Super Blue Moon before matins on 9/1 at Portsmouth Abbey, Rhode Island.
I am not quite sure what a super moon is except that it is not blue in color AND that it is an unusual occurrence in astrophysics. The phrase “once in a blue moon” indicates a rare event has happened and it comes into focus.
A blue moon is the second full moon within a single month.
Scientists tell us that moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time the moon is full.
The next time a super moon shows up in 2037.
Lourdes in a Day is a signature encounter with the Lord of Life organized by Mark and Cherith Sullivan of the Order of Malta (Eastern CT Area). It is meant to provide the sick and those others needing the healing graces of the sacraments of Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and the Holy Eucharist. Join us in prayer.
Today is the liturgical memorial of Blessed Ildefonso Schuster of Milan who died in 1954. Schuster is the celebrated monk, abbot, bishop and liturgical scholar. He led the Diocese of Milan for 25 years.
Among his works on the sacred Liturgy, Schuster became known for his Liber Sacramentorum, later translated into English as The Sacramentary. The value of the multivolume work is that it takes you through the liturgical theology of each Sunday of the year.
When his tomb was opened in 1985, his mortal remains were found to be intact; he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996. You may be interested to know that the miracle for Cardinal Ildefonso’s sainthood cause was the curing of glaucoma.
Let’s pray for Blessed Ildefonso Schuster’s intercession.
Summer is quickly coming to an end –even with the weather being so beautiful and a great time with friends in the Order of Malta Eastern CT. Many of us gathered in Westbrook for a picnic thanks to Richard.
Update: See other images of the day here.
Melkite Blessing of Flowers
Dormition of the Holy Theotokos, August 15
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord have mercy.
Priest:
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, you admired the lilies of the fields and asked us to imitate them by putting aside worldly care and depending on your Divine Providence. We ask you to bless these flowers which were offered in honor of your all-holy Mother, the Ever-virgin Mary, on the occasion of her passing to heavenly glory.
Accept, O Lord, these flowers as a sweet fragrance. Fill the hearts of those who offered them and those who will receive them with love for You and your Holy Mother who is also the heavenly mother of us all. And through her intercession, make us worthy to cast off the old man and put on the new man created in your likeness.
For You are the source of all holiness, and to You we render glory and to your Eternal Father and your All-Holy, Good and Living-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Amen.
Today (and on his July 20th feast day) Father Dennis blessed cars and bicycles.
The prayer for the blessing:
Lord our God, You make the clouds your chariot. You ride on the wings of the wind. You sent to your servant Elias a fiery chariot to carry him up to heaven. You guided man to invent amazing means of transportation.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly ask You to bless our cars and bicycles. Send to their drivers Guardian Angels to protect them from all harm.
Make them arrive safely to their destination through the intercession of Our Lady of Guidance and St Elias-the-Living and all your saints.
For in your ineffable Providence, You are the Provider of all good things and to You we render glory, thanksgiving and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
The priest sprinkles each care with Holy Water saying:
May this car be blessed in the of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Earlier today the Order of Malta of Eastern CT had the Appreciation Dinner a beautiful celebration for beloved retired clergy in the Diocese of Norwich including the three MSA from Holy Apostles Seminary.
This dinner was founded several years ago by the late Dr Robert Straab, KM, to show appreciation to the retired clergy who served in the Diocese of Norwich, CT. The continues with the current members of the Eastern CT area of the Order of Malta under the leadership Richard Feil, KM.
His Excellency, Michael La Civita on his appointment today by the Cardinal Grand Master as Lieutenant of the Eastern Lieutenancy US of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
The Grand Master, His Eminence, Fernando Cardinal Filoni, has appointed Sir Michael J. La Civita, KGCHS, as the next Lieutenant of the Eastern Lieutenancy, effective October 14, 2023.
Sir Michael was appointed as the Chancellor of the Eastern Lieutenancy four years ago, has served on the Lieutenancy Council for over a decade and currently chairs the Pilgrimage committee.
Michael La Civita, is the Director of Communications of Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). A human development initiative of the Holy See, CNEWA addresses issues associated with conflict, injustice and poverty in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, India and Eastern Europe.
The CNEWA announcement of the appointment is made here.
“Today, dames and knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem throughout the world work to support the many charitable and humanitarian activities of the church in the Middle East, including schools, clinics, hospitals and social services for children, the elderly and the vulnerable, as well as programs for migrants and refugees — for people in need regardless of ethnicity, nationality or creed.”
May Our Lady Queen of Palestine intercede for you and the Lieutenancy.
May of the saints and blesseds of the Order intercede for Michael La Civita and the Order.
Photo: CNEWA. Michael is on the far left.
On the liturgical calendar of the Cistercian Order is the memory of Blessed Eugene III, a Cistercian monk and pope.
Blessed Eugene III OCist, was the Roman Pontiff from February 15, 1145 until July 8, 1153. Born in Montemagno, near Pisa, Italy, to a rich Christian family, belonging to Italian nobility, named after Pier Bernardo Pignatelli, the future Pope Eugene III was ordained priest in the city of Pisa. Biographers tell us he was intelligent, but reserved and very thoughtful. In 1135, he entered the Cistercian Order and enjoyed friendship with St Bernard of Clairvaux. He was appointed by his superior to open another monastery of the Order in the city of Farfa in the Diocese of Viterbo, where he was named an abbot by Pope Innocent II. In 1145, Bernardo Pignatelli was elected Pope and adopted the name Eugene III. He was the 167th pope. By his intercession, let us follow the path of fidelity to Christ and his Church. As pope Eugene took the reform of the Church seriously. The importance of this feast for us is the attending to the need to remain to Christ, the Gospel and the Church.
The following prayer was composed by John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore, in 1791. He was the first bishop appointed for the United States in 1789 by Pope Pius VI. He was made the first archbishop when his see of Baltimore was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. John was a cousin of Charles Carroll of Maryland, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
For Catholics who love their country!
PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT
We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.
We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope N., the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.
We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude N., that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state , for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.
Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.
It is fitting to pray this prayer after all Masses on civic holidays of the USA, such as 4 July and Thanksgiving.
Americans among the readership might print it and bring it to your parish priests and ask them to use it after Mass on national holidays.
