Bulletin 150

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

April 28th, 2013 Fourth Sunday after Easter

Epistle: Jas. 1: 17-21
Gospel: Jn. 16: 5-14

Mass schedule April 29th through May 3rd

Monday: Saint Peter of Verona —No Latin Mass
Tuesday: Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin
Wednesday: Saint Joseph the Worker
Thursday: Saint Athanasius – Bishop, Confessor, & Doctor – No Latin Mass
Friday: Sacred Heart of Jesus

Thursday, May 2nd is the annual Clergy Day of Recollection for Vocations in Mountain View. There will be no Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

There will be no Mass in the Extraordinary Form on Sunday, May 5th due to the Parish First Holy Communion Mass.

God is the source of all good things, both material and spiritual. There can be absolutely no evil attributed to God. We have been created by God and recreated by “the Word of Truth” which is God’s holy Gospel. Saint Paul says that we as Christians are a sign of hope for all mankind and for all of God’s creation. We must therefore listen to God’s Word with reverence and submission. We must live the Gospel message with all our hearts.

We must remember the importance of ridding our minds and bodies of all vice in order to receive God’s Word and live it in a worthy manner. If we do not turn away from our evil inclinations we cannot do any good. Our pride can easily deceive us if we do not listen to God’s Word with the proper dispositions.

In Christ,
Father Jeffery Fasching

Bulletin 124

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 28th, 2012; Christ the King

Epistle: Col. 1: 12-20; Gospel: Jn. 18: 33-37

Mass schedule October 29th through November 2nd:

Monday: Feria; No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Feria

Wednesday: Feria

Thursday: All Saints

Friday: All Souls


Sunday, October 28 is the feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. One may gain a plenary indulgence by the public recitation of the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We will recite the consecratory prayer immediately following the 2:30pm Mass.

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. On all the days from November 1 through November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed.

Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us, humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee; many, too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou Kind, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee; but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee: grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who even now sit in the shadow of idolatry or Islam, and refuse not Thou to bring them into the light of Thy Kingdom.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.


In Christ,

Father Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 105

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

June 3rd, 2012 Trinity Sunday

Epistle: Rom. 11:33-36; Gospel: Mt. 28:18-20

Mass Schedule June 4th through June 8th

Monday –Saint Francis Caracciolo, Confessor-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Boniface, Bishop & Martyr

Wednesday-Saint Norbert, Bishop & Confessor

Thursday-Corpus Christi

Friday-Feria of the 1st Sunday after Pentecost

JUNE 10, 2012 IS THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI. MASS WILL BEGIN AT 2:00 PM. A PROCESSION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW MASS BEGINNING AT 4:00PM. JOIN HIS EXCELLENCY, BISHOP JAMES V. JOHNSTON FOR THIS DIOCESAN EVENT.

THERE WILL BE NO CONFESSIONS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 BEFORE THE 2:00PM MASS.

Jesus Christ tells His Apostles: “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Omnipotence is an attribute belonging to God alone. Jesus gives His disciples authority to carry out their mission. The authority of the Church, therefore, comes directly from Jesus Christ. With respect to faith and morals this authority is higher than any on earth.

The Apostles and their successors receive the command to teach all nations exactly what Jesus taught. We have the responsibility to proclaim the truth until the end of time. The teachings of the Pope and the Bishops should therefore always be accepted with humble obedience.

The mission of the Church is to continue the work of Christ. Christ promises to stay with the Church to the end of time and never leave it. This means that the Church will never fail to fulfill its mission until the end of time!
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Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeffery A. Fasching

Saint Paul

Saint Paul was unsurpassed in his example he gave of what a Christian should be. In fact, no one knew Christ better than Paul. He learned to become the very image of Jesus Christ so that is seemed to be Christ Himself speaking through Saint Paul. "It is no longer I who live: it is Christ who lives in me."

Saint Paul is a great reminder for us that if we want to be more than Christians in name, we must bear witness to it by our way of living. We must direct our thoughts, words an deeds all toward Christ. We must free ourselves from every passionate inclination and focus on Christ who is our peace. Christian perfection consists in expressing Christ in our minds, our prayers and the way we live.

Sicerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Names of the Sacrament of the Eucharist

The very first expression used to designate the Eucharist seems to have been "the breaking of the bread." Saint Luke uses the following words to describe the life of the first Christians immediately after Pentecost: "They devoted themsleves to the apostle's instruction and communal life, to the breaking of bread and prayers...They went to the temple area together every day, while in their homes they broke bread" (Acts 2.42,46). "On the first day of the week when we gathered for the breaking of bread, Paul preached to them" (Acts 20.7). There is probably a eucharistic allusion in Luke's report of the supper at Emmaus, "...He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread" (Lk. 24.35).

Saint Paul also uses a form of this expression to designate the Eucharist: "Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor 10.16).

In Jewish writings of the first century, the expression "to break bread" was used with reference to the introductory rite of a meal, not to the entire meal. It was this initial act of breaking and sharing bread that Jesus made an effective sign of communion with Him and with one another.

Saint Paul refers to the Eucharist as "the Lord's Supper" (1 Cor 11.20) and "the Table of the Lord" (1 Cor 10.21), but there is no evidence to suggest that these were commonly used names for the Eucharist in the early Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Eucharistic Presence

One of the critical questions that have sharply divided Christians since the Reformation is how to understand the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, High Anglicans, and Lutherans believe that the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ are truly present in the Eucharist, in their proper reality, under the appearance of bread and wine.

The term “real presence” has been used to describe the special mode of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist since the middle ages. The Council of Trent entitled the first chapter of its Decree on the Most Holy Eucharist “The Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.” However, there are in fact other modes of Christ’s presence, each of them “real” in its own way. Several of these are mentioned in the Constitution on the Liturgy:

He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priest, who formerly offered Himself on the cross”, but especially in the Eucharistic species.

By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when anybody baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes.

He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church.

Lastly, He is present when the Church prays and sings, for He has promised “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.”

These are not the only ways in which Christ is present to His Church. Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Mysterium Fidei mentions all of these and adds others: “Christ is present in the Church:

As it performs works of mercy…
As it struggles to reach the harbor of eternal life…
As it preaches…
As it shepherds and guides the people of God…

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the World

The Eucharist in relation to the world: Just as Christ offered Himself for the whole world, so we in the Eucharist join in His sacrifice and offer ourselves in union with Him for all mankind. In our petitions we pray for every human need, for every class of person, and for the extension of God’s reign over every individual, over every family and community, and over every area of human existence. The Eucharistic celebration expresses in symbol and by the power of grace what mankind is called to do with its history, namely, sanctify all things—the basic meaning of sacrifice, sacrum-facere, and bring all things into union with God. We are meant to glorify God and find our unity and perfection in Him alone.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to Jesus Christ

Let us look at the Eucharist in relation to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both God and man; begotten of the Father from all eternity in His divine nature, born in time of the Virgin in our human nature. He has saved us from sin and its consequences by the sacrifice that He offered for us on the Cross. That same sacrifice is made present for us in the Eucharistic liturgy, making it possible for us to unite ourselves to it and offer ourselves to the Father in union with Christ. In the Eucharist, we eat the body of Christ and drink His blood that we may become more perfectly one with Him and live with His life.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Church in Relation to God

“Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See, and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. Therefore no other person, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”22 My prayer is that the current effort by the Bishop in this diocese to better regulate the liturgy will truly bear fruit.

As Catholics, in order to have a basic understanding of the meaning of the Eucharist, we must see the Eucharist in relation to God, Jesus Christ, the Church, the individual, and the world. First, let us look at the Eucharist in relation to God. The purpose for which the world exists is to give glory to God by manifesting the perfection of God in the created order. The liturgy helps us to fulfill this purpose by uniting us to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and filling us with divine love and holiness. Impelled by this love we are prompted to draw all creatures to God and make them share more fully in the goodness that God wishes to communicate to them.

As creatures, we are required to offer God adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition. This we do in an eminent way in the liturgy by uniting ourselves to the perfect worship of the Son and by approaching the throne of mercy through Him. God has graciously willed to establish a covenant of friendship between Himself and His people. The liturgy is the means by which we renew this covenant and receive from God the graces to live it faithfully.

Sincerely 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

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

Eucharistic Adoration III

How can we ever spend enough time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament? Our Lord has instituted the Eucharist because of His ardent desire to remain with us and be united with us always. He makes Himself present in all the tabernacles throughout the world so that we may visit Him whenever we wish. Why are we so cold and indifferent toward placing ourselves at the feet of our Creator?

When we adore our Lord before the Blessed Sacrament exposed it is like a window into heaven. Time can seem to stand still when we immerse ourselves into the infinite abyss of Christ's treasures and graces found in the Blessed Sacrament. Our spiritual lives should truly revolve around our time spent with our Lord. Christ is the source of all our hope, longing and aspirations. He is the source of our strength. He waits for us...

Sincerely 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

Praying for the Dead

The Holy Church of God is composed of three parts: The Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, and the Church Suffering or Purgatory. This triple Church constitutes the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the souls in Purgatory are no less His members than are the faithful upon earth and the elect in Heaven. In the Gospel, the Church is usually called the Kingdom of Heaven. Purgatory is a part of this vast kingdom!

The Book of Maccabees reminds us that: “It is a holy and wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Prayer for the dead, sacrifices, and suffrages all form a part of Christian worship and devotion towards the souls in Purgatory which the Holy Ghost Himself infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful.

How as the Church Militant do we obtain relief for the souls in Purgatory? Prayers, alms, fasts, and penances of any kind, indulgences, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are all means by which we can gain relief for the poor souls, provided we are in a state of grace. The merciful assistance which God allows us to give to our suffering brethren is of excellent profit to ourselves as well. It is a work not only advantageous to the departed, but also holy and salutary for the living. "Sancta et salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare."

The Duty of Preaching

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi reminds us that we are formed and made in the image of God. We need God's grace to live uprightly in this life. Above all we need faith. Faith is our greatest gift. We cannot have faith unless the Word of God is preached. "Faith comes through hearing, and what is heard is the Word of Christ." The preaching of God's Word is a necessity for the spiritual life.

Christ came to preach His Word. He sent the apostles and the prophets before them to do the same thing. Saint Lawrence reminds us that preaching is therefore the source of faith, hope, charity and all the other virtues!

"For the Word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will. It enables man to know God and to love Him. And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk...Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin."

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

From the Imitation of Christ

Turn to the Lord with your whole heart and leave behind this wretched world. Then your soul shall find rest. For the kingdom of God is the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. If you prepare within your heart a fitting dwelling place, Christ will come to you and console you.

His glory and beauty are within you, and He delights in dwelling there. The Lord frequently visits the heart of man. There He shares with man pleasant conversations, welcome consolation, abundant peace and a wonderful intimacy.

So come, faithful soul. Prepare your heart for your spouse to dwell within you. For He says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and we shall come to him and make our dwelling within him.

Make room for Christ. When you possess Christ you are a rich man, for He is sufficient for you. He Himself shall provide for you and faithfully administer all your cares. You will not have to place your hope in men. Put all your trust in God; let Him be both your fear and your love. He will respond on your behalf and will do whatever is in your best interest.

You have here no lasting city. For wherever you find yourself, you will always be a pilgrim from another city. Until you are united intimately with Christ, you will never find your true rest.

Let your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your prayers continually to Christ. If you do not know how to contemplate the glory of heaven, take comfort in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for Him, if you wish to reign with Him.

Once you have entered completely into the depths of Jesus, and have a taste of His powerful love, then you will not care about your own convenience or inconvenience. Rather you will rejoice all the more in insults and injuries, for the love of Jesus makes a man scorn his own needs.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Peace of Christ

He who hates his brother is a murderer. Our duty as Christians is to promote peace and cultivate harmony as best we can. Saint John says that love comes from God. Whoever is not with God does not possess love. We must therefore keep God's commandments. They lead us to true life. They lead us to peace. We must keep peace before all other virtues.

If we embrace peace we contribute to tranquility in the world. We acknowledge the tie that binds us together, namely charity.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Immaculate Blessed Virgin Mary

From the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council:

The Blessed Virgin was predestined to be the Mother of God in the eternal plan for the incarnation of God's Word. By decree of God's providence she was, here on earth, the loving mother of the divine Redeemer, the noblest of all his companions, and the humble servant of the Lord. In conceiving Christ, in bearing him, in nursing him, in presenting him to the Father in the temple, in sharing her Son's passion as he was dying on the cross by her obedience, her faith, her hope and burning love, she cooperated, in a way that was quite unique, in the work of the Savior in restoring supernatural life to souls. She is therefore a mother to us in the order of grace.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Peter and Paul, Apostles

This holy day exists because of the passion of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. These two martyrs practiced what they preached. They professed the truth and died for it. Christ spoke the words to Saint Peter: "I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church." "To you I shall give the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Peter thus represents the unity of Christ's Church.

Today we should pray for those who choose to embrace false religions. We must pray for a unity that sadly does not exist. We must pray for the holy Catholic Church. We must be grateful for this day made holy for us by the apostle's blood. Let us always embrace what they believed and never stray from the fullness of the faith.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching