Septuagesima
Our Lady of Fatima, on a crisp Sunday morning before Mass
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Daily Sermons
February 6 – Fr. Lehtoranta – The Humility of St. Titus
February 7 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Romuald and Rooting Out Bad Habits
February 8 – Fr. Lehtoranta – The Charity of St. John of Matha
February 9 – Bp. Dolan – Two “Exception-al” Egyptian Saints
February 10 – Bp. Dolan – A Brother, A Sister, Two Saints
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Winter booked “another flight” Wednesday night, and Thursday’s dawn wore white. It seemed fit-ting for last week’s white wearing saints, all in a row. And Wednesday evening’s snow was quite picturesque and practical even. Now, may Mother Nature pack it away with the Christmas ornaments…. But we are grateful to have been spared the worst of winter this year.
Meanwhile, inside the church, we’re wearing purple again for purposefulness and planning, for it is the ’gesima time, as the English used to call the short shoulder season which precedes Lent. We’re counting the Sundays until the Sunday, Easter. So it’s seventy days today, and then, in round terms, sixty and fifty. In fact, Lent itself is called for a number in Latin, Quadragesima, or forty, for the forty fasting days that comprise it.
We’re busy planning a good Lent, offering every-thing we can think of, at a convenient time, to make for a truly spiritual and holy “forty day fast.” Make your plans to change your plans and offer up a little extra church time. Recollections, Masses, devotions, Stations for adults and children and even some suppers and social events are on the calendar and in the planning stages. But pray to be generous. Pray now for a good Lent.
Meanwhile, over in Rome, the old heretic Francis is planning his next sacrament to attack, Holy Orders. Having pretty much in one fell swoop demolished what was left of Holy Matrimony as well as the idea of Confession and the obligation of Holy Communion in the state of Sanctifying Grace, he goes after the priesthood.
In his official publication, Civilta Catholica, there appears an article agitating for women priests, based on all the old modernist claptrap of historicity and cultural conditioning. So it begins. Since JPII declared his refusal to ordain women both final and infallible, this is an immensely bold step on the part of the proud Argentine. But you know now what he’s planning. Conservatives are probably still in a state of shock. How could he attack infallible teaching? Well…
Bishop Fellay of Pius X is planning corporate re-union with the Conciliar Church one of these days. As a matter of fact, it’s already a reality on the practical level, he says. “All that’s missing is the stamp.” Why this seeming betrayal? Why officially join the Vatican II Church?
You must understand that the Pius X Society, to use a Vatican II term “subsists” in the Conciliar Church. But they look upon themselves as the true church, the pure church, a superchurch, which must get back inside the modern version in order to save it. Their version of the Catholic Church is one that teaches false-hood and has no coercive authority. They’ve been spreading this heresy for a long time. Don’t you think it’s time for Catholics to stand up for the Faith and fully reject this falsehood, rather than mewing about how they’re good people and mean well? Ideas matter. Reject falsehood and communion with it, especially at Mass. Stand up for your Faith.
Meanwhile in the department of yesterday’s long forgotten controversies, Fr. Jenkins of Immaculate Conception in Norwood, has produced a long, rambling and fatally boring video on the old question of the validity of the Thuc consecrations. Fr. Jenkins is certainly a good priest. I presume he’s worried about the number of his faithful who often attend St. Gertrude the Great. But they are our fellow Catholics, and quite welcome. Controversies, past and present, will always be with us. But let strict Catholic theology be our guide, and Christian charity our rule.
Happy St. Valentine’s Day. Send somebody a card, and many souls a kind prayer. God bless your heart!
—Bishop Dolan