Bulletin 127

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

November 18, 2012; Sixth Resumed Sunday after Epiphany

Epistle: 1 Thess. 1: 2-10; Gospel: Mt. 13: 31-35

Mass schedule November 19 through November 23

Monday: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow-- No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Saint Felix of Valois, Confessor

Wednesday: Requiem Mass + Mario Machado

Thursday: Requiem Mass + June Baker MASS AT 10:00AM

Friday: Saint Clement I, Pope & Martyr

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. Indulgences, which remove temporal punishment due to forgiven sin, may be gained by the living for themselves or applied to the souls in purgatory but they cannot be applied to other living persons. Indulgences are called plenary if they remove all temporal punishment and partial if they remove only some of it. A plenary indulgence can be acquired only once in the course of a day but a partial indulgence may be acquired more than once a day. To gain an indulgence for oneself one must be baptized, in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed work and subject to the one granting the indulgence. He must also have at least a general intention of gaining them and must perform the works enjoined at the time and in the manner prescribed.

Some works to which are attached plenary indulgences are: a visit to the Blessed Sacrament which lasts for a half hour, the Stations of the Cross, recitation of five decades of the Rosary while contemplating the mysteries, and reading of Scripture for one half hour.

Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domini, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace” (“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”).

All indulgences whatsoever may be applied to the Poor Souls at any time by way of suffrage. The simple intention to offer them for the Poor Souls is sufficient.

Many desire God, but fear death. They are afraid of the assaults of Hell upon their souls. Even the saints have trembled at the hour of death, so how much more should we be afraid! Although it is true that Satan attacks even the holy saints at their hour of death, it is also true that God always comes to their aid at that moment. When dangers increase God helps all the more. The powers of Hell will assault the dying Christian, but his guardian angel will also be present to offer consolation. Saint Michael will also come to his aid. He has been appointed by God to defend His faithful servants in their last fight against the powers of Hell. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, will assist those who have been devoted to her during their lives. Jesus Christ Himself will give those souls for whom He died confidence and strength to resist the powers of the enemy.

We should therefore rejoice at death! Death delivers us from this valley of tears and labor. At death we are free from suffering. Death also delivers us from our actual sins and the danger of falling into Hell. Through death, paradise is opened up for us!

In Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 126

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

November 11, 2012; Fifth Resumed Sunday after Epiphany

Epistle: Col. 3: 12-17—Gospel: Mt. 13: 24-30

Mass schedule November 12 through November 16

Monday: Saint Martin I; Pope & Martyr-- No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Saint Didacus; Confessor

Wednesday: Requiem Mass + Antonio Garcia

Thursday: Saint Albert the Great; Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Friday: Saint Gertrude—No Latin Mass

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. Indulgences, which remove temporal punishment due to forgiven sin, may be gained by the living for themselves or applied to the souls in purgatory but they cannot be applied to other living persons. Indulgences are called plenary if they remove all temporal punishment and partial if they remove only some of it. A plenary indulgence can be acquired only once in the course of a day but a partial indulgence may be acquired more than once a day. To gain an indulgence for oneself one must be baptized, in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed work and subject to the one granting the indulgence. He must also have at least a general intention of gaining them and must perform the works enjoined at the time and in the manner prescribed.

Some works to which are attached plenary indulgences are: a visit to the Blessed Sacrament which lasts for a half hour, the Stations of the Cross, recitation of five decades of the Rosary while contemplating the mysteries, and reading of Scripture for one half hour.

Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domini, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace” (“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”).

All indulgences whatsoever may be applied to the Poor Souls at any time by way of suffrage. The simple intention to offer them for the Poor Souls is sufficient.

Jesus Christ explicitly refers to Hell in the Gospels. In contrast to this life, where there is always some relief or interruption from the tribulations which we suffer, the damned must remain forever in the fires of hell. They are always in torture and always weeping without ever enjoying a moment’s rest. There is absolutely nobody to pity their sufferings. They burn forever in despair and have themselves been the cause of their own destruction. The saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary and even God Himself do not show compassion for their miseries. In fact, the saints even rejoice in the vengeance inflicted upon the injuries offered to their God! The Blessed Virgin cannot show pity because the damned hate her Son. Jesus Christ cannot pity them because they have rejected His love.

We must make it our aim in life to save our souls! We must never take for granted our salvation! We must toil and suffer to work out our redemption in cooperation with the grace of God.

In Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Christ will forgive no sin without the Church

From a sermon by blessed Isaac of Stella, abbot:

"...The Church is incapable of forgiving any sin without Christ, and Christ is unwilling to forgive any sin without the Church. The Church cannot forgive the sin of one who has not repented, who has not been touched by Christ; Christ will not forgive the sin of one who despises the Church. What God has joined together, man must not separate. This is a great mystery, but I understand it as referring to Christ and the Church.

Do not destroy the whole Christ by separating head from body, for Christ is not complete without the Church, nor is the Church complete without Christ. The whole and complete Christ is head and body. This is why He said: No one has ever ascended into heaven except the Son of Man whose home is in heaven. He is the only man who can forgive sin."

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Temptation is Necessary

Job says: “Man’s life on earth is a temptation.” No one is too perfect and holy as sometimes not to have temptations. Nevertheless, temptations can be very profitable, difficult though they may be. Temptation is necessary. It helps us to persevere in humility and distrust of ourselves. Temptation forces us to take refuge in God alone. In fact, temptation is one of the sure signs that we are on the path to heaven, no matter how humiliating the temptation may be. If you are weighed down with the worst temptations simply turn to Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and He will support you in your time of trial.

One of the most common temptations is to turn away from God when we are persecuted. But we must trust Him and His divine providence. It is one of the most firmly established and most consoling of the truths that have been revealed to us that (apart from sin) nothing happens to us in life unless God wills it so. Wealth and poverty alike come from Him. If we fall ill, God is the cause of our illness; if we get well, our recovery is due to God. We owe our lives entirely to Him, and when death comes to put an end to life, His will be the hand that deals the blow.

But should we attribute it to God when we are unjustly persecuted? Yes, He is the only person you can charge with the wrong you suffer. He is not the cause of the sin the person commits by ill-treating you, but He is the cause of the suffering that person inflicts on you while sinning.

God did not inspire your enemy with the will to harm you, but He gave him the power to do so. If you receive a wound, do not doubt that it is God Himself who has wounded you. If the whole world were to stand against you, unless God wished it and joined with them and gave them the strength and means to carry out their purpose, they would never succeed. You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above, Jesus Christ said to Pilate. We can say the same to demons and men and whatever exists—you would not be able to disturb me or harm me as you do unless God had ordered it so. You are sent by Him, you are given the power by Him to tempt me and to make me suffer. You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above.


In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Penance II

The Sacrament of Penance is a Sacrament which our Lord Jesus Christ instituted for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism. There is no sin which this sacrament does not remit, no matter how grave or how numerous. Every sinner is sure of forgiveness and being made one again with God provided that he makes the necessary reparation. We must know our sins, the number of them, and the circumstances which cause us to sin. We have to pray to the Holy Ghost in order to attain this knowledge. If we examine our conscience without praying for enlightenment from the Holy Ghost we run the risk of making a sacrilegious confession!

The Council of Trent teaches us that the complete confession of sins was also instituted by the Lord and is by divine law necessary for all who have fallen after Baptism…For it is clear that without knowledge of the case priests could not exercise this judgment, nor could they observe equity in the imposition of penances if the penitents declared their sins only in general not specifically and in particular.

Thus it follows that all mortal sins, of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious, must be recounted by them in confession, though they may be most secret and may have been committed only against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound souls more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly…when Christ’s faithful strive to confess all sins that occur to their memory, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Need of Repentance

It is good for us to meditate often on the Passion of Christ. Every single time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered Christ invites us to the foot of His Cross. We recall the agonies endured by Christ’s Sacred Heart, the frightful tortures and the infinite humiliations He endured to save us from eternal damnation and impart upon us eternal life.

Why do so many people refuse to repent? Repentance is absolutely necessary and yet seems to be so seldom found. Without repentance there is no pardon of sin and no heaven. Without repentance our penance, charity, almsgiving or anything else we might do to please God is all in vain.

Repentance is an anguish of soul. We must weep over our sins either in this world or in the next. In this world we can wipe out our sins by repentance, but not in the next. We should thank our Lord that the anguish of our soul is enough for Him to let us experience eternal joy. It takes so little to satisfy God!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

In Praise of Mary, Mother of God

From a homily delivered at the Council of Ephesus by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop:

...Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We salute you, for in your holy womb He, who is beyond all limitation was confined. Because of you the holy Trinity is glorified and adored; the cross is called precious and is venerated throughout the world; the heavens exult; the angels and archangels make merry; demons are put to flight; the devil, that tempter, is thrust down from heaven; the fallen race of man is taken up on high; all creatures possessed by the madness of idolatry have attained knowledge of the truth; believers receive holy baptism; the oil of gladness is poured out; the Church is established throughout the world; pagans are brought to repentance.

What more is there to say? Because of you the light of the only-begotten Son of God has shone upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death; prophets pronounced the Word of God; the apostles preached salvation to the Gentiles; the dead are raised to life; and kings rule by the power of the holy Trinity...

Behold then the joy of the whole universe. Let the union of God and man in the Son of the Virgin Mary fill us with awe and adoration. Let us fear and worship the undivided Trinity as we sing the praise of the ever-virgin Mary, the holy temple of God, and of God Himself, her Son and spotless Bridegroom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Going to Confession

How frequently should we go to confession? We should avoid receiving the sacrament in a merely routine, mechanical fashion; but this does not mean we should not receive it regularly and frequently. If we are serious about advancing in the spiritual life, as every Catholic should be, we should go often to confession. Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Mystici Corporis wrote:

They are in error who have asserted that frequent confession of venial sins in not to be highly regarded…To hasten daily progress along the path of virtue, we wish the practice of frequent confession to be especially commended, a practice introduced by the Church, but not without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. By it genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, evil habits are uprooted, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary control of one’s affections gained, and in virtue of the sacrament itself grace is increased. Therefore let those among the clergy who make light of and lessen esteem for frequent confession, realize that they are approaching a course which is foreign to the Spirit of Christ and destructive of the Mystical Body of our Savior.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Eternal Punishment

Jesus Christ spoke often about the reality of hell. He left no room for doubt that Hell exists. "If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire" (Mk 9:46). "After the judgement, the good will go into life everlasting, the wicked into everlasting punishment" (Mt 25:6). "Fear ye Him Who hath power to cast the body and the soul into hell" (Lk 12:5).

We must remember that God does not predestine anyone to damnation. Jesus Christ died for the redemption of all men. Everyone has received the graces necessary for salvation. Damnation is what a man chooses for himself. He refuses to accept God's love and prefers instead to turn away from God for ever. The individual take personal responsibility in the loss of his soul.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Purgatory Revisited

The justice of God is terrible, and it punishes with extreme rigor even the most trivial faults. These faults may be light in our eyes, but to God they are not! The least sin displeases Him infinitely and demands enormous atonement. This is why the pains of Purgatory are so severe and should arouse in us a holy fear!

However, we should allow this fear to turn into a charitable compassion towards the poor suffering souls, but also with a vigilant zeal for our own spiritual welfare. If you truly think of the fires of Purgatory, you will avoid the least faults, and you will practice penance. The idea being that you expiate your sins in this life, rather than in the next!

We should be careful of excessive fear and not lose confidence. We must also remember the Mercy of God, which is not less infinite than His Justice! “In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum—“In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be put to confusion.”

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More on Temptation

Job says: “Man’s life on earth is a temptation.” No one is too perfect and holy as sometimes not to have temptations. Nevertheless, temptations can be very profitable, difficult though they may be. Christ Himself was tempted precisely to show us how we can gain victory over temptations. In fact, temptation is necessary for us because it teaches us to know ourselves. Satan has asked to put us through the crucible of temptation, but Christ has prayed for us. Saint Paul reminds us that “God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.”

Satan knows his time is limited. His goal is to tax your patience, to discourage you, and at last to drag you into hell. He will tempt you with desire for gain. He will induce you to accumulate worldly goods. He will tempt you with the devil of pride and the demon of pleasure. We must therefore watch over ourselves. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We may be standing now, but we must pray and watch lest we fall.

Sincerely in Christ,

Re. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Cross is our Glory

Christ is glorified in everything He has accomplished, but His supreme glory is of course His Cross. In the words of Saint Paul: "God forbid that I glory in anything but the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!"

Christ performed countless miracles throughout His public ministry, but the Cross is by far His greatest work. Through the Cross we are freed from the bondage of sin and Satan's power. Through the Cross we have found redemption.

As Catholic Christians we can never be ashamed of the Cross of Christ. Christ freely laid down His life for our sake. He was a willing sacrifice. Nobody took His life from Him. "I have the power to lay down my life and to take it up again." Christ took great joy in His suffering and willingly submitted to His passion. The Cross is how He saved the world.

We must maintain the joy of the Cross in good times and in bad. Christ was crucified for us, yet He never sinned. We must allow oursleves to be crucified for Him by taking up our crosses. This is how we show our love for Him

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching