Bulletin 92

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

March 4, 2012 Second Sunday of Lent (No Latin Mass)

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

Mass Schedule March 5th through March 9th

Monday-------FERIA OF LENT-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-------FERIA OF LENT
Wednesday---FERIA OF LENT
Thursday------FERIA OF LENT
Friday----------FERIA OF LENT

Sunday, March 4th at 3:00pm is the Rite of Election at Saint Agnes Cathedral. There will be no Latin Mass.

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope:

The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but He makes it shine with such splendor that His face becomes like the sun in glory and His garments as white as snow.

The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of His disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of His voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.

With no less forethought He was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as His gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.

The Lord had Himself spoken of this when He foretold the splendor of His coming: “Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: “I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us.” In another place he says: “You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

…In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.

No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised…
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Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 91

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

February 26, 2012 First Sunday of Lent

Epistle: II Cor. 6: 1-10
Gospel: Mt. 4: 1-11

Mass Schedule February 27th through March 2nd.

Monday-------FERIA OF LENT-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-------FERIA OF LENT
Wednesday---EMBER WEDNESDAY
Thursday------FERIA OF LENT
Friday----------EMBER FRIDAY-NO LATIN MASS

Sunday, March 4th at 3:00pm is the Rite of Election at Saint Agnes Cathedral. There will be no Latin Mass.

There will be no Latin Mass on Friday, March 2nd at 12:15pm.

Christ our Lord allowed Himself to be tempted in order to give us an example and to instruct us. The Catholic Church teaches us that there are three levels of temptation. The first level is that of suggestion, or external temptation. This is the only way that Christ could be tempted since He was perfect. We can all undergo external temptation without committing any sin. The second level of temptation is that temptation in which we take delight. Although we may not give clear consent, this level of temptation becomes internal and thus becomes sinful. Finally, there is temptation to which we consent. This form of temptation is always sinful because it affects the deepest part of our soul. Christ allowed himself to be externally tempted in order to show us how to fight and conquer our own temptations. We must learn to trust in God and turn to prayer when we are tempted.

Nobody is above temptation. All the great saints were tempted. We must prepare ourselves for temptation by prayer and fasting just as Jesus did. This is why the Church gives us the beautiful season of Lent. Jesus’ withdrawal into the desert invites us to prepare ourselves by prayer and penance to battle temptation, but also teaches us how to prepare before making any significant decision or action.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

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Bulletin 90

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

February 19, 2012 Quinquagesima Sunday

Epistle: 1Cor. 13:1-13
Gospel: Lk. 18:31-43

Mass Schedule February 20th through February 24th

Monday-------FERIA-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-------FERIA
Wednesday---Ash Wednesday (Mass at 2:00pm)
Thursday------Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Friday----------Friday after Ash Wednesday

February 22: Ash Wednesday. Latin Mass at 2:00pm. Ashes will be blessed and distributed before Mass. Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence.

Laws of Days of Abstinence: Current Practice
 Begins on one’s 14th birthday.
 Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent.
 Obliges abstention from flesh meat.

Laws of Days of Penance: Current Practice
 Applies to all the Faithful.
 Lent and Fridays outside of Lent

Laws of Days of Fast: Current Practice
 Applies to everyone aged 18 to 59, inclusive.
 One full meal permitted and two other meals may be taken which, when combined, are less than a full meal.
 Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

The obligation to do penance is lifted on Fridays which are also celebrated as a solemnity. The following is a list of Solemnities in the New Rite which can fall on a Friday:
 January 1: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God; Solemnity of the Epiphany
 March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of Mary
 March 25: Solemnity of the Annunciation
 June 24: Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist
 June 29: Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul
 August 15: Solemnity of the Assumption
 November 1: Solemnity of All Saints
 December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
 December 25: Solemnity of Christmas
 Principal patron of a place (city, state, nation)
 Dedication of a particular church and the anniversary
 The Title, founder, or principal patron of a religious order or congregation

Laws of Days of Abstinence: The Discipline of 1962
 Applies on one’s 7th birthday.
 Complete Abstinence: all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, 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.

Laws of the Eucharistic Fast: Current Legislation
Under the New Code of Canon Law, the Fast for Holy Communion is one hour before the reception of the Holy Eucharist. However, in the document reducing the fast to one hour, the Pope has encouraged those who were able to maintain the previous discipline.

The Law of the Eucharistic Fast: The Discipline of 1962
The complete fast from all food and drink (except 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.

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

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus while before Thy face I humbly kneel and, with burning soul, pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity; true contrition for my sins; and a firm purpose of amendment; while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me while I call to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my Jesus: “They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones.” Amen.

Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks of the three theological virtues; faith, hope and love. The theological virtues are among our greatest gifts from God. They are infused into our hearts through divine grace. However, we must remember our responsibility to nourish these God-given gifts. We must always and everyday pray for them. We should beg God that we grow in them, never take them for granted, but instead cherish them as our most prized possessions.

We are all people of faith. Perhaps we may know somebody whom we believe to be a person of great faith. Chances are we know somebody who seems to have little, if any faith at all. Faith is a precious gift. The strength of our faith depends a great deal on how we ourselves nourish it. We should constantly ask God for an increase in faith.

We see in the Gospel another great example of Jesus Christ demanding faith from the blind man who wishes to see. Our Lord gives the blind man his sight because “thy faith hath made thee whole.” The blind man believed in his heart that Jesus had the power to heal him. Therefore when the blind man asked for his sight, it was given to him.

Our Lord wants the exact same faith from each one of us. One of the easiest and most effective ways of nourishing our faith and praying for the other virtues is meditating on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we mediate upon the resurrection, for example, we must beg God for a greater faith. We should contemplate the unprecedented faith that was given to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask God for a share in this same faith. When we focus on the ascension we should ask God for a greater hope that where He has gone, we will one day follow.

Saint Paul explains that virtues of faith and hope mean nothing if we do not put them into practice, therefore the greatest of these virtues is love. “Holy” people are people who exercise on a regular basis the virtue of charity. Hence, charity is the key to holiness and sanctity. We can find charitable things to do each and every day that help us grow in holiness. These can be the smallest of acts, because God looks at the intention of one’s heart, not the magnitude of the act.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 89

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

February 19, 2012 Quinquagesima Sunday

Epistle: 1Cor. 13:1-13
Gospel: Lk. 18:31-43

Mass Schedule February 13h through February 17th

Monday-FERIA-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-FERIA
Wednesday-FERIA
Thursday-FERIA
Friday-FERIA

Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks of the three theological virtues; faith, hope and love. The theological virtues are among our greatest gifts from God. They are infused into our hearts through divine grace. However, we must remember our responsibility to nourish these God-given gifts. We must always and everyday pray for them. We should beg God that we grow in them, never take them for granted, but instead cherish them as our most prized possessions.

We are all people of faith. Perhaps we may know somebody whom we believe to be a person of great faith. Chances are we know somebody who seems to have little, if any faith at all. Faith is a precious gift. The strength of our faith depends a great deal on how we ourselves nourish it. We should constantly ask God for an increase in faith.

We see in the Gospel another great example of Jesus Christ demanding faith from the blind man who wishes to see. Our Lord gives the blind man his sight because “thy faith hath made thee whole.” The blind man believed in his heart that Jesus had the power to heal him. Therefore when the blind man asked for his sight, it was given to him.

Our Lord wants the exact same faith from each one of us. One of the easiest and most effective ways of nourishing our faith and praying for the other virtues is meditating on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we mediate upon the resurrection, for example, we must beg God for a greater faith. We should contemplate the unprecedented faith that was given to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask God for a share in this same faith. When we focus on the ascension we should ask God for a greater hope that where He has gone, we will one day follow.

Saint Paul explains that the virtues of faith and hope mean nothing if we do not put them into practice, therefore the greatest of these virtues is love. “Holy” people are people who exercise on a regular basis the virtue of charity. Hence, charity is the key to holiness and sanctity. We can find charitable things to do each and every day that help us grow in holiness. These can be the smallest of acts, because God looks at the intention of one’s heart, not the magnitude of the act.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 88

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

February 5th, 2012 Septuagesima Sunday

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

Mass Schedule February 6th through February 10th

Monday-Saint Titus, Bishop & Confessor-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint Romuald, Abbot
Wednesday-Saint John of Matha, Confessor
Thursday-Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor
Friday-Saint Scholastica, Virgin

The Latin Mass Community of Springfield, MO will hold its monthly pot-luck dinner in the Saint Agnes school cafeteria immediately following the 2:30pm Mass on Sunday, February 5th. All are invited to attend. You may bring any religious articles you wish to have blessed.

On February 3rd there is a blessing of throats at Mass in honor of Saint Blase. In addition, I will be available immediately after the 2:30pm Mass on February 5th for the blessing of throats.

On Sunday, February 12th Saint Agnes Cathedral has scheduled a wedding anniversary Mass at 2:30pm; therefore there will be NO LATIN MASS.

The discipline it takes to be a successful athlete spills over into the spiritual life. Unless we strive to develop and maintain a well-ordered, disciplined and regular life of prayer to God we cannot advance in the spiritual realm. “Brethren: Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one!”

We should approach the spiritual life with a competitive spirit. We should beg God that nobody is getting ahead of us. We should ask God for the grace to pray our rosaries more attentively than the next person. We should ask God each day that we are counted among His favorites. We must be ready and willing to sacrifice. We must not let anything get in our way of our relationship with God. There will always be obstacles, failures and personal limitations, but we can never grow discouraged.

Saint Paul says: “…but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Even our most serious sins should not discourage us because we have God in the Sacrament of Penance to grow holier through forgiveness. How many times in scripture do we see Jesus Christ our Lord moved by a sinner’s repentance?

Furthermore, we must never take our efforts for granted. Saint Paul says: “Let no one feel assured of this gift with an absolute certainty, although all ought to have most secure hope in the help of God. For unless we are unfaithful to His grace, God will bring the good work to perfection, just as He began it, working both the will and the performance (Phil 2:13).” Saint Paul reminds us of the necessity of physical mortification and self-control. When we make the effort, God will always help us with His grace. This we must do to earn our “crown of righteousness.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Buletin 87

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

January 29th, 2012 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Epistle: Rom. 13: 8-10
Gospel: Mt 18: 23-27

Mass Schedule January 30th through February 3rd

Monday-Saint Martina, Virgin & Martyr-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint John Bosco, Confessor-NO LATIN MASS
Wednesday-Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr
Thursday-Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday-Saint Blase, Bishop & Martyr

The Latin Mass Community of Springfield, MO will hold its monthly pot-luck dinner in the Saint Agnes school cafeteria immediately following the 2:30pm Mass on Sunday, February 5th. All are invited to attend. You may bring any religious articles you wish to have blessed.

On February 3rd there is a blessing of throats at Mass in honor of Saint Blase. In addition, I will be available immediately after the 2:30pm Mass on February 5th for the blessing of throats.

NOTE THERE WILL BE NO LATIN MASS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 31ST.

Christ demands faith from all of us. For example, when we meditate on the fourth luminous mystery of the Holy Rosary we focus on Christ’s transfiguration. As with any mystery in the life of Christ we must always ask for a particular grace when we focus on the mystery. With the transfiguration we must beg God for the ability to see with His transforming vision rather than our own limited human vision. This grace is attainable for a person from any state of life, but we often hear more about those who have chosen to embrace a vocation to the priesthood or religious life that have great faith or practice heroic virtue.

So how can one recognize the way of life to which he is called by God? The most important factor is to embrace a regular habit of prayer with faith that God will make His will known to those who sincerely seek it. While praying, one must try to maintain an attitude of perfect detachment. One must fight against the tendency to lean toward one alternative rather than another before God manifests His will. One must maintain a spirit of generosity and willingness to embrace whatever God reveals to be His will. If one prays and reflects God will eventually let the person know what He wills for the person. God will allow the person to experience greater light, peace and certainty with regard to the way of life God wills for the person. This is how one will grow in conviction that this is God’s will.

In discerning God’s will in the choice of a way of life, one should place before one’s mind the one end and purpose for which one has been created by God, namely, to praise, reverence and serve God, and in this way to save one’s soul. Furthermore, one must be resolved not to allow any other consideration to sway one’s choice. With that in mind, one should ask oneself what way of life seems to offer the person, with his special gifts and graces, the best means for attaining that end. Which path is the best means for promoting the greater glory of God? Which way of life provides the best means for attaining holiness? Which way of life provides the best means for contributing to the well-being of the greater number of people and of helping them attain salvation?

Clarity often comes from imagining oneself on one’s death bed and asking the question which choice I would then wish that I had made. I should now make that choice. Imagine standing before God in judgment and having to render an account of one’s life. Which choice will I then wish I had made?

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 86

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

January 22nd, 2012 Third Sunday after Epiphany

Epistle: Rom. 12: 16-21
Gospel: Mt 8: 1-13

Mass Schedule January 23rd through January 27th

Monday-Saint Raymond of Penafort, Confessor-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint Timothy, Bishop & Martyr
Wednesday-Conversion of Saint Paul
Thursday-Saint Polycarp, Bishop & Martyr
Friday-Saint John Chrysostom; Bishop, Confessor & Martyr

We are now celebrating the Church Unity Octave. January 18 to 25 inclusive focuses on the intention of the unity of the entire Catholic Church. The dogmatic constitution Pastor Aeternus proposed that the Roman Pontiff, as successor of Saint Peter, has primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church and that he is infallible when defining doctrines of faith and morals as binding in faith on the universal Church. Christ established the Church in order to continue for all time the saving work of redemption…so that in the Church…all the faithful might be united together in the bond of one faith and one love.

Furthermore, Christ made Saint Peter head of the Church in order that Peter might be “the visible foundation of a twofold unity,” namely; “that the episcopate might be one and undivided, and that the whole multitude of believers might be preserved in unity of faith and communion…”

The council explains why it is necessary to define the Church’s teaching concerning “the establishment, the perpetuity, and nature of this sacred apostolic primacy.” The reason is to promote “the protection, the safety, and the increase of the Catholic flock,” and to strengthen the Church against the attacks that at that time were being made against her by her enemies. The council believed that the Church would be strengthened against these and other ills if the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, which was strongly supported by the vast majority of Catholics, were confirmed by its solemn decrees.

The council teaches that because the Roman Pontiff is head of the whole Church by divine right, he is supreme judge of the faithful in all matters pertaining to Church life. All cases referred to him, and no case decided by him can be reviewed by any other authority. His judgment is final. Once the pope has decided an issue, it is not permitted to appeal over his head to any other tribunal, not even to a general council.

The papal office exists to preserve the purity of the faith, to serve Christian unity, and to minister to the needs of the Catholic community. Let us pray during this octave for a unity of faith which is so desperately needed in our time.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching