Monthly Archives: March 2023

First Friday/Dilemma

Posted on March 3, 2023 | Leave a comment

Customarily, on the first Friday of each month I write a post about the First Friday devotion, encouraging all to participate.

In fact, here is a link to help you in that regard.

But today is a little different. The First Friday devotion must be carried out on the first Fridays of nine consecutive months.

Look at your calendars. You might notice that the first Friday of April (next month) happens to be Good Friday. In TLM land, that means you will certainly not receive Our Lord in Holy Communion (one of the requirements for the devotion). This is especially so if your priest opts to use the pre-1955 rites.

Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, Shrine of St. Catherine Laboure, Harrisburg, PA

I wrote to Fr. Z. about this the last time it happened that first Friday and Goos Friday aligned. His response was basically, “Oh well,” though he did offer the possibility of going to another church (a Novus Ordo) where Communion would be distributed. I balked and re-started the devotion a month later.

This year we have the greater threat to the practice that April’s first Friday is also post-April 3rd so it might just be difficult to find what you’re looking for period.

Either way, let us make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, so wounded by our sins.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

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Prayers

Posted on March 2, 2023 | Leave a comment

I just finished watching Tucker Carlson’s opening monologue. For the people I watched here and for several private intentions, I ask anyone who reads this to offer a few prayers.

The world is gone to hell.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us all.

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Lenten Orations

Posted on March 1, 2023 | Leave a comment

Apologies are in order. I typically post at night before I drift off to sleep. Most of you probably read this in the morning. I am apologizing because I want to share a couple of prayers from the Mass for Ember Wednesday, which will undoubtedly be outdated in a sense when you read it. That being said, the prayers I am sharing are still marvelous in their language and sentiment and, I believe, can serve as a source of meditation for hours.

First up, the Postcommunion:

“By receiving Thy sacraments, O Lord, may we be cleansed of our secret sins and delivered from the snares of our enemies.”

What’d I tell you? I could spend hours with that one. Secret sins? It kind of immediately prompted me to want to ask my guardian angel to help me truly examine my conscience, rolling up the carpets and sweeping out the dust as it were.

Confessional beneath the 11th Station – Our Lord Nailed to the Cross, Church of St. Dominic, San Francisco, CA

Next, the Prayer over the People, which is a prayer said immediately after the Postcommunion on the weekdays of Lent:

“O Lord, we beseech Thee, shed light upon our minds by the brightness of Thy glory, so that we may see what we must do and have the strength to do what is right.”

The Roman liturgical tradition is nothing if not concise. And isn’t this something many of us ask of Our Lord every day? Show me what to do! The key here is the follow-up petition that He give us the strength to actual do it.

As I’ve been saying, these are darkening times. If I wake up on April 3 and there is no new document to view, I will give thanks to God for the additional day. If we get “cancelled” before that? Well… Lord, enlighten my mind now so that I may see what I must do. I have no fear nor doubt that He will give me the strength to do whatever that is.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!

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