All Saints

Recent Short, Daily Sermons
St. Peter of Alcantara

St. Hilarion and St. Ursula

Sts. Gwynog & Nathan

Opening of Forty Hours

Mass for Peace During 40 Hours

zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
All Saints and All Souls, eight days after Forty Hours and Christ the King… Two great observances, of supreme spiritual importance, follow two weeks in a row for us, so much in need of power and prayer these days of great desolation. Tiring, perhaps, for those of us who are “on it,” but what a reward for our poor efforts. God hears such prayer, and sends us every encouragement to persevere. The mere fact that we have been able thus far to pray untroubled and unmolested is itself a great grace. What confidence we should, we must have for the rest, for Church and country, as well as for family and every personal need and petition.

It was a glorious Forty Hours. Never have so many attended the Friday night opening service. You came because you know the hour is late and the needs are grave. But how encouraging to see so many young adults, some from as far away as communist California, swell our numbers! All of the accustomed ceremonies went well, beautifully, despite the chill wet weather which shocked our guests from sunnier climes, and does make the ceremonies and the singing somewhat challenging. But nothing could stop us. We are on the Lord’s side. On to victory!

After the pleasant surprise of processing in to almost a full church Friday evening, my other favorite moment was the return of the Silas Tantum Ergo for the closing Benediction Sunday night. It brings back many memories of our early years. (After all we have almost forty years of them.) This lovely setting of the Benediction hymn is both touching and triumphant, and so moving.

Today double Sunday and Holy Day is being observed with our relics exposed upon the altars, and the little ones dressed as saints for the morning. More beloved traditions which express our Faith, and teach our children its wonder, its sublime truth. Thus is the Faith passed on!

Tomorrow we “go black,” vestments that is, for All Souls, with many visits and Masses, with prayers and Plenary Indulgences. Please, every one of you who reads these words, pause and pray for the Holy Souls of Purgatory, and to them. They can and will help us in this great hour of need. How confident we are concluding our fortnight of prayer with the Poor Souls on our side.

Someone wrote recently that Tuesday’s election is not about a man or a party, but is rather a plebiscite for either the merest remnants of the Christian Order in our country, or the New One World Order, or disorder, the chaos and crackdown of a godless government imposed by the oligarchy who are already our masters, and mean to crush us.

Some speak or write of the serious obligation to vote and, as the way is, declare it to be yet another mortal sin if we refrain. Sounds a little simplistic. But study the issues, and most of all, pray. “Mother, tell me, what am I to do?”

May the Mother of Good Counsel guide and protect us all in these tragic and perhaps decisive days.

–Bp. Dolan