The Path of the Yellow Roses

Here is the conclusion to the Rosary Novena according to the Rose Paths as set forth in The Rosarian Handbook:

“PART THREE: LAST THREE DAYS

“[1] Opening Prayer [Same as the first three days]

“[2] On the Last three days of the Novena the Glorious Mysteries are recited. The Glorious Mysteries follow the PATHS OF YELLOW ROSES in Mary’s Rose Garden.

“FIRST MYSTERY: Christ arises on the third day. Ask for Mary’s lively faith.

“SECOND MYSTERY: Christ ascends into Heaven. Ask for Mary’s firm hope.

“THIRD MYSTERY: The Holy Ghost descends upon the Apostles. Ask for Mary’s zeal for the glory of God.

“FOURTH MYSTERY: Mary’s Body is taken to Heaven. Ask for Mary’s union with the Heart of Jesus.

“FIFTH MYSTERY: Mary is crowned Queen of the Angels and of Saints. Ask for final perseverance.

“PRAYER AFTER THE BEADS:

“Give me, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, the courage and confidence that comes through THE RESURRECTION. Help me always to look forward to the great hope of our Holy Religion, given in THE ASCENSION. Teach me to live in the Spirit of the first Novena which thou and the Apostles made in preparation for the COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST. Inspire me with the GLORY OF THINE ASSUMPTION and the joy that was thine when at THE CORONATION thou wert made QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.

“O Blessed Mother, with thy Rosary in my hand, I PLACE MY PETITIONS in thy care.

"[Here pause and mention your intentions.]

“O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I am mindful of thy great goodness to ST. DOMINIC, THE FIRST PREACHER OF THE ROSARY, I HONOR THEE for the aid given to ST. PIUS when the Cross triumphed over the Turkish Crescent. LOVINGLY DO I RECALL the eighteen Rosary apparitions to ST. BERNADETTE AT LOURDES, where thou wert pleased to instruct this poor peasant girl in the power of thine own devotion. I ACKNOWLEDGE THEE, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, as the Mother of my Lord and my God. Thy Son is my First Beginning and Last End. I RENDER UNTO HIM the homage of my being, and I SUBMIT MYSELF to His divine service, now and for the remaining days of my life. Amen.

“[3] Invocations [Same as the first three days]

“[4] Prayer for the Apostolate of the Rosary [Same as the first three days]

“[5] The Litany of Loreto

"[6] Prayer to St. Joseph”

Source:
Dolan, Dominic, O.P. (Ed.); The Rosarian’s Handbook of the Society of the Rosary Altar (Marchbanks Press, New York, 1942), pp. 69-71.

All material from The Rosarian's Handbook used with the kind permission of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.

Image:
A yellow rose, from Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.

The Path of the Red Roses

Here is how The Rosarian Handbook explains the second set of three days of the Rosary Novena according to the Rose Paths:

“PART TWO: SECOND THREE DAYS

“[1] Opening Prayer [Same as the first three days]

“[2] On the Second three days of the Novena the Sorrowful Mysteries are recited. The Sorrowful Mysteries follow the PATHS OF RED ROSES in Mary’s Rose Garden.

“FIRST MYSTERY: Jesus suffers an agony in Gethsemane. Ask for Mary’s resignation.

“SECOND MYSTERY: Jesus is scourged at the pillar. Ask for the spirit of mortification.

“THIRD MYSTERY: Jesus is crowned with cruel thorns. Ask for Mary’s meekness.

“FOURTH MYSTERY: Jesus bears His cross to Calvary. Ask for Mary’s patience in trials and sufferings.

“FIFTH MYSTERY: Jesus dies upon the cross. Ask for Mary’s love of God.

“PRAYER AFTER THE BEADS:

“Keep me, O Ever-blessed Mother, in conformity with the Divine Will, as was thy Son, during the AGONY IN THE GARDEN, when He said, ‘Not My Will but Thine be Done!’ When sin calls me away from God, may I be mindful of THE SCOURGING. Against the spirit of pride impress deeply upon me the memory of my Saviour and His THORN-CROWNED HEAD. When my feet are about to stray from the ways of wisdom, remind me of the CARRYING OF THE CROSS. Let me never forget THE CRUCIFIXION, when the dying Christ forgave His enemies, promised Paradise to a thief, and gave thee to me as my Mother.

“O Blessed Mother, with thy Rosary in my hand, I PLACE MY PETITION in thy care.

“[Here pause and mention your intentions.]

“O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I am mindful of thy great goodness to ST. DOMINIC, THE FIRST PREACHER OF THE ROSARY, I HONOR THEE for the aid given to ST. PIUS when the Cross triumphed over the Turkish Crescent. LOVINGLY DO I RECALL the eighteen Rosary apparitions to ST. BERNADETTE AT LOURDES, where you were pleased to instruct this poor peasant girl in the power of thine own devotion. I ACKNOWLEDGE THEE, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, as the Mother of my Lord and my God. Thy Son is my First Beginning and Last End. I RENDER UNTO HIM the homage of my being, and I SUBMIT MYSELF to His divine service, now and for the remaining days of my life. Amen.

“[3] Invocations [Same as the first three days]

“[4] Prayer for the Apostolate of the Rosary [Same as the first three days]

“[5] The Litany of Loreto

"[6] Prayer to St. Joseph”

Source:
Dolan, Dominic, O.P. (Ed.); The Rosarian’s Handbook of the Society of the Rosary Altar (Marchbanks Press, New York, 1942), pp. 67-69.

All material from The Rosarian's Handbook used with the kind permission of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.

Image:
Red rose, from Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.

The Path of the White Roses

Here are the instructions from The Rosarian’s Handbook for first three days of the Rosary Novena according to the Rose Paths:

“PART ONE: FIRST THREE DAYS

“[1] Opening Prayer [The same opening prayer is used for all nine days]

“Open my mouth, O Lord, to bless Thy Holy Name; cleanse my heart from all vain and unholy thoughts; inspire my mind and inflame my will; that I may worthily, attentively, and devoutly recite Mary’s Beads, as a Psalter of homage to Thee; and in my Rosary prayer, may I merit to be heard in the presence of Thy Majesty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“O Lord, in union with that divine intention, with which Thou didst praise and do the Will of God on earth, I offer this recitation of the Most Holy Rosary, for the wants of Our Holy Mother the Church, for all heretics, all sinners, all those severely tempted, for all the sick and all the dying, also for the wounded and dying of the war, and for the suffering souls in Purgatory.

“O Lord, grant me the grace of a good confession, which I shall make as soon as possible, to insure my union with Thee, and my Immaculate Mother Mary during this Rosary Novena.

“[2] On the first three days of the Novena the Joyful Mysteries are recited. The Joyful Mysteries follow the PATHS OF WHITE ROSES in Mary’s Rose Garden.

“FIRST MYSTERY: The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary. Ask for Mary’s humility

“SECOND MYSTERY: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. Ask for Mary’s charity.

“THIRD MYSTERY: Christ is born in Bethlehem’s stable. Ask to become poor in spirit.

“FOURTH MYSTERY: Christ is presented in the Temple. Ask for Mary’s purity.

“FIFTH MYSTERY: Christ is found in the Temple after three days. Ask for Mary’s love of Jesus.

“PRAYER AFTER THE BEADS:

“O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help me to translate into my life the virtues so beautifully exemplified by thee in the Joyful Mysteries. By the love of Purity, AT THE ANNUNCIATION whereby thou didst accept the divine maternity whilst preserving thy vow of virginity, preserve me from the contagion of sin. By thy charity AT THE VISITATION when John the Baptist was sanctified and joy was brought to the household of thy cousin, Elizabeth, help me to show charity to my neighbor. By the virtue of poverty that prevailed AT THE NATIVITY teach me to have a tender love for God’s poor. By the spirit of obedience to the law of God, AT THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, assist me always to be a faithful child of our Holy Mother the Church. By thy joy IN FINDING THY DIVINE SON AMIDST THE DOCTORS IN THE TEMPLE, help me to ever seek true happiness in the Blessed Sacrament where Christ dwells amongst us.

“O Blessed Mother, with thy Rosary in my hand, I PLACE MY PETITION in thy care.

“[Here pause and mention your particular intention.]

“O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I am mindful of thy great goodness to ST. DOMINIC, THE FIRST PREACHER OF THE ROSARY, I HONOR THEE for the aid given to ST. PIUS when the Cross triumphed over the Turkish Crescent. LOVINGLY DO I RECALL the eighteen Rosary apparitions to ST. BERNADETTE AT LOURDES, where thou wert pleased to instruct this poor peasant girl in the power of thine own devotion. I ACKNOWLEDGE THEE, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, as the Mother of my Lord and my God. Thy Son is my First Beginning and Last End. I RENDER TO HIM the homage of my being and I SUBMIT MYSELF to His divine service, now and for the remaining days of my life. Amen.

“[3] Invocations [This is the same for all nine days]

“O Lord, we believe in Thee,
O Lord, we adore Thee,
O Lord, we hope in Thee,
O Lord, we love Thee,
Mother of Our Saviour, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Thou art my Lord and my God.
Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David.
Mother of Jesus, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

“O Lord, we believe, but do Thou help our unbelief.
Thou art the Resurrection and the life.
Lord, save us, we perish.
Jesus, Son of Mary, have mercy on us.
Virgin, most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin, most merciful, pray for us.

“Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole.
Lord, say only the word and I shall be healed.
Jesus, who hast loved us so much, have mercy on us.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Father of the poor, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Comforter of the afflicted, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Our Refuge, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Blessed be thy Holy and Immaculate Conception.

“[4] The Prayer for the Apostolate of the Rosary [This is the same for all nine days]

“O Good Jesus, if sinners only knew Thee, they would never offend Thee! Then hearken to the prayer of my heart and soul, that I may become a generous and loving apostle of the Most Holy Rosary. Let my every breath pour forth the eloquence of the five Joyful Mysteries; and with a love far exceeding the tenderness of a mother’s love, let me through the five Sorrowful Mysteries assist and console the most abject of sinners, and with the help of Thy grace and the protection of Mary, the Mother of God, and my own Mother, let me merit the reward of sorrow turned into joy and eternally contemplate the five Glorious Mysteries. Amen.”

"[5] The Litany of Loreto

"[6] Prayer to St. Joseph"

Source:
Dolan, Dominic, O.P. (Ed.); The Rosarian’s Handbook of the Society of the Rosary Altar (Marchbanks Press, New York, 1942), pp. 58-67.

All material from The Rosarian's Handbook used with the kind permission of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.

Image:
“Rosa alba”, from Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.

The Attire of Men at the Traditional Latin Mass

UPDATE - 5-14-2014:

The dress code for men at one traditional Catholic chapel states that men and boys "should wear dress pants & shoes, coat (or jacket or sweater) & tie.  It goes on to say that "Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, earrings, are not proper attire for Sunday Mass, and therefore, are NOT acceptable".

For an entertaining and informative essay on the question of Catholic male attire, visit Those Catholic Men.

ORIGINAL POST:

Here is what Kay Toy Fenner had to say in 1961 about the proper attire for men in attendance at Mass, novenas, and other church devotions:

“Laymen never cover their heads in a Catholic church.

“The ideal attire is a dark suit, white shirt, and sober tie. Slacks and a sports jacket are allowable. Some sort of suit coat or jacket is always worn. It is poor taste to come to Mass in a sports shirt or jersey without a coat, regardless of how warm the weather may be.

“Men do not wear shorts to mass.

“Exceptions for men: A man who goes to church while en route to work or school [she is apparently speaking of a weekday Mass here] may wear school or work clothes. A laborer returning from work in soiled clothing who wishes to attend an evening Mass may do so, even though he would otherwise wish to appear neat and clean.

“For boy children: Boys of any age uncover their heads in church. Boys over the age of twelve should not wear shorts to church.”

What is important for men (and women) to keep in mind is that one’s external appearance should reflect reverence toward God, modesty, and respect for the clergy as well as respect for the other faithful present at the Mass.

There is very little on the internet about proper attire for Catholic men at Mass. One secular site that encourages men to dress well in general makes the point that men’s suits derive from military clothing and are a sign of authority. While it is easy to think that the tendency of men today to dress in very casual clothing -- even in many cases at a traditional Latin Mass -- is simply a capitulation to the obsession with comfort and egalitarianism in the predominant culture, one cannot help but wonder if at least some men are reluctant to attire themselves in clothing symbolic of male authority because they fear exercising that authority . . . and especially the level of responsibility that goes with that authority.

In any event, it is interesting to consider that dressing in one’s “Sunday best” is egalitarian in the best sense. That is, in former times a manual laborer in his Sunday suit was dressed essentially the same for Mass as a corporate head or public official, even a President. That was in keeping with the workman's equality of dignity with these men as a recipient of sanctifying grace. And he looked very handsome too. . .

Source:
Fenner, Kay Toy; American Catholic Etiquette (Newman Press, Maryland, 1961), pp. 229-230.

Image:
Official portrait of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

The Three Paths of Our Lady’s Rose Garden - An Introduction

The 1942 Rosarian’s Handbook describes a beautiful way to pray a Rosary novena that is very much in keeping with the word “Rosary”, which derives from the Latin name for a rose garden or a garland of roses.

The handbook divides the nine days of the Rosary novena into three groups of three days. The first three days are called “The Path of the White Roses”; the second, “The Path of the Red Roses”; and the last, “The Path of the Yellow Roses”.

Today’s post is just a beginning. In future posts, you will find how to pray each of the three paths in sequence.

Here is the introduction from the handbook. Its title is “The Significance of the Rosary”:

“Since Our Lord chose the Garden of Olives as a place for prayer, Christians have associated prayer with the reflective quiet of a garden. Thus we see monasteries designed with a cloister garth or garden. The faithful have long associated the telling of Our Lady’s beads with the weaving of wreaths of roses from Mary’s garden. Hence the Latin word for rose-garland, rosarium, has long been accepted as the most descriptive term for saying of the definitive series of prayer decades (one Pater and ten Aves) accompanied by reflections on the five joyful, the five sorrowful and the five glorious mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary -- which prayer we call the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“. . . In telling his beads the rosarian may be likened to the rose grower who walks observantly along his garden paths and admires in turn each beautiful bloom. He thoughtfully picks and then carefully arranges each choice blossom, twining the thorny stems into a wreath which he places on the head of the Queen who is indeed the Help of Christians, Our Lady of the Rosary. Although the complete Rosary consists of fifteen decades and mysteries, each five decades is called a chaplet or wreath. It is interesting to note that in the Rosary apparitions both in Lourdes, Frances, in 1858, and at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, Our Lady recited the usual five decades with the favored children of the Holy Spirit to whom she chose to appear.

“Rosarians, as children of their Mother, Mary, like to walk and speak with Christ in the beautiful pathways of Our Lady’s rose garden. In meditating on the mysteries of the holy Rosary, our souls are kindled by the spiritual beauty which they reveal. Roses, pure white as springtime blossoms, remind us of the Child Christ and of His Mother, the most favored of all mothers. Here, too, in Mary’s lovely garden bloom red roses like the Redeemer’s Blood. Then again, the golden glow of yellow roses tells us of the Resurrection of Christ and of the glories of our Heavenly Queen. The effect of fresh roses lies in the power of their simple beauty to arouse us to have true and real loveliness. Thus meditation on the mysteries of the holy Rosary inflames our soul to draw near to the personalities of Jesus and of Mary: holy comfort and thoughts of eternity will accompany us on life’s weary way if we thus use our spiritual rosary to keep us near to Jesus through Mary.

“ ‘The Rosary,’ then, is a form of prayer wherein we say fifteen decades of ten Hail Mary’s each preceded by an Our Father, and during each of these fifteen decades we piously meditate in a mood of loving yearning upon one of the mysteries of our Redemption.”

Source:
Dolan, Dominic, O.P. (Ed.); The Rosarian’s Handbook of the Society of the Rosary Altar (Marchbanks Press, New York, 1942), pp. 55-57.

All material from The Rosarian's Handbook used with the kind permission of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.

Image:
The Rose Garden at Konz, Germany, from Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.

The Attire of Women at the Traditional Latin Mass

Update - 5-7-2014:
Another version of a Latin Mass dress code from a traditional Catholic chapel states, "Out of respect for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, always remember to wear your 'Sunday Best' when assisting at a Sunday Mass."  The same chapel has a dress code much like the one quoted below.  I really like the statement about "Sunday Best" because it emphasizes that not just modesty but reverence is also related to how to dress for Mass.

Update - 7-14-2013:
Since so many people visit this post, and since the post is in part a quote from a mid-20th century etiquette book and in part a link to a blog site that talks a lot about modest clothing but doesn't actually provide any rules, I thought I'd write a short update.

The reality is that most diocesan Traditional Latin Masses don't actually have a written dress code so first timers may not know what to expect.  Some traditionalist chapels where only the Tridentine Mass is celebrated do have written dress codes that are on the chapel's website (if any) and posted at the entrance.  But the actual dress of the regulars at a diocesan traditional Mass is basically identical to that of those adhering to the dress codes at the chapels.

Here is a sample taken from the website of one such chapel:

"Ladies and Girls:
Modest dress or skirt
Head covering
No tight-fitting, low-cut, short, slit, sleeveless or revealing clothes
No pants or trousers"

Some people think this means dressing like someone out of Little House on the Prairie and some people joke about them being "Amish Catholics".  I think that look is just fine for someone who likes it but it isn't necessary.  In fact, not only is it possible to dress elegantly within the confines of the above-quoted dress code, but it is actually easier to do so.

There are many options for modest dress that are not the least bit frumpy. For instance, the classic "little black dress" can be quite elegant.  If it is of opaque fabric appropriate for day wear, well past the knee in length (mid-calf is better), not too tight fitting or cut too deeply at the neckline, and has at least elbow length sleeves (3/4 or longer is better), it is modest dress. Add a hat, mantilla, or chapel cap and you're fine.

As for what to do in hot weather, see my post Dressing for Mass in Hot Weather.

Original post:
In her pre-Vatican II book on Catholic etiquette, Kay Toy Fenner had this to say about the appropriate attire for women at Mass:

“Women must always dress modestly for any church service. There is no permissible exception to this rule. The preferred costume is a suit, coat, or dress with long sleeves and a modest neckline, hat, gloves, stockings, and street shoes. Regardless of how warm the weather may be, a low-cut dress or one without sleeves should not be worn. Any dress must have, at the very least, a cap sleeve or a collar that covers the shoulders.

“Shorts may never be worn; neither should slacks, except under the exception noted below.

“A head covering, preferably a hat, is obligatory, but a scarf or veil is permissible.

“Exceptions for women: a woman planning to attend services while on the way to or from work or school may wear the costume proper for the activity in which she is about to engage. This means that a woman whose work requires her to wear slacks may wear them to Mass; a nurse may wear her uniform; a schoolgirl may wear headscarf, socks, and school uniform. But this permission does not extend to sports clothes such as a gymnasium suit, tennis dress, bathing suit; and it is allowable only when the choice is between attending services in working clothes or failing to attend.”

Today, women who go to the traditional Latin Mass are reclaiming long skirts, long sleeves, modest necklines, and hats. Since such attire is difficult to purchase ready-made, they are also reclaiming their sewing needles. Read one woman’s view of this phenomenon here.

Source:
Fenner, Kay Toy; American Catholic Etiquette (Newman Press, Maryland, 1961), p. 229. Italicized emphasis in the original.

Image:
Fantin-Latour’s “Charlotte Dubourg”, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

Queen Anna of Sweden and Poland

Anna of Austria (1573-1598) was the first wife of King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland and Sweden. Both Anna and her husband were devout Catholics.

Image:
Anna of Austria, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

Dalum: A Danish Cloister Comes Full Circle

A Benedictine cloister becomes the Danish King's retreat after the Reformation, then a manor house, and finally a convent once again:

Fruens Bøge is a grove of beech trees bordering the Odense River in Dalum Parish in greater Odense, Denmark. "Fruens Bøge" is best translated as “Our Lady’s Beech Grove”. From 1536 to 1877, Fruens Bøge belonged to an estate called Christiansdal. The estate property, however, once belonged to a Roman Catholic Benedictine religious order of nuns.

Formerly located at Nonnebakken (“Nuns Hill”) in central Odense, the Benedictine nuns established a cloister at Dalum in 1197. The church now referred to as Dalum Church was part of the cloister holdings and comprised the north wing of the cloister’s four-sided courtyard. The church was constructed in such a manner that the cloistered nuns could sit in a loft and look down into the sanctuary during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass without being seen by those in the nave.

The property remained in the possession of the Benedictines until 1536 when, as a result of the Reformation, the land was “assigned to” (i.e. taken over by) the Danish crown, which held it from 1536 to 1662. During that time, the property became a fief called Christiansdal. King Christian IV went there often. In 1620, the King’s mother-in-law became the holder of the fief. King Christian’s second wife Kirsten Munk, who bore him 12 children, raised her daughter Leonore Christine on the estate.

In 1627, during the Thirty Years War, the King established his headquarters at Christiansdal. It was while living at Christiansdal that King Christian IV and Kirsten Munk’s marriage failed. In 1646, King Christian described the property as highly dilapidated. He ordered the buildings restored at the cost of the parish churches. In 1647, however, he had the south transept of Dalum Church torn down.

In either 1659 or 1662 (depending on the source), King Christian IV’s son, Frederick III, transferred Christiansdal to Jens Lassen, a judge, who held the estate until 1682. Jens Lassen’s daughter, Margrethe, the first Danish novelist, grew up at Christiansdal. After 1682, the estate passed through various hands and at times reverted to the crown.

In 1764, Lt. Col. Christian Benzon purchased Christiansdal at an auction and it remained a private estate in the hands of the Benzon family until 1882, except that in 1877 the municipality of Odense purchased Fruens Bøge, the beech grove portion of the estate. (It is now a city park.)

From 1882 the remaining land was purchased by a baron who sold it to a widow named Christine Lange in 1891. Lange died in 1902. In 1906, her heirs sold the estate to the Roman Catholic religious order of St. Hedvig, which has held it ever since. The St. Hedvig sisters returned the structure it its original use as a convent. (The convent buildings are now referred to as Dalum Cloister. The Sisters of St. Hedvig operated a sanatorium there for some time. Now, they serve the housing needs of the elderly at the same location.)

During the years 1926 to 1927 the church was restored and the south transept rebuilt. The church, however, is not part of the current Catholic holdings at Dalum but rather is Lutheran.

Sources in addition to those linked above:
Catholic Encyclopedia article, "Ancient See of Odense in Denmark".
Trap Denmark (a Danish atlas), pp. 206-207.

Image:
1867 book illustration of Christiansdal, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

The Birth of the Virgin

Today, September 8 -- nine months after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 -- the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In a reflection on the birth of Mary at Tradition in Action, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira notes:

“Scripture tells us that the tunic that Our Lord wore was a source of grace that cured those who touched it; this being the case, you can imagine how Our Lady, the Mother of the Savior, was a source of graces for whosoever would approach her . . . For this reason we can say that at her nativity, immense graces began to shine for mankind and the Devil started to be smashed. He perceived that his scepter had been cracked and would never be the same again."

Image:
Zurbarán’s, “Birth of the Virgin”, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

Children at Mass: A Shining Example

What you are about to read is not a dream or a product of the imagination. It actually occurred on a recent Sunday at a small chapel where the traditional Latin Mass is offered:

A family of five children with their mother and father filled a pew towards the back of the church. The oldest child was a girl of eight or nine years. The other four were boys, ranging in age from perhaps seven to four years. The girl was veiled and nicely attired in a dress. The four boys all wore dark suits and pressed white shirts. Their faces were radiant and their hair was sparkling clean. They seemed eager for what they were about to witness and one of the boys sought and received permission from his mother to hold the missal, which he did with dignity.

Before and after the service there was only a minimal amount of communication and movement as the children settled in, and later as they prepared to leave. During the Mass itself, and especially during the Consecration, the children were attentive and completely silent. They did not talk or even whisper and they did not fidget. The girl, who might have been the only child who had made First Communion, was reverent when she proceeded to the altar rail with the palms of her hands pressed together in prayer.

How is it that these children behaved so well? It’s hard to say. God may have granted the family special graces because of the parents’ obedience to the Church’s teaching on contraception. Perhaps all the family members are naturally endowed with tranquil temperaments.

In any case, the parents very likely took the time to carefully instruct the children. Moreover, the parents set a good example as they too were nicely dressed and groomed, sat quietly, and attended to the Mass.

Given the number of small children, one could surmise the family might also include a toddler and infant who had been left home with a grandmother or aunt who would attend another Mass. If so, whether they were aware of it or not, the parents followed the advice offered by Kay Toy Fenner in her 1961 book American Catholic Etiquette:

“Children should not come to church dressed sloppily in denims, jerseys, etc., unless they own no other clothing. Children should learn young to bathe and dress carefully for church and to present as neat and attractive an appearance as possible; this training will then carry over into adult life. . . .

"Children under four years of age are apt to become restless at Mass. It is not reasonable to expect such young children to behave properly throughout the service, therefore it is best, whenever possible, not to bring them. But of course they may be brought if there is no one to care for them at home. Every effort should be made to keep them from disturbing others. If they become irritable and noisy, they should be taken out.

"Children over four years can be taught to behave properly.”

Although Fenner does not mention it, if four is the age when the child is to begin accompanying the family to Mass, this makes the fourth birthday a rite of passage the child can look forward to and be prepared for -- the day when he is grown up enough take his place in the family pew. And, he will want to live up to that privilege once he gets there . . . as these five children did.

Source:
Fenner, Kay Toy; American Catholic Etiquette (Newman Press, Maryland, 1961), pp. 230-231.

Image:
Mary Cassatt's "Young Girl Seated in Yellow Armchair", from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

The Virtue of Justice

What is virtue?

“Virtue in general is a firm and habitual disposition to do good; it allows a person not only to perform good actions but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends towards the good with all his bodily and spiritual powers. He pursues and chooses this good in the concrete, specific actions of daily life . . .”

What is justice?

"Justice is the virtue that guides the human will to give God and to others what is their due. Justice enables me to give God, and He always comes first, to give God and others what God and others have a right to. Justice is not charity. Justice is a strict obligation.”

From a conference on virtue given for religious sisters by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Read more of what he had to say about the cardinal and theological virtues here.

Image:
Giotto’s “Justice”, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.

St. Fiacre and His Garden

St. Fiacre is the patron saint of gardeners. In his native Ireland, his feast day is celebrated today, September 1. He is commemorated on various other dates elsewhere.

Tradition in Action relates, “St. Fiacre was born . . . into an illustrious Irish family. The Scots affirm that he was the son of one of their kings who was raised with his brothers by St. Conon, Bishop of Iona.”

According to the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia:

St. Fiacre was “born in Ireland about the end of the sixth century; died 18 August, 670. Having been ordained priest, he retired to a hermitage on the banks of the Nore . . . Disciples flocked to him, but, desirous of greater solitude, he left his native land and arrived, in 628, at Meaux [France], where St. Faro" was the bishop.

St. Faro gave St. Fiacre a plot of land at Breuil and there, “Fiacre built an oratory in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a hospice in which he received strangers, and a cell in which he himself lived apart. He lived a life of great mortification, in prayer, fast, vigil, and the manual labour of the garden. Disciples gathered around him and soon formed a monastery. There is a legend that St. Faro allowed him as much land as he might surround in one day with a furrow; that Fiacre turned up the earth with the point of his crosier, and that an officious woman hastened to tell Faro that he was being beguiled; that Faro coming to the wood recognized that the wonder worker was a man of God and sought his blessing, and that Fiacre henceforth excluded women, on pain of severe bodily infirmity, from the precincts of his monastery. In reality, the exclusion of women was . . . common . . . in the Irish foundations. His fame for miracles was widespread. He cured all manner of diseases by laying on his hands.”

St. Fiacre is a favorite of Mary Gardeners not only because he is the patron of gardeners but because he may have been the first Mary Gardener. It is difficult to pinpoint when the Mary Garden developed as an entity separate from the sacristan’s garden. The Mary Gardens website, however, suggests the possibility that the Mary Garden originated with St. Fiacre:

“St. Benedict is known to have had a monastic rose garden, or ‘Rosary’, in the 4th Century, but the first reference to an actual garden dedicated to Mary of which we know is from the life of St. Fiacre . . . who planted and tended a garden around the oratory to Our Lady he built at his famous hospice . . . ."

St. Fiacre is also the patron saint of taxi drivers.

Image:
St. Fiacre, from Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain.