Things. Just. Got. Real. :)

Things. Just. Got. Real People.... As I went grocery shopping the other day I noticed all of the Christmas decorations out and about. It hit me HARD.... Our wedding is in a month! :)

I can't believe how fast time has gone by! These past eight months of being betrothed have been amazing. There have been many great and wonderful moments as well as many extremely difficult moments but I must say that I think that this time of preparing for marriage has been some of the most fruitful, purifying and blessed moments of our lives up till now. I have grown to love my hubby-to-be more than I ever thought I could and I can not waaaaiitt to become his wife! He has been such a strong and loving man during this time that I do not know what I would do without him.

At the beginning of our betrothal journey in our relationship we made it very clear that we wanted to adamantly embrace this time preparing for marriage. We have seen the heartbreaking fall of the family in our world with its many, many, effects resulting from so many that do not realize or live out their vocation to marriage as God calls them to. We knew that God was, as He has always, called for holy marriages and we wanted to do our best to live that out.

As time continued on it became really obvious how seriously couples took the planning for the ceremony/reception and how little time that they take to plan and prepare for the actual marriage. It was literally mind boggling at times. This is one of the most important times in your LIFE! This is the VOCATION that GOD has blessed you with as a means to get to HEAVEN!... and it seems that there is little to no thought of the seriousness of that and the preparation that it/the couple deserves. Craziness I tell you! :P
I remember talking with a seminarian a few months ago about the his process to become a priest. They spend years preparing for their vocation.... YEARS! and we think that a marriage prep WEEKEND retreat is enough, if a couple even goes to one. To be honest I personally had never even heard of marriage prep classes until I moved to Texas and I'm sure that I am not the only one.

I must say that Anastacio and I can not speak highly enough about the priest that has been helping us prepare for marriage. He may have his silly moments but he is seriously one of the wisest men I have ever met! He has really help to stretch our thinking/understanding about marriage in general as well as our specific call to marriage to each other. I don't know how many times we sat there utterly confused as to what the question was that he was even asking but man, by the end of each meeting with him we would feel like we were left completely dumbfounded by the wisdom that he shared with us. I can't not encourage an engaged couple to seek out a good, holy priest for marriage prep before you get engaged or very early on so that you can take full advantage of the time spent to prepare. Try not to fall into the prideful trap that you are prepared enough and it is not necessary to seek guidance. You will get out what you put into it so take the time to put some effort into your time of preparation. It makes a world of difference! :)

As I come to an end of this random post I would like to leave you with some things (in no particular order) that we have personal felt have been a great help during the time of preparing for our marriage. I am sure that each couple has different ways or things that have helped in their time of preparing for marriage but these are some of the things that have been a big help for us. (If anyone has some other ideas I would love it if you would share. I am always open to hearing other ideas that can be helpful.)

1) Find a good holy priest that is in line with the teachings of the Church to help with your marriage prep. (sad that I have to be specific with that but unfortunately I have found that it is needed.) Not all priests are the same and not all couples are the same, that being said it may take some effort to find a priest that works best with you and your hubby/wife-to-be. (Works best does not mean makes it easy. It means really helps foster the two of you to grow spiritually and really prepare for the sacrament of marriage.) Once you find a priest that you think that will be best and will really challenge you as a couple to really prepare for marriage take advantage of the time that you have been given. Meet as often as you can. Trust me, you will not regret the time and effort put into it.

2) The Sacraments. Hopefully this is a no brainer and is already done before the engagement time. If not, there is no time like now! ;) Immerse yourself in the sacraments. Go to confession regularly (weekly or monthly if you can.). Go to Mass. Set time aside for Adoration. If you are not Catholic I would wholeheartedly and with complete love encourage you to look into the Catholic church. Words can not even come close to describing how much the sacraments will alter your life.
"The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love; It signifies Love, It produces Love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life." -Saint Thomas Aquinas


3) Pray TOGETHER often.  I know it is cheesy and I know that it has been said a thousands times but it so true!.... "A couple that prays together, stays together." If you are not already praying together make a big effort to do so. Get into a habit of praying together at a certain time in the day...every day. Marriage is a big thing and it is near impossible to do alone and with out God's loving guidance. Bring Him into your marriage.
Suggestions:
-Rosary
-Chaplet
-Liturgy of the hours
-Divine office
-Prayers from the heart
-Consecrations
-Novenas

4) Communication. Communication. Communication.  Can not say how important this is (especially for times of long distance.) From this moment on it is a time to continuous to grow closer together. Take time to share your thoughts, what happened during your day, your struggles, goals, etc etc. But most of all.... LISTEN. And when I mean listening I do not just mean to receive the audible sounds, I mean to really take the time to listen and hear what it is the other is trying to share with you. I feel that our world views communication as just talking and the art of listening has been thrown to the side. Show your betrothed/fiancé the respect and love that you are called to give them, as well as all others around you.
“There's a lot of difference between listening and hearing.”  -G.K. Chesterton

5) Spiritual reading. This was such a comfort during this time of betrothal. (Reading the lives of the saints was especially helpful during the really tough times.) I personally found spiritual reading to be something that really helped to refocus my day on its/my purpose; to know, love, and serve God. It's only natural that in coming to a better understanding of the practical ways of doing that that it will benefit and strengthen the true charity between a couple. I'm not saying you or your betrothed will be instant saints and everything will be sheer perfection after a spiritual reading but with a true open mind/heart along with a will conformed to truth it can be a tool to help you on that journey to become one. I know for myself it really helped to come to a better understanding that becoming a saint is not for a special few but a call of us all and the saints that we know were ordinary people just like you and I.
Some books that I read during these last eight months were:
- Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love. by Dietrich Von Hildebrand
-By Love Refined-Letters to a Young Bride. by Alice Von Hildebrand
-Man and Woman: A divine Invention. by Alice Von Hildebrand
-On True Love. Short article by Alice Von Hildebrand
(I'm a big Von Hildebrand fan. jaja :) )
-Deus Cartitas Est ("God is Love"). Encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI
-St. Padre Pio: A Man of Hope. by Renzo Allegri
-Dressing with Dignity. by Colleen Hammond
-Spirit of the Liturgy. by Pope Benedict XVI 

6) Get your head out of the clouds and plan out the specifics.  This was one that Fr. S. opened our minds/hearts to a lot during marriage prep... getting to the specifics. We understood the purpose of marriage, we knew God was calling us to marriage, we understood theology of body, we knew we were open to life, we knew about our different love languages, about our different temperaments, about finances, about nfp, about praying together, about the sacraments.... we understood and knew the general things about marriage. Not going to lie, we felt pretty dang good going into marriage prep day one and was hit with another holy two-by-four by Fr. S. when he told us "I know, I know. but that's TOO abstract!" and would tell us to get MOOORRREEE specific. Hours later we would finally be getting into the nitty-gritty of what he was talking about and left with a homework assignment to discuss and plan out for next week.
We knew that we should pray together in marriage but when?, where?, what days?, what time?, what prayers?. What were the specifics of "praying together in our marriage"?
We knew about our finances and our budget but when would talk about our finances?, what day and time?, how often would we talk about our finances?, What specifically would be talked about?, If we had extra money what would we plan to do with it?, If we were short financially what would we do to help stretch our budget? What were the specifics of our "finances"?
We knew that we wanted to strive for holiness in our family but how? How specifically through out the day?, What was our personal soon to be family's SPECIFIC mission (To live a holy life is not specific enough.)? What was God calling our family to specifically? Each of our future children will have their own calling by God, how will we foster that SPECIFICALLY? as time goes on how specifically will we re-evaluate and altar these specifics as new things are given to us to do/strive for? etc etc.
I know that a lot of it you may think "How are you supposed to know those specific things before marriage and plan with such detail for things that probably will not go as planned. You should be more go-with-the-flow." (<---Seriously have heard this.) You would be surprised how planning like this can really aid in helping prepare for marriage, not only practically but spiritually as well. As Fr. S. would always say, "Your thinking TOO abstract! Get your head out of the clouds and think about the specifics. How are you going to make your abstract thoughts and plans a reality?"
You can think and have great ideas that you are going to heaven, that you plan on going to heaven but if you don't tackle the specifics it can become really difficult to actually do it and it may remain just a thought. :P

Anywhooooo. Those are just some things that helped us out. If they help you out too, great. If you have other ways, I'm sure those are great too. :)

One more month and it won't be a matter of it feeling real but it is going to be a reality and I am so thankful to everyone that has helped us prepare for this wonderful sacrament that will take place. It has been a time in my life that I have thoroughly enjoyed and one that will lead me to one of the happiest moments of my life. Eeee!!!! Can't wait!!! :)

ONE MORE MONTH!!!!! :D

Feliz Cumpleaños 2013

This weekend went by so very fast but it was so wonderful as well. :) It was our birthday weekend! and when I say "our" I mean me, Anastacio, and my mom.... we all have the same birthday! :)

Best part of it all: Anastacio was able to fly down to SA for the weekend!!! I was beyond excited! It felt like so long since I had seen him. He flew down late Friday night and his parents, brothers and I went to the airport to pick him up. I seriously had butterflies in my stomach as we waited. :)
After a little while we finally saw him come down the stairs... neither of us could stop smiling and it was so unreal that we were together again. The distance has been a real difficult thing for us but it has brought us so much closer together as well and really help to push us more towards prayer which is always a good thing. :)

Saturday was the day of our birthday and we kicked it off with some pro-life work with SACFL. (Very fitting for our birthday I think.) We did door to door outreach telling the local area about 40 Days For Life. After that we drove downtown to St. Joseph's (were Anastacio used to work and where we will be getting married) and went to mass. We got to visit with Fr. Mario for a little while which was really nice as always. :)

Afterward Anastacio took me out for lunch and we finally got some time to catch up and relax a little. It was so good to be able to talk and be in the same room with him. There are so many things that we take for granted and the distance has really made us more thankful for all the time we have together.

Once done with lunch we went to pick out our wedding bands! It started to make the wedding seem so soon. about 3 months people... 3 months! Eee! :)

From there we went to Anastacio's family's house and had a nice BBQ dinner to celebrate. It was delish and I ate too much as always. jaja. Both of us received great books on the faith that I am sure we will be starting soon. (I need a bigger bookcase....)

After dinner we went to my parents house and had dessert. It was hilarious... we put 98 candles on the cake for the total amount of years between my mom, Anastacio and I. Lighting it was so funny! I'm glad we didn't burn the house down. It seriously was so hot that the candles where melting extremely fast and some of them where almost completely melted by the time that we got to the last  few candles. When we blew them all out we had a cake completely covered in wax. lol. It made an awesome tie-dye look on the cake. jaja.  We got mom her first 1962 Missal that she had been wanting for Mass and Anastacio and I got our own kayak for Denver! We were both really excited. We are so excited to move to Denver and has the ability to go on hikes and kayak on our weekends. :)

After cake and presents we played shuffleboard all night. It was a blast! It was a couples tournament and Anastacio and I didn't do half bad. Especially since it was his first time playing. My mom and dad dominated when we played them though. It was the game they played when they were dating so they had the upper hand for the night. jaja.

Sunday was wonderful as well. In the morning we went to the Little Flower Basilica and got to see the relics of St. Therese (her bone, her book, and her writing instruments). She is a saint that has had a real presence in my life so I was really excited that we got to see the relics. We were also able to write and put our prayer intentions in the drawer of her writing desk which will later be taken to her tomb! Super cool! :)

From there we went to mass at St. Pius for the traditional form. Both sides of the family came to mass with us which was really nice. Anastacio got to see some of our friends that attend that mass with us and we also got to go over some things regarding the mass for our wedding as well. It was a bitter sweet time. We were both so very happy to be able to attend Sunday mass together but it also meant that his time in SA was coming to an end. Before taking him to the airport both sides of the family and some of our friends that attended mass all went out to eat.

We got to spend some time at the airport together with is family as we waited for his flight to come in. While we both hate saying good bye to each other we were so happy  to have spent our birthday weekend together. We are so blessed to share such a wonderful day together. :)

Side note: I have to document this.... I did NOT cry this time. jaja. I was fighting the tears but I won. weelllll at least until I got home. But hey, I'm getting better. :P

Good Read: Ad Orientem

Seriously... Who is this guy?! :)

Below is a great read from a regular diocesan priest in Connecticut! It is a beautifully written and well document explanation of why the priest is to celebrate the mass Ad Orientem (Toward the altar, back to the people). Seriously this priest is awesome! 

You can find the original post HERE on his parish website.
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Why does St. Mary Church offer the Mass facing east (ad orientem)?
            Offering the Mass versus populum (facing the people) is only a recent development in Church history.  In fact, offering the Mass ad orientem (facing the altar) was the common liturgical practice for the entire Church’s history only up until our generation.  Experiments were done with the versus populum position prior to Second Vatican Council (1962-65), but it became more popular when the Ordinary Form, the Missal of Pope Paul VI, was introduced in 1970.  While most Catholics who lived through this period think that this change in orientation was mandated by the Second Vatican Council, there is actually nothing in the documents of Vatican II (Sacrosancum Concilium) that asked for a reversal in the altar direction. 

            Today, offering the Mass ad orientem and versus populum are both acceptable options in the Missal of Paul VI.  However, the official rubrical guide of Paul VI’s Mass, The General Introduction of the Roman Missal, assumes that there is a common direction between the priest and the people: that everyone is facing the altar.  For example, at the Orate fratres (Pray brethren that your and my sacrifice...) the Pax Domini (The Peace of the Lord be with you), and Ecce, Agnus Dei (Behold the Lamb of God), and the Ritus conclusionis (Concluding Rite), the rubrics specifically state that the priest should now turn to the people.
            Liturgical scholars like Fr. Louis Bouyer and Msgr. Klaus Gamber have recently shown that offering the Mass with the priest and the people facing in a common direction goes all the way back to the Last Supper.  Jesus and His apostles sat around a “C” shaped table, with all of them sitting around the outside.  Da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper with everyone sitting on one side helps one to visualize the idea of all of these first priests facing the same direction for prayer. 

     (Same direction. Different view point)

       Msgr. Klaus Gamber (1919–1987) was a German liturgist who enthusiastically supported the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium, but then later became one of the chief critics of how it was implemented.   Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote the introduction to Gamber’s famous book on this topic, The Reform of the Roman Liturgy, and called Gamber, “the one scholar who, among the army of pseudo-liturgists, truly represents the liturgical thinking at the center of the Church.”
            Gamber argues that this new altar arrangement, facing the people, is an aberration in the organic development of the liturgy.  He explains that scholars have shown that, “...the custom of praying in the direction of sunrise is an ancient one, practiced by Jews and pagans alike.  The custom was adopted early on by the Christians.  For example, to face east in prayer was a common practice for Tertullian, as early as 197.  In his Apologeticum he speaks about Christians ‘praying in the direction of the rising sun’.  The sun served as a symbol for the Lord having ascended to heaven and of His return from there.”
            When the Lord ascended into heaven (Acts 1:10), He was fulfilling the messianic prophecies in Psalm 67.  For example, “Sing ye to God, who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east (ad orientem)” (verses 33-34).  As the apostles looked upon this mystery, angels then appeared to them further prophesying, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).  In other words, at the second coming of Jesus, He will come from the east. “For as lightening comes from the east, and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man” (Matthew 24:27).  Therefore, the Mass throughout the centuries was offered facing east, in joyful anticipation of His second coming. 
            Gamber explains, “We can say and convincingly demonstrate that neither in the Eastern nor the Western Church was there ever a celebration versum populum – rather, there was only the practice of turning towards the east while praying.  Martin Luther was the first person to demand that the priest at the altar face the people.”
            Furthermore, the ad orientem position represents an opening up of the faithful toward God, with an active and forward movement toward heaven.  In the book of Genesis, the Lord “planted the Garden of Eden in the east” (2:8), and when Adam and Eve sinned, they were driven out from this garden (3:24).  With the priest facing the east, he is leading the people in procession back toward their original paradise.  As Gamber wrote, “Facing the east was to indicate the direction and destination of this procession: the lost paradise to be found in the east.  The celebrant and his assistants formed the vanguard of the procession to the east...When we expect the arrival of an important person, the group of waiting people will form into the shape of a semi-circle to receive the expected person into their midst.”
             Traditionally, Catholic churches fulfilled this reality by having the sanctuary built facing east, but over time churches were built facing “liturgical east”, meaning that even if the sanctuary did not literally face east, the priest and the people were all united in a common direction, facing the Lord together. 
           If offering the Holy Mass ad orientem was the common practice of the Church from its beginning, and offering the Mass versus populum was never proposed by the documents of the Second Vatican Council, how did the Church come to adopt this position as a common practice today?  Offering Mass versus populum became fashionable during the Liturgical Movement of the mid-20th century, led by priests such as Fr. Romano Guardini and Fr. Pius Parsch.  They perceived a need for a more active participation on the part of the people and assumed that in the early church offering the Mass versus populum was the norm. 
            However, more recent scholarship has shown this understanding of the early Church to be decisively flawed.  While there were certain churches that had an altar that faced the people, such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, this had nothing to do with pastoral sensitivity, but because of a desire to have the celebrant facing East.  This recent decision to have the Mass versus populum is an example of how the Liturgical Movement of the 20th century adapted at times to passing fads without taking the proper time to reflect on the scholarship behind those decisions.
            Some today negatively explain the ad orientem position as the “the priest with his back to the people”.  Nonetheless, the person in the front pew also has his back to the people behind him, and we know that he is not being rude.  It should be remembered that when the priest faces the people, he actually has his back to Christ in the tabernacle. The reality is that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered to God, not the people, and the symbolism of the ad orientem position is a fuller representation of this reality.  Notice how the prayers of the Eucharistic Sacrifice are all offered to the Father.  When the priest offers the Mass facing the people, it gives the false and confusing impression that the Mass is being offered to the people.
            Finally, offering the Mass ad orientem helps the priest to better fulfill his role in persona Christi, in the person of Christ.  By his sacred ordination, the priest offers the Mass in the person of Jesus Christ.  The priest’s personality should disappear when he offers the Mass so that Christ can offer His own perfect Sacrifice.  When the priest offers the Mass versus populum, it is more difficult for his personality to disappear.  However, when he offers the Mass ad orientem, the intimacy that exists between Christ and Father can now become actualized, free from the curious eyes of the crowds, in imitation of Christ who “withdrew to the wilderness to pray” (Luke 5:16).  
            As stated earlier, both positions, ad orientem and versum populum, are permitted by the law of the Church for the Ordinary Form of the Mass.  The Congregation for Divine Worship stated on April 10, 2000:  “Both positions are in accord with liturgical law; both are to be considered correct...a priest’s choice of position to offer Holy Mass, whether facing the apse or facing the people may never be used to call into question his adherence to Catholic Doctrine.”  Furthermore, later that year, on September 25, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship rejected the position that there is a general obligation in the Ordinary Form of the Mass for the priest to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass versum populum.
            Prior to becoming the Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger promoted the value of once again offering Mass ad orientem.  In 2000, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in his book, Spirit of the Liturgy, “A common turning to the east during the Eucharist Prayer remains essential.  This is not a case of something accidental, but of what is essential.  Looking at the priest has no importance.  What matters is looking together at the Lord. It is not now a question of dialogue but of common worship, of setting off toward the One who is to come.  What corresponds with the reality of what is happening is not the closed circle, but the common movement forward, expressed in a common direction for prayer.” 
            Now as the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI has begun to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Ordinary Form ad orientem at times.  Evidently he sees our current atmosphere as the proper time to reorient ourselves with this common practice of our 2000 year history:  “Historical research has made the controversy less partisan, and among the faithful there is an increasing sense of the problems inherent in an arrangement that hardly shows the liturgy to be open to the things that are above and to the world to come.”
            We are unfortunately living through a historical period of great liturgical confusion.  However, here at St. Mary Church I try to do what is correct, making sure that we are “free to worship Him without fear” (Luke 1:73), according to the teachings and Traditions of the Church.  I think most people in the parish understand why we have the oriented altar position, but if you still struggle with it, remind yourself that in Mass we are processing toward the Garden of Eden, and awaiting the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ who will come from the east.  Please pray for the Holy Father, that he would lead us in an authentic liturgical renewal, as he often writes, in “continuity” with the Traditions that we have received from the saints who have gone before us.
          In closing, we can reflect on the words of St. Josemaria Escriva who when asked how to obtain the most spiritual nourishment from the Mass, answered: "First of all, listen to the Mass with great veneration, preparing oneself perhaps with a small Missal, even if it is old, in order to realize that the Holy Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the Divine Sacrifice at Calvary.  It has nothing to do with dinners and food!  The priest is Christ.  When I am at the altar I am a president of nothing, I am Christ Himself, I let Him use my poor body and my voice.  That is why, when I take the Bread in my hands I say: This is my Body, and taking the Chalice of the wine, I say: This is my Blood.  It is beautiful that the priest shows his back to the people, because we cannot with our poor human face represent the divine Face of Jesus Christ."

"Good Read" turned into rambling about St. Padre Pio.

30 August 2013

Here is a not just a good read but I think a great read! This is so inspiring and brings such joy to my heart! The following article/video is on a catholic church that for years celebrated in a church that had many of its religious paintings painted over with white wash, statues taken down, altar rails removed, etc. in the spirit of Vatican II to try to make the church more modern. It is now going back into time and doing a MAJOR renovation to restore and bring back many of the things that were stripped away. This renovation was so big that it made the local news as you can see in the video. How wonderful! :)


You can find a link to the post and video HERE. :)

I did a google search and found the parish website with the page that has the information of the renovation. Love it!!!

Here is a copy of  the mission statement or so to speak of the parish off of their website....

"St. Mary Church seeks to implement the New Evangelization through a renewal in the sacred liturgy, recognizing that like the early Church, Christ is most powerfully manifested to individuals, "in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:35). The parish offers both the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Roman Rite, "one alongside the another" (Universae Ecclesiae, 6), with all its music and ceremony, in continuity with the Catholic Church's tradition. "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.... It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place" (Summorum Pontificum). The more than 30 nationalities represented in the parish are united in their devotion to the holy sacrifice of the Mass."

Just an FYI, this is NOT a SSPX parish (Celebrate only the Tridentine Mass but are NOT in line with Rome) and this is not a FSSP (Priestly Fraternity that celebrate only the Tridentine Mass and ARE in line with Rome.). This is your regular diocesan parish with a priest/parish that sees the importance of a reverent liturgy. The priest sounds awesome and some how looks REALLY familiar.... I can't place my finger on it. If anyone knows please let me know. :)
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#Sidetrackkkk

Wow!!! Literally just NOW as I was going to the website to copy and paste the above statement from the parish the Q&A section of the website caught my eye. I clicked the link and it took me to a wonderful section with many common questions and wonderful answers in reply......


Questions relating to the Liturgy

• Why is the liturgy a top priority for St. Mary Church?
• Why does St. Mary Church have the Traditional Latin Mass?
• Why does St. Mary Church offer the Mass facing east?
• Why does St. Mary's reserve altar serving to boys alone?
• Why should I consider receiving Communion on the tongue?
• Why do we use Incense in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
• How can St. Padre Pio help us better understand the Mass?
• How should you dress for Mass in the summer?
• Cardinal George and Liturgical Reform
• Why don't we use extraordinary (Eucharistic) ministers very often here at St. Mary's?

Questions relating to current issues and events

• How should Catholics approach the political process and voting?
• What does the Church have to say about the current immigration discussion?
• Why does God allow all the recent terrorism and natural disasters?
• What about all these Marian Apparitions?
• What about the women who recently claimed to have been ordained priests?
• Is living together before marriage good for my future?
• Is Jesus Christ the only savior of the world?
• Did the Catholic Church recently eliminate limbo?

The following question ("How can St. Padre Pio help us better understand the Mass?") jumped out at me INSTANTLY!!! Lately I have had such a closeness with St. Padre Pio. It's really hard to explain but I will try my best.... It all started a few months ago when I was researching and dealing with struggles on my thoughts and views on modesty (Is modesty relative? If it is, than why does Mary appear at different time periods and everything changes, her skin tone, language, etc, except for her cloths? Why is there a dress code for the Vatican but no where else in local parishes? And the questions went on...). It was then that I decided to turn to the saints, particularly some of the more recent saints, one of them being St. Padre Pio. He was such a caring and loving man truly devoted to the will of God. He came across as very stern and harsh sometimes but he did so because he truly realized the seriousness of the matters at hand. Modesty being one of them. St. Padre Pio was so "harsh" on women when it came to modesty that he would have a sign put on the outside of the church saying:

"By Padre Pio's explicit wish, women must enter the confessional wearing skirts AT LEAST 8 INCHES BELOW THE KNEE. It is forbidden to borrow longer dresses in church and to wear them to confession"

St. Padre Pio would turn away those that did not wear dresses/skirts that met that requirement or that was immodest in other ways. Sometimes when he would refuse to absolve their sins or slam the door in their face to refuse them the Sacrament of Reconciliation they would ask him why he acted so mean and "harsh"..... his response was one that showed that although it may seem to be "harsh" that it was really true love for that person and their eternal soul. He would say to them:

"Don't you know," he asked, "what pain it costs me to shut the door on anyone?  The Lord has forced me to do so.  I do not call anyone, nor do I refuse anyone either.  There is someone else who calls and refuses them.  I am His useless tool."  

Yep, imagine THAT being said to YOU from St. Padre Pio.... maybe it is being said to YOU from him right now in blog post format...jaja who knows ;)....
For me that was the quote from St. Padre Pio that was what I call the "holy slap in the face" moment for me when it came to the topic of modesty.

Shortly after this moment I ran into a friend of mine who told me about a book that she was reading on the life of St. Padre Pio. My heart jumped and I got so excited! I don't know what it was because I really had not known much about St. Padre Pio but I felt this pulling toward him. 

Later, once she had finished the book, she let me barrow it. I have been reading it and am about half way done. (It has been a great read and once I finish you better believe I will be adding it to the "Good Read" section of this blog.) Well this brings me a little bit closer to the current moment.... This past weekend I flew to Denver to visit Anastacio and I decided to bring the book on St. Padre Pio with me to read in the evenings and while on the flight. Before my flight I went to pick up some paperwork that Anastacio needed from his parents house. When I got there his mom told me that they were going to have to mail the paperwork to him because of some complications but that he had left a medal and I could take that to him on my trip.

Guess what the medal was.... yep. St. Padre Pio medal. And not just any medal, one with a relic of St. Padre Pio on the back! Heart skipped a beat again. Not only was I going to be reading about St. Padre Pio on my flight to see the man that I will shortly be marrying but I also got to fly WITH A RELIC of St. Padre Pio while reading about his life on a flight to see my husband to be. #BestPlaneRideEVER!

So here we are, a week after that #BestPlaneRideEVER! to Denver and I am here sharing this post/video about St. Mary's Catholic church and their renovations and who pops up randomly into my life again..... St. Padre Pio. :)....bringing me back to a even deeper understanding of the Mass and a greater love of the Tridentine form of the Mass! :) LOVE IT!!!

Anyywhoooo.... here is the response to the question "How can St. Padre Pio help us better understand the Mass?"..... :)
My comments in RED. :)


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Q: "How can St. Padre Pio help us better understand the Mass?"

This article first appeared in Homiletics and Pastoral Review, October 2003.

         With every saint that is canonized, the Lord gives the Church another charism of holiness to understand and imitate. The canonization of St. Padre Pio last year could not have come at a better time in the Church's history, because of what his life can teach the Church concerning the liturgical crisis that it is currently facing. The Catholic Mass is set apart from any other form of Christian worship by its sacrificial nature. The Mass is a re-presentation of the Son of God at Calvary - bloody, bruised and beaten - to God the Father, for the conversion of the sinners, and the salvation of souls. This sacrificial reality of the Mass was never so clear in the 20th Century as in the Mass of St. Padre Pio.
         As many know, St. Pio was the first priest in the history of the Church to bear the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ. As awesome as this may sound, whenever this friar offered the Mass, he mystically re-enacted the passion of Christ on the cross, making his participation in the Mass powerfully different than any other priests. A fascinating little book written by Fr. Tarcisio of Cervinara entitled, Padre Pio's Mass, has a series of interviews with St. Padre Pio, revealing his understanding of what is actually happening during the Mass. In this age of liturgical innovations, with scholars struggling to understand what "good liturgy" is, this book provides invaluable insight into the reality of the Mass.
        When Padre speaks of the Mass, he says, "I should like to shed, not a few tears, but torrents of tears when faced with the mystery of a God Victim. We priests are the butchers of Jesus during the Mass, while all of Paradise reverently descends on the altar. (p. 45). In a revealing interview with the author, Padre Pio also explains the nature of his own suffering when he offers this diving sacrifice: 

 

Fr. Tarcisio: At what hour of the day, Padre, do you suffer most?
St. Pio: During the celebration of the Mass.
Fr. Tarcisio: At what moment of the divine Sacrifice do you suffer most?
St. Pio: Always and increasingly.
Fr. Tarcisio: During the celebration of Mass, at what moment do you suffer most?
St. Pio: From the Consecration to Communion.
Fr. Tarcisio: At what part of the Mass are you scourged?
St. Pio: From beginning to end, but more intensely after the Consecration.
Fr. Tarcisio: During Mass are the pricks of the crown of thorns and the wounds of the scourging real?
St. Pio: What do you mean? The results are the same.

        The book is filled with blunt anecdotes such as this, giving a detailed view of just how the Mass is truly a mystical re-presentation of the brutal sacrifice of Christ offered to the Father. When one meditates on this, it becomes evermore clear how the Mass could never be anything less than a solemn and sacred event. It is hard to imagine liturgical dance, waving of hands, or cheering going at one of Padre Pio's Masses. Reverent silence and prayer seem to be the only proper response at his Mass, and therefore at every Mass.
         Some liturgists will make the claim that Vatican II called for these more enthusiastic and entertaining Masses as a means of "celebrating community". However, Sacrosanctum Concilium mentions the sacrificial nature of the Mass six times, including here: "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages until he should come again." (#47)
         It is also worth noting that Sacrosanctum Concilium supports the beautiful doctrinal teachings of the Council of Trent, which articulated the Mass as sacrifice: "The dogmatic principles which were laid down by the Council of Trent (remain) intact." (#55) The most common argument for a more active role by the laity in the Mass is the famous passage advocating "full and active participation" by all the people in the liturgy. Although St. Padre Pio died in 1968, and therefore never offered the Novus Ordo Mass, it is interesting how he would understand this teaching of Vatican II: 

 

Fr. Tarcisio: What should we do during Mass?
St. Pio: Repent and love.
Fr. Tarcisio: Padre, how should we hear Mass?
St. Pio: In the same way that the Most Holy Virgin and the holy women assisted. In the same way St. John assisted at the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sanguinary one of the Cross. (Mind blown! How BEAUTIFUL!!! THIS is active participation. Gah. Love it!!!!)  
Fr. Tarcisio: What benefits do we receive on hearing it?
St. Pio: It is not possible to number them. You will see them in Paradise. (Oh what it must be like! How can we not want to do EVERYTHING in our power to do Gods will so we can join Him for eternity!:))

          For Padre Pio, "full and active participation" means imitating the example the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John at the foot of the cross. Is it possible to imagine Our Lady and St. John doing anything but weeping and mourning, as they meditated on the immense love of their Savior? St. Padre Pio is saying that people should participate in the Mass through prayer and meditation, rather than random forms of self-expression, or having a role to play. Still, opponents of a more solemn Mass try to emphasize the horizontal aspect of the Mass (one's relationship with the community), rather than the vertical aspect (one's relationship with God). Sacrosanctum Concilium clearly states, however, that the vertical aspect takes precedence over the horizontal: In the Mass, "the human is directed toward, and subordinated to, the divine, the visible to the invisible, action to contemplation, and this present world to that city yet to come, the object of our quest." (#2, emphasis added)
          Pope John Paul II has also stated that in our own time, the horizontal aspect of the faith has been overemphasized: "The temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo-science of well being. In our heavily secularized world a "gradual secularization of salvation has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated, reduced to his merely horizontal dimension. We know however, that Jesus came to bring integral salvation, one which embraces the whole person and all mankind, and opens up the wondrous prospect of divine filiation." (Redemptoris Missio, #11) Certainly this reduction, as the Pope calls it, has been felt in the liturgy of the modern Church, making it more difficult for the average Catholic to find reverence and solemnity in their Sunday Mass. (Tell me about it... blah.)            God has given the Church a miraculous glimpse into the solemn and sacrificial nature of the Mass in the example of St. Padre Pio. May this new holy man of God intercede for the Church and help bring about an authentic renewal in the liturgy. (Padre Pio's Mass, by Fr. Tarcisio of Cervinara, can be purchased from the National Center for Padre Pio in Barto, PA at (610) 845-3000)

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(Saint Padre Pio with his Stigmata celebrating the Tridentine form of the Mass.)

What a holy, holy man... St. Padre Pio, Pray for us. :)

Good Read: Talk about the NEW evangelization

31 July 2013

Talk about the NEW evangelization! 

Today I stumbled across this article and was so excited to hear of a parish really embracing Vatican II through the eyes of the Council of Trent as it was intended to be. What beauty!!! Below is the text from the article as well as the link to the original page. :) 

My personal comments are in red. :)

Click "HERE" for the link to the original article. :) 

Bible Belt Parish Builds God’s Kingdom 

An ‘extraordinary’ South Carolina parish models the New Evangelization — by offering both forms of the Roman rite daily.

• 
  
  
  

by BRIAN MERSHON 07/31/2013

Prince of Peace parishioners process with the Blessed Sacrament for the Feast of Corpus Christi 2013. More than 400 parishioners took part in the procession.

– John Olson

GREENVILLE, S.C. — 

Deep in the heart of the Bible Belt lies Greenville, S.C., home to Bob Jones University and many devout evangelical and fundamentalist Christians with an ingrained animus against Catholicism. So that makes it even more interesting that a Catholic parish, led by a former Baptist from Greenville who converted to Catholicism as a teenager, may serve as one model example of the New Evangelization down South.

Home to two full-time priests with advanced degrees in dogmatic theology who both ably offer both forms of the Roman rite and sacraments, Prince of Peace Catholic Church has nearly 2,000 households on its parish roster. The church is attracting families from diverse ethnic and language (Spanish, Vietnamese, French, German) backgrounds, as well as some of those evangelical and fundamentalist Christians yearning for the true Faith.

The parish — with a profound and deep love for the liturgy, solid catechesis, an active apostolate to the poor through its St. Vincent de Paul Society, as well as a burgeoning Catholic school — is a beacon in this mid-size Southern city, neatly tucked between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

Parishioners are engaged to the fullness of Catholic Tradition through celebration of both the ordinary and the extraordinary forms of the Mass. Both forms have been offered daily at Prince of Peace since Father Christopher Smith took the helm in late 2011.

Christie Mauritz, a wife and mother, is a recent convert who was first struck by the majesty of the liturgy.

“In January 2008, I attended a Catholic Mass for the first time at Prince of Peace,” she said. “After witnessing the beautiful reverence of the priest and parishioners in this special place, I began to thirst for the real truth of Christ and the Church he said he would build through St. Peter,” Mauritz said.

“During my first Mass, I immediately felt the presence of Jesus in my heart.” [Who would have thought that having a liturgy that is oriented more on Christ rather than "bringing things down to the peoples level" would still bring in converts? Oh yeah, the vast majority of all the Saints. So beautiful to hear this! :)]

Liturgy-Evangelism Link

As a Baptist member of the same church for 43 years, Mauritz said that not only was she attracted by the liturgy and the absolute truth she found in the Catholic faith, but that the helpful and kind parishioners showed true charity to her, her husband and family as they became actively involved in the life of the parish.

“As Baptists, we were taught to really go out and evangelize others about Jesus,” Mauritz added, so she was pleased to see this zeal at Prince of Peace.

The connection between a profound awe and participation in the sacred liturgy and then going forth to live lives as evangelical Christians is a familiar one to Father Smith. He notes that Pope Francis has said that the Church cannot simply be shut up in the sacristy.

“Some people take that as some type of implicit criticism of traditional liturgy, but it really is not at all, when it is properly understood,” said Father Smith. [<---LOVE THIS!]

“The beauty of the liturgy is not just something that ‘people in the know’ do as a hobby, but it is something that is to be a school of Christian service, so that we can go out and evangelize and perform acts of service and charity in the world,” he said.

“If that doesn’t happen in the life of the faithful, it is not the fault of the liturgy, but it is the fault of the Christian world not making that link between liturgy and life that is the essence of Christianity,” he said. [<----Preach it! "Tradys" or what ever you like to call those who attend the Traditional form of the Mass... I like to call us, "CATHOLIC"..... seem to have been getting a bad wrap lately and I have heard of many people labeling them as mean, grumpy, angry people. From personal experience I have met some of the nicest and caring people in my life. They see the connection between liturgy and life and the true charity that flows from the community is amazing!:)]

Home-Schooling Families

In addition to the daily celebration of both forms of the Roman rite, Prince of Peace has a growing Catholic school, a perpetual adoration chapel, a girls’ guild headed up by Mauritz, and numerous home-school families with an active co-op following noon Mass in the extraordinary form on Fridays during the school year.

Originally from Long Island, Tom and Donna Kelly and their six children moved to Greenville via North Carolina eight years ago principally because of the attraction of the weekly celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form and Prince of Peace’s reputation of openness to home-schooling families. They had originally moved to North Carolina from New York 14 years ago due to the prospects, which never materialized at the time, of finding the same type of parish.

“This is the first parish that we have belonged to that recognizes and appreciates the value of home schooling and those families’ contributions to parish life,” Donna Kelly said. “We are grateful that not only are we provided with a place to meet, but also our children are taught Latin, the language of the Church.” [This should be the case at each parish.]

Father Richard Tomlinson, parochial vicar, provides Latin instruction for families during the school year. Kelly said her family also appreciates the generous opportunities offered for confession, numerous guilds and traditional devotions and processions that help parish families live an integrated Catholic life.

Prince of Peace has been home to a stable and growing group of Catholics attached to the ancient Mass rite for more than 10 years, but the last 18 months have been a special blessing to parishioners. In fact, the daily extraordinary form Mass averages more than 40 attendees on weekdays and has regularly had more than 200 for holy days and Sundays. [Wow! awesome....literally. AWEsome.]

Unity, in Two Forms

Both pastors attempt to provide a consistent liturgical praxis according to the mind of the Church, for every celebration of the liturgy in both forms. All four Sunday Masses, as well as the daily Masses, are offered ad orientem. The norm for all Masses is to receive holy Communion kneeling at the altar rail, and numerous altar boys dominate the sacred space.

Propers (the parts of the Mass that are usually spoken or sung by a choir or the people) were gradually introduced for the ordinary-form liturgy, and both Latin and English chant are the norm for the sung ordinaries.

“I believe you have to create a consistent way of worshipping in the parish, rather than catering to everyone’s individual taste,” said Father Smith. “But I also think it is important that the people don’t feel that it is being forced upon them in any way.”

Father Smith said that, in his two years at Prince of Peace, he was pleasantly surprised by the harmony that now exists in the parish, centered around and emanating from the sacred liturgy.

“What I didn’t expect — but which has been very, very wonderful in our parish — is that a lot of people who swore two years ago they would never darken the doors of the Latin Mass now go every day because it is a Latin Mass at noon, and they have grown to respect it, appreciate it and love it.”

“Also, we have members of the Latin Mass community who would never go to an English Mass, and they now periodically attend because it is celebrated according to the mind of the Church and consistent with the extraordinary form, while respecting the differences,” Father Smith added.

[THIS is Vatican II people! Beautiful!:)]

Youth Participation

Prince of Peace also has a lot of young boys who ably serve both Masses, as well as children who sing in choirs for both forms of the Mass. [I have noticed this a lot at the traditional mass that I attend. There is NEVER a shortage of altar boys (starting at age 5) and they know the mass backwards and forwards more than most adults. Not only is there a ton of little kids running around after mass but they are so respectful and understand what is going on at Mass. Its truly beautiful. :)]

“So we have children growing up in our school, our home-schooling community and religious-education program who are essentially bi-formal,” Father Smith said. “They go back and forth between the both forms as if it is the most natural thing in the world.” [how cool! I totally want that for my future children.]

Good Read: "This is the plastic cup of my blood..."

07 August 2013

If this utter disrespect doesn't make you burst out in tears I don't know what would. :(

Click HERE for original link.

My own comments are in red. 

SO VERY DISCOURAGING AND YES, OUTRAGEOUS!

At the Mass in Brazil, this is how Holy Communion was distributed and in plastic cups. I wouldn't believe it without seeing it. Is there any wonder why there are significant numbers of Catholics who are not Pelagians but want to restore the proper sense of reverence at Mass and for the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Crucified and Risen Lord in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar that was/is abundant in the EF Mass? 

As a seminarian, I distributed Holy Communion at Pope John Paul II's Mass on the Mall in Washington, DC. They gave us wooden salad bowls for us to hold and by the grace of God or "the Church supplies" theory, these hosts were consecrated by the Holy Father as we stood at least two football fields away from him. [Need to read more into this subject... Form and Matter... Is it valid? yes? maybe? no? anyone know FOR SURE let us know.]

I still have that salad bowl! I hope these Eucharistic Minister, ordinary and extraordinary, keep their plastic cups. [I hope they didn't just throw away the cups. Gah! It breaks my heart to think that pieces of our Lord would just be carelessly distributed like that and then thrown away in the trash! :,,,,(  ] "Then He took the plastic  cup...this is the plastic cup of my blood..." Oh my! If our ancestors even in the mid 1960's would have seen this as a glimpse into the future, reparation would have been demanded. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? 

I am a big advocate that WYD masses need to go back into the churches. I think that the pope should celebrate mass in the city's cathedral and it is first come, first serve and all the other churches in the city are "overflow" churches. Then they all celebrate the mass at the same time. Communion is found at the altar not just the same physical location. You would still be celebrating mass with the pope but in a more reverent and truly universal way. It would be eliminating so many of the disrespectful things that happen at the WYD mega-masses. It breaks my heart that we sacrifice respect/reverence and underlining Catholic theology for the sake of comfort and feelings. :(

If you are interested in attending WYD in poland with a group of youth that understand the reverence needed in the mass please let us know. 

22 August 2013: Happy Feet: Meg goes to the mile high city!

22 August 2013

Happy Feet: Meg goes to the mile high city!

Making it a short and sweet update..... I'm flying to Denver tomorrow! Whoopp!!! Haalllaa!!! So excited. This week has gone by so slow and there have been so many obstacles, stresses, and things that have been thrown my way that I thought this weekend would never come. And yet, here it is. Tomorrow I leave for Denver to see the love of my life!!! Eeee!!! I can't wait to see him and see all of the things that we have been talking about in our letters and phone calls. I can't wait to take in every second of it! I feel like it was just yesterday that he left but at the same time that it has been ages. I know that it will only be a short weekend but even if it was a few minutes I would still be jumping for joy.

Well I hope you all are having a wonderful day and have a wonderful weekend! I'm sure there will be tons to talk about upon my return.
Adios! :)
-Megan :)

[Pretty much me on the inside right now. :) ]