Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 24, 2022 Column Father De Celles
DAILY ROSARY. October is the Month of the Rosary. In her various
apparitions, the Blessed Mother has repeatedly begged us to pray the Rosary, an
exhortation echoed by Popes and Saints for centuries. And one of the best ways
to pray the Rosary is as a family—it can be a tremendous blessing.
With this in mind, I’ve decided that every evening during the month of
October St. Raymond’s will have a Daily Family Rosary in our church, Sunday –
Saturday, at 6:30pm. All are invited to attend, but we ask for ONE FAMILY
VOLUNTEER TO LEAD the rosary each evening (31 days = 31 families in all).
A “family” can be as few as two members of a family, or as many as you
like. A family may volunteer for more than one evening if they want to. It may be
that just the family is there alone to pray, but I hope and ask that any and all
parishioners feel free and invited to join them. So we could have two people, or
850 people on any given night! The Rosary will be informal: we will just pray the
Rosary out loud and together. No fuss or ceremony, just prayer.
Please, prayerfully consider participating, especially by signing up to
“lead.” You should have received an email last week with a link to a
SignUpGenius. If not, just go to our parish website, and the pop-up will have the
link. So far we only have 13 of the 31 nights covered. (And those who have
signed up are the “usual suspects”—if you never do this sort of thing, let this be
your invitation to do so now!)
As I mentioned in this column about a month ago, this is part of an effort to
add some simple ways for parishioners to grow spiritually, especially in prayer,
and without the necessary participation of a priest (we’re a little shorthanded). I’m
hoping that this works so well, that we might continue it even after
October. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we can have a public rosary every evening of
every day of the year?!
Adoration on the Last Wednesday of Every Month. As you may know, I am
the Chaplain for “The Women’s Apostolate to Youth” (usually called “WAY”),
which is a Public Association of the Christian Faithful in the Diocese of Arlington
founded in 1990. The mission of this society of Catholic women is to promote the
spiritual wellbeing of children and youth and to provide spiritual formation and
moral support for women who are called to work in a variety of apostolates
dedicated to this end, whether as mothers, teachers, catechists, youth ministers,
social workers or as relatives, godparents and friends. WAY has several active
apostolates, including Angelus Academy. For more information about WAY you
can go to their website, www.waywomen.com.
For the last decade or so, on the last Wednesday evening of every month
I’ve been hearing confession and saying Mass for WAY over at Angelus
Academy. This summer, in order to help make this a little easier and more
convenient for me, they offered/asked if they could move this to our church. I am
happy to have them here, not just for my convenience, but for the good of the
parish.
So, please be aware that every last Wednesday of the month, after I give
Benediction with the exposed Blessed Sacrament at 7pm, instead of ending
Adoration and reposing the Blessed Sacrament (putting the Host “away” in the
tabernacle) I will leave the It/Him exposed and Adoration will continue by those
who wish to stay praying until 7:30. At 7:30 the ladies of WAY will begin their
Holy Hour (during which I will hear their confessions), and at 8:30 I will repose
the Sacrament and offer Mass for them. I have no desire to “throw out” any
parishioner who stays past 7:30, but you should be aware that this time is
specifically for the WAY ladies and their pastoral care.
German Synod, Again. Last week I wrote about the strange happenings at the
German Synod, and wondered if “a large majority of the Bishops may now be
material and perhaps formal heretics,” and if so, have they, “been, de facto,
excommunicated removed from their offices, losing their episcopal authority?”
This last week, this concern seemed to be echoed in an essay by the
distinguished Church historian, Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, 93 year old
President Emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. According
to remarks published by LifeSiteNews, Brandmüller wrote:
“The failure of the Frankfurt “Synod” [aka “the German Synod”] document
on sexual ethics is remarkable in several respects. ….“This result, however, can
only be called a mass apostasy from Holy Scripture and Tradition, the
sources of the faith revealed by God. The result of this vote reveals an
understanding of the Church, of the doctrine of faith and morals, which is worlds
apart from the authentic proclamation of the faith of the Church. Religion,
Church, faith: in this “synodal” view, these are variable factors that can be
adapted to the social and cultural conditions of the particular “today.” [This is] a
point-of-view that not only makes it possible for the Church, but indeed even
demands it, to march into the future in step with society, even as its avant-
garde….”
Note: “Apostasy” is defined as: “The complete abandonment of the
Christian religion and not merely a denial of some article of the creed.”
And Now the Flemish Bishops. As was widely reported, and quoting from an
article on “The Pillar” website:
“Belgian bishops published Tuesday a new document on the pastoral care
of Catholics who identify as LGBT, which includes a text allowing for a ritual
blessing of same-sex couples….
“The Flemish bishops’ text said that homosexual couples who choose to
live ‘in lasting and faithful union with a partner’ deserve ‘appreciation and
support….‘This relationship, although not a Church marriage, can also be a
source of peace and shared happiness for those involved,’
“In a preamble to the prayer, the bishops wrote: ‘During pastoral meetings,
the request is often made for a moment of prayer to ask God that He may bless
and perpetuate this commitment of love and fidelity. ….the difference should
remain clear from what the Church understands by a sacramental marriage.’
“After an opening prayer and Scripture reading, the bishops suggested that
the two people involved should ‘express before God how they are committed to
one another.’ This would then be followed by the ‘prayer of the community,’ in
which those present ask ‘that God’s grace may work in them to care for each
other and for the wider community in which they live.’ The prayer would conclude
with intercessions, an Our Father, a final prayer, and a blessing…”
Be Not Afraid. We survived the Roman persecutions, Arian heresy, Barbarian
invasions, “Dark Ages,” Eastern and Western Schisms, Renaissance popes,
Protestant Revolt (aka “Reformation”), French Revolution, Nazism, Communism,
and the list goes on. But the gates of hell did not prevail, and they never will.
Trust in Jesus. And pray the Rosary!
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles