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.

Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi is one of the great feasts of the Church. Since it is too big for just one day, it once had a Privileged Octave of the 2^nd Order.  This meant that unless there was a 1^st class feast, this feast day Mass would be offered each day and a lesser feast commemorated.  Should a 1^st class feast occur, then Corpus Christi would be commemorated.  Imagine a whole week to focus solely on Our Lord’s gift of Himself in the Most Blessed Sacrament!

“Corpus Christi” literally means “Body of Christ.”   There is a separate traditional feast of the Most Precious Blood of Christ on July 1 which focuses on the Our Lord’s Passion and Death in which He shed every drop of His Precious Blood for us. 

When Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and asked for the institution of the feast of the Sacred Heart, He explicitly stated that it be on the Friday immediately after the Octave of Corpus Christi.  This gives us a whole week to meditate on the Real Presence and increase Eucharistic devotion, flowing into the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the next day:  the Real Presence of Our Lord in our churches burning with love for us.  He could have ascended into heaven and left us alone.  Instead He gave us the Most Blessed Sacrament to show His immense love for us.  He is waiting for us in every parish church and chapel!

Another interesting fact is that St Thomas Aquinas wrote the Mass and Office for the Feast of Corpus Christi!  Our Benediction hymns O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo come from longer hymns written by him for this feast:  Verbum Supernum Prodiens for Lauds and Pange Lingua for Vespers.  He also wrote Panis Angelicus (from Sacris Solemniis chant for the procession) and O Sacrum Convivium (Antiphon for the Magnificat at Vespers).  The Angelic Doctor put the fruit of his meditations into these great Eucharistic hymns!

Ideas of how to celebrate the Octave of Corpus Christi:

Make a visit to Our Lord in a church each day

Pray a Holy Hour each day in church

Read The Liturgical Year #10 by Dom Gueranger for each day in the Octave

Attend a public Holy Hour

Spend a Holy Hour at an Adoration chapel

Organize a simple procession around your property

Ask your pastor to have a procession at church

Sing Eucharistic hymns

Learn a new Eucharistic hymn

Meditate on the hymns O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo in English

Sing or pray the Lauda Sion Sequence

Meditate on the Sequence

Read/pray/meditate on the Divine Office Hours for Corpus Christi

Learn one of the hymns that St Thomas Aquinas wrote for this feast

Pray a Novena to the Sacred Heart in preparation for the upcoming feast on June 12

 

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: 'Truly I say to thee, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. ' Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace that. . . (the Visitation Sisters are open to the idea of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles buying their property.) 

Our Father. . .  Hail Mary . . .  Glory Be to the Father. . .

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

 

II. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: 'Truly I say to thee, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to thee. ' Behold, in Thy name, I ask the Father for the grace that . . . (the Bishop is agreeable to the change and will provide the Sisters with priestly TLM coverage.there) 

Our Father. . .  Hail Mary . . .  Glory Be to the Father. . .

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

 

III. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: 'Truly I say to thee, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away. ' Encouraged by Thy infallible words I now ask for the grace that. . .( all that is needed will be supplied for this move, i.e. funds, Sisters, helpers, etc.) 

Our Father. . .  Hail Mary . . .  Glory Be to the Father. . .

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of Thee, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Thy tender Mother and ours. 

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us. 
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Padre Pio recited this novena every day for all those who requested his prayers.

 

 

Pentecost

Pentecost is only one of three Octaves that remain on the 1962 Calendar.  The other two are Christmas and Easter.  Pentecost has a Privileged Octave of the 1st Order.  This means that nothing can outrank it.  Each day has its own set of reading too.  The Sequence Veni Creator Spiritus is sung every day and the Special Communicantes is said in the Canon.  For a week, every day is Pentecost; this is an amazing preparation for Trinity Sunday which is the Octave Day of Pentecost! 

 

Ascension Thursday

 

The Ascension occurs exactly 40 days after Easter.  This puts it on a Thursday.  

During the Mass, a very special Liturgical action takes place.  After the Gospel is read, the Pascal Candle is extinguished.  This symbolizes that Our Lord in his glorified Body has left us and gone to Heaven.  Of course we still have Him sacramentally present in the Blessed Sacrament, but He is physically gone. 

 

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church.  It falls on the Wednesday after the 2nd Sunday of Easter (or the 3rd Wednesday after Easter).  It also has a Common Octave!  The propers for this feast are the same as the Votive Mass of St. Joseph, so it is still in your hand missal.  If you are lucky enough to have a Father Lasance Missal, it is listed at the end of the April feasts.

 This feast was suppressed in 1955 and a new Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 was established.  This new feast displaced the feast of the Apostles Sts. Philip and James which had been on May 1 since the 6th century.  (More on that in a later post.)

Since this is a moveable feast based on when Easter falls, it can be easy to forget because it is not listed on most traditional calendars.  Wednesday is the day of the week that is dedicated to St. Joseph.  Tradition tells us that he died on a Wednesday in the arms of Jesus and Mary.  This is why he is the Patron of a Happy Death. 

Last year the Papal Conclave began on Wednesday, May 7 which just happened to be this Solemnity of St. Joseph!  The next day (May 8) in the pre-1955 calendar was the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.  This was the day that Pope Leo XIV was elected!  There is an unofficial tradition that St. Michael is St. Joseph's Guardian Angel which makes this election even more comforting.  Pray to St. Joseph and St. Michael that Pope Leo will be the pope who will restore the TLM and the traditional Sacraments.  

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us! 

 

Octave Day of the Epiphany

Today is the Octave Day of the Epiphany.  We now focus on the 2nd Manifestation of Our Lord's Divinity:  His Baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist. 

Through His Baptism, He cleassed the waters and prepared them for the Sacrament of Baptism. 

 

7th Day in the Octave of the Epiphany

 

5th Day in the Octave of Epiphany

 

4th Day in the Octave of Epiphany

 

2nd Day in the Octave of Epiphany

 

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh represent Our Lord's Kingship, Divinity and Humanity

We can also offer Him our gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh: 

Gold---Alms given to the Poor 

Frankincense --- Special Prayers or Devotions to Him 

Myrrh---Acts of Penance to die to self

Epiphany of Our Lord

 

Today is the great feast of the Epiphany!  This feast is the 3rd greatest in the Liturgical Year coming after Easter and Pentecost! 

The Epiphany celebrates the Manifestation of Our Lord's Divinity first to the wise men (Gentiles), then at the Baptism of Our Lord and finally at the Wedding Feast at Cana where Our Lord worked His first miracle at Our Lady's request.  

Privileged Octaves of the 2nd Class do not give way to any other feast than those of the 1st Class.  The Mass everyday in the Octave is of Epiphany itself, except the Sunday within the Octave (Holy Family).  On the Octave Day which celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord, it is the Mass of Epiphany, except the Collect, Gospel, Secret and Postcommunion are different.  The 2nd Sunday after Epiphany celebrates the 3rd Manifestation of the Wedding Feast at Cana.

Ways to celebrate this feast:

Read The Liturgical Year, Vol.3 by Dom Gueranger every day during the Octave

Attend the Blessing of Chalk, Frankincense and Gold at church and bring some home

Have the three Wise Men arrive at your creche after travelling all 12 days of Christmas

Save a Christmas gift for your children and give it to them on Epiphany or have a family gift

Have an Epiphany party with a King Cake

Make star cookies or a star craft

Have a procession to the manger in your home bringing your gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh

Invite a priest over to give your home the Epiphany Blessing

If a priest cannot come, then the father of the home should chalk the letters over the doorway

Use Epiphany Water to bless yourself and your home often

Crown a statue of the Infant Jesus

Change out the white Christmas candles on your Advent wreath for gold candles.

Meditate on the 3 Manifestations of the Divinity of Our Lord and read their Gospel accounts

Leave up your Christmas decorations at least through the Octave of Epiphany or until Candlemas

                               Praise be to our Infant King!                                                                                   

8th Day of Christmas - Circumcision of Our Lord

Today is the Octave Day of Christmas where we remember the first blood-shedding 

of Our Lord in His Circumcision eight days after His Birth.  

Why would the 1962 Missal down play this shedding of His Precious Blood?  

The feast is renamed as the Octave of Christmas which is a very generic title.

Is there a Truth that they do not want us to focus on???

On the first day of the year, a plenary indulgence is granted to all who are present at a 

public recitation or chanting of the Veni Creator in church with the 

intention of imploring divine assistance for the new year. 

Most Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!

 

Gaudete Sunday and the 7th Day in the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

 

Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say rejoice.  Let thy modesty be known to all men: for the Lord is nigh.  Be nothing solicitous: but in everything by prayer let thy petitions be known to God. 

 ~ Philippians 4:4-6

Feast of St Lucy and the 6th Day in the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

 

Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te!

Thou are all beautiful, Mary, 

and the original stain (of sin) is not in thee. 

Thou are the glory of Jerusalem, 

Thou art the joy of Israel,

Thou givest honour to our people. 

Thou art an advocate of sinners. 

O Mary, Virgin most intelligent, 

Mother most merciful. 

Pray for us, 

Plead for us, 

To the Lord Jesus Christ. 

St Lucy, pray for us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe and the 5th Day in the Octave of the Immaculate Conception

 

A great sign appeared in the heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, 

with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  

~ Revelation 12:1

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us!