December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception / Update

UPDATE: I’ve been very busy prepping for my ADVENT OF THE HEART prayer groups. You may know I got a sprained ankle while in Rome and that was slowing me down…now, as soon as the ankle got better, a neuroma popped up in the same foot. This is a swollen nerve and is very painful. I have no idea how long this will last or what the course of treatment will be. So again, I am slowed down. Since the intense last-minute planning of the trip in September, my life has not been “normal.” I am very joyful however, about the Advent prayer groups and they are going very well. One is at a church (see our new “Meetings/Events” button above and one is at a Catholic store (by invitation only, as it is a very small space-this is actually a brief presentation at an existing prayer group, each of the 4 weeks of Advent).

Hopefully in January, my condition will be improved and I can continue to move forward in my life, as was the plan after passing through the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica. I am still thinking about what this blog will look like next year, how it will evolve, as I am simultaneously bringing this ministry into the real physical world. So we are in flux. And that is good, because the whole world is in flux and we must respond to that. Adaptability and willingness to change is an important prepper tenet. I think those who are attuned to things feel it is time to be moving, shaking, re-thinking and morphing. We will be given the knowledge and grace.

Consider doing the ADVENT OF THE HEART program at home, scroll down for the post on this. Also, check out our topics to the right>>>Advent and Christmas Season!

Here are some notable feasts this month in both the trad and the post-con calendars…

8th-IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Holy Day of Obligation, USA

10th-OUR LADY OF LORETO

12th-OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

17th-Ember Wednesday of Advent (trad meat at one meal)

19th-Ember Friday of Advent

20th-Ember Saturday of Advent (trad meat at one meal)

24th-VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (trad day of fast)

25th-NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, Holy Day of Obligation

28th-THE HOLY FAMILY

Remember the 12 Days of Christmas leading up to Epiphany and the Epiphany Blessing of the Home.

Wishing all our readers and your families great Advent and Christmas blessings!

Beethoven's Thanksgiving / Christmas Gifts

The past few months have been light here, due to a number of disruptions, and there was no subscriber newsletter for October or November. We will be getting back on track!

Sunday, November 23rd is the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe in the post-conciliar calendar. King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

As Americans are thankful this week for all our incredible blessings “from sea to shining sea,” especially the riches and freedom of Holy Church, remembering (note Our Lord exactly quotes Deuteronomy)…

“He afflicted thee with want, and gave thee manna for thy food, which neither thou nor thy fathers knew: to shew that not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.”
Deuteronomy 8:3

“[Jesus] answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4

Of course, let us pray for all places of persecution and martyrdom which Christians are suffering with at this time. Let us count our blessings and fight the good fight lest these evils increase upon us. And let us pray for the soul of Charlie Kirk and his family, since many consider him, including Bishop Athanasius Schneider, to have been a US martyr. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him!

*** Beethoven Was a Man of Gratitude ***

Beethoven: Hymn of Thanksgiving

On this feast of St. Cecilia, martyr, the first incorruptible, and patroness of music, let us talk about Beethoven! This piece starts out slow, but picks up pace. It can be a meditative experience, trying to place yourself in Beethoven’s shoes, after a brush with death. Some may superficially deem this like a dirge, but we the devout, know that there are deeper levels to spirituality which defy common perceptions. This piece parallels the one below, which was written 17 years earlier, expressing a shepherd’s thanks after a storm, but they are entirely different, the latter being more accessible. Is this shepherd thanking God for the rain, or that the storm has passed? Maybe both! It was presented at the same concert in which Beethoven’s amazing “5th Symphony” was first played, in Vienna, 1808 (see notes below).

These are both parts of larger pieces. From the video notes:

This movement from Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, has been described as "Music in its purest form, that transcends time and space, style, and history." Beethoven himself gave it the descriptive title, "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart" (Holy Song of Thanksgiving of a Convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode). Beethoven was giving thanks for recovering from a digestive ailment in the winter of 1825 that nearly cost him his life. We give thanks that he chronicled his recovery in this incredible music, and that our Ensemble in Residence, the Borromeo String Quartet, is on hand to perform it.

Michael Parloff on Beethoven’s “Holy Song [Hymn] of Thanksgiving”

This is a very interesting short study on this piece. From the video notes:

Beethoven completed his A Minor String Quartet, Op. 132, in July 1825, shortly after recovering from a severe, life-threatening illness. His recovery prompted one of the few genuinely autobiographical manifestations in his music. He expanded the quartet’s traditional four-movement structure to include an ecstatic middle movement entitled…(A Convalescent’s Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode). Beethoven’s radiant Holy Song of Thanksgiving is one of the most transcendentally spiritual movements ever written.

Beethoven: Shepherd's Song, Cheerful & Thankful Feelings After the Storm

From the video notes:

After the merry gathering of the countryfolk and the storm comes, the finale of Beethoven's Sixth, titled "Shepherd's song, Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm," with the Italian tempo mark "Allegretto" (slightly fast). Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, opus 68, 'Pastoral', is so different from his Symphony No. 5 that it's almost hard to believe that they came from the same composer. All the more surprising: Ludwig van Beethoven worked on both at the same time. Both were presented on December 22, 1808 in the same, four-hour concert at Vienna's Theater an der Wien that also included his Fourth Piano Concerto and other music. One might wish that a time machine existed to take us back to that notable event. At least, however, this performance comes from Beethoven's home town, Bonn, Germany, where the original score to the Symphony No. 6 is preserved at the Beethoven House archive. Studying original sources is important to conductor Paavo Järvi, who prepared these recordings over a period of years in the "Beethoven Project."

*** Christmas is Coming! ***

Book: Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers

From the publisher’s notes:

Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Messiaen . . . Men of genius as different as their music - but all inspired by deep spiritual convictions. Peter Kavanaugh uncovers the spirituality of twenty of music's timeless giants, revealing legacies of the soul as diverse as the masterpieces they created. Warmly written, beautifully illustrated, and complete with listening recommendations for each composer, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers is a fascinating look at the inner flame that lit the works of these masters.

FSSP 2026 Liturgical Calendar, Trad Missals & Other Gifts!

*** A Blessed Thanksgiving Day to All! ***

Thought for the Day

“So, good luck Big Apple as you await the luscious caramel coating of Woke-socialism to be laid on you.”

James Howard Kunstler

Update

Dear Readers,

There have not been many posts lately, as we have been feverishly planning our trip to Rome, Assisi, Florence and Sicily. All the things involved in international travel are so time-consuming, not to mention dealing with the Vatican and the Jubilee Year. We have designed our own pilgrimage, as there are too many difficulties for us in tagging along with a regimented pilgrimage. There are pros and cons to each option.

…But don’t let that stop you from considering a trip to Rome! Just know it requires a lot of planning and detailed research. The sooner you start planning, the better. And beware of making assumptions. We made several assumptions which resulted in losing money and having to re-book un-changable tickets. We also narrowly avoided some logistical disasters, when realizing the mistakes we made or the things we failed to consider.

Certainly, I will be writing about the experience when I get back!

There will be no posts until the latter half of October and there will be no October newsletter for our subscribers. But keep in mind, October is the Month of Our Lady of the Rosary and Respect Life Month. So, if you are accustomed to reading our monthly dedication posts, which detail feasts and give suggestions, take this as an opportunity to come up with your own ideas and study the liturgical calendar.

Thanks for your understanding and please know you will all be in our prayers in Rome!

In the Holy Name of Christ, Chiara:)

BTW, we planned our Assisi day on October 4th, the feast of Saint Francis, and we didn’t even realize it at first! Will be a busy day in Assisi, but that is the only day that fits into our itinerary. A sign from Saint Francis?

A Jubilee Year Meditation: The Holy Door of Your Life

This is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life!

As I contemplated my impending trip to Rome, where I will pass through the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica, opened specifically for the Jubilee Year, I realized that right now in my life, I am walking through another door.  A door of change, in several ways.  A door of newness that takes courage and discipline.  A door of challenge.  I know I am not alone.  Perhaps all Catholics this year, are called to do the same thing, whether or not they can get to Rome or another place with a Holy Door (apparently, all cathedrals have one).  It’s not the door that really matters, it’s what it symbolizes.  It’s the change it encourages in one’s life.  Holy Church invites us to cross a great threshold of holiness in this year of graces, at a time when it is most needed.

Of course, the spiritual is of greater importance than the temporal.  However, it is often mundane matters that require the analysis and discipline which leads to spiritual growth.  So we might wish to ask these types of questions:

What is my door?

What are my goals?  What must I change in my life?  How hard am I willing to work?  (Maybe it won’t require working harder, but smarter.)  What needs to shift?  What must I let go of?  What’s working in my life?  What isn’t?  What obstacles need to be removed?  What structures need to be built? 

“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”

Frances Willard

3 years ago, late at night, I slipped in the doorway between my kitchen and the hallway and received a bad concussion.  It was life-changing, not only because of the physical and mental effects (some of which I still suffer from), but because of how it challenged me and was part of a spiritual transformation in my life.  Every night I walk through that same doorway on my way to bed and remember that rite of passage.  That doorway hurt me but it also mysteriously helped me. 

“And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.”

Romans 8:28

Life has many doors…reminds me of Mary Hopkin’s beautifully haunting song, “Water, Paper and Clay.”  Water representing Baptism, paper representing the wedding day and clay, burial…universal, speaking to the deepest parts of us.  Each of these doors creates instant change.  But the kind of change we must initiate through force of the will and maintain, is difficult.  The Holy Door concept gives us the encouragement and motivation we need.  We can all traverse our own Holy Doors, whether they are actual ecclesiastical doors, or something more personal.  Holy Church during this privileged Jubilee Year beckons us all to a renaissance of the soul…a resurrection in some way resembling Our Lord’s, bringing us closer to Heaven.

Meditation on the Resurrection

From EWTN Vatican, with brief commentary and stunning photos…

Pilgrims From All Over The World Pass Through Holy Door Of St. Peter’s Basilica

From Pilgrimaps, a respectful article on the Holy Doors, including history, symbolism, and the universality of such passages across cultures (sorry about the flashing thing on this website, but it’s worth reading)…

The Holy Door:  The Meaning of Crossing the Threshold

“I am the Door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures.”

John 10:9

Thoughts for the Day

“This is the first day of the rest of your life!”

I love this quote. You can change everything whenever you want. It’s very inspiring. And it goes hand in hand with this one…

“I can do all these things in Him who strengtheneth me.”

Philippians 4:13

And there’s this one, which is sort of related…

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”

…Hey, ever wonder why the same people who always talk about diversity love to criticize the Tridentine Mass? This betrays their hypocrisy and true agenda. Let us pray for our traditional Catholic brethren in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, as they are undergoing an horrendous persecution right now. Let us pray for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to eradicate “Traditionis Custodes” (what an ironic title for this Motu Proprio, please don’t get me started).

Correspondence with FSSP on April 25th

I have changed my trad Catholic calendar this year to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter’s. I noticed on April 25th, there was no typical feast of Saint Mark, yet the Major Rogation Day remained. I thought this was a mistake, so I contacted them. Here was the gracious response of Claudio Salvucci, Communications Director for FSSP:

“In the specific case of April 25th this year, the omission of St. Mark was not an oversight. The days of Holy Week and Easter Week are privileged to the extent that they cannot be displaced by another feast, so St. Mark is simply suppressed in favor of Easter Friday this year. Though I believe in some cases the feast can be postponed until the Monday following Low Sunday if, for example, it is a patronal feast for a diocese or parish. The same principle is why the Annunciation was postponed to April 8th last year…

[Regarding the Major Rogation Day] Part of the reason is that the 1962 Missal says explicitly that when the feast of St. Mark is transferred, the Rogation procession is not transferred. Unless Apr. 25th falls on Easter Monday, in which case the procession is moved one day to Easter Tuesday.”

Mr. Salvucci also sent me some FSSP Liturgical Ordo notes (how cool is that):

“April 25, 2025: Greater Litanies...The ferial Mass of the Octave of Easter is celebrated with a commemoration of the Major Litanies, even at sung Masses. There is no commemoration of St. Mark...The Rogation Mass can be celebrated on April 25th only if the Mass be preceded by the Litany and Procession or other appointed supplications.”

 I hope that clears up any confusion any other liturgical calendar nerd out there might have had:)

March is the Month of Saint Joseph, Part 2

A new feature we recently started is monthly homeschool activities (see topic to the right>>>).  In Part 1, our reader Jenna gave some ideas on how to observe the monthly devotions, so we will use some of those…

Homeschool Activities for March

1. Can you find a 9-day novena to Saint Joseph?  Do you think you can pray it this month or sometime during Lent?  Try to get all 9 days in a row!  (Mothers, you might want to abbreviate the prayers for young children.)

2. Write a short prayer to Saint Joseph and memorize it.

3. Which feast in honor of Mary do we celebrate this month?  Where is this account found in Holy Scripture?

For more information on traditional monthly dedications, see the link below from Catholic Online.  History and indulgences are discussed.  Below is an excerpt of the month of March…

Special Devotions for Months

“St. Joseph (feast, 19 March); indulgences, three hundred days daily for those who privately or publicly perform some pious practice in honour of St. Joseph, during the month, a plenary indulgence on any day of the month under the usual conditions ( Pius IX, "Rescript Congr. Indulg.", 27 April, 1865). This month of devotions may commence in February and be concluded 19 March ( Pius IX, 18 July, 1877). March can be replaced by another month in case of legitimate impediment (Raccolta, 404). The practice of a triduum [A time frequently chosen for prayer or for other devout practices, whether by individuals in private, or in public by congregations or special organizations in parishes, in religious communities, seminaries, or schools. The form of prayer or devotion depends upon the occasion or purpose of the triduum. The three days usually precede some feast, and the feast then determines the choice of the pious exercises.] before the feast of St. Joseph has been recommended by Leo XIII (Encycl. "Quamquam pluries", 15 August, 1889).”

And here is a post from June, 2016…we now have a full 10 years of posts here…

A New Prayer to Saint Joseph!

Christmas Meditation from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

Well, we’re getting this out on the trad feast of the Epiphany, better late than never! It has been quite a project going through the entire book and extricating the “best” quotes (which is hard to do because every sentence is genius). My best advice is: read the book! But it is not for the faint-hearted and if you want an intellectual challenge, you got it.

According to the traditional Liturgical Calendar, Christmastide began the evening of December 24th with the Mass discussed below. This is not the Midnight Mass, it is the vigil. Christmastide extends until the octave of Epiphany, at which time we enter Time After Epiphany, which extends till Septuagesima (technically Lent). The Cycle of Christmas, when we meditate upon the Incarnation, extends from Advent to Septuagesima, when we begin our meditation upon the Redemption. Christmas celebration, according to my pastor, generally goes until the Feast of the Presentation, February 2nd, as this is last of the major feasts of the Cycle of Christmas.

There is supplemental Advent material in the book, which I might decide to present, just to be thorough, with PDFs. Then we will have a complete study of Advent of the Heart, which should be used in conjunction with the book. This can be for family or church use. [Update as of 11/22/25: I have not added to the 5 PDF’s I completed. I am considering where to take the project at this time. Please follow my current posts.]

ADVENT OF THE HEART

+   Christmas Meditation ~ Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr   +

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  All quotes below are from the Christmas Vigil Tridentine Mass, along with commentary written in Tegel Prison, Berlin, 1944, shortly before Fr. Delp’s martyrdom…

Opening Psalm:

“This day you shall know that the Lord will come, and save us: and in the morning you shall see His glory.”

“This means, first, quite simply the nearness of the holy day, the relationship between the Vigil Mass and Christmas Day.  However, it also means a continuing condition, a basic principle of our lives…Man wants so much to regard the known as if it were the final answer, and to feel at home there and settle himself firmly…Man must keep going, keep traveling toward life’s prize…This [text] evokes a creative and healing restlessness in us, to which we are indebted for everything that is authentic and fully alive…And now, at the gates of The Christmas mystery, through which we want to enter as though it were the rediscovered Paradise, the same motif will come into play…You have heard and understood the message…You should set out toward the tangible fulfillment and encounter.  Here too, is the old tension.  Here, too, is the principle of archery: the bow can be drawn only when the archer bears the burden… “

Collect (prayer prior to Epistle):

“O God, Who dost gladden us by the yearly expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now joyfully receive Thine only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also without fear behold Him coming as our Judge, even the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son.”

“…the liturgy rescues the image of the incarnate God from the danger of being seen as delicate and innocuous…we are reminded that the Child at whose coming we are rejoicing is the future Judge of our lives.  These smiling eyes of the Child will someday focus on us in mature, solemn examination and judgment.”

Epistle, Romans 1:1:

“…the Gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was made to Him of the seed of David according to the flesh: who was predestinated the Son of God in power according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead: by whom we have received grace, and apostleship for obedience to the faith in all nations…”

“As the Epistle…intones, [of the seed of David according to the flesh]…It is the incomprehensible fact of God entering into history, that He stepped into our law, into our space, into our existence, and not only like one of us, bus as one of us…Paul says of this relationship to Christ, [by whom we have received grace, and apostleship for obedience to the faith in all nations]…All encounters with God challenge His creatures to response and mission.”

Post-Communion:

“We beseech Thee, O Lord, grant us fresh courage [or breath, respirare in Latin], as we celebrate the birthday of Thine only-begotten Son: Whose heavenly Mystery is our food and drink.”

“…we will seldom pray a word so earnestly, honestly, and longingly as this respirare asking for breath at the close of the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass: Lord, give us breath.  Let us draw a deep breath because the stones have fallen from our hearts, because life is on solid ground again…here we have arrived at the heights upon which the respirare, the sigh of relief, the new breath, can happen…The world continues on its course, but it has become the barque of the Lord God that no storm can overturn and no flood can tear asunder.”

 FR. DELP’S CHRISTMAS MEDITATION PRINTABLE PDF

January is the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus! Part 1

We love the Holy Name here at Nomen Christi Apostolate, because the name of our ministry means “Name of Christ.”  Our Blessed Lord has given us the greatest opportunity for peace, for when we ask anything in His Name, it will be granted… 

“Because I go to the Father: and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do.  If you love me, keep my commandments.”

John 14:13

But as you can see above, there is something the Lord asks in return: that we keep His commandments.  Again, we are told…

“For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.”

Matthew 17:19

So, the question is, do we believe Our Lord when He says this?  It takes prayer and the life of sacramental grace to understand this teaching and live by it.  When faced with any of life’s “impossible” dilemmas, we have only to ask for help in His Name, and we know the outcome will be for the best…even if we do not get exactly what we asked for, in our imperfect humanity. 

“…in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6

In the coming days, we will be faced with situations we have never encountered before and this faith will be absolutely crucial.  And it will astound those around us, how we are able to deal with these trials with grace and peace…and love above all.

Why is January dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus?  In the traditional calendar, the first day of the month is the feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord, when He was publicly given His Name.  Also, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name on the 3rd in the new and the 5th in the trad…

“And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel, before he was conceived in the womb.”

Luke 2:21

“…behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS.  For he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name

Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.  And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Matthew 1:20

“Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you whole.  This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other.

For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts of the Apostles 4:10

How can we honor the Holy Name of Jesus this month and in the coming year?  Here is one more verse of Holy Scripture we might consider…

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.”

Exodus 20:7

How often do we hear the Name of Jesus casually thrown about in public?  How often is His Name dishonored in our entertainment?  If we are to call down mercy during these times, we must show God a worthy people.  We must find such things unacceptable. 

Here is the prayer which concludes the Litany of the Holy Name…

“O Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast said:

Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you,

grant, we beseech Thee, to us who ask, the gift of Thy most divine love, that we may ever love Thee with all our heart, and in all our words and actions, and never cease from praising Thee.  Make us, O Lord, to have both a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name, for Thou never failest to govern those whom Thou foundest upon the strength of Thy love, Who livest and reignest, world without end.  Amen.”

In addition, the beautiful prayers of the Tridentine Mass of the Holy Name can be said throughout this month.

It is a new year, which we also begin with the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.  Let us entrust the year 2025 to her most powerful intercession.

The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on the 5th in the new and the 6th in the trad.  Here is the Epiphany Blessing of the Home for you to print and recite with your family.  It is such a blessing…

Epiphany Blessing of the Home Printable PDF

Wishes for many great blessings to all in the new year!  Stay tuned for Part 2…