July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood of Christ

April is the month when we honor the Body of Christ, and July, we honor His Blood.  The birthstone for July is the red ruby, seemingly reflecting the red Blood of Our Lord, raised up in adoration this month.  God made all things of the natural world and they continually praise Him, each in its own way.  A life of authenticity is a life immersed in His creation, the surest way to happiness.

July 1st is the feast of the Most Precious Blood, in the traditional calendar.  The ensuing week invokes many who shed their own blood, directing humanity to that which was shed upon the Holy Cross.  We celebrate the Visitation on the 2nd, when Saint John the Baptist leapt in Saint Elizabeth’s womb, the one who paved the way for Christ and was martyred in the process.  The 3rd, we honor Saint Thomas, the one who doubted, but later also gave his life, doubting no more.  And on the 6th, there is Saint Maria Goretti, the young girl who gave her life for purity.  Later in the month, on the 25th, Saint James the Greater is honored, also a martyred Apostle. 

Also from the 1st Century, Saints Mary Magdalen on the 22nd, Joachim & Anne on the 26th and Martha on the 29th.  Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who gave Saint Simon Stock the miraculous Brown Scapular, is celebrated on the 16th.

Almighty and Eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood.  Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore the Price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of this present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in Heaven.  Through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

From the Litany of the Most Precious Blood

This month’s Roman Catholic Traditional Calendar:  Calefactory.org

Please note, we discuss both trad and new feasts.

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June continues the traditional Ember Days of Summer on the First Friday and First Saturday.  The Masses of these days are beautiful to read.  Of course, First Fridays are dedicated to the Sacred Heart, so, something to think about there.  We have Trinity Sunday and the 2 feasts of Corpus Christi (or Body and Blood of Christ), in the trad and the new.  Very exciting, the back-to-back feasts of our Two Hearts are on the 16th and the 17th (the 16th being a Friday solemnity, no penance). 

Where does one start when contemplating all the devotional riches of the Sacred Heart, which Holy Church has given us?  Here is a great place to start, from The Catholic Encyclopedia:  Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  This topic is divided into 2 parts:  Doctrinal Explanations and Historical Ideas.

Have a look at the full trad calendar for June:  calefactory.org

And here is a thought to meditate on this coming month.  This came to me today when trying to take a nap and cope with my chronic pain condition.  I thought of a short poem by novelist Gunnel Beckman and changed the words to express what I was feeling.  I felt compelled to share this…

Suffering is only the thorn upon the rose

The broken key

Offering admission to Thine Heart

Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us!

May is the Month of Our Lady

Quick Update: Due to the aforementioned health issues, along with other things going on in my life, I will have to change my writing style here. I will have to write shorter, simpler ideas, in order to keep things going at a reasonable pace. I hope you enjoy the new format and I wish all of you blessings and everything wonderful!

Getting a late start this month, but that’s okay, because the most interesting feasts are the latter part of the month…

On the 13th we have Our Lady of Fatima, to whom this ministry is dedicated. She gives us the antidotes to our times in her Fatima requests. And she also gives us hope in promising a period of peace after a time of trial. Learning more about Fatima and Our Lady’s requests would be a wonderful way to celebrate this month dedicated to her. Try doing a search to the right-we have a lot of info here.

Saint Isidore the Farmer is on the 15th, which is also the first of the 3 Minor Rogation Days, days of prayer and penance, similar to the Ember Days. We like Saint Isidore because he was a farmer. Farming is good. People should like farmers more. We don’t have food without farmers. We should all learn how to farm. (This is how I write when I totally don’t try. Like a first grader’s homework assignment. You might have to get used to this.) But seriously, I am jesting because respect for food production and the importance of food self-reliance should be self-evident. It’s not anymore. Food is good. You die without food. Are people so gone that they need to be reminded of this?

We have Ascension Thursday on the 18th (check if it’s a Holy Day of Obligation in your Diocese) and Ascension Sunday, or whatever they’re calling it these days, on the 21st.

Pentecost, that glorious feast, is on the 28th, in both the trad and new. Come Holy Ghost! Do you have a red shirt? I don’t. I should buy one. I had one I liked once.

On the 31st, we have the Visitation (new) and the Queenship (trad) of Our Lady-a double Marian feast in this Month of Mary. This is also Ember Wednesday, the start of the Ember Days of Summer. Let us pray for the coming season to be productive and fruitful in many ways for the children of God.

April is the Month of the Holy Eucharist

April comes in with a bang this year with Holy Week. Let us observe the best Holy Week we can, so as to obtain mercy, not wrath for the world. Let us not forget the precious unborn, as they go to their own crosses, on Good Friday. And let us make ourselves deserving of the Solemnity of Solemnities, Easter Sunday. We then have the wonderful Octave of Easter, traditionally a time of great joy and feasting…for we have seen the suffering, the self-denial and the Holy Cross, leading ultimately to the ineffable Resurrection!

This month, we also celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy (Quasimodo Sunday in the trad), the Major Rogation Day and Good Shepherd Sunday in the new.

As for the month of the Holy Eucharist, what can we do to honor this greatest of heavenly gifts? We must begin to see everything through the lens of the Signs of the Times. One thing one might consider is this: Do I know anyone among friends or family who is receiving Holy Communion unworthily? If so, what can I do to defend our Blessed Lord and help this person to a greater life of holiness? Perhaps some instruction on Easter Duty, proper reception of Communion and examination of conscience, would be a good place to start. Obviously, we always proceed with prayer and discernment. We may do well to consider these words of genius…

“Let us not shun and suppress the earnest words of the calling voices, or those who are our executioners today may be our accusers once again tomorrow, because we silenced the truth.”

Father Alfred Delp, German Martyr under Hitler

Does it hurt us more to be vocal or to be silent?

Please see our LENT button to the right, which includes full meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries, with a concluding thesis. Great wishes for a most blessed Holy Week and Easter Sunday!

Your friendly trad calendar: Month of April

March is the Month of Saint Joseph

Nomen Christi Apostolate Prayer to Saint Joseph

O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Our Lord and Our Lady, intercede for us before the Divine Majesty. O holy and humble carpenter, pray for God's children in all our great need. We pray this in the Name of the Christ Child, once held in your loving arms.

Amen.

This Lenten month of Saint Joseph begins straight away with Ember Wednesday in Lent, on the 1st. Ember Friday and Saturday ensue. Traditionally, meat is eaten at only one meal on the Ember Days. Of course, these days are for prayer and penance for the benefit of the coming season. So what do you do on the Ember Days of Lent? More prayer and penance? Well, that’s one idea. The Ember Days present a particularly nice opportunity to do seasonal crafts with children, teaching them to love our holy Faith. Pray on it and maybe do some reading on the Ember Days, to decide how you will celebrate them. Reading the beautiful Mass texts is always quite rewarding.

We have Saint Joseph’s feast on the 20th this year, because the 19th falls on a Sunday. This date is also the Spring Equinox. The Annunciation is celebrated on the 25th.

Let us also seek out devotions to our dear Saint Joseph this month and pray to grow closer to the Heart of Christ as we approach the great feast of His Resurrection!

Traditional Catholic Calendar for March: calefactory.org

February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord

How may we honor the Passion of Our Blessed Lord this month? Well, that’s not too hard, since Lent begins on the 22nd. There are numerous devotions to the Passion…we all know the wonderful Sorrowful Mysteries, which some say every day of Lent. Do your research, choose something and begin with the onset of Lent. It is always great to learn new devotions. If you find them online, do print them out…a very Catholic Prepper thing to do!

We are in the third month of what I have coined the “Christological Triad of the Months.” I previously suggested that we meditate upon the Divine Infancy, the Holy Name and the Passion of Our Lord, and how they might interrelate. We begin with the birth of Christ and the triad ends with His death. Joining the two is His Holy Name. The name of Jesus is a mystery we could easily contemplate our entire lives. Suffice it to say that it has something to do with His Identity and is therefore quite sacred, relating directly to the 2nd Commandment. Let us pray that we can all receive some enlightenment by the Holy Ghost on this interesting matter.

Don’t forget Septuagesima starts on the 5th and is our preparation for Lent, so we do not come to Lent saying to ourselves, “What am I doing? Oh no, it’s Lent already! I just drank my coffee. Am I giving up coffee? Oh nooooooooooo!” (I’m not giving up coffee. I did that once and almost died.)

In the trad Liturgical Calendar, we are closing the Time After Epiphany, which concludes the Cycle of Christmas, when we contemplate the Mystery of the Incarnation. The Cycle of Easter, the Mystery of the Redemption, begins at Septuagesima (I am not typing that word again, it is hurting my post-concussive brain) and remains for the rest of the year, going through various sub-sections.

Here is your trad calendar for this month….calefactory.org

Month of January: The Holy Name of Christ ~ Nomen Christi!

Christological Triad of the Months

In a previous post, I discussed the “Marian Triad of the Months,” which are 3 months in a row, dedicated to Our Lady (August-October). I may have said this was the only “triad” of the year, however, if we look at the Liturgical Year, we see another grouping of 3 from December to February. This is my own concept, which I have titled, “Christological Triad of the Months.” Let us meditate upon the Divine Infancy, the Holy Name and the Passion of Our Lord. How do they interrelate?

Mary, Mother of God

O Mary, Mother of God, we entrust this new year to you!

A New Year

It is time to leave the world. If you don’t see this, I don’t know how to help you. This is our job this year. It will mean different things to different people. We must pray for guidance.

May we honor the Holy Name of Christ this month and dedicate ourselves more fully to its defense!

Traditional Catholic Calendar

Marian Triad of the Months / Triduum of Death

The last 3 months of the Church’s dedications have been reserved for Our Lady. We can see this as a type of “triad,” a group of 3. From August to October, we honor the Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of the Rosary. This triad is interesting to note and study. I have never heard it mentioned before, and have decided to give it the title of “Marian Triad of the Months.”

How are these associations with the Mother of God linked? First, we contemplate her most pure heart, immaculate because it was conceived without Original Sin. Our Lady’s love, emanating from this heart, has existed since her creation, in perfect love for God and humanity. We are called into this abyss of perfection, a privilege we are unworthy of, yet Christ gave us His Mother from the Holy Cross. Next, we are called to reflect on a particular aspect of this heart, her many sorrows. Like Lent, this can be a difficult undertaking, but many graces and joys result. Finally, the Holy Rosary, a devotion uniting all the Body of Christ, is a meditation upon the many aspects of her Immaculate Heart…her joys, her pride in her Son, her sorrows and glories. We become immersed in the Gospels, the events in the life of Our Lord. Next time your Protestant friend argues with you about the Rosary, say that 90% of it comes directly from the Gospels. It is a Bible study!

The Immaculate Heart is a consolation, a privilege, a joy, in the midst of life’s difficulties. Holy Church in her love and wisdom, guided by the Holy Ghost, gives us this heart towards the end of the Liturgical Year, ushering us into another group of 3, the 3 days of the Triduum of Death….

All Hallows Eve

All Saints Day

All Souls Day

“Triduum of Death” is a term we don’t hear too much anymore, perhaps because people think it sounds negative. However, we must realize that this triple feast is one of great joy! All Hallows Eve anticipates the feast of All Saints, when we honor those who have succeeded in winning the Heavenly reward, just as we hope to. The Holy Souls have also won it, though they remain in Purgatory, in need of our prayers. Surely, on All Souls Day, due to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in addition to prayers all over the world, many souls pass through that glorious Gate to behold the Triune God! What a truly wonderful day! What a wonderful Triduum we now celebrate!

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary / Month of October

[Edited since posting.]

The Gospel for today’s feast in the old rite, is the Annunciation…

And the angel being come in, said unto her:

“Hail full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art thou among women.”

Luke 1:28

This angelic salutation became one of the most repeated quotes in all human history, as the first part of the “Hail Mary” prayer.  It is fitting that this should be the Gospel on the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, since the Annunciation is the first Mystery we contemplate when reciting a complete Rosary…the first in the timeline of the Joyful Mysteries, proceeding to the Luminous, the Sorrowful and finally, the Glorious.  Never forget, the story ends with the Glorious.

We celebrate Our Lady’s Divine Maternity on October 11th, further calling to mind in this month dedicated to the Rosary, the Joyful Mysteries.  Each Mystery contains some aspect of her Divine Maternity.  Mary is also called to mind in the Mysteries of Our Lord’s First Miracle at Cana, the Assumption and the Coronation.

Saint Therese of Lisieux is the lone saint this month to be given the title “Doctor of the Church.”  Her feast in the new was on the 1st and in the trad, on the 3rd.  Please take a look at her bio from the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent.

We did not cover the Doctors of the month of September, except for Saint Gregory.  Here they are:  Saints John Chrysostom, Robert Bellarmine, Hildegard of Bingen and Jerome.

At the end of this month, let us remember the Feast of Christ the King on the 30th and the beginning of the Triduum of Death, All Hallows Eve, on the 31st.  Along with the Easter Triduum, Holy Church in her wisdom gives us these 3 days to consider our mortality.  It’s how the story ends that matters.

As this is also Respect Life month, what a great time to pray the Rosary for life!

Last year, I decided to make a decorative design with gourds and interesting squash. It is now a “thing.” This is what I put together today. The “Faith” ornament I bought at a drug store. It’s amazing, the vestiges of Christendom which you can still find in unexpected corners, here and there. Last fall, when my squash deteriorated to the point of being embarrassing, I threw them around the edges of my property, in the hopes they would reappear (they didn’t). That is not as crazy an idea as it sounds. When I was involved in a community garden 10 years ago, old crops would regularly pop up in abandoned gardens. Free food just sitting there. There are forward-minded people thinking along these lines…planting edibles in public places for all to access…let’s just hope there aren’t any food fights!

Actually, there are already plenty of edibles all around, you just need to know what you’re doing. See if there are any “herb walks” in your area, you’ll be amazed at what you learn…there are many other resources and books out there and it’s a really fun thing to do with children:) Disclaimer: Don’t eat anything wild unless you REALLY know what you’re doing-you also have to consider it may have been sprayed. BTW, please don’t come to my house and steal the squash. Thanks.

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary

From the Tridentine Mass of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, October 7th:

LET us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festival-day in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary, for whose solemn festival the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, His death and His resurrection hath purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same our Lord.

Because of truth, and meekness, and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear, for the King hath greatly desired thy beauty.

Alleluia, alleluia. The solemn festival of the glorious Virgin Mary of the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, of David’s royal race. Alleluia.

In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Like a rose planted on the rivers I have borne fruit.

Send forth flowers as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in His works.

We will discuss the month of October further in the coming week. Here is the calendar: calefactory.org

Image from catholicfaithwarriors.blogspot.com