St Mary Magdalene

There is a unique aspect to today's Liturgy.  St. Mary Magdalene, as 

the Apostle to the Apostles, has a Credo! 

St Mary Magdalene, pray for us! 

 

St. Thomas More

Today, July 6, is the anniversary of the martyrdom of St Thomas More in 1535.  Then why isn't his feast day on this date?  Instead it is on July 9.  The great feast of Sts. Peter and Paul had a Common Octave and July 6 is the Octave Day of Sts Peter and Paul.  Hence the day was already "taken".  Furthermore, St Thomas More knew that he was dying on the Octave day of these two great saints.  This Octave had been around since the 7th century.    St Thomas More who was defending the primacy of the Pope died on the Octave day of the 1st pope!  Wow!!  July 7 and 8 were already occupied with Sts Cyril and Methodias and St Elizabeth of Portugal.  The first free day on the Liturgical Calendar was July 9.   

While St Thomas More is a local feast in England, he does not appear on the Universal Calendar.  However since he is the patron saint of the Diocese of Arlington, we celebrate his traditional feast on July 9.  Because he is the patron of our diocese, our entire diocese would have a Common Octave for his feast.  He would be commemorated every day of the Octave when there is another feast.  What a beautiful way to get to know and celebrate our beloved special patron!!  As an aside, the Octave day is July 16 which is also the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  A lovely end to the Octave.  

St John Fisher is also honored on July 9.  He was martyred on June 22, 1535.  Instead of having his feast on June 22, he was joined to St Thomas More because the end of June is full of Octaves!!  Depending on how late Easter is, Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart can come in the latter half of June and there is also the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24-July 1.  These now-abolished Octaves helped to define the traditional Liturgical Calendar.  What a tragedy that almost all were removed! 

Until Octaves are officially restored to us, celebrate St Thomas More's feast for an entire week at home!  If you have never watched A Man for All Seasons (1966), it is a classic and one of the best saint movies ever made. 

Here are the propers for his feast day: 

https://societyofstbede.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ssjohnfisherthomasmore97.pdf 

O God, You raised up Your blessed martyrs, John and Thomas, from among the English to be the defenders of the true faith and of the primacy of the holy Roman Church, grant that through their merits and prayers, we may all become and remain one by the profession of the same Faith.  Through Christ our Lord.   (Collect from their feast on July 9).  

O God, who didst empower blessed Thomas Thy Martyr, amidst the allurements of the world and the pains of prison and death, to embrace Thy cross with a merry and courageous spirit: grant, we beseech, that by his intercession and example we may be quick to fight for faith and justice, and so, filled with cheer, deserve to attain eternal joys.  (Collect from the Votive Mass of St. Thomas More)

Who is the Patron Saint of your diocese?  Find his or her feast day and mark it on your calendar!  You can celebrate for a whole week!! 

St Thomas More, pray for us! 

 

Sts. Peter and Paul

The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a Holy Day of Obligation on the Universal Church Calendar.  It also has a Common Octave.  This means that it is commemorated on any day that has another feast, but is celebrated again on feria days.  The Octave day is July 6.  St. Thomas More was martyred on the Octave day in 1535.  He knew he was dying on the final day of this Octave.  This is also why his feast is on July 9 and not July 6.  The date was already "occupied" and the next open date was July 9. 

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!

 

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

 

The Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist not only has a Vigil, but a Common Octave!   Amazingly the Vigil was kept in the 1962 Missal, but the Octave was not.  The Octave is June 24 - July 1.  Originally the feast of the Most Precious Blood was celebrated on the 1st Sunday in July, but Pope St. Pius X moved it to July 1.  Hence the Octave day of SJB is the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. 

Every yeat this Octave overlaps with the Common Octave of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul 

which is July 29 - July 6.

Dedication of a Church

 

The Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church (or Cathedral) is very important.  That date should be celebrated every year at your parish---and in the pre-1955 Missal it had a Common Octave.  This means that it would be commemorated on any day that had a feast or celebrated again on feria days.  The Octave day gives way only to feasts of the 1st or 2nd Class.  

Terrible is this place; it is the house of God and gate of heaven and 

shall be called the court of God. 

How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts!  

My soul longeth and fainteth for the court of the Lord.

  

(Introit for the Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church) 

On which date was your parish church dedicated? 

 Mark it on your calendar and celebrate for an entire week!

St Anthony

 

St Anthony is a special saint for my parish. He is our Patronal Saint!!  Did you know that Patronal Saints of parishes and dioceses, have their own personal Octave for that place?

It is a Common Octave which gives way to another feast, but is commemorated every day and the Octave day only gives way to 1st or 2nd Class feasts.  So if you are lucky enough to go to a St. Anthony's church, you have a whole week to honor St Anthony!!

Who is your patronal Saint?  Find his/her feast day and mark it on your calendar!! 

St Anthony, pray for us!

 

Sacred Heart

Today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart!  When Our Lord appeared to St Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675, he asked that this feast be established on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi.  With the removal of the Octaves in 1955, the feast of the Sacred Heart randomly moves each year.  Knowing the connection with Corpus Christis gives it an added dimension.  Having prayed and meditated on the great gift of the Most Blessed Sacrament for a whole week, we now turn to the Love and Mercy of Christ flowing out from this Sacrament and seek to make reparation to Him for the many sins and abuses committed against Him.  

This devotion spread quickly, especially in religious communities, but the Mass and Office were not approved until 1765!  In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended this feast to the Latin Church.  Later on, it was raised to the highest rank for feast days and given an Octave.  It is an Octave of the 3rd Class, which means that feasts outrank it, but it would be commemorated each day.  If a feria day, then the Sacred Heart would be offered again.  The Octave day only gives way to feasts of the 1st or 2nd Class.   

 While this is a fairly "new" feast day in the life of the Church, it has quickly risen to become one of the most beloved of feasts.  The entire month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart.  So while having devotions to the Sacred Heart all month, this Octave can be eight days of more intense devotion.  In 1921, Pope Benedict XV established the feast of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus on the Thursday within the Octave.  This shows a beautiful connection between the feasts of Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart.  

Ideas for celebrating the Sacred Heart of Jesus (for the Octave and the whole month):

Have your home enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (if you haven't already done so)

Place a picture of the Sacred Heart in a prominant place in your home

Read The Liturgical Year, Vol 10 by Dom Gueranger in his daily entries for the Octave

Pray the Litany to the Sacred Heart 

Pray the Act of Reparation by Pope Pius XI

Pray the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart by Pope Leo XIII (attached below) 

Set up a special home altar for the Sacred Heart or decorate an image with flowers, etc 

Read about the apparitions to St Margaret Mary

Make Holy Hours of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

Read through the 12 Promises of Our Lord to St Margaret Mary about Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Begin the 9 First Fridays next month

Sing hymns to the Sacred Heart

Learn to chant the Litany of the Sacred Heart

 

12 Promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary 

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour.