by Bishop Fellay, a “reasonable time” is indicative that one need not wait too terribly long for an answer. Will it be a “yes” or a “no”?
I can’t help but recall Sr. Lucia’s response when she was asked whether the secret confided to her by the Virgin was good or bad news. She replied that for some it was good, but for others it was bad. I am convinced that the SSPX will be reconciled. They have to be. They hold, live and teach everything a faithful Catholic must believe to be saved – everything that we as Catholics have always and everywhere believed for 2,000 years!
So, the reconciliation will happen; it will be bad news for some, and good news for others – just like the still hidden third part of the Secret of Fatima is good news for the traditional-minded Catholics, and bad for the modernists:
2nd March 1995, Bishop Amaral: “I had consulted Lucy and I had obtained her assent before affirming at Vienna that the contents of the third Secret ‘relate only to our faith, the loss of the faith’”
Oct. 11, 1997, Fr. Laurentin: “the Secret concerned deviations from the faith that would arise in the Church after Vatican II”.
1981, Fr. Alonso: “An untimely revelation of the text would merely have sharpened even more the two tendencies that continue to tear apart the Church: a traditionalism that would have believed itself to be supported by the prophecies of Fatima and a progressivism that would have howled against these apparitions, seeing that they so scandalously appeared to check the forward march of the conciliar Church.”
But then what? What happens after the reconciliation between brethren? Again, going back to the message of Fatima, let us recall the words of Sr. Lucia: “She (the Blessed Virgin Mary) told me that the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Virgin. And a decisive battle is the final battle where one side will be victorious and the other side will suffer defeat. Also from now on we must choose sides. Either we are for God or we are for the devil. There is no other possibility.”
A terrible war is going to be waged, both in the Church, and in the world. ” “The final triumph of Mary’s Heart is certain and it will be definitive. But it will take place ‘in the end’, that is to say, after a terrible purification of sinful humanity, in a baptism of fire, blood and tears.” – Fr. Alonso
The Fathers and writers unanimously affirm that this august name had been revealed by God Himself to Anne and Joachim. St. Bonaventure adds that God Himself pronounced that glorious name, and St. Jerome says that the angel who consoled the blessed couple in their sterility, commanded them to call by that name the bless daughter that was to be born of them.
The Holy Fathers find in the sacred name of Mary, three significations, each of which corresponds with the glory to which God had destined her. First, the name of Mary signifies “the sea,” and, in that sense, it symbolizes not only the graces with which the Almighty endowed her, but also the misfortune which man experiences in withdrawing from that sea. “Every grace”, cries St. Bonaventure, “enters in Mary: the grace of foresight which enriches the prophets, the apostles’s grace of zeal, the martyr’s grace of constancy, the virgin’s grace of purity, all are found superabundantly in Mary; and as earth far from the sea is arid, so souls which stray from this august Queen cannot produce fruits of life.”
..this name also signifies “sea of bitterness.” Who, as we shall see, ever had in her life greater bitterness than the holy Mother of God?…Ah!, as Jeremias says: “she was like a raging sea agitated by the most furious tempest.”
Finally, this beautiful name also signifies “Sovereign,” “Illuminated,” and “Illuminatrix.” [S]he received from [God] so great a light of grace, that she merited to be call the “illuminatrix” of the Church, who guards as a treasure all her words recorded in the gospel…
O blessed name! O glorious name! thous dost express all that is grand in sanctity, in merit, and in glory, and mortals can never sufficiently praise and bless thee!
What other name after the most sweet name of Jesus, is more worthy of our respect and love? What other can better excite our confidence and admiration? Can we be astonished that the Church has wished it particularly honored…? “That august name, which, as St. Ambrose assures us, signifies also ‘God is of my blood,’ is the key of the gate of paradise to him who invokes it,” says St. Ephrem.
The blog Gregorian Rite reports the following. I am pasting only excerpts. Please check their site for the article in its entirety. I am familiar with the prophecies of Ven. Sr. Aiello; they are quite serious. 
In part, then:
In April 2011, Pope Benedict XVI approved the petition allowing for the Beatification of Venerable Elena Aiello. She will be declared Blessed on September 14, 2011 (Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross) at 17.30 in Piazza dei Bruzi in Cosenza, Italy. The proclamation of the Blessed will be made by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, along with Archbishop of Cosenza/Bisignano, His Excellency Salvatore Nunnari.
[Some of Sr. Aiello’s prophecies]
…1950
“The Madonna then came closer, and with a sad expression, showed me the flames of Hell. She said:” ‘Satan reigns and triumphs on earth! See how the souls are falling into Hell. See how high the flames are, and the souls who fall into them like flakes of snow look like transparent embers! How many sparks! How many cries of hate, and of despair! How much pain!’
‘See how many priestly souls! Look at the sign of their consecration in their transparent hands! (In the palms of their hands the sign of the cross, in more vivid fire, could clearly be seen!) What torture, my daughter, in my maternal Heart! Great is my sorrow to see that men do not change! The justice of the Father requires reparation — otherwise many will be lost!’
…1954
…The justice of God requires reparation [my emphasis] for the many offenses and misdeeds that cover the earth, and which can no longer be compromised. Men are obstinate in their guilt, and do not return to God’.
…1956
“However the punishment of the impious will not be delayed. That day will be most fearful in the world! The earth will tremble, all humanity will be shaken! The wicked and the obstinate will perish in the tremendous severity of the justice of the Lord.”
PROPHESIES OF 1959
‘The world will be once more afflicted with great calamity; with bloody revolutions; with great earthquakes; with famines; with epidemics; with fearful hurricanes; and with floods from rivers and seas. But if men do not return to God, purifying fire will fall from the Heavens, like snowstorms, on all peoples, and a great part of humanity will be destroyed!’
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For those of us who will be participating in the rosaries and Mass of reparation on October 1, let’s pour our hearts and souls into consoling our Lady so that she might deign to obtain pardon for those who are offending God and in danger of falling into hell. May She be our protection and our refuge when the rigors of God’s justice descend on humanity.
