Tuesday 25 March 2014

Litanie della Beata Vergine - Claudio Monteverdi -

THE PRIESTLY CELIBACY, priestly celibacy has a biblical basis in the Evangelical Council of our Lord transmitted in the Gospel of St. Matthew (19:12), also taken by St. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians (7:8-9, 25-27, and especially 32-33), and was confirmed by St. John in the revelation (14:4-5). It is clear that once the Apostles received the call, already not lead a double life. The tradition of priestly celibacy was solemnly proclaimed by the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council, in the year 325. Canon No. 3, approved unanimously by the parents, did not support absolute exceptions. The Council considers that the ban for all bishops, priests and deacons against having a wife is absolute. All subsequent Councils who have addressed the issue have renewed this ban. Not only would be a violation of the sacred tradition delete a measure enacted for 2,000 years as absolutely binding, but one must also recognize that priestly celibacy should be seen not only as of ecclesiastical institution, but that is part of what is more widely known in Catholic moral theology as "the law positive divine", initiated by Christ and his Apostles. That is, it is not merely disciplinary in nature. The Council of Elvira in the 304 indicates that all bishops, priests and deacons and all other clergymen should refrain from marrying. The Council of Carthage in the year 390 declared that celibacy is of Apostolic origin. San Epifanio de Salamina (ca. 315-403): "Is the same apostles who has decreed this law". Saint Jerome (ca. 342-420): "priests and deacons should be Virgin or widowed before being ordered, or at least observe perpetual Continence after ordination... If married men find this hard to bear, must not go against me, but against Scripture and of the entire ecclesiastical order "." Pope Saint Inocencio I (401-417): "This is not a question of imposing the new members of the clergy and arbitrary obligations, but remember that the tradition of the Apostles and fathers has transmitted to us". San Pedro Damián (1007-1072) wrote: "no one can ignore the fact that all the fathers of the Catholic Church have unanimously imposed the inviolable rule of continence of clerics in major orders". The Lateran Council of 1139 confirmed that the clerics are forbidden to marry. There is a reason for this tradition. The cleric orders greater, under his management, contracts a marriage with the Church, and cannot be bigamous. St. Jerome in his treatise "Adversus Jovinianum,"based on priestly celibacy in the virginity of Christ. The universal law of priestly celibacy, confirmed by the Council of Nicaea is applied and continues applying, to the Church of the East, as well as the West. It is noteworthy that in this Council, the Orientals (Greeks) were an overwhelming majority. Previously, the Council of Neo - Caesarea (314) had reminded all clergymen of the East large orders of the inviolability of the present law, under penalty of deposition.
The Church of East began at a late date in violation of its own law of celibacy. The Quinisexto Council of 692, which San Beda the Venerable (673-735) called "a synod is frowned upon," violated the Apostolic tradition on the celibacy of the clergy, by stating that "all clergy, except bishops may continue within marriage". The Popes refused to approve the conclusions of the Council on the issue of celibacy and the Church of East sowed the seeds of his schism. The German scholar, Stefan Heid, in his book, "Celibacy in the early Church", shows that the continencia-celibato after the ordination in the priesthood was the absolute standard from the start - even for married people [who let his marriage] to be sorted - a triumph of grace on the nature, so to speak. Practice Eastern we now see was a reduction of the rule and not, as the modernists, claim the original practice of the Roman Catholic Church.

Monday 24 March 2014

Our Lady during Lent: Third Sunday in Lent Third Sunday of Lent 2012 Many years ago, prior to the so-called “renewal” in the Church, on this particular Sunday all through the Catholic world a cry would go out from pulpits as regards our need to do penance. Keep in mind that we have Confession, the Sacrament of Penance, each Saturday following Holy Mass as well as each Friday prior to Stations of the Cross, and on Sunday morning. Let us use the wonderful Sacrament so that we might correct our wrongs and defects so that we might continue into Lent and be able to fully celebrate the wonderful Resurrection of Our Lord. Let us make certain that we use the Sacrament of Penance to correct ourselves, not so as to make ourselves appear pious before men. “Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” We hear today words of praise for the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Gospel today. These words gave Our Lord an opportunity to pronounce on Mary His Mother, the highest praise possible. Mary was the first and most of all blessed and kept with the greatest of faith, humility, with love, all that she heard which was the word of God and kept it. “Mary kept all these words in her heart.” Among all that God created as regards rational creatures, Mary is the highest example of holiness, and it is on this foundation and blessedness that God established in her the great honor and privilege of being the Mother of His Incarnate Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church of course urges us to have a real and constant devotion toward the Blessed Virgin Mary; a devotion which is really just an application of her own doctrine on the Communion of Saints. By this action of the Church we have the Blessed Virgin Mary presented to us as the ideal, the example; we have our model directed to us which should induce us to have a zeal for the salvation of our souls, a zeal and real love for our Church and Our Lord Jesus Christ…just as she did and does in eternity. As Catholics we are confident in having recourse to her powerful intercession as the Mother of God. The Holy Bible begins and continues and closes with Jesus…but also with Mary. In that terrible hour when we recall the fall in paradise, God said to Satan: “I will place enmities between thee and the woman, between her seed and thy seed; thou shalt lie in wait for her heel, and she shall crush thy head.” (Genesis 4;15) We find at the end of the Bible, in the Book of the Apocalypse, that this book closes with written and inspired word of God with the same revelation that was revealed in the book of Genesis. We have these words: “The old serpent, Satan hated and persecuted the woman because of her child, who hath redeemed all peoples…but the dragon prevailed not…and the child was taken up to heaven and to His throne, from whence He ruleth the nations.” (Apoc. 12) Through all the ages the prophets sang of Mary in their visions of the Messiah. “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising -fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and terrible as an army in battle array?” (Canticles 6) And again in the Old Testament we read “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and He shall be called Emmanuel, God with us.” In the New Testament we read “The angel of the Lord was sent from heaven to a Virgin of Nazareth whose name was Mary. And entering, he said to her: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou above all women.” Our Blessed Mother consented completely to the will of God “behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word” and so with this consent, the mystery of the Divine Incarnation was instant and accomplished through her: “the word became Flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Virgin Mary is therefore the Mother of God; and so we use this title often to give veneration and respect to the Blessed Mother as we call Mary with all devotion. Mary herself acknowledged al of this when she uttered “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He that is might hath done great things in me; and behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” In the acceptance on the par tof Mary to participate in the divine plan, this consent of hers also mean that she would have to embrace all the cruel torments of the Passion and Death of her Divine Son and so we especially call Mary the Mother of Sorrows and the Queen of Martyrs. These titles we use are of course an expression of the love and gratitude that we have towards Mary, the Mother of God. St. John speaks of Mary in heaven: “A great sign appeared in Heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and crowned with the stars.” Mary is now in heaven where she intercedes for her children here on earth, where she watches over the needs and concerns of the Church of her Divine Son here on earth. During this Lenten season, let us meditate on the life of Mary, especially try to imitate her virtues, her example of obedience; her faith in God and her faith in all the truths of our holy Catholic religion: “Blessed are thou that thou didst believe.” Let us remember her holy fear of the Almighty “Holy is His Name” she uttered. Never take the name of God in vain. “His mercy is from generation unto generation to them that fear in Him.” -again, her humility, her patience, her charity. If anyone fears Confession, let Mary guide you so that by your recourse to her, you will be filled with confidence and sin can be destroyed within you. Let us walk this Lent with Mary, let us, especially those in the Sodality of Our Lady, endeavor to be led safely by Mary as we go through this life hopefully looking towards heaven, placing our hands in the hand of Mary as our guide. Our Lady during Lent: Third Sunday in Lent Third Sunday of Lent 2012 Many years ago, prior to the so-called “renewal” in the Church, on this particular Sunday all through the Catholic world a cry would go out from pulpits as regards our need to do penance. Keep in mind that we have Confession, the Sacrament of Penance, each Saturday following Holy Mass as well as each Friday prior to Stations of the Cross, and on Sunday morning. Let us use the wonderful Sacrament so that we might correct our wrongs and defects so that we might continue into Lent and be able to fully celebrate the wonderful Resurrection of Our Lord. Let us make certain that we use the Sacrament of Penance to correct ourselves, not so as to make ourselves appear pious before men. “Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” We hear today words of praise for the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Gospel today. These words gave Our Lord an opportunity to pronounce on Mary His Mother, the highest praise possible. Mary was the first and most of all blessed and kept with the greatest of faith, humility, with love, all that she heard which was the word of God and kept it. “Mary kept all these words in her heart.” Among all that God created as regards rational creatures, Mary is the highest example of holiness, and it is on this foundation and blessedness that God established in her the great honor and privilege of being the Mother of His Incarnate Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church of course urges us to have a real and constant devotion toward the Blessed Virgin Mary; a devotion which is really just an application of her own doctrine on the Communion of Saints. By this action of the Church we have the Blessed Virgin Mary presented to us as the ideal, the example; we have our model directed to us which should induce us to have a zeal for the salvation of our souls, a zeal and real love for our Church and Our Lord Jesus Christ…just as she did and does in eternity. As Catholics we are confident in having recourse to her powerful intercession as the Mother of God. The Holy Bible begins and continues and closes with Jesus…but also with Mary. In that terrible hour when we recall the fall in paradise, God said to Satan: “I will place enmities between thee and the woman, between her seed and thy seed; thou shalt lie in wait for her heel, and she shall crush thy head.” (Genesis 4;15) We find at the end of the Bible, in the Book of the Apocalypse, that this book closes with written and inspired word of God with the same revelation that was revealed in the book of Genesis. We have these words: “The old serpent, Satan hated and persecuted the woman because of her child, who hath redeemed all peoples…but the dragon prevailed not…and the child was taken up to heaven and to His throne, from whence He ruleth the nations.” (Apoc. 12) Through all the ages the prophets sang of Mary in their visions of the Messiah. “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising -fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and terrible as an army in battle array?” (Canticles 6) And again in the Old Testament we read “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and He shall be called Emmanuel, God with us.” In the New Testament we read “The angel of the Lord was sent from heaven to a Virgin of Nazareth whose name was Mary. And entering, he said to her: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou above all women.” Our Blessed Mother consented completely to the will of God “behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word” and so with this consent, the mystery of the Divine Incarnation was instant and accomplished through her: “the word became Flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Virgin Mary is therefore the Mother of God; and so we use this title often to give veneration and respect to the Blessed Mother as we call Mary with all devotion. Mary herself acknowledged al of this when she uttered “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He that is might hath done great things in me; and behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” In the acceptance on the par tof Mary to participate in the divine plan, this consent of hers also mean that she would have to embrace all the cruel torments of the Passion and Death of her Divine Son and so we especially call Mary the Mother of Sorrows and the Queen of Martyrs. These titles we use are of course an expression of the love and gratitude that we have towards Mary, the Mother of God. St. John speaks of Mary in heaven: “A great sign appeared in Heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and crowned with the stars.” Mary is now in heaven where she intercedes for her children here on earth, where she watches over the needs and concerns of the Church of her Divine Son here on earth. During this Lenten season, let us meditate on the life of Mary, especially try to imitate her virtues, her example of obedience; her faith in God and her faith in all the truths of our holy Catholic religion: “Blessed are thou that thou didst believe.” Let us remember her holy fear of the Almighty “Holy is His Name” she uttered. Never take the name of God in vain. “His mercy is from generation unto generation to them that fear in Him.” -again, her humility, her patience, her charity. If anyone fears Confession, let Mary guide you so that by your recourse to her, you will be filled with confidence and sin can be destroyed within you. Let us walk this Lent with Mary, let us, especially those in the Sodality of Our Lady, endeavor to be led safely by Mary as we go through this life hopefully looking towards heaven, placing our hands in the hand of Mary as our guide. Extravt Fr. Brown, Holy Rosary Chapel