WEDNESDAY
February 13, 2002
volume 13, no. 23
ASH WEDNESDAY: Day of Fast and Abstinence.
Historical Feast of Saint Polyeucte, Roman officer who died in 259 and Saint Catherine de Ricci, Virgin, visionary and Florentine Dominican nun who died in 1589.

                              
As page loads, we invite you to say as many Hail Mary's as necessary.
IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

 "Feed My sheep"
In today's Ash Wednesday's issue we share a letter written a few years ago to a younger lady named Alison who was graduating from high school. We dare say many of her age would appreciate receiving such a great, loving present than her older cousin's sage advice which puts 'saving oneself for marriage' so beautifully that this letter should be shared with every teen for everything written is absolute, true and the way every Catholic single must live in order to reap the blessings God gives so abundantly as you can see in A Letter to Alison


 Pro Life Prescriptions
In this issue Dr. Frank Joseph lauds a priest who, unlike the bishops, is not only NOT afraid to get down in the trenches of praying in front of abortuaries, but sacrificing himself for the cause. Dr. Joseph points out that Father Norman Weslin, founder of the Lambs of Christ in New York offered himself as a sacrificial victim in order to bring to the attention of all the plight of the unborn as pointed out in Dr. Frank's column A Lamb who is not afraid
 Exspectans exspectavimus Ecclesia Dei
The fallout of the compromise by the Priestly Union of Saint Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney in Campos, Brazil has had repercussions. The latest lament comes from their most staunch ally, Dr. David Allen White, PhD, author of the definitive book The Mouth of the Lion on the glorious triumphs of this Traditionalist priestly fraternity established by Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer. Thanks to Michael J. Matt of The Remnant we share White's letter in today's issue which first appeared in the January 31st edition of The Remnant. An Open Letter to the Priests of Campos
 Simply Sheen
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen continues in today's Ash Wednesday issue on his treatise on the very topic so greatly twisted and misunderstood today: Tolerance! He delineates between loving yourself and not loving about yourself, showing how we do so when we see in us and others the image and likeness of God, but when we do not love those qualities it usually means we see the ruination of that very image. Just another way of saying Love the sinner, hate the sin!

COMING TOMORROW:

 Echoes of True Catholicism
Tomorrow Dr. Marian Horvat will point out the vast graveyard of vocations in the post-conciliar church. Last week an article was circulated that showed statistics for 173 dioceses in the U.S. taken a few years back that indicated the ratio of priests to Catholics. The best was in Fargo, North Dakota where there were 2,025 Catholics for every priest and seminarians (which in reality is devastating) to the worst in Hartford, Connecticut where there was a shocking one priest or seminarian for every 371,479 Catholics. Dr. Horvat explains how this terrible decline has extended to both men and women religious in her column The Crisis in Vocations: The Bitter Harvest of Vatican II


 Precious Gift of our Faith
In tomorrow's issue we continue a beautiful catechetical apologetic series taken from The Glories and Triumphs of the Catholic Church on the true meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The 259th installment continues an enthralling, truly inspiring and enlightening understanding of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass like you never realized before. After you read this, you will clamor for the return of the Mass of All Ages for only in the Tridentine Rite is its fullness realized. You will see the Mass as it was always intended and why the Council of Trent in their infallible wisdom settled on this most perfect propitiatory sacrifice to uniquely and purposely represent every aspect of Christ as we present part two of The Perfect Plan of the Mass
 The Great Sacrilege
Father James F. Wathen, O.S.J. has granted permission to publish his entire work which was first published by Tan Books in 1972, and which we urge you to read for everything he wrote back then is backed by the solid depositum fidei - the Sacred Deposit of the Faith and still holds true. It takes up where the Ottaviani Intervention left off as you'll see in Thursday's issue when Father gets down to the serious violations perpetrated on the faithful, explaining in Part Eight of Chapter Four - "Haec Quotiescumque..."

LATER THIS WEEK:

 Christ or chaos
This coming Friday Dr. Thomas Droleskey continues his series on G.I.R.M. Warfare. He comments on paragraph 85 and 86 on the Protestantization of the Mass, which is so manifest during reception of Communion when 'performance' by the 'actors' takes precedent over what truly we should focus our whole minds, hearts and energies on: Christ-centered devotion. This has sadly contributed to disbelief in the Real Presence as Tom explains in his 39th installment Our focus must be Christocentric, not anthropocentric


 Traditional Insights
On Friday Mario Derksen begins a new series on "Vatican II and the Gospel of Man" as he meticulously peels off the skin-deep layers of rhetoric, exposing the tightening muscles of modernism that seek to squeeze the bones of doctrine. This prevents the living organs of Truth and Tradition from fully being able to function, thus allowing the cancer of humanism to penetrate the pores of the Mystical Body of Christ. Mario analyzes disturbing statements from Vatican II and the conciliar Popes which reveal an exaggerated and novel view of man and his dignity - a humanistic agenda that has been the core of the the post-conciliar campaign to put distance between modernist Rome and Eternal Rome as you'll see in part one of his column The Enthronement of Man.
 The Fatima FILE
On Friday we present an excellent essay by Peter Miller of the Seattle Catholic which, if we are to believe the propaganda coming out of Rome and Coimbra is contradictory and, basically pits Fatima visionary Sister Lucia's current words against all that she professed prior to the confusion and alteration of the meaning of the Fatima Message. Miller first wrote this article on December 28, 2001. His logic and courtroom angle to providing facts cannot be denied as you'll see in his eye-opening piece Sister Lucy vs. "Sister Lucy"

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

 Traditional Thoughts
In Tuesday's issue we continued a special series on what Traditionalism truly is - Roman Catholicism. Peter Miller, editor of the www.Seattle Catholic.com, shares a simple, concise response to 'conservatives' who see their beloved Church collapsing everywhere but continue to keep their heads in the sand, refusing to see the obvious. Peter shows the distinctions between 'traditionalist' and 'conservative' and clears up misconceptions that hopefully will better alert neo-Catholics to the true path they need to follow and to dispell the many myths about Traditionalism as we presented the third part of his excellent article A Brief Defense of Traditionalism.


 The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart
Yesterday we continued with the excellent work by Father Joseph McDonnell, S.J. first written during the Pontificate of Pope Saint Pius X and which, now out of print, Catholic Family News has given us permission to reprint following their publishing of it. It is a beautiful meditation and commentary that should encourage more devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with Part Nine - Meditation on the Fifth Promise.
 White Smoke, Black Fire!
In the seventh episode of Chapter Six in Part II - "The Smoldering" Pat is shocked how deeply Satan and his disciples in the Legion of the Basilisk have infiltrated the Church as Fasif and Niki relate a horror story no one could have imagined. But there is an Achilles heel that might be the lynchpin for nailing the enemy, but that same fault is regarded by the Legion as their strongest asset. Something has to give. Who will blink first?
Fifth Lateran Council


  Despite Blessed Pope Eugene IV's Papal Bull Cantate Domino that no one could be saved unless he remain in unity with the Catholic Church, problems abounded less than a century later. Thus Pope Julius II trying to recoup the scandals caused by previous pontiffs, specifically the Borgia Pope - Alexander VI, called the 18th Ecumenical Council, returning to the Lateran for the Fifth there in 1512. When Julius died, his successor Pope Leo X carried on the Council. No doctrine was proclaimed with all decrees primarily disciplinary in trying to stem the tide of Martin Luther and others who were outwardly rebelling against the Church. Though the idea of a Crusade against the Turks was brought up, the problems with the growing Protestant Reformation occupied the agenda. The Council reaffirmed the superiority of the Pope over conciliar powers. For the full documents of the seventeenth Ecumenical Council see FIFTH LATERAN COUNCIL


