Feast of Corpus Christi

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1375.

It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. the Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares: “It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. the priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God’s. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.”
 

And St. Ambrose says about this conversion: “Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. the power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed…. Could not Christ’s word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.”

idea and source from The Dominican Province of St. Joseph preachers sketchbook.

Queen Isabel the Catholic

Those monarchs who do not fear God must fear their subjects.

Queen Isabel (better known in the U.S. as half of the Ferdninand and Isabella of Christopher Columbus fame) was more than a very accomplished and successful ruler. She was a pious and sincere Servent of God! As a true Catholic, Queen Isabel was both defender and promoter of the Eucharist.  As active a monarch as she was she not only assisted at mass daily but also devoutly prayed the Divine Office every day.  She was a stuanch defender of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (almost 400 years before it was finally proclaimed).

There is a website devoted to cause of Queen Isabel's canonization at http://www.queenisabel.com/index.html

Prayer for Isabel's Intercession

Almighty Father, in Your infinite goodness You made Queen Isabel the Catholic, a model for young ladies, wives, mothers, women leaders and government rulers. As the first sovereign of the American continent You granted to her heart a sense of piety, justice, compassion and the vision of a new land full of promise. Grant us the grace to see Your infinite majesty glorified in her prompt canonisation, and through her intercession...[ask for your particular needs] that we ask of You in this present need through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Servant of God, Queen Isabel, pray for us.

Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...

The Castile crown of Queen Isabel

Queen Isabel's Tomb

Trinity Sunday

A glorious Trinity Sunday to everyone! On this day we celebrate the reality of one of the greatest of divine mysteries, the three persons in one God!

In the Traditional morning prayers (Prime) of the Divine Office we recite the Athanasian Creed, one of the three creeds of the Church.

Athanasian Creed

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father Uncreate, the Son Uncreate, and the Holy Ghost Uncreate. The Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not Three Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Uncomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not Three Almighties but One Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but One God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not Three Lords but One Lord. For, like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say, there be Three Gods or Three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is One Father, not Three Fathers; one Son, not Three Sons; One Holy Ghost, not Three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after Other, None is greater or less than Another, but the whole Three Persons are Co-eternal together, and Co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting Salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.

God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the substance of His mother, born into the world. Perfect God and Perfect Man, of a reasonable Soul and human Flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but One Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by Unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

The well-known Shield of the Trinity which is derived from the Athanasian Creed

First Friday

From the writings of St. Margaret Mary:

On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under my displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, my divine Heart making itself their assured refuge at the last moment.



Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit?

The difference between the two phrases is generally considered to be linguistic, not theological.  I agree with this but personally always take into consideration how intertwined language and perception are.  I have my own preference.  There is a very good post at the Canterbury Tales blog where the author states his own preference and the reasons for it.

Feast of the Translation of our Holy Father Saint Dominic

O God, who has vouchsafed to enlighten Thy Church by the merits and teachings of Thy blessed Confessor, our Holy Father, Saint Dominic, grant at his intercession that it may never be destitute of temporal help, and may always increase in spiritual growth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tomb of St. Dominic

Who Stands for Christ?

Community
My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations; Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. And patience hath a perfect work; that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing. James 1:2-4

Picture this:

You are one of the first to enter a room for a gathering. You select a half-empty table where some acquaintances are already situated and sit down. It's a warm day so you hang your suit jacket from the back of the chair. You place your books and iPad/notebooks in front of you and prepare for any business during the gathering. After quickly getting a cup of coffee, you sit and chat with your acquaintances at the table for a while. While the room quickly fills it is announced the snack/appetizer table is ready and everyone lines up. You purposely wait for everyone else to go to be polite although as the last person there, there is almost no food left. No problem! You head back to your seat with a few carrot sticks and another gentleman is in your seat (with your jacket, books, and full cup of coffee all still present). Does he give back your seat when you ask him to? NO! In fact, he's quite adamant with a "so what" attitude, profusely exuding an indifferent rudeness. (A mild answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury. Prov 15:1) What do you do?

This is the actual scenario I had to live during the most recent gathering with my Dominican brothers and sisters yesterday. What did I do? Well after muttering how “rude and uncultured” he was, I quietly slipped away. That is, “quietly” on the outside. Inwardly, there was a great maelstrom of anger in my heart and mind. I was aghast that such behavior was presented by a Dominican and a Catholic. In a timely obsession I contemplated this unabashed display of rudeness. What had I done and why would someone treat me like that? In my mind, the focus shifted from me to God. Quite simply, rudeness is an outward display of disrespect to God. The Bible is full of examples of this. Sitting relatively isolated in a newly located chair, I (slowly) came to the realization that my seat-stealing adversary was far from being the lone empty vessel of Christian virtue. I was put to the test just as much as he was. And I failed…miserably.

But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. Luke 6:27

No matter how I behaved outwardly, my initial reaction was to be angry and even mean. I had no love or immediate forgiveness for this man and he wasn’t even my enemy; I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know me enough to hate me. Jesus’ words above are one of the many examples of the challenge He conveys to us when following Him through that narrow gate. By staying true to His Word and following him, we also stand with him. Where did I stand for Christ in this?

 

When I left my meeting, the anger in my head had dissipated but my heart was still clouded with it and that bothered me. Praying during my long drive home, my anger actually turned to sadness and a slight frightened feeling. Sitting at the table throughout the before mentioned episode were the gentlemen I had been conversing with. They sat there not as only mute witnesses to the dreadful situation, but with disturbing grins as if it were funny. Did they think it was funny or were they simply uncomfortable? Did they not want me there or were they lacking some kind of fundamental courage? The answers don’t really matter. What was saddening was the realization how difficult it was for anyone to at least voice what is right let alone stand up for it. Why is this sad and frightening? It hit me hard; if Dominicans can’t speak up in what is really a juvenile, silly affair, how are they ever going to stand up for Christ? I have since been pretty disheartened in the belief we are in bad shape!