Lent IV – Laetare
New Website and Store
We are announcing a new website: sggresources.org. This website has links to all of our most important resources, and has a small store for purchasing literature, processing donations, and requesting Masses.
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Restoration Radio: The Legacy of Benedict XVI, Part I
This first of 3 shows focuses on the years 1960-2005.
Ratzinger: Theologian and Cardinal (1950–2005) His theological training by professors who advocated the modernist “New Theology” condemned by Pius XII. Ratzinger’s rejection of Thomism. The accusation of modernism against his doctoral thesis. Ratzinger’s hand in writing two Vatican II documents, on the Church and on revelation. Ratinger’s errors (heresies?) as theologian on the resurrection of the body, and as cardinal on the nature of the Church, justification, etc.
Our guests are Bishop Donald Sanborn of Most Holy Trinity Seminary and Fr. Anthony Cekada of St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church. Both men have studied Benedict XVI and his actions over the years and have much useful commentary to share.
Listen here.
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Restoration Radio: The Legacy of Benedict XVI, Part II
This is the second of a 3-part series on the legacy of Benedict XVI. This show will focus on the years 2006-2013
Our guests are Bishop Donald Sanborn of Most Holy Trinity Seminary and Fr. Anthony Cekada of St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church. Both men have studied Benedict XVI and his actions over the years and have much useful commentary to share.
Listen here.
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This school year we will be publishing daily sermons from the previous week:
Feb. 28, 2013: Thursday in the 2nd Week of Lent by Bp. Dolan
Mar. 1, 2013: The Holy Face of Jesus by Fr. Lehtoranta
Mar. 5, 2013: Oil by Bp. Dolan
Mar. 7, 2013: St. Thomas Aquinas by Bp. Dolan
Mar. 8, 2013: Charity by Fr. McGuire
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Wednesday’s welcome snow gave March a lion’s entrance, although it wore lamb’s white withal. This fitting finale to Winter (we hope!) gave many a welcome “snow day” and all one last glimpse of its cold quiet beauty. Fr. McGuire had yet another two-day trip, this time to return from Wisconsin. St. Thérèse is giving him a shower of snow, but it’s really roses.
But this weekend’s temperatures in the 50s (called for last week) and forwarded clocks join the more natural birds who call forth Spring. The beauty within church today, the rose over somber purple, anticipates the resurrection not of nature, but of her Maker. Easter is soon here. Rejoice!
We’re all having a good time this Lent, and I hope you are as well. How joyful is the journey to Easter, accompanied by the Little Flower, encouraged by her engaging if enigmatic smile. Her teaching, her imitation, is within reach of all. It is the Little Way, after all. Let us love her, and follow her.
The smile is the key to all, I think. Thérèse is healed by Our Lady’s smile. We are helped by Thérèse’s encouraging smile. Sacrifices seem smaller, our little crosses and sorrows lighter, urged on “for love” by our patroness and her beloved Lady of the Smile. Serene joy prevails.
Everyone is traveling this Lent. On Friday, Fr. McKenna and Abbé Hecquard accompanied me to Detroit where Fr. Saavedra had invited me to give a Ladies Day of Recollection on Saturday at Bishop Sanborn’s beautiful Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Frasier. Fr. McKenna has since gone on to Chillicothe (St. Clare’s little flock is enjoying many Sunday Masses this Winter). Fr. Cekada has, already, his March trip to the seminary. It was scheduled to permit his return in plenty of time for Holy Week. Fr. McGuire is just happy to be home, instead of more watchful waiting at some airport. It is Fr. Lehtoranta who went to Milwaukee this weekend, but with the luck of the Finns he seems to avoid the delays. Fr. McKenna returned from Louisiana’s March Mass at 2:15 in the morning on Monday.
Fr. Cekada reports that all went well for Bishop Sanborn’s Pontifical Mass and the Rev. Mr. Bede Nkamuke’s ordination to the Subdiaconate last month at Most Holy Trinity Seminary. His final months before the priesthood this Fall will pass quickly, but not quickly enough for the faithful back home, who have not had Holy Mass since Fr. Larrabee’s visit a year ago last November. Fr. Larrabee did not receive permission to engage in missionary work so soon after his return to California this Summer. He lives now all by himself in a nice house in an almond grove near Modesto, assisting Fr. Zapp’s flourishing apostolate. But it looks like his foreign missionary days are over, as they concentrate on trying to grow their two chapels.
Fr. Valeriy Kudriavtsev willingly accepted to visit the dear Nigerians, but this time it was state, not church, which said no. The United States is not the only country with an illegal immigrant problem. Nigeria has many rogue Russians, drawn to the oil wells. I fear this holy Ukrainian priest may have been taken for one, and thus denied a visa. It could also be the power of the Novus Ordo church, very strong in Nigeria. I do not know. Let us pray for the perseverance of the Nigerians, and of all of our isolated faithful who must wait so long for the Sacraments and Holy Mass.
I heard recently of the sad story of a lady who used to attend St. Gertrude’s, driving a good distance very Sunday. Health and other issues seemed to make the trip inadvisable anymore, and she decided to frequent the local apostate church. (Does this term for the new religion seem harsh? It is quite accurate.) Do not be scandalized at any of this. People do their best, poor lost lambs, according to their lights. I only wish she had spoken to a priest, and asked for a Communion call. As we used to say, better to eat real bread once a month, than a poisoned loaf every week. But the bread passed out here is the Bread of Angels!
She must have realized this, as she asked a relative to promise to procure a priest (not the Novus Ordo imitation) for her last rites. Alas, she passed quickly, “unhousell’d, disappointed, unaneled…” We commend this gentle soul to God’s mercy. It seems to me this is an important part of what we do at St. Gertrude the Great. May no one be left out, no one soul forgotten in life, at death, or after death.
Don’t forget St. Patrick’s Day next Sunday. It is true, the statues will be wearing purple, but the sons and daughters of Erin will don a bit of the green. The school children have been busy practicing their Spring program which they will present at 12:45 PM, and the O’Donnells’ traditional Irish spaghetti dinner follows. We’ll play some Mexican Irish music to round things out, and Fr. McKenna will juggle a bit in the way of post-prandial entertainment.
We’ve concluded our St. Joseph Novena, but not our confident prayers to him for our beloved Church. Keep up your prayers and devout practices this Lent with the Little Flower, won’t you?
Yours in Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and yours with a smile,
–Bishop Dolan