Communio

Fr Bruno Cadoré --new Master of the Order of Preachers, elected

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on September 5, 2010 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2010 Dominican General Chapter opened on August 31st (and will close on September 21st) and the 130 capitulars elected Father Bruno Cadoré, 55, as the 86th successor of Saint Dominic; he immediately succeeds Father Carlos Aspiroz Costa who has served for the last 9 years. Father Bruno, until now, has been the Prior Provincial of the French Province and trained as a physician and in bio-ethics.

Father Bruno will live at the Convent of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill in Rome.

The Dominican General Chapter meets every three years and elects a new Master of the Order every nine. This is the 290th General Chapter.

Saint Dominic, pray for us.

Blessed Jordan of Saxony, pray for us.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort, pray for us.

Saint Bruno, pray for us.

Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us.

Blessed Margaret of Castello, pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us.

Blessed Catherine Racconigi

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Paul Zalonski

on September 4, 2010 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

O Lord, our hope, You enriched Blessed Catherine with an abundance of heavenly gifts and filled her heart with You alone. With the help of her prayers may Christ be fastened to our hearts as He was fastened to the cross for our salvation.

As early as 5 years old Catherine had a relationship with God to the point of having profound mystical experiences. Catherine knew she was being drawn to the Lord as his spouse and who gave her His heart. The Blessed Mother gave Catherine a wedding ring which could only seen by Catherine herself as was similar to that of Saint Catherine of Siena. The Lord gave Catherine the grace (and burden) of the stigmata which was invisible and unknown to others except by her confessor.

Family opposition to Catherine's desire to enter a monastery, she instead became a tertiary (a third order Dominican); The mystical experiences were well-known to the others which the devil used to strike division among the faithful, even to the point of the Dominican friars sending her away. But sanctity won out in the end.

Born in Piedmont, Italy in 1487 and died in 1574. Catherine was beatified by Pope Pius VII in 1810.

What can we learn from Blessed Catherine? For me, Catherine demonstrates that we need to take seriously the religious experience and desires of the heart. God speaks to children as clearly and profoundly as He does to adults. This is the same insight Sofia Caveletti and Maria Montesorri had when they began the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Saint Gregory the Great

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Paul Zalonski

on September 3, 2010 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I think of Saint Gregory I think that without him we'd know little of the person of Saint Benedict, Saint Augustine of Canterbury (& others) and without Gregory we'd know little of what the worship of God was like and how faith was developed. Others will latch on to the fact that Gregory increased the ministry of the papal office but his lasting legacy for us is his efforts in showing us the reality of holiness, the desire in understanding the other person and how Christ sees him or her. This is fact true, the papacy under his guidance was expansive for the sake of the Gospel: the salvation of souls was most important to Gregory, as it ought to be for us.

His skill in preaching, teaching, governing and listening was stunning; his plan for missionary work stellar, his trust in Providence beyond compare. Gregory worked hard to lead the Church to Christ in the unity of the Church especially with Christians in the East, and those who needed to know Christ in Britain. He was true to himself: servus sevorum Dei.

We hold in prayer today Pope Benedict, abbots and abbesses, bishops and pastors of souls, musicians, the people of Britain, diplomats, and those engaged in the work of evangelization.

Servant of the Lord's own servants,

Faith-filled shepherd of the sheep,

Gregory, as bishop, nurtured

All the Church, Christ's ways to keep.

Writing, preaching, leading, loving,

Saint Peter's steps he trod,

Raising singers up and training

Them to praise and worship God.

In his writings still he shows us

How to love and serve the Lord,

Counting not the cost and leaving

Al, so God might be adored.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,

God the holy Three-in-One,

With Saint Gregory in glory

Let our work of praise be done!

J. Michael Thompson

87 87 Stuttgart, Merton or

87 87 D Hyfrydol, Abbot's Leigh

You received divine grace from heaven, O blessed Gregory, and strength from His divine power. You sought to follow the way of the Gospel, and your journey's end brought you Christ's reward. O blessed saint, beg Him to save us! (Troparion)

You became very much like shepherds of Christ. You led the flocks of monks into the heavenly sheepfold. There you taught your flock the law of Christ, O blessed father and now you sing in the heavenly abode, and you rejoice, happy in their company. (Kontakion)

Some pictures today

By

Paul Zalonski

on September 2, 2010 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I went to Mass this morning at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT and then spent the morning meeting with Mother Lucia. We had a wonderful conversation about life, God, Church, monastic life. My father brought home the finished replica of the 1910 Flying Merkel. Some pictures follow (more of the abbey on the flikr page)

The September Martyrs: Blessed John du Lau & companions

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Paul Zalonski

on September 2, 2010 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Benedictines and Carmelites in some places in the USA, and of course in England and France, liturgically remember the September Martyrs, also called the Paris Martyrs; you will also see the memorial listed as "Blessed John du Lau and companions" after the Archbishop of Arles, the highest ranking prelate among the 191 martyrs. The Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey are connected with the Carmelite nuns and retain some of the relics. Historians tells us that about 1500 clergy and religious were killed in 1792. And this act of martyrdom inspired the writing of Georeges Bernanos's "Dialogues of the Carmelites" and the famous opera of Francis Poulenc, by the same name.

The French "virtue" of liberty was not applied to the Church. In fact, quite the opposite. Just a few years after the French Revolution there was a purge of high and low clergy, religious and laity. The killing of the clerics happened because the republican government seized control of the Church, a matter that was (and, remains so today) unacceptable to Catholic ecclesiology. As the state has its duty and responsibility for civic order and leadership, the Church's mandate is found in sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium and not in positive law; in short all things pertaining to the salvation of souls. Matters of state are not the same for the Church and vice versa unless these matters concern the moral law. This, however, was not the reigning ideology. The Republicans passed legislation that rejected the authority of the Church and it wanted the bishops and priests to uphold the new laws giving the state control over the Church. Something similar had with the Oath of Supremacy in England. Clergyman and religious weren't the only one to offer their lives as a gift to the Lord. the laity lost their lives too, aristocrats and peasant alike. Refusing to take the oath got you the label: "non-jurors."

Some of the 191 were killed in cold blood, others were asked a question and depending on how they answered determined if they lived or died. No mental reservation was kept when it came to following the wisdom of the Church or the wisdom of man.

One observer noted that common among those put to death was that all faced death in a happy manner as one who would've gone to a wedding. Indeed, the wedding feast the martyrs were going to was the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (see the Book of Revelation).

The names beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926 are listed here.

Liturgical New Year for the Byzantine Church

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Paul Zalonski

on September 1, 2010 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy New Liturgical Year for the Byzantine Church! Have a blessed 7519!!! The Byzantine Church understands this date to be the years since the creation of the world. A new liturgical year, a new beginning to give God glory, honor and praise!!!!

We bless God's holy name with the singing of the Great Doxology

Glory to God in the highest, and to people on earth peace and good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we thank you for your great glory.

Lord God, heavenly King, Father almighty; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit!

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father: you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sin of the world, hear our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are holy; you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

I will bless you day after day, and praise your name forever. Make us worthy, O Lord, to be kept sinless this morning. Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our Fathers, and praiseworthy and glorious is your name forever. Amen.

May your mercy, O Lord, be upon us who have placed our hope in you.

Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your commandments.

Blessed are you, O Master; make me understand your commandments.

Blessed are you, O Holy One; enlighten me with your commandments.

O Lord, you have been our refuge for one generation to the next.

I said: Lord have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.

O Lord, I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will, for you, O Lord, are my God.

In you is the source of life and in your light we see light.

Extend your mercy to those who know you!

Pope Benedict XVI's monthly prayer intentions for September 2010

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Paul Zalonski

on September 1, 2010 5:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Prayer is realizing that we are in relationship with the Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Prayer before the Blessed Trinity is what defines us. For the month of September, let us keep in mind and heart the following prayer intentions proposed by the Holy Father:

The general intention

That the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people's hearts, encouraging them to work toward authentic social progress.

The missionary intention

That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.

Connecticut's Flying Merkel about to take flight

By

Paul Zalonski

on August 31, 2010 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Connecticut's Flying Merkel maker, Ed Zalonski, my father, is almost complete with the race forthcoming real soon.

The Canonball Run from the North Carolina coast to Santa Monica, California begins on the 10th.

Here are some photos showing the progress of the Flying Merkel...

Britain's Bishops have no taste

By

Paul Zalonski

on August 31, 2010 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The UK Bishops' Conference will be providing the Holy Father --and the Church universal-- this sanctuary for the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Rite of Beatification for Cardinal Newman. The the only possible thing to say is: OMG!!!! What rubbish.

If this is in fact what Britain's Bishops are approving for the papal ceremonies it is, in my mind, a complete disregard (a slap in the face) for the liturgical leadership of Pope Benedict and the renewal he's asked for in recent years. Why spend so much money, time and energy on such stuff.

Architecture is only one piece of the liturgical ac of prayer ... I pray the music, flowers, and ritual actions, vestments are not so churlish. Two things we can be certain of: the papal homily will be exceptional and the papal presence will be superior.

Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

By

Paul Zalonski

on August 31, 2010 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

O God, by whose grace Saint Joseph of Arimathea was emboldened to ask for the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, that together with Saint Nicodemus he might prepare it for burial and lay it in his own tomb, give us such an increase of faith and courage that we may not fear to bear reproach for the sake of Christ,but rather may serve Him with sincere devotion all the days of our life.

Today, the Roman Martyrology, the Church gives us Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus as models of holiness, pointing with certainty, to Christ Himself. But you may ask if is correct since one rarely sees, if ever, these saints on the liturgical calendar and never preached in the sacred Liturgy, even when proclaimed in the Gospel. The Martyrology says:

At Jerusalem, the commemoration of Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who received the body of Jesus taken down from the cross, wrapped it in a shroud and placed it in the sepulchre. Joseph, a noble official and disciple of the Lord, was seeking the Kingdom of God; Nicodemus, for his part, a member of the Pharisees and a ruler among the Jews, came to Jesus by night to inquire of his mission and defended him in the presence of the high priests and Pharisees who sought to arrest him.