A Treasure To Be Shared

The Arrival | WGNC Hail Mary!   May the greeting that was first offered to thee by the holy Gabriel, which has been recited and sung by innumerable witnesses who have trusted in thy intercession down through the ages, join my weak plea for thy help, this prayer that reaches out in love and hope toward the Lord our God. O Mary, mother of all Christians, join me in prayer to God for a pure heart, a clear mind, and a ready will, so that this disciple of Jesus the Saviour Whom thou didst bear for man's salvation, may live forever in communion with the Most Holy Trinity. HEAVENLY Father, Almighty and eternal God, hearken to me in my need, and grant an increase of grace to assist me, Thy child, to grow in likeness to Thee and Thy Son, Christ Jesus our Lord, the Redeemer Whom Thou didst send among us; Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

[Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes] Disclaimer By "Ordinariate flavour," one should not attribute to this author final say nor conclusive authority.  This blogger is merely an agent (member, messenger) gathering treasures from primary sources and distributing those pearls to a wider audience to celebrate the shared Catholic charism localized in the Personal Ordinariates, to stimulate awareness of the transcendentals, and to foster zeal for the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls. +  +  + Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. | Saint Augustine The radiant season of Christmas invites us through the transcendentals to mission.  The story of the Incarnation and birth of Christ inspires a wonder, joy and peace that leads us beyond narrow perceptions to the glory of the ultimate reality of salvation in Jesus Christ, a renewal, a revival and a restoration in Christ now and for eternity. The great theol...

Who says the English don't know how to party? (I)n the feaste of Christmas, there was in the kinges house, wheresoeuer hee was lodged, a Lord of Misrule, or Maister of merry disports, and the like had yee in the house of euery noble man, of honor, or good worshippe, were he spirituall or temporall. Amongst the which the Mayor of London, and eyther of the shiriffes had their seuerall Lordes of Misrule, euer contending without quarrell or offence, who should make the rarest pastimes to delight the Beholders. These Lordes beginning their rule on Alhollon Eue (Halloween), continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of the Purification, commonlie called Candlemas day: In all which space there were fine and subtle disguisinges, Maskes and Mummeries, with playing at Cardes for Counters, Nayles and pointes in euery house, more for pastimes then for gaine. The Feast of Fools in England was presided over by a Lord of Misrule, a commoner or sub-deacon, during Christmastide. A celebrati...

Catholics have the Holy Eucharist.  Protestants have something resembling the Eucharist but not actually the Eucharist established by Jesus and conserved by the apostles .  The first "protestants" were those who rejected Jesus' teaching about the Eucharist ( St John 6:52-65 ). Catholics celebrate the season of Christmas lasting from Christmas (December 25th; 24th among Eastern Catholics) to the Baptism of the Lord or in some precincts until Candlemas .  Though some Protestant denominations celebrate a season of Christmas, most Protestant groups only celebrate one day, Christmas Day. The Bible is a Catholic book . Catholics have 73 books in the Bible affirmed by the Council of Rome (AD 382), the Synod of Hippo (AD 393), two of the Councils of Carthage (AD 397 and 419), the Council of Florence (AD 1431–1449) and finally, as an article of faith, by the Council of Trent (AD 1545–1563).  The writings that found their way into the canon of Holy Scripture were those books ...

May this season of Epiphany - Epiphanytide - be filled with reminders of the joy of the Word among us. Soon it will be Gesimatide. For those using the newer terminology of Ordinary Time, or Tempus per Annum (time or season throughout the year), the expression 'Gesimatide' is likely unfamiliar. Gesimatide, the three Sundays preceding Lent (Quadragesima, 40 days before Easter), is also known as Pre-Lent: Septuagesima (70), Sexagesima (60), Quinquagesima (50). Gesimatide is also known as Shrovetide, and begins on Septuagesima Sunday and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) before Ash Wednesday (40 days before Easter). Gesimatide or Shrovetide is preserved in the Ordinariate. The liturgical colour for Gesimatide is violet/purple. The "old" way of counting or identifying days in the calendar lends additional intimacy to the experience of immersion in God's time, i.e., God's way of relating to His creation. There is a character or personality retained in the names we...

  Thirty people from the Ordinariate community of Saint John Henry Newman in Victoria, BC, attended the inaugural Carol Walk downtown on Thursday, December 21st. https://www.victoriaordinariate.com Carrying lanterns, the group began a ten-stop event with prayer outside St Andrew's Catholic Cathedral and ended on the steps of the Provincial Legislature. Passers-by joined in the singing as the group made its way through the downtown area. 150 fliers with information on St John Henry's Christmas services were distributed. The Carol Walk, by singing beautiful traditional carols, attested to the truth of the Christmas Mystery and brought great festive happiness to individuals the group encountered along the way. Many thanks to David S., in particular, for this great initiative, and to him, Joseph P., and David D. for the photos. British Columbia Legislature Memorial Cenotaph

Among the three memorial acclamations fixed in Divine Worship: the Missal, the third acclamation - O Saviour of the world - is frequently heard in Ordinariate communities. Arguably, it is the most patrimonial of the acclamations. The third acclamation is likely unfamiliar to most diocesan Catholics who visit Ordinariate communities. It is not included in the Novus Ordo Missae. The third acclamation is a statement of fact. Our redemption is wrought in and through Jesus Christ. Our hope and salvation is made known to us in the Mass. Acknowledging our dependency upon the Lord, we humbly plead with Him to rescue us and sustain us. The third acclamation invites the worshipper into a solemn intimacy of trust in the Lord. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us: save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. The crib rests in the shadow of the Cross. This Christmas, when so many of the brethren are suffering at the hands of the many Herods of this w...

Rembrandt: Adoration of the Shepherds Christmas is the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. Every Mass announces and "enfleshes" the mystery of the Incarnation, Birth and the manifestation (Epiphany) of the Lord. In the Presence of the Saviour, we become like the shepherds, bowing and kneeling in the presence of the Word-Made-Flesh, the Saviour sent to redeem us. Because, in every Mass, we enter into eternity with the Lord, we are also present to the entire reality of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And (Jesus) said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Divine Worship, the Mass, begins with a Bethlehem - the Gloria , the angelic chorus heralding the Nativity of the Lord - and continue...

Giotto MEDITATION FOR CHRISTMAS TIME with Saint Thomas Aquinas http://www.dominicansavrille.us/meditation-for-christmas-time-with-saint-thomas-aquinas/ The Circumstances of Christ’s Birth 1. Christ willed to be born at Bethlehem because of two reasons: First, because “He was made … of the seed of David according to the flesh, to whom also a special promise was made concerning Christ.” (Rom. I, 3.) Hence, He willed to be born at Bethlehem, where David was born, in order that by the very birthplace, the promise made to David might be fulfilled. The Evangelist points this out by saying, “Because He was of the house and of the family of David.” Secondly, because as Gregory says, “Bethlehem is interpreted ‘the house of bread’.” It is Christ Himself, Who said, “I am the living Bread which came down from heaven” (Jn 41, 51). As David was born in Bethlehem, so also did He select Jerusalem to set up His throne and to build there the Temple of God, so that, Je...

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Merry Christmas! Click on Images to Enlarge Our Lady of the Atonement, San Antonio, TX