Bulletin 164

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

August 11th, 12th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: 2 Cor. 3: 4-9; Gospel: Luke 10: 23-37

Mass Schedule August 12th through August 16th

Mon 12 Saint Clare, Virgin—No Latin Mass

Tue 13 Feria

Wed 14 Vigil of the Assumption

Thu 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Mass @ 10:30am

Fri 16 Saint Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mass for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be as 10:30am on Thursday, August 15th.

Our next pot-luck dinner will be held on Sunday, September 8th immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the school cafeteria. All are invited to attend.

Sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. Sloth is defined as laziness or carelessness to do right and to practice virtue because of the trouble attached to it. Christian modesty is a virtue, but it has been forgotten even among Catholics today. We need modesty in order to protect chastity. We cannot restore chastity to the individual, the family or the society as long as modesty is either ignored or violated on such a large scale as it is today!

There have been no fewer than five modern Popes who have time and again issued directives on Christian modesty in order to refute all the modern errors. Is this not why Jesus Christ established in His Church the Supreme Teaching Authority?! Christ did this to protect the Church from errors and to correct the clergy, the teachers and the parents who, intentionally or in good faith, would propagate errors.

Unfortunately, anyone who in today’s culture dares to advocate traditional Christian modesty is considered, even by a large number of Catholics, a scrupulous person, or a nut. However, remember that Christ said this would be the price one must pay who strives to be loyal to Him and His Church and not to the world.

Pope Pius XII has said: “Mainly through sins of impurity do the forces of darkness subjugate souls.” This same message was given by Our Lady of Fatima: “The sins that lead most souls to hell are the sins of the flesh.” Impurity has become the ruling passion of the world due to a general breakdown of modesty. It is like a spiritual cancer slowly eating away the spiritual life of souls. The question becomes: “is it a losing battle to go against the ways of our culture with respect to modesty and chastity?” The answer is this is exactly what Satan would like us to believe. Our silence would be leaving the entire field of morality in his blood thirsty hands. Pope Pius XII has pointed out the seriousness of our world situation as well as the remedy-confident recourse to The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our Popes have taught the following: A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers breadth under the pit of the throat, which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows, and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore dresses of transparent material are improper. Does my back, stomach or shoulders show? Does my back or stomach show when I bend or stretch? When bending over does my blouse hang down and open for everyone to see? Is my blouse or top tight? Is it more loose fitting or is it too tight and revealing? Can one see the outline of my underwear through my tight-fitting clothing? Blouses and tops that are too tight are very immodest and say a lot about the woman who wears such a blouse or top. Lastly, how much flesh is showing? Modesty is not just about how much of our skin is showing, but how much of our feminine shape is showing.

Father Jeff Fasching