 Catholic PewPOINT
In Monday's issue editor Michael Cain continued his series on the analogy of the Mystical Body of Christ with the sorrowful mysteries. He focused on the second sorrowful mystery - the Scourging at the Pillar - and how it correlates with the Second Vatican Council where the lashes of progressive reform and compromise were snapped with a fury, every year stinging deeper as more scourgers have gathered around the Pillar and proceeded to further decimate the Mystical Body unmercifully with the whips of worldliness. Though they have tried to excuse and extemporize the flagellation as nothing more than a few flesh wounds, it truly has gone much deeper as the precious Blood sorrowfully and scandalously has blanketed the secular stone floor of every ism and vice possible as Cain explained in part two of the Sorrowful Mysteries: The kind of rot that smells to high Heaven!
 Standing with the Church Militant On the BattleLine
Monday Atila Sinke Guimarães pointed out how America has been mesmerized and anesthetized by the platitudes of Islamism where in truth the terrorists of September 11th were only following the Koran. Yet another false religion is given credence by those who know better. He also asked what was a Roman Catholic cardinal doing pitching a German airlines in ads and have you seen the new euro coin distributed at the Vatican? John Paul II's image is on it and he's looking to the left. There's nothing funny in that, though he is endorsing being caricatured for a cartoon series. Atila wondered what is next in his column Weeds in the 'garden'


"It is better that scandal arise than that the truth be concealed."

Pope Saint Gregory the Great #4.

Today in Church History
Death of the Pope of the Guelphs

Today is the 872nd commemoration of the death of Pope Honorius II, 163rd successor of Peter, whose pontificate lasted 6 years. His pontificate began quite stormy for on December 21, 1124, as the Cardinal of Ostia he was forcefully by sword put on the throne by the faction of the Frangipani family in connivance with the chancelor Almeric. This had happened after Pope Celestine II had been elected by a majority of the cardinals. Celestine was deposed as the Frangipani's bought off the rest of the Conclave during a time of corruption. Honorius himself was not touched by this corruption and sought to renew friendly relations with all European courts in uniting against the sword of Islam. Yet, it is also true that he was really a "puppet pope" for the wily Almeric and this led to the formation during Honorius' six-year reign of the famous pro-papal Guelphs and the pro-emperor/anti-papal Ghibbelines which would cause great consternation and bloodshed as these extremist groups sought to influence both the political scene and the Church. Honorius, on the brink of death in January of 1130, was stolen away to a monastery under the protection of the Frangipani family by Almeric to prevent the rival Pierleoni family from gaining control.

In each issue we will feature a special prayer to enhance your Catholic devotions

Prayer for Ash Wednesday

Grant, O Lord, to Thy faithful people, that they may undertake with fitting piety the venerable solemnities of fasting, and complete them with steadfast devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost.

For prayers posted thus far, see Devotions and Reflections

ASH WEDNESDAY

On the Way to Calvary on the Via Dolorosa

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent when the Church charges us to put on the mantle of penitence for forty days and forty nights through the Passsion and Death of Jesus in preparation for His glorious Resurrection. We receive ashes to remind us of the temporary vessels that we are.

      
  
  
  
  

For the Stations of the Cross, see Way of the Cross

Liturgy of the Saints

MONDAY, February 11:
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

TUESDAY, February 12:
Shrove Tuesday: Traditional Feast of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites. Historical feast of Saint Saturnius and Companions who were martyred in 303 under the evil Diocletian

WEDNESDAY, February 13:
ASH WEDNESDAY: Day of Fast and Abstinence. Historical Feast of Saint Polyeucte, Roman officer who died in 259 and Saint Catherine de Ricci, Virgin, visionary and Florentine Dominican nun who died in 1589.

THURSDAY, February 14:
Traditional Feast of Saint Valentine, Priest who was martyred in 269. He is Patron Saint of Lovers. Historical feast of Saint John Camillo, bishop who died in 600. In the new liturgy the feast of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, Bishop. They are considered the patron saints of Eastern Europe.

FRIDAY, February 15:
Day of Abstinence. Traditional Feast of Saint Faustina and Saint Jovita, both martyred in 121. In the new the feast of Saint Claude de la Colombiere, Priest and spiritual director to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. He died in 1682.

SATURDAY, February 16:
Historical Feasts of Saint Onesimus, Bishop who was martyred in 95 A.D. and Saint Juliana who was martyred by Diocletian in 305.

SUNDAY, February 17:
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT For reflections on the First Sunday of Lent, see Fr. Cusick's reflections

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