Bulletin 136

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

January 20th, 2013 Second Sunday after Epiphany

Epistle: Rom. 12:6-16; Gospel: Jn. 2:1-11

Mass schedule January 21st through January 25th

Monday-Saint Agnes * Virgin & Martyr-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-SS. Vincent & Anastasius, Martyrs

Wednesday-Saint Raymond of Penafort, Confessor

Thursday-Saint Timothy, Bishop & Martyr

Friday-Conversion of Saint Paul

The Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee is the second luminous mystery of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ works His first public miracle because His Mother asks Him to! When we ponder this mystery in the life of Christ we should realize how it pleases God when we approach Him through His Blessed Mother. Mary is the most powerful intercessor of all the saints. In fact, one single sigh to her Son is more powerful than the prayers of all the angels and saints combined! Mary’s prayer is the prayer of a Mother, whereas the prayers of saints and angels are prayers of servants. All that the Mother asks of the Son is granted to her.

Mary has a heart full of love and mercy for poor sinners. She desires to see us happy in this life. We have only to turn to her if we want to be heard. It is true that God loved us so much that He died for us, but in the heart of Our Lord there is also justice for sinners. In the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary there is nothing but mercy. When Jesus Christ is ready to punish a sinner, Mary intercedes and begs pardon for the sinner and Jesus cannot refuse her anything! The Most Holy Virgin places herself between her Son and us. The greater we sin, the more tenderness and compassion she feels for us.

Let us renew our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and approach God through her with all our needs.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Holy Week

The days when we commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are quickly approaching. Our lenten observances were meant to prepare us to celebrate this most holy time of the year worthily. What is our disposition? Are we truly ready to give Christ fitting worship? Can we say that lent has provided an opportunity for true repentance and conversion? If so, have we seized the opportunity? If not, why?

Our Lord patiently waits for us to turn our hearts over to Him completely. He gently knocks at the door, but will never force Himself in. Are we ready to accept Christ on His terms rather than our own?

For our sake, Christ instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood of Jesus Christ before suffering His agony and passion. The time is now when we must allow Christ to come to us through the grace of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Let our preparation be such as to allow us to bear fruit from receiving our Lord.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Following Christ

If we say we are followers of Christ we must also follow His example. God sent all the prophets to preach repentance and conversion. After that He sent John the Baptist to preach the same message. Christ Himself preached constantly about the importance of amending one's life. Christ says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest." Christ constantly forgave and called men to Himself.

We must imitate Christ. We must be zealous with kindness and the ability to forgive. This is what draws people to Christ. We must constantly seek out those who are lost and guide them back to the flock as Christ did.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Rosary

The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses." Each time we say a sincere Hail Mary we are giving the Blessed Virgin Mary a beautiful rose. When we recite a complete rosary we make for Mary a crown of roses. Since the rose is the queen of all flowers, the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and therefore the most important one. The Rosary is the perfect prayer because it contains the tremendous story of our salvation and all the significant mysteries in the life of Jesus Christ. The Rosary is a simple, humble prayer much like the Blessed Virgin herself. The Rosary is a powerful weapon against evil in the world. It is also a tremendous means to bring about peace in our lives and in the world.

As a priest, I spend several hours each day praying the Holy Rosary. In fact, my spirituality revolves completely around it. If you are not in the habit of praying the Rosary, make a change today. If you would like to help bring about change and conversion in your own life and in the world, pray the Rosary.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Contrition

The Council of Trent defined contrition as: "a sorrow of soul and a hatred of sin committed, with a firm purpose of not sinning in the future." Contrition means a true detestation of sin. Saint Luke says: "Except you do penance you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:5). The Council of Trent reminds us that contrition is absolutely necessary in order to obtain forgiveness of one's sins. The first words that Jesus Himself preached were to do penance, repent and obtain the forgiveness of one's sins.

What God is looking for a true, interior conversion. He wants a sincere, contrite heart. It is not enough to simply perform outward acts of penance without true contrition. The Council of Trent defined that real contrition includes "a firm purpose of not sinning in the future;" consequently he who repents must resolve to avoid all sin. Christ commands us to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul.

When we petition God in prayer, contrition is one of the most important graces that we must beg God to grant us. Amendment of our lives and true contrition for our sins are in fact among the highest in the order of things that we must petition God for. When we meditate upon the Sorrowful Agony in the Garden we ask God for a truly contrite heart.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Baptism of the Lord

Today is the Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord. Through Christ's baptism we are cleansed and made holy. God wants more than anything the conversion and salvation of men. This is the very reason that Christ became man. God wills that each and every one of us become lights for the rest of the world. Christ is the true light, and we are part of that light who is the light of heaven!

Today let us honor Christ our Lord. Let us allow Him to use us as His instruments in bringing His light to the world.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Holy Family

The Gospel passage for Mass today depicts one of the more significant events in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ if found by His parents, the Blessed Virgin Mary and His foster father Saint Joseph after three days in the temple. Jesus is found to be asking and answering questions in a manner well beyond His young years. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, along with all of the other mysteries in the life of Christ provide us with the opportunity not only to meditate on the significant events that help to unfold the life of Christ, but also to ask for particular graces as we do so.

We see in the Gospel today the holiness of Christ Jesus. As we meditate upon this particular mystery we ask God for the grace of conversion. Conversion is something we are all in need of. It is a life-long process. As we celebrate this Feast day in honor of the Holy Family we ask for an increase in holiness and for conversion. We want to strive to be closer to Christ. We want to be converted from our old ways of sin and thus grow in holiness.

Today let us ask through the intercession of the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph to grow in holiness and be converted from our sinful ways.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Mary, Mother of God

From a homily of Blessed Simon of Cascia, priest:

Imagine how reverently the angel stood before this glorious village girl, knowing that she was to be the mother of the Son of God! See and contemplate how humbly and modestly she listened and gave answer to the angel who had come as ambassador and was awaiting her reply.

What would you have done if you had been at the door of this room or cell and had heard this holy, pleasing dialogue between this blessed girl and the angel? Would not your heart have been sweetly riven by great joy and boundless consolation? Harder than stone and steel is the heart that is not riven as it reads or hears or thinks about the words the virgin spoke to the angel and the angel to the virgin. Would you not have cried aloud, humbly but very fervently and from a full heart: "Sweet Madonna, kindest of women, I beg you, agree quickly to what the angel says, so that your Son may deliver us from the damnation in which our first mother has put us!"

What would you have said and done, Christian soul, when you heard the Virgin Mary say to the angel: "I am the servant and handmaiden of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word?" At that moment, the power of the Holy Spirit immediately formed and generated the body of Christ form the pure blood of the Virgin, infused and newly created soul into that body, and united the divinity inseparably with that soul and body. We must therefore firmly believe that Christ is true God and true man, the Son of Mary who was a virgin before, during, and after his birth. Those who do not belive this will be damned, unless they are converted to the true faith.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Judgment

We should never lose sight of the fact that one day we will all be judged without mercy. All our sins will be revealed in plain sight of the whole world. We must use this short life we have for repentance and conversion. We must assure ourselves of the Kingdom of God.

As long as we live here on earth we can hope for pardon. However, if we wait too long or put off our repentance, it may be too late. There is a chance that there may be no help for us. We should pray to God for the grace that we never lose sight of the day of judgment and that He will not allow us to fall into temptation.

We want to hear on the last day the words of our Redeemer: "Come ye blessed of my Father, possess ye the Kingdom which has been prepared for you from the beginning."

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching