How great it is to be a traditional Roman Catholic-we get a Pentecost octave! 7 days to be joyful at the Descent of the Holy Ghost!
Oh, but don’t forget we also have the Ember Days this week, which are supposed to be penitential. The Ember Days of Summer (or Pentecost) always fall within the Octave of Pentecost. So Holy Church in her wisdom has given us a little conundrum, as sometimes happens.
Traditionally, we eat meat at only one meal on Ember Wednesday and Saturday (Ember Friday, of course, is a day of abstinence for many faithful Catholics, as it is a Friday-note, within this Octave, it is not a solemnity, as within the Easter Octave, in which Friday penance is abrogated…let me make that clear, there is a Friday penance within the Octave of Pentecost). We also pray for the blessings of the coming season and beseech God’s mercy. There are other aspects of the Ember Days, which you can research-we do have a topic on it to the right>>> The Ember Day Tridentine Masses are quite inspiring and reading them is a perfect addition to your prayers. So IMHO, do honor the Ember Days this week but in a spirit of joy that we have been given the Paraclete, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity!
In a previous post, I gave a link to the Novena to the Holy Ghost for the Seven Gifts. Day Four concerns itself with the Gift of Fortitude. We desperately need this virtue during these times of change and turbulence which are upon the world. The Holy Ghost gives us great strength and consolation. Here is an excerpt:
By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to under take without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. 'He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.'
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good.
Amen.
Thou in toil art comfort sweet, pleasant coolness in the heat, solace in the midst of woe.
I think you’ll be as impressed as I was by the following Catholic singing quartet of siblings. Here is the hymn “Veni Creator Spiritus” with the notes from the video…
The "Veni Creator Spiritus" is a 9th century Latin hymn attributed to the Benedictine monk St. Rabanus Maurus. It is used as a hymn for the Vespers of Pentecost, as well as for the Octave of Pentecost, where it is still celebrated. Since the 11th century at the latest, the “Veni Creator Spiritus” has also been sung at synods, ordinations and conclaves.
