CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTHLY MEDITATIONS, SCRIPTURAL READINGS & DEVOTIONS TRADITIO Traditional Roman Catholic Network E-mail: traditio@traditio.com, Web Page: www.traditio.com Copyright 1998-2006 CSM. Reproduction prohibited without authorization. Last Revised: 09/13/06 MONTH OF JANUARY: MONTH OF THE HOLY INFANCY MEDITATION: THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS (FEASTDAY, JANUARY 2) St. Paul tells us in his own compelling way two great truths about the Holy Name of Jesus, from the Hebrew meaning "Savior." First, St. Paul tells us of the infinite power of the Holy Name: "Therefore God also has exalted him and has bestowed uon him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in Heaven, on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:10-11). Second, St. Paul tells us how to use the Holy Name: "Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). The Holy Name is a powerful prayer. Each time we say the Holy Name, we give glory to God, to all heaven, to God's blessed mother, and to the angels and saints. Each time we say the Holy Name, we can gain 300 days' indulgence, which we may apply to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Each time we say the Holy Name, we can make an act of perfect charity, for we offer to God the infinite love of Our Lord. Each time we say the Holy Name, we can fill our souls with a spiritual peace and joy. Each time we say the Holy Name, we can gain the grace to bear our sufferings. The Holy Name is the shortest, the easiest, the most powerful of all prayers. Our Lord tells us that anything we ask the Father in His Name, we shall receive. Every time we say the Holy Name, we are saying a fervent prayer for all that we need, spiritually and corporally. How much more, then, should we refrain from ever using the Holy Name casually, irreverently, or blasphemously. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) St. Paul to the Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians DEVOTION: PRAYER TO THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS Invoke the Holy Name frequently throughout the day, and say daily the Collect of the Holy Name from the Roman Missal: Deus, qui unigenitum Filium tuum constituisti humani generis Salvatorem et Iesum vocare iussisti: concede propitius, ut, cuius sanctum Nomen veneramur in terris, eius quoque adspectu perfruamur in caelis. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. O God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son to be the Savior of mankind and didst command His name to be called Jesus; mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in heaven, whose holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Indulgence of 5 years; plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions if this Collect is said devoutly every day.) ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF FEBRUARY: MONTH OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY MEDITATION: SEPTUAGESIMA SEASON Traditional Catholics observe the season of Septuagesima, which extends from Vespers of Septuagesima Sunday through Compline of Shrove Tuesday. "Septuagesima" comes from the Latin word for "70," as it is now some 70 days to the great feast of our Lord's Resurrection at Easter. To make a transition from the joyousness of Epiphany time to the penitential character of Lent, the Church has inserted this period of a little over two weeks as a kind of "pre-Lent" before Lent proper begins on Ash Wednesday. At Vespers the night before Septuagesima Sunday, the usual single alleluia is doubled as a final sign of joyfulness before the penitential season that will last for the next seventy days. From then on at Sunday Mass we no longer hear the joyous alleluia. We see the altar clothed not in the green of hope, but in the violet of penitence. We no longer hear the Gloria in Excelsis. The Gospels of the three Sundays of the Septuagesima season -- the Sundays of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima -- focus their message upon a single theme: an invitation to us to commit ourselves to our faith more fervently. The Propers of these Masses are some of the earliest in the Roman Missal, being composed in the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, perhaps by the great saint himself. They deserve our special attention and study. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, To the Hebrews DEVOTION: DE PROFUNDIS (PSALM 129) This psalm, the sixth of the Penitential Psalms, is a eloquent plea for the mercy of God and an expression of our trust in His mercy. It is most appropriate to the Septuagesima season, as it is used in part as the Tract for Septuagesima Sunday. If said in supplication for the faithful departed, the recitation of this psalm merits an indulgence of three years. If said for an entire month, it merits a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (Confession, Communion, a visit to a church or oratory, and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff [a Pater, Ave, and Gloria Patri]). De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: Domine, exaudi vocem meam: Fiant aures tuae intendentes, in vocem deprecationis meae. Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit? Quia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine. Sustinuit anima mea in verbo eius: speravit anima mea in Domino. A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: speret Israel in Domino. Quia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio. Et ipse redimet Israel, ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it? For with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF MARCH: MONTH OF ST. JOSEPH MEDITATION: ST. JOSEPH On March 19 occurs the Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With providential suddenness, widespread devotion to St. Joseph spread to the liturgy of the Church in the 15th century. In 1479 a Franciscan pope, Sixtus IV, introduced the feast at Rome. Seventy- five years later, when the Council of Trent stabilized the liturgy by decreeing that all Catholic Churches of the Latin rite must conform to Roman usage, the feast of the Saint appeared everywhere in the world because of its previous adoption at Rome. On December 8, 1870, Pope Pius IX placed the entire Catholic Church under the patronage of St. Joseph with the title of Patron of the Universal Church. That pope wrote in his decree Quemadmodum Deus: Because of this sublime dignity which God conferred on His most faithful servant, the Church has always most highly honored and praised blessed Joseph next to his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has besought his intercession in times of trouble. How fitting it is, then, that we, in the current difficulties in the Church, should turn especially to the Patron of that Church for his powerful intercession, as well as for his powerful example of devoted and virtuous fatherhood, so lacking in many families today. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) Genesis, Exodus DEVOTION: SANCTISSIMAE GENETRICIS Each day of this month let us pray devoutly for the intercession of St. Joseph in the words of his prayer from the Roman Missal. The recitation of this prayer merits an indulgence of 3 years. If said for an entire month, it merits a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (Confession, Communion, a visit to a church or oratory, and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff [a Pater, Ave, and Gloria Patri]). Sanctissimae Genetricis tuae Sponsi patrocinio suffulti, rogamus, Domine, clementiam tuam: ut corda nostra facias terrena cuncta despicere ac te verum Deum perfecta caritate diligere: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saecolrum. Amen. Supported by the patronage of the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother, we pray Thee, O Lord, for Thy mercy; that Thou wouldst make our hearts despise all things earthly and love Thee, the true God, with perfect charity: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF APRIL: MONTH OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD MEDITATION: CHRIST AS THE GOOD SHEPHERD (GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY, SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER) Our Lord uses the touching figure of the good shepherd to express the love that He bears toward us. It was, in fact, by His death and resurrection that Christ proved Himself to be our Good Shepherd. On the Cross He laid down His life for us, His sheep. The Good Shepherd's greatest concern is for the safety of His flock. He thinks of it night and day and is watchful that no harm befalls it. His care knows no bounds. If, despite His vigilance, a single sheep wanders from the fold, He leaves the rest and will not rest until He has found the lost sheep and has carried it home. Examine yourself and ask yourself whether you are one of the faithful flock known to the Good Shepherd. Do you love to be with Him spiritually? Do you visit Him often in prayer and in the Blessed Sacrament? Do you long to know Him better through study of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the teaching of His Church? SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) Jeremias, The Acts of the Apostles, The Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle (Revelation) DEVOTION: INVOCATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Each day of this month let us begin the day with the invocation of the Holy Spirit: V. Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur; R. Et renovabis faciem terrae. Oremus. Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere; et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum dominum nostrum Amen. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created; R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, Who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by sending them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF MAY: MONTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MEDITATION: ROGATION DAYS The Rogation Days occur on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday. The origination of these days goes back to the fifth century, when St. Mamertus, the archbishop of Vienne, France, was faced with many calamities in his diocese. There were wars, earthquakes, fires, and attacks by wild animals. During one of the terrible fires that threatened his city, the archbishop began to pray zealously, and the fire went out. On Easter night, when a serious fire was about to destroy the city, the good bishop again prayed, and the fire was immediately extinguished. The archbishop then instituted the Rogation Days (from the Latin word "rogare," meaning "to beseech"). This practice ultimately spread to the whole Church. In the Gospel of the Sunday before the Rogation Days, the Fifth Sunday of Easter (which is therefore known as Rogation Sunday), Christ tells us that if we ask the Father anything in His name, He will grant the request. We certainly have many things to pray against in our times too -- not only wars, fires, earthquakes, and attacks by wild animals but also grave spiritual ills. Each of us can make a special effort not only on these three days but every day this month, to lift our minds in prayer -- for the propogation of the Faith, for the Church and its clergy, and for our temporal needs. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) The Epistle of St. James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter DEVOTION: ROGATION PRAYERS Each day of this month let us pray the beautiful prayer of the rogation litany: Deus, a quo sancta desideria, recta consilia, et iusta sunt opera: da servis tuis illam, quam mundus dare non potest, pacem; ut et corda nostra mandatis tuis dedita, et hostium sublata formidine, tempora sunt tua protectione tranquilla. Pater Noster. Ave Maria. Gloria Patri. [O God, from Whom holy desires, good counsels, and just works proceed, grant to Your servants that peace which the world cannot give, so that our hearts may be devoted to Your comandments and that with the fear of our enemies removed, our times may be peaceful under Your protection. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.] ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF JUNE: MONTH OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR MEDITATION: THE LIMITLESS VALUE OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS This month we celebrate the wondrous feast of Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ. On this day in particular, and throughout this month, we should meditate upon this great Sacrament that Our Lord has left us and upon the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the immemorial Traditional Latin Mass of the Roman Rite. Have you ever considered how many graces you receive from assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? 1. At Mass you participate in the Sacrifice of Calvary. 2. The Mass is worth as much to you as the sacrifice of Our Lord's life, suffering, and death. 3. The Mass is the most powerful atonement for you sins. 4. At the hour of death, the Masses at which you have assisted will be your greatest consolation. 5. Every Mass will go with you to your Judgment and plead for your pardon. 6. At every Mass you can diminish more or less the temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor. 7. By assisting at Mass, you render to Our Lord the greatest homage. 8. Through the graces of the Mass, Our Lord supplies for your many negligences and omissions. 9. Through the Mass Our Lord forgives you all the sins that you never confessed through inadvertence. 10. Through the graces of the Mass, the power of Satan over you is diminished. 11. Through the merits of the Mass, you afford the Holy Souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief. 12. Through the Mass you are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes that otherwise would befall you. 13. Every Mass at which you sincerely assist wins for you a higher degree of glory in heaven. 14. At Mass you receive the priest's blessing, a Sacramental of the Church, and the graces attending to it. 15. At Mass you join with a multitude of Holy Angels, who are present at the Holy Sacrifice with reverential awe. Only in eternity shall we fully realize how invaluable it was to have assisted at the Holy Sacrifice Mass whenever possible. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) 1 St. John, 2 St. John, 3 St. John, St. Jude DEVOTION: THE HOLY MASS AND THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Take time each day this month to read something about the Sacred Liturgy. There are many fine books on this subject, or you may simply read the explanatory sections in your handmissal. Have you ever read through the complete introduction and endmatter of your missal? Most missals have a wealth of information about the Holy Mass that will enhance your understanding and prayerfulness at Mass. Conclude your meditation with the beautiful prayer that St. Thomas Aquinas composed for the Mass of Corpus Christi. This is the same prayer that is chanted at Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Deus, qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti: tribue, quaesumus, ita nos Corporis et Sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerare; ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus: Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus: per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. O God, Who in this wonderful Sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within us the fruit of Thy redemption. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF JULY: MONTH OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD MEDITATION: THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD The month of July begins with a great feast of Our Lord. Last month we celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body of Christ; this month we celebrate the feast of His Most Precious Blood. As St. Augustine expressed it: "He had blood to shed, with which to save us; indeed, the only reason why He assumed it was that he might shed it for our redemption." St. Augustine compares the wound in Christ's side, from which St. John tells us issued forth blood and water, to the door in the side of the Ark, made by Noe at God's command, by which all who entered were saved. We are saved by the water of Baptism, but we are also baptized in Christ's blood. We are also reminded of the drop of water that the priest pours into the chalice at the Offertory of the Mass, which is then mingled with the wine that will become the Most Precious Blood of Christ at the Consecration. This is truly our "calix salutis aeternae" [chalice of eternal salvation]. We should never forget the high price at which Christ purchased our salvation. We hope to share in the Resurrection, but during our time on this earth Christ asks us to join Him in taking up the crosses that come our way and offering them up together with His sacrifice for us. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 3 Kings, 4 Kings DEVOTION: THE ANIMA CHRISTI One of the most beautiful prayers reminding us of Our Lord's sacrifice and of our purpose in this life is the Anima Christi, composed in the 14th century and specially favored by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It is found in the Roman Missal among the indulgenced prayers for thanksgiving after Mass. Let us say it each day this month in recollection of Christ's sacrifice for us. Anima Christi, sanctifica me. Corpus Christi, salva me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me. Aqua lateris Christi, lava me. Passio Christi, conforta me. O bone Iesu, exaudi me. Intra tua vulnera absconde me. Ne permittas me separari a te. Ab hoste maligno defende me. In hora mortis meae voca me. Et iube me venire ad te, Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te In saecula saeculorum. Amen. Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, imbue me. Water from Christ's side, wash me. Passion of Christ, comfort me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Allow not that I be separated from Thee. From the evil enemy defend me. At the hour of death call me. And bid me come to Thee, That I may praise Thee with Thy saints Throughout the ages of the ages. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF AUGUST: MONTH OF THE MOST PURE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MEDITATION: THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY (AUGUST 22) As in their lives on earth the hearts of Jesus and Mary were intimately linked together by the most sacred ties, so in the devotional life of the Church they cannot be separated. The dominant note in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary is love -- the love of God for us. "Behold this Heart, which has so loved men," Our Lord said in appearing to St. Margaret Mary, the Disciple of the Sacred Heart. Love is also our ultimate perfection, to be fully realized when we rest, once and for all, immutably, in God, Who is Love. As St. Augustine so beautifully put it in the first chapter of his Confessions: "Inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te" (our heart is restless until it rests in Thee). But to achieve this love that takes us to God and finally unites us inseparably to God, our most fundamental duty is a resolute opposition to sin, the implacable enemy and rejection of true love of God. It is our propensity toward the external and tangible that often wholly absorbs our attention to the neglect of our supernatural and spiritual lives. It is this spiritual dimension that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary should inculcate in our lives. It is the proper complement to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Together, these two devotions, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, coalesce into one living example for us. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus DEVOTION: IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY The faithful who perservere in offering prayers or other acts of piety in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, daily throughout the month of August, may gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions of Confession, Communion, a visit to a church or chapel, and prayers for the intentions of the Roman Pontiff. Especially appropriate for this purpose would be Our Lady's Magnificat, in union with the traditional Roman Catholic clergy, who recite it as the canticle at the hour of Vespers of the Divine Office: MAGNIFICAT anima mea Dominum: et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo, salutari meo. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen eius. Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles. Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes. Suscepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; And his mercy is from generation to generation, on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, His servant, mindful of his mercy -- Even as he spoke to our fathers -- to Abraham and to his posterity for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF SEPTEMBER: MONTH OF THE HOLY CROSS MEDITATION: THE HOLY CROSS The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which falls on September 14, commemorates the finding of the true cross on this date in the year 320 by St. Helena, and the consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to house the relics. Later, this feastday celebrated the Emperor Heraclius's recovery of the Cross from the Persians in 628 and its restoration to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church glorifies Christ's cross as the sign of redemption. In every age our crucified Lord is the great magnet attracting to Himself everyone capable of being saved. His humiliation on the Cross corresponds to His exaltation in the Resurrection. Resemble Christ in His humility, and you will resemble Him in His exaltation. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) Job, Tobias, Judith, Esther DEVOTION: THE WAY OF THE CROSS What better devotion could we undertake during this month of the Holy Cross than the Way of the Cross? There are versions available for the Franciscan method, the Liguorian method, and short methods for meditating upon the Stations of the Cross. These are readily available, perhaps most conveniently in the supplementary matter in your traditional handmissal. The Church provides that the faithful, who with at least a contrite heart, whether singly or in company, perform the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross, may gain a plenary indulgence as often as they perform the devotion. Each day of this month, let us at least say the prayer of the Holy Cross: Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi, quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. Domine, miserere nobis. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Lord, have mercy upon us. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF OCTOBER: MONTH OF THE HOLY ANGELS MEDITATION: THE HOLY ANGELS At a time when the secular world has become captivated with the subject of angels, we Catholics should pause this month to acknowledge what our faith from apostolic times has taught us about God's other great order of creation, the Holy Angels. We should frequently implore their intercession and aid, as God created them to minister to our salvation, particularly that angel who has been given to us as our personal guardian. On September 29th we celebrated the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. To him at the beginning of Mass we confess our sins, and to him we pray at the end of Mass to be our defense and protection. On October 2 we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, one of whom is assigned at conception to each of us, to guard us during our life upon earth. On October 24 we celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael the Archangel, who guided young Tobias on his journey. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) 1 Machabees, 2 Machabees DEVOTION: DAILY INVOCATION OF ONE'S GUARDIAN ANGEL Begin the habit of invoking the assistance of your guardian angel at the beginning of each day and before retiring at night. Our angel guardians are of more assistance to us than we realize, not only protecting us from physical harm but also drawing our souls closer to almighty God. Angele Dei, qui custos es mei, me tibi commissum pietate superna hodie (hac nocte) illumina, custodi, rege et guberna. Amen. Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here; ever this day (night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. For the daily recitation of this invocation, the Church provides a plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions of Confession, Communion, a visit to a church or oratory, and prayer (one Pater, one Ave, and one Gloria Patri, or any other prayer) for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, which comprise the exaltation of Holy Mother Church, the propagation of the Faith, the uprooting of heresy, the conversion of sinners, peace and concord among Christian nations, and the other needs of Christianity. ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF NOVEMBER: MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS MEDITATION: THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY At all times, but particularly on All Souls Day and during the entire month of November, the Church prays for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Church has done so since apostolic times. These souls are exceedingly pleasing to God, being united to Him by the certainty of their salvation and by a higher degree of sanctifying grace than even the greatest living saints, whose salvation is as yet uncertain. By the conduct of their life on this earth in accordance with God's will, the Holy Souls in Purgatory have already merited the Beatific Vision, the direct vision of God. God would permit them to enjoy it at once, except that His justice requires its postponement. They have a debt of temporal punishment owed from the consequences of sin, even though forgiven. On our part, we must keep faith with these souls. We must not forget them. We must pray for them to be delivered from the purifications of Purgatory necessary before they are ready to see God face to face. As Holy Scripture tells us: "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Machabees 12:46D). SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY) Ezechiel, Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophronias, Aggeus, Zacharias, Malachias DEVOTION: PRAYERS FOR THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY Not a day should pass without our recalling the Holy Souls in Purgatory, particularly those most in need of our prayers or who have no one to pray for them. These souls, who may be unknown to us, may greet us, God willing, at the gates of heaven in our own time. In particular, we should remember our own faithful departed and, if possible, visit a cemetary during this month to pray for them. One of the most beautiful of the prayers in the traditional Roman liturgy (with a glorious chant setting) is said as one of the faithful departed is lead out of church after his Exsequial Mass. It is a fitting prayer to say for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory during the month of November: In paradisum deducant te Angeli: in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem. [May the Angels lead you into paradise: may the Martyrs receive you at your coming, and lead you into the holy city of Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest.] ========================================================================== CONFRATERNITY OF ST. MICHAEL MONTH OF DECEMBER MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MEDITATION: THE COMING OF OUR LORD Advent, from the Latin "adventus" meaning "coming," is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ, for Christmas will be the feast of His coming and of our salvation. As we share in the Church's longing for that arrival, expressed in the Old Testament prophets and psalms of the Advent Masses, we look forward to the day on which we shall commemorate Christ's first advent. But Christmas is not yet. We must make the effort to resist being drawn into the secular distractions of this time before Christmas, which year by year bears less connection to Christ's advent and Christ's Mass. We Christians must take control of this Advent time to prepare ourselves for Christ's coming. The more we desire it, the better we shall grasp the full meaning of His coming, and the richer will be the fruits of our meeting Him on His arrival, at the Mass of the Nativity. SCRIPTURAL READING (SYNCHRONIZED TO THE ROMAN BREVIARY): Isaias DEVOTION: RORATE CAELI As we pray for the coming of the Messias into our own souls this Advent, no less than to all the world at Christmas, let us say each day, in penitance and anticipation, that great hymn of Advent, the Rorate Caeli, for the conversion of sinners and for the liberty and exaltation of Holy Mother Church. REFRAIN: RORATE CAELI DESUPER, ET NUBES PLUANT IUSTUM. Dew, heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One. VERSE 1: Ne irascaris, Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis: ecce civitas Sancti facta est deserta: Sion deserta facta est: Jerusalem desolata est: domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae, ubi laudaverunt te patres nostri. REFRAIN. Be not angry, Lord; remember not our iniquity. Behold, the city of the Holy One has been made deserted. Sion has been made deserted. Jerusalem has been desolated, the home of Thy holiness and Thy glory, where our fathers praised Thee. REFRAIN. VERSE 2: Peccavimus, et facti sumus tamquam immundus nos, et cecidimus quasi folium universi: et iniquitates nostrae quasi ventus abstulerunt nos: abscondisti faciem tuam a nobis, et allisisti nos in manu iniquitatis nostrae. REFRAIN. We have sinned, and we have been made as if unclean, and we all have fallen as a leaf. And our iniquities like the wind have carried us off. Thou has hidden Thy face from us and hast dashed us in the hand of our iniquity. REFRAIN. VERSE 3: Vide, Domine, afflictionem populi tui, et mitte quem missurus es: emitte Agnum dominatorem terrae, de petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion: ut auferat ipse iugum captivitatis nostrae. REFRAIN. See, Lord, the affliction of Thy people, and send the One Whom Thou art going to send. Send forth the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion, that He may take away the yoke of our captivity. REFRAIN. VERSE 4. Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus: cito veniet salus tua: quare moerore consumeris, quia innovavit te dolor? Salvabo te, noli timere, ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus, Sanctus Israel, Redemptor tuus. REFRAIN. Be consoled, be consoled, my people. Quickly will your salvation come. Why are you consumed with sadness because your grief has returned to you? I shall save you, do not fear, for I am your Lord God, Holy Israel, your Redeemer. REFRAIN.