Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual. Show all posts

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Bulletin 273

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeff Fasching

September 13th, 2015

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Eph. 3:13-21
Gospel: Lk. 14: 1-11

Mon 14 No Latin Mass
Tues 15 Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wed 16 SS. Cornelius * Pope & Cyprian * Martyrs
Thu 17 Stigmata of St. Francis
Fri 18 St. Joseph of Cupertino, Confessor


Did you know that Catholic Prayer in Latin is more powerful than in any other language?
This appears to be the opinion reached by certain members of the clergy, in particular exorcists. In the book " Hostage to the Devil" by Fr. Malachi Martin, an interesting comment is made by the author which sheds light on this particular point. On page 460 of the book, while explaining the Ritual of Exorcism, Fr. Martin goes on to say...." Nowadays part of the text - especially well known prayers- are sometimes prayed in the vernacular (German, English, French, etc.), but among exorcists as a class of Church Ministers, there seems to be a persuasion born from experience that the Latin Text has some special unction and disruptive value for Evil Spirit.” What this observation tells us is that the Rite of Exorcism when prayed in Latin has a more powerful effect in expelling demons. Why would this be so?

First, let's look at why the Catholic Church chose Latin as its Official Language. In the early days of the Church, communication between Rome and the rest of the Church was slow. Documents had to be translated into the different dialects for the various regions where Catholicism had spread to. Once translated they had to be written by hand because the printing press had yet to be invented. It was a time consuming process. In order to expedite communication something had to be done. Latin was the international language at the time and so it was the logical choice.

The Church then decreed that Latin would be its Official Language and anyone who was part of the Church would have to speak it. The Church chose Latin for practical reasons. Perhaps what the Church did not realize at the time was the effect that this decision would have on Catholic prayer. But why?

The answer can be found in the Gospel of Matthew (16:18-19) where we read ....." you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church...and whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven.” Therefore when His Church decreed that Latin would be the Mother Tongue of Catholicism it bound Latin in Heaven.

If this were not true then exorcists would not have noticed such a dramatic difference whenever they prayed the Ritual of Exorcism in Latin. Does this mean that as Catholics we must become fluent in Latin? No. But you will find that learning the basic Catholic prayers in Latin (as well as attending the Latin Mass) will have a profound effect & be spiritually profitable.

Start off by learning the shortest prayers (Sign of the Cross, Glory Be, Hail Mary, etc) , then move on to the rest (Our Father, Apostle's Creed, Latin Rosary, etc). We must emphasize that all Catholics should always pray with fervor & faith no matter which language they speak. But if you decide to take your prayer to another level then do so in Latin.

--- Regina Magazine


In Christo Jesu et
Maria Immaculata,

Father Jeff Fasching

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Bulletin 179

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

November 24th, 2013

24th and Last Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Col. 1: 9-14
Gospel: Mt. 24: 13-25

Mass Schedule November 25th through November 29th

Mon 25 No Latin Mass
Tue 26 Saint Sylvester, Abbot
Wed 27 Requiem Mass
Thu 28 No Latin Mass
Fri 29 No Latin Mass

Our next pot-luck dinner will be on Sunday, December 22nd following the 2:30pm Latin Mass in the school cafeteria. His Excellency, Bishop James Johnston will join us for Mass and dinner.

Saint Paul always encouraged his brothers to advance in holiness through prayer and intense effort! Sanctity is something that is not simply handed to us. We must work hard for it every day. We need the Holy Ghost to enlighten us with wisdom, understanding and strength. Saint Thomas Aquinas says: “it is not enough to have knowledge, for he who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin, therefore one must need to perform virtuous actions.” We have to rely on God for strength in order to do good.

We also have “the inheritance of the saints” in order to draw on the treasury of spiritual goods which the Church is constantly applying to its members. These include prayers, merits and sacrifices which benefit all of us! God has brought us out of darkness into His own wonderful light says Saint Paul. This has been through no merits of ours or any past service we have rendered to God, but only the merits of the only mediator, Jesus Christ!

In Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching



Sunday, August 11, 2013

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



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Bulletin 158

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

June 30, 2013 6th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Rom. 6:3-11-- Gospel: Mk. 8:1-9

Mass Schedule July 1 through July 5

Mon 1 The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ—No Latin Mass

Tue 2 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Wed 3 Saint Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr

Thu 4 Feria

Fri 5 Sacred Heart of Jesus—Mass will be followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with benediction.

The next pot-luck dinner will be on Sunday, June 30 in the school cafeteria immediately following the 2:30pm Latin Mass. All are invited to attend.


Our Lord Jesus Christ attracted people to Himself. He welcomed absolutely everybody. The Gospel shows how one day thousands of people followed Him and remained in His company for three days without eating anything. Jesus Christ worked the miracle of the loaves because He took pity upon the people.

If we look into this parable with a spiritual sense, we realize that there is no food in this world capable of satisfying our souls. All earthly goods, pleasures, riches and honors cannot satisfy the soul. The soul has been created for God. God alone can satisfy the soul. The world offers nothing but vanity. Those who love the world are under a great illusion disguised as happiness. The psalmist asks: “How long will you be dull at heart?” “Why do you love the goods of this world, which are all vanity and lies?”

If the goods of this world made men happy and content, the rich and powerful would be completely happy. But we see almost always they are in fact the unhappiest of men. No matter how much a man possesses, he is never satisfied. If we would learn to wish for nothing but God, He will satisfy all the desires our hearts!

In Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching


Friday, February 22, 2013

Bulletin 141

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

February 24th, 2013 Second Sunday of Lent

Epistle: I Thess. 4: 1-7; Gospel: Mt. 17: 1-9

Mass schedule February 25th through March 1st

Monday—Feria of Lent--NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday—Feria of Lent

Wednesday—Feria of Lent

Thursday—Feria of Lent

Friday—Sacred Heart of Jesus

Pot-luck dinner this month will be Sunday, February 24th immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the school cafeteria.

During the Fridays of Lent following the 12:15pm Mass, there will be Stations of the Cross with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

On each of the Fridays of Lent, a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who, after Communion, recite the “Prayer Before a Crucifix.”

The season of Lent affords us a wonderful opportunity to grow spiritually. By practicing self-discipline and self-denial we place ourselves in a position to lift our minds and hearts closer to our God. As Jesus Christ said to Satan when He allowed Himself to be tempted in the desert: “Man does not live on bread alone.” When we practice mortification we identify with the life of self-denial that Jesus Christ Himself chose when He walked upon this earth. God deserves our best. He wants our whole hearts. Hence the first commandment.

We should also realize that the Lenten season reminds us of how we are called to live throughout the entire year, not just for this short Liturgical season. By denying ourselves we learn to amend our lives. Ideally, we also feel sincere contrition for our sins. This was Christ’s basic message when He preached: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” John the Baptist preached the same message as did his predecessors.

Finally, we must make sure our motives for our Lenten observances are pure. We should do all for love of God. When we pray we must pray to sincerely want to amend our lives. We must constantly beg God for true contrition. These are the “higher” petitions that must always be a priority when we seek God in prayer. If we truly want to change and make amends for our sins we will. God, in turn, will give us everything else we ask for besides.

In Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching

Laws of Days of Abstinence: The Discipline of 1962

• Applies on one’s 7th birthday.
• Complete Abstinence: all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigil of Christmas.
• Partial Abstinence (meat and soup or gravy made from meat permitted once a day at the principle meal): all the days of Lent, the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday, and the Vigils of Pentecost and the Assumption.
• Abstinence from meat is dispensed on Holy Days of Obligation
Laws of Fast: The Discipline of 1962
• Applies for those aged 21 to 59, inclusive.
• Days of Lent from Ash Wednesday inclusive, Ember Days, and Vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, and the Assumption.
• One full meal permitted and two other meals may be taken which, when combined, are less than a full meal.
The Law of the Eucharistic Fast: The Discipline of 1962
• The complete fast from all food and drink (except for water or medicine) for three hours before the reception of Holy Communion. In the document reducing the fast to three hours, the Pope still encouraged those who were able to maintain the midnight fast which was the previous discipline.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Bulletin 137

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

January 27th, 2013 Septuagesima Sunday

Epistle: 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-5; Gospel: Mt. 20:1-16

Mass schedule January 28th through February 1st

Monday-Saint Peter Nolasco, Confessor-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Frances de Sales-Bishop, Confessor & Doctor-NO LATIN MASS

Wednesday-Saint Martina-Virgin & Martyr

Thursday-Saint John Bosco, Confessor

Friday-Sacred Heart of Jesus

There will be no Latin Mass on Tuesday, January 29th at 12:15pm.

Christianity is a tough religion. To be better than average, a Christian must train himself. Saint Paul compares this training to preparing for an athletic event. For an athlete to be successful, he must practice. The more practice, the better the athlete. The same holds true for followers of Christ. We cannot simply pay Our Lord lip service. We must run to win the prize. In order to make progress in the spiritual life we must live in moderation. We must mortify our selfish desires in order to receive a crown that does not fade away.

As we prepare for the Lenten season we chastise our bodies in order to bring them into subjection. We strive to become masters of ourselves in order follow Christ more closely. Christ gives us His Body and Blood as our spiritual food to help us on our way to victory.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching