Saturday, October 27, 2012

Bulletin 124

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 28th, 2012; Christ the King

Epistle: Col. 1: 12-20; Gospel: Jn. 18: 33-37

Mass schedule October 29th through November 2nd:

Monday: Feria; No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Feria

Wednesday: Feria

Thursday: All Saints

Friday: All Souls


Sunday, October 28 is the feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. One may gain a plenary indulgence by the public recitation of the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We will recite the consecratory prayer immediately following the 2:30pm Mass.

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. On all the days from November 1 through November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed.

Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us, humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee; many, too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou Kind, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee; but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee: grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who even now sit in the shadow of idolatry or Islam, and refuse not Thou to bring them into the light of Thy Kingdom.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.


In Christ,

Father Jeffery Fasching

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Bulletin 123

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 21st, 2012; 21st Sunday After Pentecost

Epistle: Eph. 6: 10-17; Gospel: Mt. 18: 23-35

There will be NO LATIN MASS October 22nd through October 26th due to the annual clergy conference in Branson, MO.

Jesus had willed to be as entirely dependent upon His Mother as a tiny infant. If I am to please God as a priest, Christ must be allowed to continue toward her through my ministry that humble and loving subjection. I undertake nothing without her, without her counsel, without having asked her to enlighten me. Jesus willed to have her consent not merely to receive His human life, but also to lay it down on the Cross, for she had received a mother’s power over Him from His Father. So I also pay her the homage of my whole priestly life, of my activity, of my joys, of my suffering, even my death, because I am her son, I belong to her.

Christ’s well-beloved Mother, after having given Him His human existence, the material of His Sacrifice, offered Him to the Eternal Father as a holocaust at the foot of the Cross. And so, invisibly present at every Mass, she continues with me, her priestly son, to offer Christ as a Victim to the Divine Majesty. Before His death, Jesus gave into her motherly care Saint John, the disciple whom He loved. He represented all the faithful but especially his favored ones, His priests.

He gave me then to His Mother as well and placed my priestly career under her maternal protection. She marked me off from that moment from among all her future children and she placed on my shoulders her maternal mantle. As He gave Saint John to his Mother, so He also gave his Mother to Saint John, that he should take her home with him, that he should take care of her and console her in Christ’s absence during the rest of her pilgrimage on earth.

In like manner, Christ has given me His Mother, her honor, her glory, the defense of her privileges. I have to help spread her devotion everywhere; inspire in others the faithful confidence and love for their Mother in heaven, the Mother of Perpetual Help! Remember the tears that she shed, the anguish she endured in her Mother’s heart at the time of Christ’s Passion. Remember that in its apostolic task the Church rightly looks to the one who bore Christ. In the words of Lumen gentium: “Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin in order that He might also be born and grow in the hearts of the faithful. In her whole life this virgin mother showed herself as an example of that motherly love that must animate all who share in the apostolic mission of the Church for the regeneration of mankind.”

In Christ,

Father Jeffery Fasching





Saturday, October 13, 2012

Bulletin 122

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 14th, 2012; 20th Sunday After Pentecost

Epistle: Eph. 5: 15-21; Gospel: Jn. 4: 46-53

Mass Schedule October 15th through October 19th

Monday –Saint Teresa of Avila, Virgin-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Hedwig, Widow

Wednesday-Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin

Thursday-Saint Luke, Evangelist

Friday-Saint Peter of Alcantara, Confessor—NO LATIN MASS

There will be NO LATIN MASS on Friday, October 19th. There will be NO LATIN MASS October 22nd through October 26th due to the annual clergy conference in Branson, MO.

The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the gospel. The main focus is on Jesus—His birth, life, death and resurrection. The Our Father’s remind us that Jesus' Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Mary’s remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of His earthly and heavenly existence.

The rosary’s appeal lies in the fact that it is simple. The constant repetition of words helps us to contemplate the mysteries of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us in the joys and sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the glory of Jesus and Mary forever. In his apostolic letter “The Rosary of the Virgin Mary” Pope John Paul II states:

“The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb.... It can be said that the rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter that discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church.”

Although Jesus Christ is God, he willed while on earth to receive everything through His Mother. It is to her that He made known all His needs, and addressed all His requests. I likewise address to her all my prayers and receive everything from her mother’s hand. Jesus is infinitely good and powerful. He is ready to give us all! But He will not do so except on receiving a sign from His Immaculate Mother! She is the distributor, the Mediatrix of All Graces.

In Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching




Saturday, October 6, 2012

Bulletin 121

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 7th, 2012; External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary

Epistle: Prov. 8:22-24, 32-35—Gospel: Lk. 1:26-38

Mass Schedule October 8th through October 12th

Monday –Saint Bridget of Sweden, Widow-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Requiem Mass + Joyce Spencer

Wednesday-Saint Francis Borgia, Confessor

Thursday-Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Friday-Feria

There will be a potluck dinner on Sunday, October 7 immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the school cafeteria. All are invited.

Jesus Christ loves pure souls. His Mother Mary was immaculate. His foster-father was the just and chaste Joseph. His well-beloved disciple was the virgin apostle. Over the course of centuries Christ has surrounded Himself with a legion of chaste priests. Nothing soiled can approach his altar. Pure souls are the crown of Christ’s glory, the strength and beauty of the Church, the confusion and terror of demons!

Priestly chastity is a precious pearl, but we are all called to live chaste lives! God has left our human nature with a tendency toward evil, its passions, and its secret connivance at sin. But at the same time He has poured out prodigally upon us His divine strength through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. We have been given mortal bodies with frailties, inconstancies and revolts, but Christ has prepared us for heavenly food, the bread of angels, His Body and Blood, to extinguish within us the fire of sin, to renew our strength and to sustain our courage!

God permits the angel of Satan to lay snares for us, to subject us to incessant combats, but Christ has confided us at the same time to His Mother. She has crushed the head of the serpent! She will always fight for you if you are faithful in appealing to her for aid. With her help you are sure to triumph. But know well that it is necessary to watch and to pray even to old age, even until death. Be courageous! No one is tried beyond his strength! No one will receive a crown unless he fights manfully!

Be chaste. How miserable your heart will be if you simulate virtue when your conscience accuses you of wickedness! In today’s culture we are in almost constant contact with the slime of sin. Vice speaks to us, looks at us, surrounds us and pursues us wherever we go! How can we avoid filth unless we are vigilant? We must keep a firm and constant hold on the divine hand of God!

Chastise your body and bring it into subjection. Flee from the occasion of sin. If to avoid sin it is necessary to sacrifice your eye or your right hand or your very life, do not hesitate. Otherwise you will fall, you will perish. Confess your faults humbly. Have recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Virgin Most Pure, that you may fight your battle with strength and confidence!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Bulletin 120

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 30th, 2012; 18th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: I Cor. 1:4-8; Gospel: Mt. 9:1-8

Mass Schedule October 1st through October 5th

Monday –Feria-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Holy Guardian Angels

Wednesday-Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus

Thursday-Requiem Mass + Carmelina Machado

Friday-Sacred Heart of Jesus

There will be a potluck dinner on Sunday, October 7 immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the school cafeteria. All are invited.

Jesus Christ emphasizes His power to forgive sins in today’s Gospel. However, we must remember that God does in fact inflict punishment upon those who remain obstinate. The Scriptures do not mention any sin so severely chastised as the sin of impurity. There are many examples, but perhaps the most popular is the great deluge. It was because of sins of impurity that God sent upon the earth the great flood, when it rained for forty days and forty nights. With the exception of eight people along with Noah and the ark, all were destroyed. Saint Isidore writes: “There is no vice which so much enslaves men to the Devil as impurity.” It isn’t enough to simply fight impurity; we must win the victory and root the sin out of our lives permanently!

We must pray and flee from all occasions to sin in order to be successful in our efforts. It is impossible to conquer this vice without God’s assistance. If we are tempted to sin against chastity, we must immediately turn to God for help. We should pray the Hail Mary and repeat the Holy name of Jesus Christ. We must rid ourselves of the thoughts instantly; otherwise Satan will redouble his efforts to attack.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bulletin 119

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 16th, 2012; 16th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Mass Schedule September 17th through September 28th

Monday –Feria-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Requiem Mass + Arturo Ricardo Echevarria Alcover

Wednesday-Ember Wednesday

Thursday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS

Friday-Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist-NO LATIN MASS


September 23rd, 2012; 17th Sunday after Pentecost (Celebrant-Father William M. Hodgson)


Epistle: Eph. 4:1-6; Gospel: Mt. 22:34-46

Monday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS

Wednesday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS

Thursday-SS. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs

Friday-Saint Wenceslaus, Duke & Martyr

There will be no Latin Mass from Thursday, September 20th through Wednesday, September 26th, with the exception of Sunday, September 23rd. The Celebrant for the Sunday Mass on the 23rd will be Father William Hogdson.

When the Lord spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, Moses asked that he might see the divine glory. The Lord responded: “I will make all my beauty pass before you…but my face you cannot see, for no man sees me and still lives…” (Ex 33. 18-23). The infinite God, the God of ineffable glory, is so far above all creatures, that the human creature, by its natural powers, can never behold Him as He is. In the New Testament, the Epistle of Blessed Saint Paul to Timothy reiterates this teaching: “(God) is King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen or ever can see Him. To Him be honor and might forever! Amen” (1 Tim 6.15f). John 1.18 speaks in the same vain.

Yet Jesus promises, “Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God” (Mt 5.8); and Paul, in enumerating the gifts that God bestows upon His beloved, speaks of the immediate vision of God as His ultimate gift: “Now we see indistinctly, as in a (dark) mirror; then we shall see face to face. My knowledge is imperfect now; then I shall know even as I am known” (1 Cor 13.12).

John tells us that we cannot imagine what God has in store for us who are His children, but this we know, that we shall see Him as He is: “Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall later be has not yet come to light. We know that when it comes to light we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3.2). Notice that John says, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” It is because we are made like God, sharing in His divine nature (cf. 2 Pet 1.4), that we shall be able to see God as He sees Himself!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Bulletin 118

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 9th, 2012; 15th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Gal. 5:25,26; 6:1-10 Gospel: Lk. 7:11-16

Mass Schedule September 10th through September 14th

Monday –Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Requiem Mass +Rose Xavier

Wednesday-Most Holy Name of Mary

Thursday-Feria

Friday-Exaltation of the Holy Cross

There will be a Potluck dinner Sunday, September 9th immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the Saint Agnes school cafeteria. All are invited.

John the Baptist said the Lord will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17). This unquenchable fire is the state of eternal separation from God, which the Church has called “hell” for 2,000 years.

Jesus says: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). “They will go away into eternal punishment” (Matt. 25:46). This is in reference to eternal fire.

Purgatory occupies an important place in our holy religion. It forms one of the principal parts of the work of Jesus Christ, and plays an essential role in the economy of the salvation of man. We must pray for the dead and foster a devotion to the souls in Purgatory.

The Book of Maccabees reminds us that: “It is a holy and wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may loosed from sins.” Prayer for the dead, sacrifices, and suffrages all form a part of Christian worship and devotion towards the souls in Purgatory which the Holy Ghost Himself infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful.

One of the best means of avoiding Purgatory is to foster a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Charity and works of mercy of every kind are also a powerful means to avoid Purgatory. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. If you forgive men their offenses, your Heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses. Give to everyone that asks of you, and it shall be given to you; for with the same measure that you shall give, it shall be measured to you again.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching