Vidimus Dominum

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer composed by Bishop William E. Lori, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, for the Spiritual Pilgrimage with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his Nov. 28-Dec. 1 pastoral visit to Turkey.

Here's the letter I received from the Serra Club regarding the Diocesan Vocation Retreat:

Dear "Friends of Serra Club",

Peace be with you.

The Diocesan
Vocation Retreat and Camp is taking place this weekend from 1 - 3 December
(Friday to Sunday) at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary.

The retreat
is catered for young men between the ages of 18 - 33 while the camp is for young
boys from 14 - 17 years old. The retreat is catered for young men who may be
discerning the Lord's Call while the camp for the younger boys is a chance for
them to find out more about
our Lord.

Currently, there are about 22
young men coming for the retreat and 25 young boys coming for the camp.

The members of Serra Club will be praying specially for these young men
and young boys for 40 hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, from 1 - 3
December. We hope that you keep these participants in your prayers, for the Lord
to bless them with abundant graces and for a Spirit-filled experience at the
retreat/camp.

Thank you and may God bless you,
Serra Club of
Singapore

As you know, I'll be going for the retreat, so please keep me and the other 46 guys in your daily prayers/devotions and Holy Mass intentions.

God Bless.

Last night, the C.I.C.M. Fathers celebrated their 75th anniversary here in Singapore. The Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by none other than our Apb. Msg. Nicholas Chia. His grace mentioned something in his homily that I think is worth sharing. He said, "lay Catholics can play a missionary role like the C.I.C.M. Fathers by speading the Gospel as reaveled by the Roman Catholic Church non-Christians (Pagans) and Christians (Protestants) alike."

As Catholics we have a mission not only to spread the Gospel to pagans, but to our seperate bretheren as well. What is at stake here? Souls! As our late Holy Father John Paul II said during one of his audiences; refering to the 7 valid Sacraments given by Christ to the Roman Catholic Church: "Some religions (refering to Protestants) can offer you salvation but only the Catholic Church offers the fullness of Salvation." Pope John Paul II is absolutely correct! Jesus gave our first Pope- St. Peter- the keys to heaven and the authority to bind and lose.

Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Saint Athanasius, pray for us.
Saint Benedict, pray for us.
Pope Saint Gregory the Great, pray for us.
Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us.
Pope Saint Pius V, pray for us.
Pope Saint Pius X, pray for us.
Saint Jude, pray for us.
Saint Rita, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pray for us.

I be going for the annual Diocesan Vocation Retreat this week. The retreat will take place on Friday and ends on Sunday. I am certainly looking forward to it; getting to know the other guys and see how the Lord reveals Himself as I journey through it.

Please remember to keep the 19 other aspirants and myself in your prayers.

Please note that although I love the Tridentine rite, I will not tolerate any comments that refer to the Novus Ordo as an Evil rite.

Diluted? Perhaps. Deficient? Maybe. But Evil? Most definately NOT.

The Rite Proper:

"Do not be afraid," Pope John Paul II.

I hope this video inspires you in the same way it did to me.

For more information, please visit Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Please keep me in your prayers and/or offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for me. Don't worry about the intention. The Good Lord knows clearly what is in my heart of hearts.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

God Bless.

In His Love,
Deo Juvante
Feast of St. John of the Cross, Confessor
Comm. of St. Chrysogomus, Martyr

Even the entrance to the popular Orchard Road shopping belt no longer carries the traditional, "Merry Christmas" greeting.

Christ is the Reason for the Season!! Bring back, "Merry Christmas"!

Immaculate Mother Mary, protect your child.

There is no true ecumenism when it reaches the point that we will lose our identity as LATIN-RITE ROMAN CATHOLICS. When we have to give praise to the leaders of certain religions or protestant denominations. To the point of being able to say that they are good and that we can learn from them. Sorry, but Jesus Christ, the ‘Rabbi of Nazareth’ is the greatest teacher we have. He is the supreme giver of all wisdom and does so through his Vicar here on earth. To say that we can learn from other religions- who out rightly denounce him as Lord and Savior- would be an insult to his Sovereign Majesty.

Can we really say that Martin Luther, the first reformer did well by ‘waking up’ the Church? An excommunicated person who split the unity of Christendom- a good person? Luther was a heretic. For over 500 years, many Devout Catholic Scriptural commentators have seen John’s revelation in Apocalypse 9:1-3 as a prediction of Luther and his Protestant revolt. The whole description of the locusts fits down to the last detail the kings and princes who established by force the heresy of the 16th Century:

Saint Teresa of Avila called Lutheranism "that wretched sect," and established her first Carmelite foundation of nuns at Avila to help “cure this terrible evil” by bringing “some comfort to our Lord”, “thus,” said Saint Teresa, “being all of us employed in interceding for the champions of the Church and the preachers and theologians who defend her, we might, to our utmost, aid this Lord of mine Who is attacked with such cruelty ...”

But who cares what Saint Teresa thinks. For ecumenical, modernist Catholics, dancing on the graves of the saints is a necessary ritual of their new religion. Protestantism was the Death Knell of Christendom back in the Middle Ages; false ecumenism will be the Catholic Church's today.

The Protestant revolt tore away millions of souls from the one true Church of Christ, and probable consignment of millions to eternal hellfire.

Can we call ourselves Catholics if we say that all religions are good and it is not necessary for one to become Catholic in order to be saved?

Practices of churches that would have been labeled 'heretics' and 'pagans' in a less pretentious era have crept into our Churches. Things like “Living Stone Cell Group Meetings” and rock music during a solemn Mass. This shows a complete disregard for Catholic Tradition. To say Martin Luther awoke the church from its slumber during the middle ages by starting the reformation is like saying Judas Iscariot is a saint because he betrayed Our Lord so that our Lord could be glorified in Calvary. Are we Roman Catholics or are we Gnostics in disguise?

Not to kill or hate a non-Catholic is religious tolerance. To try to convert a non-Catholic, that is ecumenism. To compromise doctrine and dilute tradition so that it becomes pleasing to the non-believer, that is selling out authentic Catholicism, and this is many priests and laity are beginning to say. What did the English martyrs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I die for? They died for the True Religion and not the diluted, watered down version which is Anglicanism.

So what’s next? Will King Henry VIII be the patron saint of Chastity? Attila, the Prince of peace? For the sake of orthodoxy, restore Tradition!

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice,

Deo Juvante
Feast of St. Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr

I visited Parkway Parade this evening to check out the Christmas light-up. The traditional greeting, "Merry Christmas" has disspeared extirely from all the decorations and signages. Replacing it is the phrase, "Season's Greetings". Frankly, I hate the latter and I even wonder if "Merry Christmas" has disapeared from the lexicon. Have we forgotten the true meaning of Christmas?

Our dear Lord has been ignored, forgotten, (and even despised) once again.

The Nativity Scene too, is now becoming a rare sight. The Nativity Scene is a strong, vivid reminder of Our Lord- the light of the world- descending from His throne in Heaven to be born as a vunerable babe for the sake of our salvation. In it's place are figurines of Santa and his elves, snowmen, etc...

I'm saddened everytime I think of our Lord being forsaken by the very people he came to save.

Why are men so blind and ignorant. We have given our souls to the secular world; the empty bubble the world offers in the full-page ads and TV commercials. The true hapiness is turning away from sin and selfishness and giving ourselves entirely to Jesus whom we can rest assured to be with in heaven one day. As Advent approaches, may we pledge ourselves once more as ardent disciples of the Holy Babe of Bethleham and restore His social Kingship here on earth, until He comes in glory!

Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew I appears to claim that he's holier than the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI. Read the title carefully.

Anyway, I won't be suprised if a non-Catholic looked at the picture and thought that Ecumenical Patriarchate Bartholomew I was the Pope and Benedict XVI, merely another random Bishop; whatever happened to the Papal Tiara?

A beautiful letter titled, "Love letter to the beloved". The author speaks to Jesus about her return to the true religion. A beautiful story!

The following is a beautiful (but rather lengthy) testimony on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that was just forwarded to me. Enjoy!

In a marvelous catechesis, the Lord and the Virgin Mary have been instructing us first on how to pray the Rosary, that being to pray it with our hearts and meditate and enjoy the moments when we encounter God and our Blessed Mother. They have also instructed us on the way to make a good confession and, in this document, a teaching on what happens during the Holy Mass and how to live it with our hearts.

This is the testimony that I must and want to give to the whole world, for the greater Glory of God and for the salvation of all those who want to open their hearts to the Lord. It is also given so that many souls consecrated to God will rekindle the fire of their love for Christ, some of whom are the owners of the hands that have the power to bring Him to our world so that He can become our nourishment. It is also given for others so that they break lose of the “routine practice” of receiving Him and relive the amazement of their daily encounter with Love. And it is given so that my lay brothers and sisters from the entire world live the greatest Miracle with their hearts: the celebration of the Eucharist.

It was the vigil of the Annunciation and the members of our group had gone to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some of the ladies of the prayer group had not been able to do it, and so they left their reconciliation for the next day before the Mass.

When I arrive at church the next day, a little bit late, the Archbishop and priests were already coming out of the sacristy. The Virgin Mary said with her soft and feminine voice that sweetens one’s soul:

“Today is a day of learning for you and I want you to pay close attention because of what you will witness today. Everything that you will experience today, you will have to share with all of humanity.” I was deeply moved without understanding why, but I tried to be very attentive.

The first thing I noticed was a choir of very beautiful voices that was singing as if it was far away. For moments the music came closer and, then, it went further away like the sound of the wind.

The Archbishop started Mass and, when he reached the Penitential Rite, the Blessed Virgin said:

“From the bottom of your heart ask the Lord to forgive your faults that have offended Him. In this way you will be able to participate worthily in this privilege of assisting at the Holy Mass.”

I thought for a fraction of a second: “Surely I am in a state of grace of God, I went to confession last night.”

She answered: “Do you think that since last night you have not offended the Lord? Let Me remind you of a few things. When you left to come here, the girl who helps you approached to ask you for something and, as you were late and in a hurry, you did not answer her in a very nice way. There was a lack of charity on your parts and you say, you have not offended God…….?

“While on the way here, a bus crossed over your lane and almost hit you. You expressed yourself in a very non-advisable way against that poor man, instead of saying your prayers and preparing yourself for Mass. You have failed in charity and lost your peace and patience. And you say you have not hurt the Lord?”

“You arrive at the last minute when the procession of the celebrants is already coming out to celebrate the Mass….. and you are going to participate without previous preparation…..”

I replied, “All right, my Mother, say no more to me. You do not have to remind me of more things because I am going to die of grief and shame.”

“Why must you all arrive at the last moment? You should have arrived earlier to be able to pray and ask the Lord to send His Holy Spirit that He may grant you a spirit of peace and cleanse you of the spirit of the world, your worries, your problems and your distractions so as to enable you to live this so sacred a moment. However, you arrive almost when the celebration is about to commence and you participate as if it is an ordinary event, without any spiritual preparation. Why? This is the greatest of Miracles. You are going to live the moment when the Most High God gives His greatest gift and you do not know how to appreciate it.”

This was enough. I felt so bad that I had more than enough to ask for forgiveness from God. It was not only for the offences of that day, but also for all the times that, like so many other people. I had waited for the priest to finish his homily before entering the Church. It was also for the times that I did not know or refused to understand what it meant to be there, and for the times that perhaps my soul was full of more serious sins and I had dared to participate in the Holy Mass.

It was a Feast day and the Gloria was to be recited. Our Lady said: “Glorify and bless with all your love the Holy Trinity, in your acknowledgement of being one of its creatures.”

How different was that Gloria! Suddenly I saw myself in a far off place full of light, before the Majestic Presence of the Throne of God. With so much love I went on thanking Him, as I repeated: “For your immense Glory we praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we give You glory, we give You thanks, Lord, God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.” And I recalled the paternal face of the Father, full of kindness. “Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world…..” And Jesus was in front of me, with that face full of tenderness and Mercy……” For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the most High Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit…..”, the God of beautiful Love. He, Who at that moment, caused by whole being to tremble…..

And I ask: “Lord, deliver me from all evil spirits. My heart belongs to You. My Lord, send me Your peace so that I can gain the finest benefits from the Eucharist and that my life may produce the best fruits. Holy Spirit of God, transform me, act within me, guide me. Oh God, give me the gifts that I need to serve you better !”

The moment of the Liturgy of the Word arrived and the Virgin Mary made me repeat: “Lord, today I want to listen to Your Word and produce abundant fruit. May Your Holy Spirit clean the interior of my heart so that Your Word grows and develops in it, purifying my heart so that it may be well disposed.”

Our Lady said: “ I want you to be attentive to the readings and to all of the homily of the priest. Remember that the Bible says that the Word of God does not return without bearing fruits. If you are attentive, something from all that you heard will remain in you. You should try to recall all day long those Words that left an impression on you. Sometimes it may be two verses, other times the reading of the entire Gospel or perhaps only one word. Savor them for the rest of the day and it will then become part of you, because that is the way to change one’s life, by allowing the Word of God to transform you.

“And now, tell the Lord that you are here to listen, that you want Him to speak to your heart today.”

Once again I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to hear His Word. And I asked Him for forgiveness for having had such a hard heart for so many years and for having taught my children that they had to go to Mass on Sundays because it is commanded by the Church and not for love and the need to be filled with God.

I had attended so may Eucharistic Celebrations mostly out of obligation and because of this, I believe I was saved. But I did not live it and much less did I pay attention to the readings or to the priest’s homily !

How much pain I felt for so many years of needles loss because of my ignorance ! How superficial is our attendance at the Mass when we go only because someone is getting married, or for a funeral Mass or because we have to be seen by society ! How much ignorance about our Church and the Sacraments! How much waste in trying to instruct and enlighten ourselves about the things of the world, which in a moment can disappear leaving us with nothing and, at the end of our life, not serve to extend a minute to our existence ! However, we know nothing of that which will give us a little of heaven on earth and, afterwards, eternal life. All we call ourselves cultured men and women!

A moment later the Offertory arrive and the Holy Virgin said: “Pray like this (and I repeated after her) Lord, I offer all that I am, all that I have, all that I can. I put everything into Your Hands. Build it up, Lord, with the little thing that I am. By the merits of Your Son, transform me, God Almighty. I petition You for my family, for my benefactors, for each member of our Apostolate, for all the people who fight against us, for those who commend themselves to my poor prayers. Teach me to lay down my heart as if on the ground before them so that their walk may be less severe. This is how the saints prayed; this how I want all of you to do it.”

Thus, this is howJesus asks us to pray, that we put our hearts as if on the ground so that they do not feel its severity, but rather that we alleviate the pain of their steps. Years later, I read a book of prayers of a Saint whom I loved dearly, Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, and in that book I found a prayer similar to that which the Virgin Mary taught me. Perhaps this Saint, to whom I entrust myself, pleased the Virgin Mary with those prayers.

Suddenly some characters whom I had not seen before began to stand up. It was as if from the side of each person present in the Cathedral, another person emerged and soon the Cathedral became full of young, beautiful people. They were dressed in very white robes and they started to move into the central aisle and, then, went towards the Altar.

Our Mother said: “Observe. They are the Guardian Angels of each one of the persons who are here. This is the moment in which your guardian angel carries your offerings and petitions before the Altar of the Lord.”

At that moment, I was completely astonished, because these beings had such beautiful faces, so radiant as one is unable to imagine. Their countenance was very beautiful with almost feminine faces; however, the structure of their body, their hands, their height were masculine. Their naked feet did not touch the floor, but rather they went as if gliding. That procession was very beautiful.

Some of them were carrying something like a golden bowl with something that shone a great deal with a golden-white light. The Virgin Mary said: “They are the Guardian Angels of the people who are offering this Holy Mass for many intentions, those who are conscious of what this celebration means. They have something to offer the Lord.”

“Offer yourselves at this moment…… offer your sorrows, your pains, your hopes, your sadness, your joys, your petitions. Remember that the Mass has infinite value. Therefore, be generous in offering and in asking.”

Behind the first Angels came others who had nothing in their hands; they were coming empty handed. The Virgin Mary said: “Those are the angels of the people who are here but never offer anything. They have no interest in living each liturgical moment of the Mass and they have no gifts to carry before the Altar of the Lord.”

At the end of the procession came other angels who were rather sad, with their hands joined in prayer but with their eyes downcast. “These are the Guardian Angels of the people who are here but do not want to be, that is to say of the people who have been forced to come here, who have come out of obligation but without any desire to participate in the Holy Mass. The angels go forth sadly because they have nothing to carry to the Altar, except for their own prayers.”

Do not sadden your Guardian Angel. Ask for much, ask for the conversion of sinners, for peace in the world, for your families, your neighbors, for those who ask for your prayers. Ask, ask for much, but not only for yourselves, but for everyone else.

“Remember that the offering which most pleases the Lord is when you offer yourselves as a holocaust so that Jesus upon His descent may transform you by His own merits. What do you have to offer the Father by yourselves? Nothingness and sin. But the offering of oneself united to the merits of Jesus, that offering is pleasing to the Father.”

That sight, that procession was so beautiful that it would be difficult to compare it to another. All those celestial creatures bowing before the Altar, some leaving their offerings on the floor, others prostrating themselves on their knees with their foreheads almost touching the floor. And as soon as they arrived at the Altar, they would disappear from my sight.

The final moment of the Preface arrived and when the assembly said, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” suddenly everything that was behind the celebrants disappeared. Behind the left side of the Archbishop, thousands of Angels appeared in a diagonal line, small angels, big angels, angels with immense wings, angels with small wings, angels without wings. As the previous ones, all were dressed with tunics like the white robes of the priests or altar boys.

Everyone knelt with their hands united in prayer and bowed their heads in reverence. Beautiful music was heard as if there were many choirs with different voices, all singing in unison together with the people: Holy, Holy, Holy …..

The moment of the Consecration, the moment of the most marvelous of Miracles had arrived. Behind the right side of the Archbishop appeared a multitude of people also in a diagonal line. They were dressed in the same tunic but in pastel colors of : rose, green, light blue, lilac, yellow, in short, in different and very soft colors. Their faces were also brilliant, full of joy. They all seemed to be the same age. You could note (I can’t say why) that they were people of different ages but their faces looked the same, without wrinkles, happy. They all knelt down as well at the singing of “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord ……..

Our Lady said: “These are all the Saints and the Blessed of Heaven and among them are the souls of your relatives who already enjoy the Presence of God.” Then I saw Her, exactly to the right of the Archbishop, a step behind the celebrant. She was suspended a little off the floor, kneeling on some very fine, transparent but at the same time luminous fabric, as crystalline water. The Holy Virgin, with hands joined, was looking attentively and respectfully at the celebrant. She spoke to me from there, but silently, directly to the heart, without looking at me:

“It surprises you to see Me standing a little behind Monsignor [the Archbishop], does it not? This is how it should be… With all the love that My Son gives Me, He had not given Me the dignity that He ahs given the priests of being able to perform the daily Miracle with My hands as they do with their priestly hands. Because of this, I feel a deep respect for priests and for the miracle that God carries out through them, which compels Me to kneel here behind them.” [Translator’s note: In Latin America and in other countries a Bishop and Archibishop is addressed as “Monsignor”.]

My God, how many dignity, how much grace the Lord pours over the priestly souls and neither we, nor perhaps some of them, are conscious of this:

Before the Altar, there appeared some shadows of people in a gray color with their hands raised. The Holy Virgin said: “These are the blessed souls of Purgatory, who await your prayers to be refreshed. Do not stop praying for them. They pray for you but they cannot pray for themselves. It is you who have to pray for them, in order to help them depart so that they can be with God and enjoy Him eternally.

“Now you now see it; I am here all the time. People go on pilgrimages, searching for the places where I have appeared. This is good because of all the graces that they will receive there. But during no apparition, in no other place, am I more present than during the Holy Mass. You will always find Me at the foot of the Altar where the Eucharist is celebrated; at the foot of the Tabernacle, I remain with the angels because I am always with Him.”

To see that beautiful countenance of the Mother at that moment of the words “Holy, Holy, Holy…… “ as well as all the others with their radiant faces, with hands joined, awaiting that miracle which repeats itself continuously, was to be in Heaven itself. And to think there are people who can at that moment be distracted in conversation. It hurts me to tell you, many men, more than women, stand with their arms crossed, as if paying homage to the Lord as one equal to another.

The Virgin Mary said: “Tell all people that never is a man more manly then when he bends his knee before God.”

The celebrant said the words of the Consecration. He was a person of normal height, but suddenly he began to grow, becoming filled with light, a supernatural light between white and gold that enveloped him and grew very strong around the face. And because of it I could not see his features. When he raised the Host, I saw his hands and on the back of his hands he had some marks from which emanated a great deal of light It was Jesus ! It was Him Who was wrapping His Body around the celebrant, as if He were lovingly surrounding the hands of the Archbishop. At that moment the Host began to grow and became enormous and upon it the marvelous face of Jesus appeared looking at His people.

By instinct I wanted to bow my head and Our Lady said: “Do not look down. Look up to view and contemplate Him. Exchange your gaze with His and repeat the prayer of Fatima: Lord, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love You. Forgiveness and Mercy…. Now tell Him how much you love Him and pay your homage to the King of Kings.

I told it to Him and it seemed as if I was the only one He was looking at from the enormous Host. But I learned that this was the way He gazed at each person, with love to the fullest. Then I lowered my head until I had my forehead on the floor, as did all the Angels and the blessed from Heaven. Perhaps for a fraction of a second, I wondered how Jesus was taking on the body of the celebrant and at the same time He was inside the Host. And as he lowered the Host, it returned to its normal size. Tears ran down my cheeks; I was unable to let go of my astonishment.

Immediately Monsignor said the words of the Consecration of the wine and, as the words were being said, lightning appeared from the heavens and in the background. The walls and ceiling of the church had disappeared. All was dark but for that brilliant light from the Altar.

Suddenly suspended in the air I saw Jesus crucified. I saw Him from the head to the lower part of the chest. The cross beam of the Cross was sustained by some large, strong hands. From within this resplendent light, a small light, like a very brilliant, very small dove, came forth and flew swiftly all over the Church. It came to rest on the left shoulder of the Archbishop, who continued to appear as Jesus because I could distinguish His long hair, His luminous wounds and His large body, but I could not see His Face.

Above was Jesus crucified, His had fallen upon His right shoulder. I was able to contemplate His face, beaten arms and torn flesh. On the right side of His chest He had an injury and blood was gushing out toward the left side and toward the right side, what looked like water, but it was very brilliant. They were more like jets of light coming forth towards the faithful, and moving to the right and to the left. I was amazed at the amount of blood that was flowing out toward the Chalice. I thought it would overflow and stain the whole Altar, but not a single drop was spilled.

At that moment the Virgin Mary said: “This is the miracle of miracles. I have said to you before that the Lord is not constrained by time and space. At the moment of the Consecration, all the assembly is taken to the foot of Calvary, at the instant of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Can anyone imagine that ? our eyes cannot see it, but we are all there at the very moment that they are crucifying Jesus. And He is asking for forgiveness to the Father, not only for those who killed Him, but also for each one of our sins: “Father forgive them because they know not what they do.”

From that day on, I do not care if the world thinks I am crazy, but I ask everybody to kneel and try to live, with their heart and with all their sensibility that they are capable of, this privilege that the Lord grants us.

When we were going to pray the Our Father, the Lord spoke for the first time during the celebration and said: “Wait, I want you to pray with the deepest profundity which you can summon. At this moment, bring to mind that person or persons which have done you the greatest harm during your life, so that you embrace them close to your bosom and tell them with all your heart: “In the Name of Jesus I forgive you and wish you peace. In the Name of Jesus, I ask for your forgiveness and wish my peace. If the person is worthy of that peace, then the person will receive it and feel better for it. If that person is not capable of opening up to that peace, then peace will return to your heart. But I do not want you to receive nor offer peace when you are not capable of forgiving and feeling that peace in your heart first.

“Be careful of what you do,” continued the Lord, “you repeat in the Our Father: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. If you are capable of forgiving but not forgetting, as some people say, you are placing conditions upon the forgiveness of God. You are saying : You forgive me only as I am capable of forgiving but no more.”

I do not know how to explain my pain, at the realization of how much we can hurt the Lord. And also how much we can injure ourselves by holding so many grudges, bad feelings and unflattering things that are born from our own prejudices and over-sensitivities. I forgave; I forgave from the heart and asked for forgiveness from all the people whom I had hurt at one time or another, in order to feel the peace of the Lord.

The celebrant said, “…..give us peace and unity…..” and, then, “the peace of the Lord be with all of you.”

Suddenly I saw that among some (not all) of the people who were embracing each other, a very intense light placed itself between them. I knew it was Jesus and I practically threw myself to embrace the person next to me. I could truly feel the embrace of the Lord in that light. It was Him Who embraced me giving me His peace, because in that moment I had been able to forgive and remove from my heart all grief against other people. That is what Jesus wants, to share that moment of joy, hugging us and wishing us His Peace.

The moment of the celebrants’ Communion arrived. There I once again noticed the presence of all the priests next to Monsignor. When he took Communion, the Virgin Mary said :

“This is the moment to pray for the celebrant and the priests who accompany him. Repeat together with Me: “Lord, bless them, sanctify them, help them, purify them, love them, take care of them and support them with Your Love. Remember all the priests of the world, pray for all the consecrated souls…”

Dear brothers and sisters , that is the moment in which we should pray for them, because they are the Church as we, the laity, are also. Many times we, the laity, demand so much from the priests, but we are unable to pray for them, to understand that they are human and to comprehend and appreciate the solitude that many times can surround a priest.

We should understand that the priests are people like ourselves and that they need to be understood to be cared for. They need affection and attention from us because they are giving their life to each one of us, as Jesus did, by being consecrated to Him.

The Lord wants the people of the flock that God has entrusted to him to pray and help in the sanctification of the Pastor. Someday, when we are on the other side, we will understand the marvels that the Lord has done, giving us priests who help us to save our souls.

The people began to leave their pews on their way to Communion. The great moment of the encounter had arrived. The Lord said to me: “Wait a moment, I want you to observe something….” An interior impulse made me raise my eyes towards the person who was going to received Communion on the tongue from the hands of the priest,.

I should clarify that this person was one of the ladies from our group who the previous night was unable to go to confession but this morning was able to do so before the Holy Mass. When the Priest placed the Sacred host on her tongue, a flash of light, like a very golden white light, went right through this person, first through her back, then surrounding her from the back, around her shoulders and then her head. The Lord said :

“This is how I Myself rejoice in embracing a soul who comes with a clean heart to receive Me.”

The tone of voice of Jesus was that of a happy person.

I was astonished to see my friend return to her pew surrounded by light, embraced by the Lord. I though of the marvel that we miss so many times by going to receive Jesus with our small or large offences when it should be a feast.

Many times we say that there are no priests to whom to go to confess at any given moment. But the problem is not about confessing at each moment but the problem resides in our ease of falling into evil again. On the other hand, in the same way that we make an effort to search for a beauty parlor or men search for a barber when we have a party, we have to also make an effort to seek a priest when we need to remove all that dirt from ourselves. We must not have the audacity to receive Jesus at any moment with our hearts full of ugly things.

When I went to receive communion, Jesus told me: “The last Supper was the moment of the greatest intimacy with My own. During that hour of love, I established what could be thought of as the greatest act of lunacy in the eyes of men, that of making Myself a prisoner of Love. I established the Eucharist. I wanted to remain with you until the end of centuries because My Love could not bear that you remained orphans, you whom I loved more than My life.”

I received that Host which had a different flavour. It was a mixture of blood and incense that inundated me entirely. I felt so much love that the tears ran down my cheeks without me being able to stop them.

When I returned to my seat, while kneeling down, the Lord said: “ Listen……” A moment later I began to hear the prayers of the lady who was seated in front of me and who had just received communion.

What she said without opening her mouth was more or less like this : “Lord, remember that we are at the end of the month and I do not have the money to pay the rent, the car payments or the children’s school. You have to do something to help me…. Please, make my husband stop drinking so much. I cannot hear any more his being intoxicated so often and my youngest son is going to repeat the year again if you do not help him. He has exams this week…. And do not forget our neighbor who must move. Let her do it right away. I cannot stand her anymore…..etc.”

Then the Archbishop said: “Let us pray,” and obviously all the congregation stood up for the final prayer. Jesus said in a sad tone: “Did you take note of her prayer? Not a single time did she tell Me that she loves Me. Not a single time did she thank Me for the gift that I have given her by bringing down My Divinity to her poor humanity, in order to elevate her to Me. Not a single time has she said: Thank you, Lord. It has been a litany of requests…… and so are almost all of those who come to receive Me.”

“I have died for love and I am risen. For love I await each one of you and for love I remain with you… But you do not realize that I need your love. Remember that I am the Beggar of Love in this sublime hour for the soul.”

Do you all realize that He, Love is begging for our love and we do not give it to Him? Moreover, we avoid going to that encounter with the Love of Loves, with the only love who gives of itself in a permanent oblation.

When the celebrant was going to give the blessing, the Holy Virgin said: “Be attentive, take care…. You do any old sign instead of the Sign of the Cross. Remember that this blessing could be the last one that you will receive from hands of a priest. You do not know when leaving here if you will die or not. You do not know if you will have the opportunity to receive a blessing from another priests. Those consecrated hands are giving you the blessing in the Name of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, make the Sign of the Cross with respect, as if it was the last one of your life.”

How much we miss in not understanding and not participating everyday at the Holy Mass! Why not make an effort to begin the day a half hour earlier and run to the Holy Mass and receive all the blessings that the Lord wants to pour over us?

I am aware that because of their obligations not everybody can attend daily Mass, but at least two or three times a week. So many avoid Mass on Sundays with the smallest excuse that they have a child, or two, or ten, and, therefore, they cannot attend Mass. How do people manage when they have other important types of commitments? They take all the children or take turns and the husband goes at one hour and the wife another, but they carry out their duty to God.

Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni

Via: Rorate Caeli

The "liberal Pope" had been elected in June 1846, and many did not know what to expect from Mastai-Ferretti. Pope Pius would still suffer bitterly in the hands of men who would receive so much from his mercy. He was a generous man -- but he was no liberal, and nothing could make this as clear in the first year of his pontificate as his first encyclical, Qui Pluribus, signed at the Patriarchal Basilica of Saint Mary Major on November 9, 1846.

As with all great popes, the first remarks of Blessed Pius emphasized his view of his own weaknesses:

We are well aware of Our weakness. So when We reflect on the most serious duties of the supreme apostolate especially in a period of great instability, We would simply have fallen into great sadness, did We not place all Our hope in God who is Our Saviour.

Qui Pluribus is, however, much more than a simple "introductory" Encyclical. When, in one of the most sollemn moments of his reign, Pope Pius signs Quanta Cura and, with it, the Syllabus, in 1864, a great number of the collected errors are those condemnations mentioned in his first encyclical. In it, one can read all the signs of Pope Mastai-Ferretti's concerns for the salvation of souls and for the integrity of the Doctrine of the Faith in the post-Enlightenment age, which is also our own.

Let us read anew the always necessary teachings and warnings of that great and holy Pontiff.

__________________

Private Interpretation:

God Himself has set up a living authority to establish and teach the true and legitimate meaning of His heavenly revelation. This authority judges infallibly all disputes which concern matters of faith and morals, lest the faithful be swirled around by every wind of doctrine which springs from the evilness of men in encompassing error. And this living infallible authority is active only in that Church which was built by Christ the Lord upon Peter, the head of the entire Church, leader and shepherd, whose faith He promised would never fail.

Bible Societies and dangerous biblical translations:
...the crafty Bible Societies ... renew the old skill of the heretics and ceaselessly force on people of all kinds, even the uneducated, gifts of the Bible. They issue these in large numbers and at great cost, in vernacular translations, which infringe the holy rules of the Church. The commentaries which are included often contain perverse explanations; so, having rejected divine tradition, the doctrine of the Fathers and the authority of the Catholic Church, they all interpret the words of the Lord by their own private judgment, thereby perverting their meaning. As a result, they fall into the greatest errors.

Indifferentism and Universalism:
Also perverse is the shocking theory that it makes no difference to which religion one belongs, a theory which is greatly at variance even with reason. By means of this theory, those crafty men remove all distinction between virtue and vice, truth and error, honorable and vile action. They pretend that men can gain eternal salvation by the practice of any religion, as if there could ever be any sharing between justice and iniquity, any collaboration between light and darkness, or any agreement between Christ and Belial.

Priestly celibacy under attack...:
The sacred celibacy of clerics has also been the victim of conspiracy. Indeed, some churchmen have wretchedly forgotten their own rank and let themselves be converted by the charms and snares of pleasure.

Anti-Catholic teaching methods:
...the prevalent but wrong method of teaching, especially in the philosophical disciplines, a method which deceives and corrupts incautious youth in a wretched manner and gives it as drink the poison of the serpent in the goblet of Babylon.

Communism:
...the unspeakable doctrine of Communism ... a doctrine most opposed to the very natural law. For if this doctrine were accepted, the complete destruction of everyone's laws, government, property, and even of human society itself would follow.

The prophetic view of our depraved age:
As a result of this filthy medley of errors which creeps in from every side, and as the result of the unbridled license to think, speak and write, We see the following: morals deteriorated, Christ's most holy religion despised, the majesty of divine worship rejected, the power of this Apostolic See plundered, the authority of the Church attacked and reduced to base slavery, the rights of bishops trampled on, the sanctity of marriage infringed, the rule of every government violently shaken and many other losses for both the Christian and the civil commonwealth.

The duties of Bishops:
...in accordance with your pastoral care, work assiduously to protect and preserve this faith. Never cease to instruct all men in it, to encourage the wavering, to convince dissenters, to strengthen the weak in faith by never tolerating and letting pass anything which could in the slightest degree defile the purity of this faith. With the same great strength of mind, foster in all men their unity with the Catholic Church, outside of which there is no salvation; also foster their obedience towards this See of Peter on which rests the entire structure of our most holy religion. ... to assure the greater glory of God and the Church, venerable brothers, join together with all eagerness, care and wakefulness to repulse error and to root out vice.

May Our Lady ("our mediatrix, advocate, firmest hope, and greatest source of confidence", cf. Qui Pluribus) and Blessed Pius IX pray for the Church of the Lord in these even more perilous times.

Can the the Novus Ordo be celebrated Ad Orientem? The celebration of the Mass Ad Orientem (facing East, instead of facing the people) is implied in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM). One does not even need to read it in depth. Here is a post from WDTPRS...

In #132 we find: Sacerdos genuflectit, accipit hostiam, eamque aliquantulum elevatam super patenam vel super calicem tenens, versus ad populum, clara voce dicit: Ecce Agnus Dei,.... The priest genuflects, takes the Host and, holding it raised a little way over the paten or over the chalice, having turned toward the people, says in a clear voice: Behold the Lamb of God….

The people make their response and then in #133 we find: Et sacerdos, versus ad altare, secreto dicit: Corpus Christi…. And the priest, having turned toward the altar, says silently: May the Body of Christ…

In these two rubrics there is a specific order of actions. First, the priest turns to the people. Then, he turns to the altar. This is only possible if the priest is celebrating Holy Mass facing the altar and the people are behind him facing the same direction as the priest. The rubric is clear in this moment before Communion.

Somewhat less immediately clear is the rubric at the Orate Fratres in #29, which says that the priest, while standing at the middle of the altar, turns to the people (versus ad populum) to say “Pray brethren, that my sacrifice and yours…”. Then in #30 the priest is directed to speak the Super Oblata prayer, but there is no indication that he turns back to the altar: there is no second versus. Why? The priest, turning to the people to invite their response, simply continues to turn in the same direction back to the altar. The single versus in this case indicates a completed turn in circle. In #132 and #133 (above) the two different instances of versus indicate two turns, one toward the people by the priest’s right and one toward the altar by his left. There is no complete circle. In this way the Novus Ordo is consistent with the older “Tridentine” Rite at this same moment in Mass. In the older, traditional way the priest turns by his right away from the altar and toward the people. He speaks the invitation. He turns back to the altar, always by his right, in the same direction, thus completing the circle. The rubric in the 2002MR has language very similar to the corresponding rubric in the 1962MR. Thus, HE of TN, we have clear support in the 2002MR for ad orientem celebration.

... a white man in his early 20's stole a consecrated host during communion. What was worst was that the warden did nothing when my friends waved frantically at her from their pews (2nd from the front) to alert her of the sacrilege that was taking place. During the post-communion, 3 people who had took notice of this sacrilege begin looking for the man. It was during the recessional that he was found- sitting at the 4th pew from the back. By this time a good number of people- wardens, faithful & altar servers- had surrounded the man and begin to question him. Fuming, he was insistent that he was Catholic and that he had consumend the host. When questioned again he said he consumed it when he returned to the pew (Any Catholic would know that he isn;t supposed to do that). When asked to empty his pockets, he only pulled out the sleeve of the left pocket. He stormed out of the Church soon after.

State law prevented a through body search as well as his detention.

What I'm digusted at is the warden's indifference when my two female friends frantically called for her. This reveals a whole mentality of many Singaporeans. Remember the case of the paramedic who dared not ram a faulty exit gantry some time ago at the Singapore Expo? He feared of the consequences of damaging the gantry; this resulted in the death of a young boy. What if my friends were having difficulity breathing or a heart attack? Out of her ignorance, our Lord's precious Body which he sacrificed for us on the Altar has been profaned.

What is more shocking are some Catholic's reaction to the matter plus their view of the Consecrated Host. There was a Catholic who did not believe fully in the Real Presence when he said that the precious Body of our Lord in the Host would become 'de-consecrated' and contain just the substance of the communion wafer when taken by the the non-believer. This is Lutheran/Anglican theology! Our Lord is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the consecrated Host!

One Aspirant to the priesthood who helped in pursuing the matter was crying that he could not do anything to stop the sacrilege knowing that Our Lord was stolen and will be desecrated some time soon in an occult service. For a grown man to cry like that shows his great love for our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist. This is a stark difference to the above paragraph.

This raises the issue of Communion in hand. Mike Warnke, a former satanist priest who converted to Christianity, warned the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that Communion in the hand was a mistake, as it would allow satanists easier access in procuring the sacred Host, which is described in satanic services. Even St. Basil the Great (300-379 AD) had considered Communion in the hand a "grave fault". Communion on tongue would be a great deterent to those who desire to profane the Most Holy Eucharist. Read my post Stop Communion on Hand for more on why Communion in the hand should be abolished.

More details on the man who committed this Evil Act of sacrilege:

Sadly, the matter of mortal sin is something that is hardly ever discussed in our Parish homilies. More frightening is the lack of reminders from our priests that unrepented mortal sin will consign a soul to hell. You wouldn't believe how many "Catholics" miss Mass regularly (and receive Communion!).

Priests need to speak about the restoration of the soul to its state of innocence after Sacramental Confession. Our Holy Father's wisdom needs to reach our all priests in the world.