Bulletin 171

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

September 29, 2013

Dedication of Saint Michael the Archangel

Epistle: Apoc. 1: 1-5
Gospel: Mt. 18: 1-10

Mon 30 Saint Jerome; Priest, Confessor & Doctor—No Latin Mass
Tue 1 Feria—No Latin Mass
Wed 2 Holy Guardian Angels
Thu 3 Requiem Mass + John Scaria
Fri 4 Sacred Heart of Jesus

The next pot-luck dinner will be Sunday, October 6th following the 2:30pm Latin Mass.
There will be no Latin Mass on Tuesday, October 1st.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a prayer! It must be offered with attention and devotion. The ritual is actually a collection of prayers. All who participate must be sure that they remain attentive in the sacrifice and the sacred mysteries that are occurring. This does not necessarily translate into being more physically active. Man is a creature of habit. It is possible to be physically active in something while the interior life is not at all connected with the activity. Therefore a ritual should be designed to maintain the attention of the faithful. Again, this does not mean it must be active and verbal. Rather the ritual should be one of profound beauty that will naturally draw the worshipper to its contemplation. It should not be chatty and activist in nature so as to cause distractions that make it difficult for someone to maintain focus on God. Motion by nature draws our attention; therefore activity can distract our focus. Our attention should not be drawn to motion, but to God. This is why a ritual should not be activist in nature.

The essential fruit of the Mass has its immediate and only source in the self-immolation of Christ, and is, therefore, independent of the contents of the formulas of the Mass Rite of the Church. The accidental fruit derived from the ritual of the Mass is something real and therefore must be taken seriously by those whose task it is to protect and administer the sacraments, namely the Magisterium.

In Christ,
Fr. Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 106

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

June 10th, 2012 External Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Epistle: 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Gospel: Jn. 6:56-59

Mass Schedule June 11th through June 15th

Monday –Saint Barnabas, Apostle-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint John of San Facundo, Confessor

Wednesday-Saint Anthony of Padua, Confessor & Doctor

Thursday-Saint Basil the Great, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Friday-Sacred Heart of Jesus

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.

Friday, June 15, 2012: A plenary indulgence may be gained by saying the Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus publicly in front of the Blessed Sacrament today. I will lead those who attend Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue for a period followed by Benediction.

Corpus Christi is a special day in the life of the Church. What an infinite treasure Christ has bestowed upon us in giving Himself in the Blessed Sacrament! Our Lord Jesus Christ is truly present—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the consecrated host. The words of our Savior are clear: “Take ye and eat, this is my Body, which shall be delivered for you…This chalice is the new testament in My Blood; this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of Me.”

We must take great pains to consume the Body and Blood of Christ in a worthy manner, lest we be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Saint Paul is very explicit when he says: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord!”

Jesus says in the Gospel: “My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him…He that eateth this bread shall live for ever!”

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

How to Achieve Christian Unity

All Christians should be encouraged to have a strong desire for Christian unity, to pray constantly, and to foster a spirit of Christian love for brothers of every Church. As Catholics, we must absolutely have an accurate knowledge of Catholic Doctrine when we speak with our separated brethren for the purpose of promoting Christian unity.

We should seek every opportunity to show hospitality and Christian love to separated Christians and we should welcome opportunities to work with them in bearing witness to our common Christian fatih. Christian unity can be best achieved if all Christian Churches strive to renew themselves according to Christ's will.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Fullness of Christ's Church

The Catholic Church has always acknowledged that Eastern orthodox churches have valid priesthood, episcopacy, and sacraments. Although the fullness of Christ's Church is found only in the Catholic Church, many genuine elements or endowments of Christ's Church can be found in varying degrees outside the visible structure of the Catholic Church. For example, Holy Scripture, faith in Christ, Baptism, Christ inspired hope and love, preaching of the Gospel, etc.

Although Vatican II did not wish to identify the Church of Christ exclusively with the Roman Catholic Church, it did make it clear that Christ entrusted His entire Church to Peter's pastoral care and that it is in His Catholic Church alone that all the means of salvation can be found.

It is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the all-embracing means of salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head that we believe our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who already belong in any way to God's people. UR 3e-456)


Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More on Church Unity

The visible unity of the Church arises from the presence and activity of the Holy Ghost in the Church, and from the interior bonds that the Holy Ghost fashions among all living members of the Church. By His presence in the hearts of the faithful, the Holy Ghost imparts the life of grace to those who will receive it, and inspires in them one faith, hope and love. All are united by:

--the same Holy Ghost living in each one, making all one,

--the same life of grace,

--the same faith, hope, and love.

The interior bonds of grace, faith, hope, and love, given by the Holy Ghost, manifest themselves outwardly in the visible bonds of unity mentioned above: the same professed faith, sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion of love.

We must continue to pray for all those who have separated themselves from the true faith.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Faschig

The Paschal Mystery

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

April 22nd, 2012 Second Sunday After Easter

Epistle: 1 Pet. 2:21-25—Gospel: Jn. 10:11-16

Mass Schedule April 23rd through April 27th

Monday-Feria of Paschaltide-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Martyr

Wednesday-Saint Mark, Evangelist

Thursday-SS. Cletus & Marcellinus, Popes & Martyrs

Friday-Saint Peter Canisius, Confessor & Doctor

Christ came to re-establish peace and unity. He founded one Church with one visible head, namely Saint Peter. It should be our constant prayer and desire that everyone should be united with the true Church. Just as Jesus Christ was sent by the Father, so He in turn sent His apostles who were filled with the Holy Ghost. Their mission was to proclaim that mankind had been freed from Satan’s power through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Since the day of Pentecost Christ’s Church has always gathered together to celebrate the paschal mystery. In so doing, we proclaim Christ’s death until He comes again. We proclaim Christ’s victory over death and thank God for His gift of Jesus Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Prayer and Temptation

Christ our Lord allowed Himself to be tempted in order to give us an example and to instruct us. The Catholic Church teaches us that there are three levels of temptation. The first level is that of suggestion, or external temptation. This is the only way that Christ could be tempted since He was perfect. We can all undergo external temptation without committing any sin. The second level of temptation is that temptation in which we take delight. Although we may not give clear consent, this level of temptation becomes internal and thus becomes sinful. Finally, there is temptation to which we consent. This form of temptation is always sinful because it affects the deepest part of our soul. Christ allowed himself to be externally tempted in order to show us how to fight and conquer our own temptations. We must learn to trust in God and turn to prayer when we are tempted.

Nobody is above temptation. All the great saints were tempted. We must prepare ourselves for temptation by prayer and fasting just as Jesus did. This is why the Church gives us the beautiful season of Lent. Jesus’ withdrawal into the desert invites us to prepare ourselves by prayer and penance to battle temptation, but also teaches us how to prepare before making any significant decision or action.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Catholic Church Continued

In Christ, our humanity has already entered into glory. Yet He remains with the Church. “He is continually active in the world, leading men to the Church, and through her, joining them more closely to Himself, and making them partakers of His glorious life.” He does this through the Holy Ghost and by giving us His own Body and Blood as nourishment. The Church must be deeply conscious of the continued presence of the risen Lord in her midst, especially when she gathers to pray:

Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. 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 priests, who formerly offered Himself on the cross,” but especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when a man 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. He is present, finally, when the Church prays and sings, for He promised, “Where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18.20).

Sacraments are encounters with Christ!! We should also be conscious of the continued presence and activity of the risen Lord in and through the ministers He has raised up to be the representatives and instruments through whom He cares for His people. “Although guided by human shepherds, the Church’s sheep are nevertheless ceaselessly led and nourished by Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd.” This is especially true of bishops, because they “in an eminent and visible way undertake Christ’s own role as Teacher, Shepherd, and High Priest and…act in His presence.”

Priests also must be seen as “living instruments of Christ the eternal priest…; every priest in his own way represents the person of Christ Himself…” In fact, all the baptized faithful are instruments through whom Christ and the Holy Ghost continue to act for the sanctification of the world, because all are members of one mystical body in which Christ lives, and one living temple in which the Holy Ghost remains present in the world.

The Church of God on earth remains in intimate communion with those who have gone before, whether they be the suffering souls in Purgatory or the saints reigning with Christ in glory. The loving union which Christ establishes among His disciples is not broken by death, but is rather increased. Knowing that nothing unclean can appear before God (Rev 21.27); knowing also that those who are united with Christ can help one another by prayer and good works, from early times members of the Church have prayed for the faithful departed, confident that they are able to bring them help in their need “because it is “a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed form sins” 2 Mach 12.46).

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Worship of the Blessed Sacrament

Eucharistic Adoration is a tremendous help in fostering a closer friendship with Jesus Christ. It is an extension of our reception of Holy Communion. It also brings about a deeper longing for receiving the Sacrament again. Eucharistic Adoration is the best means to prepare for receiving Holy Communion and offering up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Exposing oneself to the presence of Jesus Christ guarantees reception of His graces, provided one remains in the state of grace.

In order to grow in humility and holiness, we must also approach the Sacrament of Penance frequently. This is a great aid in helping one benefit from receiving the Eucharist as well. Without penance, we lose a sense of sin in our lives. If we neglect confession, we tend to overlook how sin becomes a stumbling block in our lives.

Finally, we must foster greater devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary's role in the life of the Church is such an important part of our Catholic Tradition and spirituality. Mary is Mother of the Eucharist. She gave Jesus Christ to the world. She always leads holy souls to her Son. When we grow in our devotion to Mary, especially through the recitation of the Holy Rosary and Consecration to her, she always leads us to Jesus Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

John 20. 21-23

According to the Gospel of John, the Lord, on the very evening of His resurrection, appeared in the midst of His disciples and gave them, as the first fruit of His death and resurrection, the power to forgive sins:

On the evening of that first day of the week...Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said to them, "Peace be with you"...Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when He had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Jn 20. 21-23)

The Council of Trent teaches that these words of Christ refer to the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Penance. Notice the universal character of this grant: whatever sins the Church forgives, God forgives, whatever sins the Church retains, God retains!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Priesthood Continued

Second, the Church’s tradition and practice of excluding women from priestly ordination are not based on any eternal and necessary principle but on considerations that are historically and culturally conditioned. The practice originated and developed in an environment in which women, for a variety of economical and social reasons, had a subordinate position to men. Circumstances have changed greatly in the Twentieth Century. The Church should change with the times and not allow herself to become an irrelevant anachronism, clinging to a mode of thought and behavior that is more and more out of touch with contemporary culture.

Response: If Jesus chose only men to be apostles, it was not because He lacked the wisdom of courage to break cultural patterns. He showed in many ways (by prohibiting divorce, conversing with a Samaritan woman, dining with publicans and sinners, giving a more human interpretation to Sabbath laws, etc.) that He could rise above the restrictions of the prevailing culture. If the early Church followed the pattern set by Jesus, it was not because it was unthinkable, according to the culture of the time, to appoint women to hold religious office. As a matter of fact, women served as priestesses in pagan religions of Jesus’ time.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

More of the Male Priesthood

The following are the principal arguments put forward by those who hold that women should not be excluded from ministerial priesthood because of their sex. First, women should have equal rights and dignity in the Church and should not suffer discrimination because of their sex. Vatican II recognized this principle, and so does Saint Paul: “All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3.27). Granted that no one has a right to ordination, nevertheless one does have a right not to be discriminated against simply because of one’s sex.

Response: To recognize the differences between men and women is not to show discrimination, but to invite reflection on the proper way to promote the dignity and role of each sex. If a priest is to be a visible symbol of Christ, who stands in relation to the Church as groom and bride, it is not discriminatory to choose those to be priests who can represent Christ in this way.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Women Priests?

It has been a constant tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that only males may be admitted to priestly ordination. In recent years, the question has been asked whether the time has not come for the Church to change the practice of restricting priestly ordination to persons of the male gender. However, there has never been any doubt about this matter in the official teaching of the Catholic Church. To give a definitive response to those who in recent years have been strongly advocating the ordination of women, Blessed Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Letter: Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, May 22, 1994, in which he declared that male priesthood was established by Christ Himself and that the Church has no authority to change this discipline. He explained that the male priest represents the very person of Christ in His spousal relationship to the Church. The Pontiff concluded with a firm statement that is intended to put an end to any doubt or debate over this question in the Church:

“In order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (Lk 22.32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Mass as Sacramental Renewal of Christ's Redemptive Sacrifice

The Mass is best understood as the sacramental offering of Christ's once-for-all redemptive sacrifice. Vatican II's Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests affirms that "Through the hands of priests and in the name of the whole Church the Lord's sacrifice is offered in the Eucharist in an unbloody and sacramental manner." The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states "The Sacrifice of the cross and its sacramental renewal in the Mass are one and the same, differing only in the manner of offering.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The People Offer

The people offer in their own names, “not only through the hands of the priest but also together with him. But because only the priest acts in the very person of Christ in confecting the sacrament and in offering the sacred Gift to the Father, the offering of the people depends upon that of the priest or, rather, on that of Christ acting through the priest.

Pius XII, in his encyclical: Mediator Dei writes: “It is important for all the faithful to understand that it is their duty and highest privilege to take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice…in the closest union with the High Priest…and to offer it together with Him, and with Him to surrender themselves. But the fact that the faithful take part in the Eucharistic sacrifice does not mean that they also possess the power of the ministerial priesthood…The people…because they in no way represent the person of the divine Redeemer and are not mediator between themselves and God, can in no way possess the ministerial priestly right. All this is certain with the certainty of faith…The oblation is shared by the faithful in their own way, on a twofold ground: for they do not only offer the sacrifice through the hands of the priest, but also, in a certain sense, together with him…This does not mean that all the members, like the priest himself, perform the visible liturgical rite; this is done only by the minister divinely appointed for that purpose. Rather they are said to offer with him inasmuch as they unite their offerings of praise, entreaty, expiation, and thanksgiving with the offering or mental intentions of the priest, indeed with those of the High Priest Himself.”

Some argue that since the Eucharist is so important to the Church, if no ordained priest will be available, the laity can select one of their members to preside at the Eucharist. Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict gives the best theological response. He points out that the church is not a mere sociological community whose members may choose a functionary to do whatever they will. It is rather a sacramental, hierarchical community whose pastoral leaders have been chosen and empowered by Christ to shepherd His flock and dispense the heavenly gifts He has entrusted to His Church. Only those called by Christ and rightly ordained by the Church can validly celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the Individual

The Eucharist in relation to the individual: The Eucharist takes us out of our narrow individualism and enlarges our existence by uniting us intimately with God our Father and with Jesus Christ our Lord, and by making us one with the other members of God’s holy people. By nourishing us with Christ’s Body and Blood, the Eucharist increases the life of grace within us, which is already the beginning of eternal life and the pledge of future glory.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Eucharist in Relation to the Church

What about the Eucharist in relation to the Church? When Catholics assemble to offer sacrifice together, they show forth by sacred signs that they are a community of brothers, the family of God; not only a community but also a living body which draws its life and is made one by its union with the same Christ. By celebrating and receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ together, they increase their sense of being one body with one another, of belonging to one another and of caring for one another.

Through the liturgy we are united with all members of the Church, wherever they may be; that is, with the Church Militant on earth, with the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and with the Church Triumphant in heaven. We unite our prayer with them and pray for all in need.

When we offer sacrifice in an authentic manner, we pledge ourselves to live the truth of what we celebrate by committing ourselves to love one another and spend ourselves for one another as Christ has loved us and spent Himself for us. We are called upon to imitate what we receive, and to model our lives on Him whom we receive by being ready to lay down our lives for one another as He has laid down His life for us.

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

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

Definition of the Priest

A priest is a man called by God and empowered by the Holy Ghost to act in the person of Christ as co-worker of the Episcopal order in serving the needs of God’s people through the ministry of word, sacrament and pastoral leadership. In carrying out this task the priest is to be a living sacrament of Christ the Shepherd, to whom he is configured through the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Priests, as co-workers with their bishops, have as their primary duty the proclamation of the gospel to all. In this way they carry out the Lord’s command, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”…Priests owe it to everybody to share with them the truth of the Gospel. Therefore whether they proclaim the mystery of Christ to unbelievers, or teach the Christian faith, or explain the Church’s teaching, or treat contemporary problems in light of Christ’s teaching—in every case their role is to teach not their own wisdom, but the Word of God, and to summon all people urgently to conversion and to holiness.

Priests partake in the function of Christ the sole Mediator and thus announce the divine word to all. They exercise this sacred function most of all at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where they act in the person of Christ and proclaim His mystery. Priests join the offering of the faithful to the sacrifice of the Head and in a movement of ascending mediation they lead the people in prayer to God. The priest does not exercise a role of mediation different from that of Christ, who is mankind’s one and all sufficient mediator. Rather, he is the instrument through whom Christ continues to exercise His mediation in the world.

Because it is joined with the Episcopal order, the office of priests shares in the authority by which Christ Himself builds up and sanctifies and rules His Body. To the degree of their authority and in the name of their bishop, priests exercise the office of Christ the Head and the Shepherd. Thus they gather God’s family together as a brotherhood of living unity, and lead it through Christ and in the Holy Ghost to God the Father. For the exercise of this ministry, as for other priestly duties, spiritual power is conferred upon them for the up building of the Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching