Saint Eugène de Mazenod

Saint Eugène de Mazenod is one of my favorite Saints. As a priest in South of France and then Bishop of Marseille, he brought his zeal and his passion which generated a great religious fervour in Provence and in Corsica. As he was first a missionary, its works spread throughout the world, especially in North America where his sons performed a great work for the kingdom of Christ. I read his biography when I was in the seminary and since this time, Saint Eugene de Mazenod inspires me every day. I never miss to pray to him each time I go to Marseille, where he rests now in the Cathedral.

May Saint Eugène de Mazenod obtain for us the same zeal for the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the souls.

The following text is from the website of the Vatican : http://www.vatican.va/

CHARLES JOSEPH EUGENE DE MAZENOD came into a world that was destined to change very quickly. Born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782, he seemed assured of position and wealth from his family, who were of the minor nobility. However, the turmoil of the French Revolution changed all that forever. When Eugene was just eight years old his family fled France, leaving their possessions behind, and started a long and increasingly difficult eleven year exile.

Aix-en-Provence

The Years in Italy

The Mazenod family, political refugees, trailed through a succession of cities in Italy. His father, who had been President of the Court of Accounts, Aids and Finances in Aix, was forced to try his hand at trade to support his family. He proved to be a poor businessman, and as the years went on the family came close to destitution. Eugene studied briefly at the College of Nobles in Turin, but a move to Venice meant the end to formal schooling. A sympathetic priest, Don Bartolo Zinelli, living nearby, undertook to educate the young French emigre. Don Bartolo gave the adolescent Eugene a fundamental education, but with a lasting sense of God and a regimen of piety which was to stay with him always, despite the ups and downs of his life. A further move to Naples, because of financial problems, led to a time of boredom and helplessness. The family moved again, this time to Palermo where, thanks to the kindness of the Duke and Duchess of Cannizzaro, Eugene had his first taste of noble living and found it very much to his liking. He took to himself the title of "Count" de Mazenod, did all the courtly things, and dreamed of a bright future.

Return to France: the Priesthood

In 1802, at the age of 20, Eugene was able to return to his homeland - and all his dreams and illusions were quickly shattered. He was just plain "Citizen" de Mazenod, France was a changed world, his parents had separated, his mother was fighting to get back the family possessions. She was also intent on marrying off Eugene to the richest possible heiress. He sank into depression, seeing little real future for himself. But his natural qualities of concern for others, together with the faith fostered in Venice began to assert themselves. He was deeply affected by the disastrous situation of the French Church, which had been ridiculed, attacked and decimated by the Revolution. A calling to the priesthood began to manifest itself, and Eugene answered that call. Despite opposition from his mother, he entered the seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris, and on December 21, 1811, he was ordained a priest in Amiens.

Apostolic endeavours: Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Returning to Aix-en-Provence, he did not take up a normal parish appointment, but started to exercise his priesthood in the care of the truly spiritually needy-prisoners, youth, servants, country villagers. Often in the face of opposition from the local clergy, Eugene pursued his course. Soon he sought out other equally zealous priests who were prepared to step outside the old, even outmoded, structures. Eugene and his men preached in Provencal, the language of the common people, not in "educated" French. From village to village they went, instructing at the level of the people, spending amazingly long hours in the confessional. In between these parish missions the group joined in an intense community life of prayer, study and fellowship. They called themselves "Missionaries of Provence". However, so that there would be an assured continuity in the work, Eugene took the bold step of going directly to the Pope and asking that his group be recognized officially as a Religious Congregation of pontifical right. His faith and his persistence paid off-and on February 17d, 1826, Pope Leo XII approved the new Congregation, the "Oblates of Mary Immaculate". Eugene was elected Superior General, and continued to inspire and guide his men for 35 years, until his death. Together with their growing apostolic endeavours-preaching, youth work, care of shrines, prison chaplaincy, confessors, direction of seminaries, parishes - Eugene insisted on deep spiritual formation and a close community life. He was a man who loved Christ with passion and was always ready to take on any apostolate if he saw it answering the needs of the Church. The "glory of God, the good of the Church and the sanctification of souls" were impelling forces for him.

Bishop of Marseille

The Diocese of Marseille had been suppressed after the 1802 Concordat, and when it was re-established, Eugene's aged uncle, Canon Fortune de Mazenod, was named Bishop. He appointed Eugene Vicar General immediately, and most of the difficult work of re-building the Diocese fell to him. Within a few years, in 1832, Eugene himself was named auxiliary bishop. His Episcopal ordination took place in Rome, in defiance of the pretensions of the French Government that it had the right to sanction all such appointments. This caused a bitter diplomatic battle, and Eugene was caught in the middle, with accusations, misunderstandings, threats, and recriminations swirling around him. It was an especially devastating time for him, further complicated by the growing pains of his religious family. Though battered, Eugene steered ahead resolutely, and finally the impasse was broken. Five years later, he was appointed to the See of Marseille as its Bishop, when Bishop Fortune retired.

Bishop of Marseille

A heart as big as the world

Whilst he had founded the Oblates of Mary Immaculate primarily to serve the spiritually needy and deprived of the French countryside, Eugene's zeal for the Kingdom of God and his devotion to the Church moved the Oblates to the advancing edge of the apostolate. His men ventured into Switzerland, England, Ireland. Because of his zeal, Eugene had been dubbed "a second Paul," and bishops from the missions came to him asking for Oblates for their expanding mission fields. Eugene responded willingly despite small initial numbers, and sent his men out to Canada, to the United States, to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), to South Africa, to Basutoland (Lesotho). As missionaries in his mould, they fanned out preaching, baptising, caring. They frequently opened up previously uncharted lands, established and manned many new dioceses, and in a multitude of ways they "left nothing undared that the Kingdom of Christ might be advanced." In the years that followed, the Oblate mission thrust continued, so that today the impulse of Eugene de Mazenod is alive in his men in 68 different countries.

Pastor of his Diocese

During all this ferment of missionary activity, Eugene was an outstanding pastor of the Church of Marseille-ensuring the best seminary training for his priests, establishing new parishes, building the city's cathedral and the spectacular Shrine of Notre Dame de la Garde above the city, encouraging his priests to lives of holiness, introducing many Religious Congregations to work in the diocese, leading his fellow Bishops in support of the rights of the Pope. He grew into a towering figure in the French Church. In 1856, Napoleon III appointed him a Senator, and at his death he was the senior bishop of France.

Notre-Dame de la Garde

Legacy of a Saint

May 21, 1861, saw Eugene de Mazenod returning to his God, at the age of 79, after a life crowded with achievements, many of them born in suffering. For his religious family and for his diocese, he was a founding and life-giving source: for God and for the Church, he was a faithful and generous son. As he lay dying he left his Oblates a final testament, "Among yourselves-charity, charity, charity: in the world-zeal for souls." The Church in declaring him a saint on December 3, 1995, crowns these two pivots of his living-love and zeal. His life and his deeds remain for all a window unto God Himself. And that is the greatest gift that Eugene de Mazenod, Oblate of Mary Immaculate, can offer us.

Bienheureux ceux qui pleurent !

"Le sourire optimiste devant la privation matérielle, l’effort moral de se réjouir devant le sacrifice, heureux de comprendre que le bonheur n’est pas fonction de bijoux ou de vêtements ; l’esprit qui chante son Magnificat pendant que de grosses larmes associent le pauvre corps à l’épreuve qui nous visite.
Heureux ceux qui pleurent, victimes des duretés implacables de la matière qui frappe ou qui se dérobe, mais radieux de se sentir supérieurs à ces corps par l’absolu de leur courage."

R.P. de Chivré

"The optimistic smile in the face of material deprivation, the moral effort to be delighted in the face of the sacrifice, content and satisfied to understand that happiness is not related to jewels or clothing; this is the spirit which sings its Magnificat while large tears accompany the poor body the test which visits us.
Happy those who cry, victims of the relentless difficulties of the matter which strikes in any manner or which are concealed, but radiant to feel , as if dwelling above, outside, of these bodies by their absolute courage." Father de Chivré

( Translated by S.P.B.... Thank you )

Bienheureux ceux qui sont doux

" La caractéristique des forts.

Ceux qu'aucune violence ou brutalité ne rend semblables aux machines de nos modernes progrès, car ils disposent d'une âme pour régir, gouverner, utiliser leurs muscles, leurs nerfs, leurs impressions, leurs sensations. Doux, de la douceur de Dieu, cette vertu de la Toute-Puissance spirituelle qui balance les univers, les mondes et les aurores dans le calme et avec l'insensible rapidité propre aux équilibres parfaits."

R.P. de Chivré

Blessed are the meek

" The characteristics of the strong

Those to which no violence nor brutality makes them similar to the machines of our modern progress, because they have a heart to govern, control, muscles to use, their nerves, their impressions, and their feelings.

Soft, of the softness of God, this virtue of the spiritual Absolute power which balances the universes, the worlds and the dawns in calm and with the insensitive speed specific to perfect balance. “

R.P. de Chivré

Méditations de vacances

« Jésus voyant tout ce peuple, monta sur une montagne, et s'étant assis, ses disciples s'approchèrent de Lui. »

Evangile selon saint Matthieu, chapitre V, verset 1.

Selon saint Jean Chrysostome, "Jésus nous apprend par cet exemple à ne rien faire par vanité, et à nous retirer du bruit et du tumulte du monde, principalement lorsque nous voulons nous appliquer à la contemplation de la Vérité, et nous entretenir des choses saintes et éternelles."

“Jesus teaches us by His example to make nothing out of the vanity of the world, and to withdraw ourselves from the noise and tumult of the world, mainly when we want to apply ourselves to the contemplation of the Truth and to maintain within ourselves things holy and eternal."

Les Béatitudes selon le Révérend Père de Chivré

Bienheureux les pauvres en esprit !

"Les volontés assez humaines et assez sublimes pour se passer du superflu, se contenter du nécessaire, se détacher du trop.
Les volontés assez fortes pour vivre le meilleur de leur vie en elles-mêmes, dans le royaume du devoir et de la charité, sans s’inquiéter des pleurnicheries de leur sensibilité égratignée par le manque de confort et crucifié par l’absolu de l’amour."

Blessed are the poor in spirit!

“Rather the human wills which are sublime enough to do without
superfluity, to be satisfied with what is necessary, and to be detached from excess.
Enough strong wills to live the best of their life in themselves, in the kingdom of the duty and charity, without worrying or
whining about their sensitivity which has been wounded by the lack of comfort and crucified by the absolute of Love."

Lex orandi, Lex credendi.... Lex vivendi !

Sermon for 7th Sunday after Pentecost

This month of July 2007 is definitively a great time in the History of the Catholic Church. The Motu Proprio finally came and now the highest Authority of the Church recognizes and says that the Tridentine Mass has never been abrogated and that every priest of the Latin Rite can celebrate it. It was already the case before the Motu Proprio, but it is good that it is now officially proclaimed. As Bishop Fellay points out, the Motu Proprio shows that the constancy to defend the Lex orandi has been taken into account. Then he adds that we must continue the combat for the Lex credendi.
We can rejoice for the Motu Proprio because it is something good, but we have to be aware that it does not signify the end of our combat. The crisis that the Church knows is deep and did not start with the Novus Ordo, which is more a consequence of the crisis rather than a cause. A reading of the Encyclical letter, Pascendi, of Saint Pius X would easily convince you of this truth. By the way, it must be noted that not only did Pius X describe the modernism in this document, but he also gave the remedy against it. I think these remedies would still be effective today, if only they were used. First it depends on the authorities of the Church, the Pope and the Bishops.

For us, let us continue what we have done. In fact, the Motu proprio should not change our lives, except that we now have another reason to be missionaries to a greater extent. The beauty of the Latin Mass is not something that we have to keep for ourselves, but it is a treasure of the Church that we have to spread and share. If the Motu proprio has to change something in our Christian lives, it should be our reverence toward the holy Liturgy as the most excellent way to worship God and an expression of the Faith of the Church. Lex orandi, lex credendi: both are tied together.
After the Motu Proprio, many Catholics will probably turn toward us, traditionalist Catholics, maybe just to observe. The newspapers and televisions in America and in Europe already have come into our churches to see who we are and what we do. So, dear brethren, more than ever, we have the duty to give a good testimony. Our Liturgy is not a show, but the expression of our Faith and of our Charity.
For this reason, on our part, for the priests and congregation, it requires a necessary preparation before Mass and a certain attention during Mass. Thus we should leave the church, after Mass and after a suitable time of thanksgiving, with feelings and thoughts of gratitude and joy toward our God and live consequently as good disciples of Jesus.

We have the Lex credendi, which tells us what we have to believe and the Lex orandi, which teaches us how to pray. I think that in order to complete this painting of the Christian life, we need to add the third part of this fine art, which we can name Lex vivendi. It tells us how to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. As I was preparing this sermon, some words of Father Jerome came to my mind. Father Jerome wrote a beautiful book entitled "The Art of Being a Disciple."
I like this idea that being a disciple is an art. This means that being disciples of Jesus makes us artists. We are the artists of God! In fact we are just apprentice-artists. Our Master is the Father; His masterpiece is the Son. The Franciscan tradition in the Middle-Ages came to call Him: “Ars Patris” “The Art of the Father.” What a beautiful name for Our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Art of the Father!
Our task as apprentice-artists is now to reproduce the “Art of our Father.” We have to reproduce Jesus in our lives and the more we are open to the grace of God, the more our piece of art will be conformed to the model.
Now, what is an art? It is usually admitted that an art is the use of skills, talent and imagination in order to produce something aesthetic. We also use in English the term “fine art” which comes from Aristotle. For Aristotle, the final cause of a thing is the purpose for its existence, and the term "fine art" is derived from this notion. If the final cause of an artwork is simply the artwork itself, "art for art's sake," and not a means to another end, then that artwork could appropriately be called "fine." The closely related concept of beauty is classically defined as "that which when seen, pleases." Pleasure is the final cause of beauty and thus is not a means to another end, but an end in itself.
If we consider, as the scholastic thinkers of the Middle-Ages and more recently as Maritain, that beauty is a transcendental, this concept of beauty works well when we apply it to God. The Incarnate Word is the most fine art we can find and when we see Him, He pleases. God is being; He is goodness. He is beauty too. By our nature we already share these attributes with Him. When we are in the state of grace, it is on a higher level, for a higher purpose.

So, dear brethren, if we are artists, we should make beauty around us. This is our lex vivendi: spreading the beauty of God, by our actions and by our lives. Dostoievski said that “Beauty will save the world.” He was right, because the true beauty is Jesus-Christ, the way, the truth and the life.

Let us ask this of the most beautiful woman, a great artist too, to teach us the beauty of God. Then, we will love it and reproduce it in our lives, not only at church during Mass, but always and everywhere. The Tridentine Mass is an excellent expression of this beauty, but it supposes that we celebrate it with beautiful souls. Making beautiful souls is precisely the work of God. May Our Lady help us to realize it.

Happy Anniversary

July 14th is not only Bastille Day

July 14th 1570

QUO PRIMUM

A BULL OF POPE SAINT PIUS V

Pius Bishop Servant of the Servants of God For a Perpetual Memorial of the Matter
Pope St. Pius V - July 14, 1570

From the very first, upon Our elevation to the chief Apostleship, We gladly turned our mind and energies and directed all out thoughts to those matters which concerned the preservation of a pure liturgy, and We strove with God's help, by every means in our power, to accomplish this purpose. For, besides other decrees of the sacred Council of Trent, there were stipulations for Us to revise and re-edit the sacred books: the Catechism, the Missal and the Breviary. With the Catechism published for the instruction of the faithful, by God's help, and the Breviary thoroughly revised for the worthy praise of God, in order that the Missal and Breviary may be in perfect harmony, as fitting and proper - for its most becoming that there be in the Church only one appropriate manner of reciting the Psalms and only one rite for the celebration of Mass - We deemed it necessary to give our immediate attention to what still remained to be done, viz, the re-editing of the Missal as soon as possible.
Hence, We decided to entrust this work to learned men of our selection. They very carefully collated all their work with the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and with reliable, preserved or emended codices from elsewhere. Besides this, these men consulted the works of ancient and approved authors concerning the same sacred rites; and thus they have restored the Missal itself to the original form and rite of the holy Fathers. When this work has been gone over numerous times and further emended, after serious study and reflection, We commanded that the finished product be printed and published as soon as possible, so that all might enjoy the fruits of this labor; and thus, priests would know which prayers to use and which rites and ceremonies they were required to observe from now on in the celebration of Masses.
Let all everywhere adopt and observe what has been handed down by the Holy Roman Church, the Mother and Teacher of the other churches, and let Masses not be sung or read according to any other formula than that of this Missal published by Us. This ordinance applies henceforth, now, and forever, throughout all the provinces of the Christian world, to all patriarchs, cathedral churches, collegiate and parish churches, be they secular or religious, both of men and of women - even of military orders - and of churches or chapels without a specific congregation in which conventual Masses are sung aloud in choir or read privately in accord with the rites and customs of the Roman Church. This Missal is to be used by all churches, even by those which in their authorization are made exempt, whether by Apostolic indult, custom, or privilege, or even if by oath or official confirmation of the Holy See, or have their rights and faculties guaranteed to them by any other manner whatsoever.
This new rite alone is to be used unless approval of the practice of saying Mass differently was given at the very time of the institution and confirmation of the church by Apostolic See at least 200 years ago, or unless there has prevailed a custom of a similar kind which has been continuously followed for a period of not less than 200 years, in which most cases We in no wise rescind their above-mentioned prerogative or custom. However, if this Missal, which we have seen fit to publish, be more agreeable to these latter, We grant them permission to celebrate Mass according to its rite, provided they have the consent of their bishop or prelate or of their whole Chapter, everything else to the contrary notwithstanding.
All other of the churches referred to above, however, are hereby denied the use of other missals, which are to be discontinued entirely and absolutely; whereas, by this present Constitution, which will be valid henceforth, now, and forever, We order and enjoin that nothing must be added to Our recently published Missal, nothing omitted from it, nor anything whatsoever be changed within it under the penalty of Our displeasure.
We specifically command each and every patriarch, administrator, and all other persons or whatever ecclesiastical dignity they may be, be they even cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, or possessed of any other rank or pre-eminence, and We order them in virtue of holy obedience to chant or to read the Mass according to the rite and manner and norm herewith laid down by Us and, hereafter, to discontinue and completely discard all other rubrics and rites of other missals, however ancient, which they have customarily followed; and they must not in celebrating Mass presume to introduce any ceremonies or recite any prayers other than those contained in this Missal.
Furthermore, by these presents [this law], in virtue of Our Apostolic authority, We grant and concede in perpetuity that, for the chanting or reading of the Mass in any church whatsoever, this Missal is hereafter to be followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment, or censure, and may freely and lawfully be used. Nor are superiors, administrators, canons, chaplains, and other secular priests, or religious, of whatever title designated, obliged to celebrate the Mass otherwise than as enjoined by Us. We likewise declare and ordain that no one whosoever is forced or coerced to alter this Missal, and that this present document cannot be revoked or modified, but remain always valid and retain its full force notwithstanding the previous constitutions and decrees of the Holy See, as well as any general or special constitutions or edicts of provincial or synodal councils, and notwithstanding the practice and custom of the aforesaid churches, established by long and immemorial prescription - except, however, if more than two hundred years' standing.
It is Our will, therefore, and by the same authority, We decree that, after We publish this constitution and the edition of the Missal, the priests of the Roman Curia are, after thirty days, obliged to chant or read the Mass according to it; all others south of the Alps, after three months; and those beyond the Alps either within six months or whenever the Missal is available for sale. Wherefore, in order that the Missal be preserved incorrupt throughout the whole world and kept free of flaws and errors, the penalty for nonobservance for printers, whether mediately or immediately subject to Our dominion, and that of the Holy Roman Church, will be the forfeiting of their books and a fine of one hundred gold ducats, payable ipso facto to the Apostolic Treasury. Further, as for those located in other parts of the world, the penalty is excommunication latae sententiae, and such other penalties as may in Our judgment be imposed; and We decree by this law that they must not dare or presume either to print or to publish or to sell, or in any way to accept books of this nature without Our approval and consent, or without the express consent of the Apostolic Commissaries of those places, who will be appointed by Us. Said printer must receive a standard Missal and agree faithfully with it and in no wise vary from the Roman Missal of the large type (secundum magnum impressionem).
Accordingly, since it would be difficult for this present pronouncement to be sent to all parts of the Christian world and simultaneously come to light everywhere, We direct that it be, as usual, posted and published at the doors of the Basilica of the Prince of the Apostles, also at the Apostolic Chancery, and on the street at Campo Flora; furthermore, We direct that printed copies of this same edict signed by a notary public and made official by an ecclesiastical dignitary possess the same indubitable validity everywhere and in every nation, as if Our manuscript were shown there. Therefore, no one whosoever is permitted to alter this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, precept, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree, and prohibition. Should know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at St. Peter's in the year of the Lord's Incarnation, 1570, on the 14th of July of the Fifth year of Our Pontificate.

Saint Bonaventure

Nous fêterons le 14 juillet la fête de Saint Bonaventure, né en 1221 à Bagnorea, Italie. Jean de Fidenza part pour Paris et entre au noviciat des Frères Franciscains où il prend le nom de Bonaventure. Il deviendra rapidement l’un des grands maitres de l’Université de Paris. Nous lui devons de nombreuses œuvres dont son Breviloquium. Gerson y voit l’un des joyaux de la théologie médiévale. L’Itinerarium mérite aussi notre attention. Il s’agit d’une méditation philosophique et théologique qui nous permet de saisir comment l’âme s’achemine vers son Dieu.
Elu Général de l’Ordre des Frères Mineurs en 1257, il travaillera sans relâche à maintenir l’Ordre dans sa ferveur originelle. Le Pape Grégoire X le crée Cardinal et le nomme Evêque d’Albano en 1271. Bonaventure meurt quelques années plus tard alors qu’il participe au Concile de Lyon en 1274. Il est canonisé en 1482 et connu sous le nom de docteur séraphique.

Il a composé un petit Psautier de la Sainte Vierge dont Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort en recommande la récitation. « Il est si tendre et si dévot qu'on ne peut le réciter sans en être attendri » écrit-il dans le traité de la vrai dévotion. Nous vous en livrons la première partie.

Salut, ô Vierge, arbre de vie, qui , toujours fidèle au vœu de votre cœur, avez donné au monde un fruit digne de louanges éternelles!
Salut, vous que les rois et les reines de la terre vénèrent en tout temps, vous la Reine des siècles, la dominatrice des royaumes et des rois !
Salut, fille de David, fille pleine de justice! Rendez le ciel propice à nos vœux, afin que nous puissions goûter les biens vivifiants du Seigneur.
Salut, Vierge digne de Dieu! veillez sur ceux qui vous servent; gravez sur eux la lumière de votre front et la splendeur de la face de Dieu.
Salut, Mère unique entre les mères! Ombragée du bouclier de Dieu, vous avez conçu le Rédempteur du monde, et sa naissance vous laissa pure et sans tache.
Salut, ô Vierge dont la beauté changea en amour l'indignation du Créateur, et dont les vœux mirent un terme à sa colère!
Salut, ô Vierge que le Sauveur a trouvée en tout digne de louange, lui que la nuit de l’erreur ne saurait égarer, lui qui sonde nos cœurs et scrute le secret de nos pensées!
Salut, ô Vierge comblée de biens, riche des dons de la grâce, ouvrage ineffable et glorieux de la main du Seigneur!
Salut, Vierge avant et après avoir conçu ! Combattez en tout temps pour ma défense; que mon ennemi prenne la fuite et qu'il se tienne toujours loin de moi.
Salut, porte de la liberté, demeure de la Trinité suprême, temple auguste du Seigneur, ressource et exemple du monde !
Salut, Vierge fleur vraiment royale, femme unique entre les femmes, vous dont les paroles l'emportent sur tout prix, vous dont la langue est l'instrument par excellence qui sert à louer Dieu!
Salut, ô Vierge objet de mes transports! A vous mes chants, à vous mes louanges en souvenir de vos bienfaits ; ô Vierge, conservez celui qui aime à célébrer votre nom !
Salut, ô Vierge chérie de Dieu, Vierge pleine de beauté, de prudence, de splendeur et de suavité, Vierge seule digne de donner au monde le salut de Dieu!
Salut, ô Vierge qui êtes ma force! O ma Souveraine! suppliez votre Fils qu'il nous accorde d'habiter un jour dans la gloire de la sainte Sion.
Salut, Vierge modèle du monde, vous à qui le Christ, le Roi des siècles, fit connaître les voies de la vie, les voies libres des embarras de la terre!
Salut, ô Vierge dont la voix, les paroles, les accents et les cris inclinent l'oreille de Dieu, et la portent à répandre ses bienfaits!
Salut, Vierge digne de notre autour, Vierge que nos louanges doivent exalter par-dessus toute créature, tige sainte, plante véritable, vous la fleur et la gloire de votre sexe !
Salut, Vierge dont la beauté attira le Dieu engendré de son Père! Il s'avança sans crainte aux combats qui l'attendaient; il accomplit sa course comme un géant.
Salut, ô échelle qui touchez les cieux ! C'est vers vous que j'élève mes soupirs en gémissant; c'est vous, étoile de la mer, que j'appelle des célestes hauteurs pour me défendre des dangers qui m'environnent.
Salut, ô Vierge, fille bienheureuse de Jessé ! Tous vos vœux se sont accomplis, et les désirs de votre cœur, les désirs exprimés par vos lèvres n'ont point été trompés.
Salut, ô vous dont les peuples à venir célébreront la grandeur, vous dont la gloire ne saurait s'affaiblir, dont la puissance ne finira jamais!
Salut, Vierge digne de toute louange! Chaste Mère de Dieu, réjouissez-vous, agréez les vœux que je vous offre, et daignez être toujours avec moi.
Salut, ô vous dont les mains sont demeurées étrangères à tout acte inutile et se sont conservées pure de toute iniquité!
Salut, Vierge glorieuse! Votre chair exhale un parfum comme la rose qui s'épanouit; votre cœur est dans l'allégresse, et votre âme a fixé son séjour dans l'abondance de tout bien.

Sermon for 6th Sunday after Pentecost

It is a fact that Baptism has changed our beings and printed Christ’s character in our souls. Saint Paul tells us in today’s reading that we became one with Jesus Christ. It is another fact that this transformation is not effective enough to make us live consequently as another Christ as we are supposed to do. The reason is not a defect of the Sacrament of Baptism, but a defect of our own will. God has given to us a great gift, but we have this "treasure in earthen vessels."(II Cor. 4:7) For a mysterious reason, we have the amazing ability to resist the grace of God.

I am talking now about us, Christians who have been baptized, who have received many times the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, who know what our duties are toward God and how much God loves us, but yet, we are still putting obstacles before the work of divine grace. The French writer Leon Bloy once said: "There is but one sadness, and that is for us not to be saints." It is really a sadness, because if we are not a Saint, it is our fault. God wants us to be saints and He gives us the sufficient means for this. But we don’t accept them, because they come to disturb our habits of life. We don’t see them, because the eyes of our souls are not open to the Divine realities, which are invisible to the eyes of our bodies. Yes, dear brethren, we can be sad for not being saints, because we are so careless concerning the graces that God gives everyday. How many occasions lost! How many graces missed!

Baptism made us saints, but once we have reached the age of reason, it is definitively not sufficient to keep us in a state of holiness. And God knows this. And He has mercy on us. And He comes to make up for our deficiencies. "I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat." (Mark 8:2) Then he would feed his disciples Himself. Saint Ambrose explains that the Prophet Elias walked during 40 days, fed by an angel, but if Jesus feeds you, you will walk until you arrive into the homeland populated by the saints.
In other words, those who receive Our Lord in the Sacrament of the Eucharist can reach heaven, because this Sacrament makes them saints and only the saints go to heaven.

Baptism is a beginning. Beatific vision is the end. Between our Baptism, birth to the supernatural life, and our birth in heaven, we need to be encouraged, improved, sustained and strengthened, because the road is hard and long. But we have Jesus with us and for us, so that we can walk the long road toward our eternal homeland.
So dear Brethren, we have no excuse for not being saints. We just have to use the good means, and to use them well. Do not neglect what you have received the day of your Baptism. Keep the precious gift of God preciously. As the queen Blanche de Castille used to say to her young son, the future King Saint Louis, that it is better to die rather than to commit a mortal sin. And the best way to avoid mortal sin is frequent communions, in good disposition, which means, frequent confessions.

May Our Lady help us to understand this and to keep the grace of God in our souls.

Communiqué de la Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint Pierre

FSSP International Headquarters Communiqué (on 7.VII.2007)

We rejoice at the publication of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. In reaffirming the essential place of the liturgy itself in the transmission of the faith, in stating that the Missal of Blessed John XXIII may be used by all priests, and especially in encouraging the use of all four liturgical books in force in 1962, the text opens to the whole Church the treasures of these rites.

We unite our prayers with all the Church that, the document having been received with generous and pastoral hearts, those who prefer this usage might have access to the full Catholic life according to this ‘extraordinary form’ of the Roman Rite.

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will continue to look to serve the needs of the Church, and hopes that the success of the chapels and parishes already erected in the last 19 years in so many dioceses will provide encouraging examples for the document’s implementation.

Our deepest gratitude to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum.

Communiqué de la FSSP (le 7.VII.2007, Maison Généralice)

Nous nous réjouissons de la publication du Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. En réaffirmant le rôle essentiel de la liturgie elle-même dans la transmission de la foi, en indiquant que le Missel du Bienheureux Jean XXIII peut être utilisé par tous les prêtres, et particulièrement en encourageant l'utilisation de chacun des quatre livres liturgiques en vigueur en 1962, le texte ouvre à toute l'Eglise les trésors de ces rites.

Nous unissons nos prières à celles de toute l’Eglise afin que, ce document ayant été reçu avec des cœurs généreux et pastoraux, ceux qui préfèrent cet usage puissent avoir accès à une vie catholique complète selon cette « forme extraordinaire » du rite romain.

La Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pierre continuera de se rendre disponible pour servir les besoins de l'Eglise, et espère que le succès des chapelles et des paroisses déjà érigées au cours des 19 dernières années dans tant de diocèses fournira des exemples encourageants pour l’application de ce document.

Nous exprimons notre très profonde gratitude à Sa Sainteté le Pape Benoît XVI. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum.

From the New Liturgical Movement Blog

http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/

A Modern Roman Rite Priest reports on Classical Roman Rite Training posted by Shawn Tribe

[One of the Father's who visits the NLM recently attended the FSSP "boot camp" for priests wishing training from them as regards the classical Roman rite. The following is his report, both of what occurred and, even more interestingly, his personal experience. I've chosen to eliminate his name for the sake of anonymity. If he chooses to reveal himself in the comments, I shall leave that to him.]

"I would characterize my experience as frankly stunning, and even life changing. I must admit that the experience has recast my understanding of the priesthood to some degree."by a Diocesan Priest

I. Summary of the Training

This past week I returned from what one priest called the Traditional Mass Boot Camp, hosted and taught by the fine priests, deacons and seminarians of the Fraternity of Saint Peter at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton NE. Being a “Novus Ordo” priest and having little exposure or opportunity to experience the traditional Rite, this weekend was nothing short of amazing.

Arriving on Monday we jumped right in with an introductory session on the Mass covering various basic principles such as the attitude and composure of the priest, and the centrality of the Mass as a sacrifice. Wasting no time we began our practicum, our class was broken up into small groups of three, according to experience with the traditional Mass and Latin skills. Over the course of the five day we had workshops on the vesting prayers, the Low Mass, the Requiem Mass, Gregorian Chant, the sung Mass, and Exposition and Benediction. These were covered in depth in class and the practicum sessions, which were and hour and a half to two hours long.

The daily schedule began with private Mass from 6:00 to 8:00 AM and ended with Compline at 9:00 PM. The resources and materials that the Fraternity provided was copious and pedagogically geared for a priest to learn the traditional Mass. Any priest who is willing to learn and take the time necessary can confidently know that he will be able to offer the Mass with the proper reverence and confidence that the Rite demands. On our final day on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul we were privileged to pray the Solemn High Mass in choir with the Nuns the Carmelite Monastery of Mary Jesus and Joseph in Valparaiso, NE a short drive from the seminary, this was absolutely the crowing event of the week, beautify offered by Fr. James Fryar FSSP, accompanied by the Deacons and seminarians of the seminary and the angelic chants sung by the Carmelite Nuns.

II. Personal Observations

Being a priest of the modern Roman rite I was admittedly nervous and lacking confidence due to my lack of experience, I felt that I perhaps had got into something that was over my head, but the graciousness and patience of the members of the Fraternity of Saint Peter quickly overcame any misgivings I had.

I must confess that I was worried that there might be some looking down upon a "Novus Ordo" priest such as myself in a “Traditionalist” environment such as this, but the respect and genuine affection and gratitude that was shown me by the priests, deacons and seminarians of the FSSP was most edifying and humbling. I cannot speak highly enough about these excellent and truly humble men, who most joyfully offer themselves for the life of the Church. One of the many remarkable things that struck me about my experience this past week was that these men of the FSSP and others like them have preserved for the entire Latin Rite the living memory and tradition of the Church in a unique way. I would characterize my experience as frankly stunning, and even life changing.

I must admit that the experience has recast my understanding of the priesthood to some degree. Also, by this intensive introduction to the ancient Roman liturgical tradition, I now more fully understand the paradigm shift and rupture that Ratzinger/Benedict XVI has spoken of. I can’t help but feel that once the adolescent rebellion of liturgical abuse and rejection of our living heritage subsides, they will be there to help all of us reclaim and reinvigorate the Latin Rite in a way that is truly organic and faithful to our roots, strengthening and in some areas reestablishing a vibrant Catholic identity.

I wish to thank my benefactors who enabled me to attend this workshop; it was a profound privilege for me to go. I will remember you in my prayers and my intentions at the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Ecce Agnus Dei !

Esteban: Jesus and Saint John the Baptist

Sevilla, 1670

The character of Saint John the Baptist is particularly interesting and this saint has a lot to tell us about the One he faithfully served until the day of his sacrifice. His birth, which we celebrate today, already has a supernatural aspect, as we read in today’s gospel. The birth of John has to be put together with the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Luke points out very well the similarities between the conceptions and births of Jesus and of His Precursor, beyond the fact that they were related by the link of the blood, which also has its importance.
Saint Luke mentions the birth of Saint John in his gospel and then we have to jump over 30 years to meet him again. But we can imagine that Jesus and John used to meet regularly throughout their childhood and later since they are from the same family. Many artists, like the Spanish painter Bartolome Esteban, have represented the two characters together and their paintings can be used as good visual aids for our meditation. Since the day when he sanctified John in the womb of his mother, Jesus has prepared his prophet for his very particular task which was to give testimony of His mission and of His person, as we can hear from Saint John the Evangelist at the end of the Mass: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. (Jn.1:6-8)
The fourth Evangelists speak about Saint John and Saint Mark says that he was in the desert baptizing and preaching. (Mk.1:4) This sentence shows that Saint John the Baptist does not belong entirely to the Old Testament any more. Something new is coming. He baptizes and even if his Baptism is not yet one of the Seven Sacraments of the New Covenant, it is already an anticipation, a close figure of our actual Baptism. With John the Baptist, we are already introduced to the New Covenant in a certain way. Baptizing and preaching are indeed proper acts of the priests of the New Law since Jesus told His disciples to go to the whole world, to preach and to baptize.
Let us be clear: John the Baptist is not a priest of the New Testament. He is the last prophet who announces and inaugurates the ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He does even more: he announces and reveals Jesus Himself. He shows Him to the world: Ecce Agnus Dei!
Ecce Agnus Dei: Behold the lamb of God! Saint John the Baptist indicates our goal. He does not bring people to himself but to Our Lord. His works and even his person are nothing in comparison to the person and the works of Jesus. He tells us: I am not worthy to loose the latchet of His shoe! (Mk.1:7) What a beautiful example of humility for us who esteem ourselves often as indispensable for our community, our parish, our diocese or whatever you want. As I like to say, cemeteries are full of indispensable people already forgotten by the world! And sooner or later, God will remind us that we are not as indispensable as we believe.
Saint John the Baptist is really a great man because he considers himself as nothing. He knows what is essential for his mission: He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30) Saint John the Baptist does not live for himself and for his glory. His life has even no value and he would give it without hesitation when it would be necessary to give the supreme testimony to the truth.
Ecce Agnus Dei! Behold the Lamb of God. Here He is, the One who will soon give you a new Baptism. My mission is now over. Do not follow me now, but follow Him! He is the light! Follow Him!
John is a disciple; He is truly and completely a disciple, as we are supposed to be, my dear Brethren! Like him, we are supposed to show the world where Jesus Christ is and to tell who He is. Ecce Agnus Dei! He is the Savior, the Redeemer, the only One who can save us. And He is present among us, through His Church, in His Church, by His Church. He is even present physically in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We obviously don’t worship a piece of bread, but the Lamb of God, the same one designated by Saint John the Baptist. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world is present here, in the tabernacle, among us.
We have to tell it to our contemporaries; we must tell them! It is our duty and our mission. We cannot keep Jesus Christ for ourselves. And by the way, if we were truly loving disciples of Jesus, we would be missionaries almost naturally, because it is a natural consequence of love to spread and to share. If I love Jesus Christ, I also want Him to be loved by everybody.
Remember the beautiful prayer taught by the Angel to the Children of Fatima: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!" We should say this prayer every day and I hope you do. But it is not enough! It is not enough to ask pardon for those who do not believe. We must make them believe. It is not enough to ask pardon for those who do not adore. We must make them adore. It is not enough to ask pardon for those who do not hope. We must make them hope. It is not enough to ask pardon for those who do not love. We must make them love. And if we believe enough, if we adore enough, if we hope enough and if we love enough, then, it is possible.
May Saint John the Baptist show us the way and encourage us by his example. May Our Blessed Mother make us witnesses of the light in the world, for the highest glory of God.

Annual retreat

The priests of the North American district of the Fraternity of Saint Peter are in retreat from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd. Please pray for them!

Les prêtres du District Nord Américain de la Fraternité Saint Pierre sont en retraite du lundi 18 au vendredi 22 juin. Gardez les dans vos prières !

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Abbaye de Lagrasse

There is one sentence in today’s epistle that merits being reminded of: God has care of you. (I Peter5:7) How often do we forget this fact! How often do we worry about things which are already in the hands of our Father! Poor men of little Faith that we are! Oh I know, it is very human and we are not so different than Martha who is upset because she does the work of her sister. We are not so different than the disciples who wake up Jesus because they think they are perishing. We are not so different than Philip who wonders how a great crowd can be fed with only a few loaves of bread. We are men of little faith, and because of this we worry. And often worry leads to suspicion and suspicion leads to judgment.

Someone in such a state cannot discern well what comes from the good spirit and what comes from the evil spirit. Then enclosed in himself he starts to brood. At this point, if only he could think that God takes care of him. But this thought which could give him peace is far from his mind. The evil spirit keeps him prisoner of his black thoughts and then, when he sees someone favored by the grace of God, he envies him. Like the Pharisees of the gospel, he thinks: This man receives sinners, and eats with them. (Luke 15:2) But Jesus came precisely for sinners, which means for each one of us. He came to put joy where there is sadness, to put hope where there is despair and to bring His grace where there is sin. So, when He gives His favors to someone, you should rejoice, as He invites us in the gospel to do: Rejoice with me! (Luke 15:6, 9)

But our adversary, the devil, is around us, like a lion, and does the opposite work of Jesus. Where there is joy, he brings sadness. Where there is hope, he brings despair. Where there is confidence, he brings doubt and suspicion. Where there is friendship, he brings rivalries. But we can resist him, because we are free and because God gives us his grace. Saint Peter tells us that all the brothers have the same temptations. (I Peter 5:9) Satan lets nobody alone. You can resist him if you are strong in your Faith. And Faith will bring confidence and will remove the black ideas out of your soul.

Now, with Saint Francis de Sales, let me ask you a question: What does God asks from us? ‘My son, give me thy heart!’ (Prov.23: 26) If you don’t trust God enough and still worry, you would answer: How can I give Him my heart which is full of disobedience toward His will? If you say, or just think that, then you need to hear what Saint Francis de Sales tells you: o poor man, why are you upset? Why do you refuse to give your heart as it is now? God did not tell you: give me a pure heart as the heart of an angel or of Our Lady. He just says: give me thy heart. He wants your heart. Give it to Him as it is.
Dear brethren, here is the way to obtain a great confidence in God and then a true peace. Give your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He will take care of you, as He already does, but maybe you don’t realize it now. Give up the troubles of your heart and turn to your God with a great confidence. Then Satan will have no more power over you.
May Our Blessed Mother help us to find comfort and consolation in the Heart of her Son.

Sermon for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

I would like to thank all of those who made the Mass at the Cathedral of Atlanta possible yesterday. A great thank to Richard Morris, our organist and choir director, who did a great job!

We have just heard from Saint Paul that the Charity of Christ surpasses all knowledge. (Eph.3:19) It surpasses all knowledge so much that even the highest and noblest of them, Faith, is nothing without Charity.
Charity is a kind of love; it is the most eminent love that we can find, because it has God for its object and origin. It is the summary and the achievement of our religion. The single word Charity expresses what the life of the disciples of Jesus is. I mean, what being true disciples is all about.
They draw their charity from its source: the Heart of Jesus. And charity never comes alone in a soul. It is accompanied with the Divine gifts, fruits of the greatest liberality of God toward us. As Pius XII says, It is altogether impossible to enumerate the heavenly gifts which devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has poured out on the souls of the faithful, purifying them, offering them heavenly strength, rousing them to the attainment of all virtues.
The fact is that one cannot have a real devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus without seeing his life change. The reason is that this devotion makes our hearts similar to the Heart of Jesus. By devotion, we do not mean the mere multiplication of the prayers, incantations and songs to the Sacred Heart. Unfortunately, the facts also show us that our churches are full of faithful ones doing devotions regularly and yet without any scruples regarding the sins of the tongue. Perhaps their devotions are more the result of a morbid deception, a lack of temperance yielded to the inclination to always be speaking. They cannot refrain their tongue from speaking and always have something to say whether to God or to men. If only they could take a little bit more time to listen, they could understand the dispositions of Christ’s Heart, His law of love which is higher than the human mind. Saint Bonaventure says, There is nothing higher than the human mind except Him who made it. Then instead of sins of the tongue, sound judgment would reach upward remembering that Not every one that says to Jesus, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that does the will of our Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.(Matt.7:21)
Now, what we mean, by devotion, is being really and totally devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The devoted person understands, as much as it is possible for a creature, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth of the love of God. (Eph. 3:18) Those persons, like Saint John, have seen the Heart of Jesus pierced by love. Those persons have truly something interesting to tell us, but they are not those who speak more. There are other ways to speak than the use of the tongue. There are other ways to serve God than activism. In fact, there is a royal way, which is the way of contemplation and pure love.
Fortunately, we also have persons engaged on this way in our churches, but often we just don’t know who they are. And after all, do we have to know? Jesus knows them and this is what matters. Good does not make noise, but Jesus hears it. And when He hears someone doing good, then He establishes a relation from His Heart to this blessed heart and brings with Him peace and joy.
Dear brethren, we honor tonight the Sacred Heart of Jesus and we would like to express our gratitude for so many benefits obtained from it. The Heart of Jesus is our hope and our comfort in this world. It makes our lives sweeter and soothes our pains and sadnesses.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart does not remove the cross from our souls but it gives us more strength to carry it. The devotion to the Sacred Heart does not suppress temptations in our lives but it gives us more courage to overcome them. This devotion forms us and makes our hearts conform to the Heart of Jesus. Thus it brings humility and sweetness. A heart totally devoted to the Heart of Jesus is meek, humble and sweet. When you go to a place where the Sacred Heart is honored, you can really taste the peace of God, the sweetness of the place, the silence of prayer and you think: It is good to stay here.
I know a place where people say: It is good to stay here. It is even so good that once you are in this place, you cannot leave it. I have never been there, but I know that this place is the place where the Sacred Heart sits enthroned now and forever. We call it heaven.
Let us pray tonight to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and ask her to lead us toward the Heart of her Son. May she make us true devoted persons to the Sacred Heart. It would be the royal way which leads us toward heaven. Let us take it!

Notre Seigneur à l'honneur !

Procession de la Fête-Dieu

de ci de là

Perpignan

Paris

Montmirail

Mableton ( 2006 )... en attendant les photos de 2007 !

Et la palme revient à Toulouse

Sermon for Corpus Christi

He that eats this bread shall live forever. John 6:59

Dear Brethren,
When a person comes to be baptized, the priest asks him: What do you ask of the Church of God? He answers through the mouth of his godparents if he has not yet reached the age of reason, “Faith.” Then the priest asks again: What does Faith offer you? “Life everlasting!”

Life everlasting! I guess we all desire it. One cannot obtain it if one does not desire it, because life everlasting is not something that arrives in ones life just by chance. God Himself is looking for men who seek it. He asks us through Psalm 33:13 Who is the man that desireth life and loveth to see good days? Then Saint Benedict imagined the rest of the dialogue between God and such a soul. "If hearing this thou answerest, I am he. God saith to thee: If thou wilt have true and everlasting life, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; turn away from evil and do good; seek after peace and pursue it. [Psalm 33:15] And when you shall have done these things, my eyes shall be upon you, and my ears unto your prayers. [Psalm 33:16] And before you shall call upon me I will say: Behold, I am here." (Is 58:9)

Behold, I am here! We can hear Our Lord saying this: Behold, I am here! I am here on the altar! I am here in the tabernacle! I can also be here in your soul if you accept me!
Dear Brethren, we cannot have life everlasting if we do not accept our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. First, we must accept Him by Faith. But it is not enough. We must accept Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:51-55
Jesus wants to share His own life with each one of us. For that reason, He gives us an incredible way: He makes Himself our food which can provide the necessary and sufficient means to obtain eternal life. The Holy Eucharist is our food as pilgrims walking toward eternity. It is the food that gives us the strength and the ability to remain in the state of grace, to resist the temptation, to strengthen our will and to heal our defects. For that reason, the Church encourages us to receive Our Lord every day if possible.
"Gustate et videte quam suavis est Dominus!" Pslam 33 says again: "O taste and see that the Lord is sweet!" (Psalm 33: 9) He really is! What a comfort for us to have Jesus with us and for us! His presence in our souls brings peace and joy. Once we understand this, we will understand what being Catholic means. This is my wish for each one of us on this beautiful day of the Corpus Christi feast.

May Our Lady teach us how to love Her Son and how to receive Him with Faith, Hope and Charity.

Amen.

About dispensations!

It happens sometimes that one asks for a dispensation in order to work on Sunday. Such a demand cannot be granted because dispensations are only for ecclesiastical laws. Keeping the Sabbath holy is a Divine precept and thus no dispensations can be given.

Let us see what are the laws of the Church in matter of dispensations.

Code of Canon Law
Dispensations

Can. 85 A dispensation, or the relaxation of a merely ecclesiastical law in a particular case, can be granted by those who possess executive power within the limits of their competence, as well as by those who have the power to dispense explicitly or implicitly either by the law itself or by legitimate delegation.

Can. 86 Laws are not subject to dispensation to the extent that they define those things which are essentially constitutive of juridic institutes or acts.

Can. 87

§1. A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church. He is not able to dispense, however, from procedural or penal laws nor from those whose dispensation is specially reserved to the Apostolic See or some other authority.

§2. If recourse to the Holy See is difficult and, at the same time, there is danger of grave harm in delay, any ordinary is able to dispense from these same laws even if dispensation is reserved to the Holy See, provided that it concerns a dispensation which the Holy See is accustomed to grant under the same circumstances, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 291.

Can. 88 A local ordinary is able to dispense from diocesan laws and, whenever he judges that it contributes to the good of the faithful, from laws issued by a plenary or provincial council or by the conference of bishops.

Can. 89 A pastor and other presbyters or deacons are not able to dispense from universal and particular law unless this power has been expressly granted to them.

Can. 90

§1. One is not to be dispensed from an ecclesiastical law without a just and reasonable cause, after taking into account the circumstances of the case and the gravity of the law from which dispensation is given; otherwise the dispensation is illicit and, unless it is given by the legislator himself or his superior, also invalid.

§2. In a case of doubt concerning the sufficiency of the cause, a dispensation is granted validly and licitly.

Can. 91 Even when outside his territory, one who possesses the power to dispense is able to exercise it with respect to his subjects even though they are absent from the territory, and, unless the contrary is expressly established, also with respect to travelers actually present in the territory, as well as with respect to himself.

Can. 92 A dispensation is subject to a strict interpretation according to the norm of ⇒ can. 36, §1, as is the very power to dispense granted for a particular case.

Can. 93 A dispensation which has successive application ceases in the same ways as a privilege as well as by the certain and total cessation of the motivating cause.

Life is not an idea!

Here is another text from Father de Chivré that I found interesting.

Life is not an idea; it is not a feeling, nor an impression, nor an expectation; it is neither a truth nor a love; it is all of these, mixed together and inserted in the light of God. It is for this reason that very few are alive, because very few know how to love in the fullness of God.

There are no formulas of life; there are only formulas to learn how to be alive. But once the existence is acquired, the formula steps aside before the fullness it has generated, and the fullness replaces the formula as Redemption replaces the Law.

God is not a formula, He is the fullness.

This being admitted, how many formulas get nowhere, because of the fear of fullness that one estimates being laxity!

Look at those hordes of pious girls withered by their passions for the formulas of life: they generate only rickets that God loathes so much.

Can we have an inkling of the pettiness, of the tautness, of the wilted, of the sear of certain so-called consecrated loves to the fullness of God.

Can we believe in the slavery of certain religious authorities, shrewish because of so many formulas to be observed even though the fullness of life of their subservient has to expire through privations in the practice of these formulas which will be judge of their superiors as Jesus warned us: the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Oh! Foolishness of the false practice of formulas destined to be liberator but which become oppressive!

Original text in French:

La vie n’est pas une idée, pas un sentiment,
Ni une impression, ni une attente ;
Elle n’est pas davantage une vérité ou un amour ;
Elle est tout cela, fondu ensemble et enchâssé dans la lumière de Dieu ;
C’est pour cela que très peu sont vivants,
Car très peu savent aimer dans le Tout de Dieu.
Il n’y a pas de formules de vie,
Il n’y a de formules que pour apprendre à être vivant,
Mais une fois l’existence obtenue,
La formule s’efface devant la plénitude qu’elle a engendrée
Et la plénitude remplace la formule
Comme la Rédemption a remplacé la Loi.

Dieu n’est pas une formule, Il est la plénitude.

Ceci admis, que de formules n’aboutissent pas, par peur de la plénitude que l’on prend pour du laxisme !

Voyez quantité d’ordaillons de pieuses filles ratatinées par leur passion des formules de vie qui n’engendrent que le rachitisme en horreur à Dieu.

Peut-on soupçonner la mesquinerie, l’étroitesse, le fané, le racorni de certains amours soi-disant consacrés à la plénitude de Dieu…

Peut-on croire à l’esclavage-né de certaines autorités religieuses hargneuses à force de formules à faire observer, dût la plénitude de vie de leurs inférieures expirer d’inanition dans la pratique de ces formules qui jugeront les supérieures comme Jésus nous en a avertis : « La lettre tue, et l’esprit vivifie. »

O ! crétinisme de la fausse pratique des formules destinées à être libératrices et devenues accablantes…

Saint Theophane Venard

It is not rare that I am asked: “Father, who is your favorite Saint?” It is always difficult to give an answer because the list of my favorite Saints is long. I even don’t speak about Our lady and Saint Joseph: they are above every other Saints. My Patron Saint, Saint Lawrence is, of course, one of my favorites. What about Saint Jeanne of Arc? I love her so much. She was a pure jewel offered by God to defend our Kingdom and I wish she could dwell in the heart of every French. I like to say that among my favorite Saints, there is also Saint Théophane Venard. He is not very known in America, yet he was the favorite Saint of Little Flower herself. Here is a text by Dom Antoine-Marie, abbot of the Abbey Saint Joseph de Clairval ( Flavigny, France ), which can help you to learn a little bit about this beautiful soul.

Father Demets

Dear Friend of Saint Joseph Abbey,

«I have read the lives of many missionaries. One I've read is the life of Théophane Vénard, which interested me and touched me more than I can say.» This is how Saint Thérèse of Lisieux expressed herself on March 19, 1897. Shortly thereafter, she confided to her sisters the reason for this preference: «I like Théophane Vénard even more than Saint Louis de Gonzaga, because the life of Saint Louis de Gonzaga was extraordinary and Théophane Vénard's was quite ordinary.» She added, «My soul is like his. He is the one who has best lived my way of spiritual childhood.»
Théophane was born on November 21, 1829, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet, in the diocese of Poitiers, France. Baptized the same day, he received the first names Jean-Théophane, but kept only the latter, which means «manifestation of God.» His parents were fervent Catholics. Two years before Théophane, a little Mélanie had come to gladden the household. Two other boys, Henri and Eusèbe, would complete the family.
Théophane became an altar boy, and looked with secret envy upon the priest who had baptized him, officiating at the altar. His mother had explained to him what the Mass and the priesthood were. But Jesus Christ's call, «Follow me!» would echo more strongly when he was 9, in the solitude of the hillside in Bel-Air, where the boy led his father's goat to graze while he read The Propagation of the Faith Review, a magazine that recounted the deeds of missionaries. One day, he finished the life of Father Cornay, a native of the diocese of Poitiers who was decapitated for the faith in Tonkin (present-day Vietnam) in 1837. Théophane exclaimed, «I want to go to Tonkin, too! I want to die a martyr, too!» He had made his decision.
Théophane kept his secret to himself and asked his father if he could continue on to secondary school. In 1841, he entered the school in Doué, 50 kilometers from Saint-Loup. Though this separation from the family he loved dearly was heartbreaking for him, he was soon among the best in his class. When he was with his friends, he was sometimes given to mockery, irascible and quick-tempered, losing his temper at the slightest provocation. Like every boy his age, Théophane experienced highs and lows, but at this time, reprimands were more common than praise. Enlightened by the grace of God, he guessed that nothing was obtained without suffering or prayer. He also wrote to his sister Mélanie: «I have made a resolution that I want to tell you about. It is to say my Rosary every week.» Thanks to the help of this Marian prayer within the means of all, he gradually succeeded in mending his ways.
He made his First Communion on April 28, 1842, a heavenly day for him. The truths of the faith strengthened his soul and helped him to endure a very difficult trial without failing—that of his mother's death on January 11, 1849. He could find comfort only by throwing himself into the arms of the Blessed Virgin.

«May nothing hold you back!»

At the beginning of August 1847, Théophane left Doué for the Minor Seminary in Montmorillon. After completing his philosophy studies there, he entered the Major Seminary in Poitiers, where he wrote to his sister, «You will be happy to learn that one of our confreres, a deacon, is leaving Thursday for the Seminary for Foreign Missions in Paris. May God deign to guide his steps, and may Venerable Cornay watch over him.» Thus did he begin to prepare his family for his own plan to leave on mission. Doing this took time, cleverness and tact. Mélanie understood first. For her father, the sacrifice was more difficult, but in the end, in a beautiful outburst of faith, he gave his full permission. «If you see that God is calling you, and I have no doubt that you do, don't hesitate to obey! May nothing hold you back, not even the thought of leaving a grieved father.» He was scheduled to leave on February 27, 1851, at 9 o'clock in the evening. After the last meal together as a family and the recitation of the Rosary, Théophane read a few passages from The Imitation of Christ that were related to the situation, then recited the evening prayer, which was interrupted by the family's tears. Lastly, he asked for his father's blessing. Slightly trembling, the father pronounced these words, one by one: «My dear son, receive this blessing from your father, who is sacrificing you to the Lord. Be blessed forever in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!» When it was time to leave, the future missionary, knowing that he would never see his family again, kissed his family one last time, walked out of the house and got into a carriage. The depth of his suffering showed through to some extent in a letter he wrote later to a priest friend: «God supported me in the last moments of my family life, and even made them pleasant and agreeable for me. However, it's good that they were short—my soul was brimming over with emotion...»

In March 1851, Théophane entered the Seminary for Foreign Missions in Paris. On April 26, a short letter went out to his family. «Such news could not suffer a day's delay—I will be a priest on Trinity Sunday!» But he soon fell ill with a paratyphoid fever. After a novena to the Most Blessed Virgin, danger was quickly averted. Nevertheless, his entire life would be marked by periods of poor health.

On June 5, 1851, he was ordained a priest at the age of 22. He celebrated his first Mass at Our Lady of Victories, but no one came from Saint-Loup. The sacrifice had been made once and for all. From then on, his most ardent desires were for Tonkin. «The mission in Tonkin is the envied mission, since it offers the shortest means to go to Heaven... Oh! If only one day I, too, were called to offer my blood as a witness to the faith!» In September 1852, Théophane celebrated his last Mass in France, and left on mission for China, in accordance with the will of his superiors.

«Let's not waste our time!»

After a voyage of several months, the Chinese coast appeared on the horizon and, on March 19, 1853, the missionaries landed on the island of Hong Kong. Théophane did not yet know his final destination but, since he had been sent to China, he began to learn Chinese. This difficult task, the climate, and the heat seriously weakened his health, and he needed to rest. «Little Father Vénard,» as he was called, was always very cheerful! He was loved by everyone in this home, where everyone was close, but evangelization remained the primary concern of these apostles of Christ. China was there before them, and souls were waiting for the light of the Catholic faith. Théophane was animated by the same apostolic flame for the salvation of souls as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who wrote to her sister Céline on July 14, 1889: «Céline, during the short moments that we have left, let's not waste our time... let's save souls—they are being lost like snowflakes, and Jesus is weeping.»
Théophane expressed this great concern to his friend, Father Dallet: «Mother China and her daughters Korea, Japan and Cochin-China [modern Vietnam] must bend the knee before Christ.» However, he was not deluded. «The burden of the missions seems heavy to me, now that I am seeing it up close... I hope that at the moment that I must go, God's strength will help my weakness, and the light of His grace will help my inexperience.»
While he was getting ready to leave for China, a letter arrived for him from Paris, announcing, «You have been given Tonkin.» This was for him an inexpressible joy. «I have received my travel order for Tonkin... I am going to a part they call West Tonkin. It is there that Venerable Charles Cornay was martyred... In this Annamese land, where the persecution is the most active, a price has been put on every missionary's head, and when someone can seize one, he is decapitated without further ado.»
On May 26, 1854, Théophane left Hong Kong and arrived on July 13 in Vinh-Tri, the center of the vicariate of West Tonkin. He threw himself into the arms of the Apostolic Vicar, Bishop Retord. Approximately twenty-two months after having left Paris, his missionary apostolate began. Vinh-Tri was a village that had been entirely Christian for a century. Missionaries were openly received there, thanks to the benevolence of Viceroy Hung. This governor, father-in-law of the emperor Tu-Duc, had been cured of an eye disease by a Tonkinese seminarian, and consequently protected the Christians in his province. A seminary and various institutions lived and developed without being disturbed.

«Three cheers for joy anyway!»

Bishop Retord had, by means of his eminent qualities and his virtue, gained the respect of many Mandarin subofficers. Having arrived in Tonkin during a period of violent persecution, he had lived in hiding places for months at a time, without losing his legendary good spirits. When he became a bishop, he communicated his apostolic zeal to his entire diocese. His official episcopal motto, «Intoxicate me with the Cross,» was balanced by another familiar motto that he used to boost his missionaries' morale in difficult times—«Three cheers for joy anyway!» He had seen many of his priests die of affliction or under torture, but had not been captured himself. «I am sad that I have not joined them,» he wrote.
The bishop soon determined how valuable «Little Father Vénard» was. The liveliness of this newcomer, who most gladly laughed and sang, corresponded to his own mentality. Théophane, who had to learn the local language, worked with such a tenacious will that he could soon preach in Vietnamese. He liked everything in Tonkin, which made it easier for him to adapt. However, the food did not sit well with his stomach, and caused him a great deal of suffering. What did it matter? He was the first to laugh about it. Nevertheless, his health was again a cause of concern. He became weaker, in spite of the care lavished on him, and soon he had to be given Extreme Unction. They began a novena to obtain a cure for him; from the first invocations, the sick man felt well again. Without delay, he got down to business—baptisms, preaching, confessions.
«The missionary is a person of the Beatitudes,» Pope John Paul II reminds us. «Before sending out the Twelve to evangelize, Jesus, in his 'missionary discourse' (cf. Mt. 10), teaches them the paths of mission: poverty, meekness, acceptance of suffering and persecution, the desire for justice and peace, charity—in other words, the Beatitudes, lived out in the apostolic life (cf. Mt 5:1-12). By living the Beatitudes, the missionary experiences and shows concretely that the kingdom of God has already come, and that he has accepted it. The characteristic of every authentic missionary life is the inner joy that comes from faith» (Encyclical Redemptoris missio, December 7, 1990, no. 91).
The relative peace of the Tonkin mission did not last. The central government badgered mandarins (local functionaries) to track down priests. Fathers Castex and Vénard hid in the village of But-Dong, where they were received by a small community of Vietnamese nuns, the «Lovers of the Cross,» who until that time had never been worried. There, he could at least celebrate Mass and continue his missionary activity through prayer.
The nuns in But-Dong, who did not wear distinctive dress, worked in the fields or went from village to village selling remedies, which allowed them a way into pagan homes. They were trustworthy messengers among the various Christians, but their life was difficult and dangerous. To escape the mandarins' searches, the two Fathers hid between two partitions, waiting for the danger to pass. After several days, they left But-Dong. In a matter of weeks, they would change hiding places six times. In these travels on foot, Théophane fell ill again. He dragged himself along with great difficulty. Terrible asthma attacks weakened him so that his companion feared seeing him die of asphyxiation in an airless nook. But Bishop Retord was in Vinh-Tri—there, Théophane could be cared for. They stretched him out, almost dead, in the bottom of a boat where, panting and trying to breathe, he never lost his smile. He received last rites again, but did not delude himself. «I am holding on to life by just a thread. Three cheers for joy anyway!» Nevertheless, the cool of autumn revived him to some degree.

Only suffering gives birth to souls

Théophane offered his suffering and his seeming inactivity for the eternal salvation of souls, since this was God's will. «Only suffering can give birth to souls for Jesus,» wrote Saint Thérèse to her sister Céline on July 8, 1891. We can thus understand the saint of Lisieux's mysterious liking for the missionary of Tonkin.
With the winter months, his strength returned enough that Bishop Retord decided to take Théophane with him on his pastoral rounds. They visited one parish after another. The missionaries preached, heard confessions, administered the sacraments, reconciled with God those who had fallen, and encouraged all the faithful to improve. «He was never more fervent or more eloquent than when he was talking about the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he loved, it was plain to see, with filial love,» attested Father Thinh during the process of beatification.
But the rainy season of 1856 was the occasion of a new illness—this time it was consumption, or tuberculosis, that made him consider imminent death. The bishop, upset, no longer knowing what to do, allowed Théophane to undergo a very painful Chinese medical intervention in which various well-determined parts of the patient's body were burned with little balls of an herbal medicine. During this painful procedure, Théophane held his crucifix with both hands, and did not let out a single groan. Before long, the illness lost ground. His immediate prayer, «to have enough strength to preach the Gospel,» was heard. He was going to be able to return to the active missionary life that he would lead for about three years until his arrest. His bishop testified to this: «I said that he had tremendous zeal. Even though he had the poorest health of all the missionaries in the vicariate, he did as much as all the others, often spending half the night in the confessional, sometimes even whole nights. His confidence in God was limitless and made him bold in his endeavors.»

A year of graces

After a relative lull, the persecution was vigorously started again in 1859 by the emperor Tu-Duc, who was determined to put an end to «Jesus' religion.» The newly proclaimed edict gave the death penalty to priests, promised a reward to informants, and set out penalties for mandarins who were kind to Christians. Théophane was thoroughly convinced that the year 1860 that was beginning would be that of his arrest and that God would grant him the grace of martyrdom. His bishop gave him permission to offer himself to God as a victim for the Church of Tonkin. Out of filial love for the Blessed Virgin, he consecrated himself to her, using Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort's prayer, placing himself entirely in her hands.
Thus was he armed for the final battles. He took refuge in the home of the widow Can, but a cousin of hers informed the police, and he was arrested on November 30, 1860. His vestments were taken away, and he was led away, tied up, while he continued to pray and prepare himself for martyrdom. Locked in a narrow wooden cage, he was transferred to the citadel in Hanoi. There, the viceroy himself came to interrogate him. Then, he gave orders—to build a more spacious bamboo cage, put a mosquito net around it, place a mat on the floor, forge as light a chain as possible for the priest, and see to it that the prisoner was decently fed. During the interrogation, Father Théophane had, in fact, made the best impression, and it was because of this that these relative comforts were granted him.
The catechist Kang who had been captured with the Father was not separated from his teacher. Thanks to a soldier's complicity, Théophane obtained some paper, ink and a brush. He wrote to his confreres and his family: «If I obtain the grace of martyrdom, I will remember you especially. Let us meet in Heaven! We will see each other above!» He did not know that his father had passed away fifteen months before.
His final judgment took place in Hanoi. He entered the courtroom and was given the honor of not being whipped. In their questionings, the various judges, mixing religion and politics, tried to make the missionary responsible for the bombing of Annamese coasts by a French-Spanish squadron, or even for riots generated by the emperor Tu-Duc's actions. Théophane calmly refuted these slanders to bring the debate back to its real basis—he had come to Tonkin only to preach Jesus' religion. They placed a crucifix in his hands. «Trample the Cross underfoot,» the viceroy told him, «and you will not be put to death!» At that, the missionary raised the crucifix in his hands with respect, placed his lips upon it for a long time, then exclaimed in a loud voice, «What! I have preached the faith of the Cross till this day, and now you want me to renounce it? I do not value life in this world so much that I wish to preserve it at the cost of an apostasy!» The viceroy uttered the following sentence: «The European priest Vin, whose real name is «Véna,» is condemned, on account of his blindness of heart and obstinacy of spirit, all other cause being dismissed, to having his head severed, then displayed for three days, and then thrown into the river.»
The execution of the verdict required Tu-Duc's signature. On Monday, December 17, 1860, a courier set out for Huê to carry a copy of the decision there. But the condemned did not officially know his fate until a few hours before the execution of the sentence, on February 2. Théophane's new cage, two meters long and a meter high, was beautiful and ornate. But what torment to stay in this narrow space! The guards themselves, won over by the captive's affability, allowed him to go out of it from time to time. He had other friends as well—Paul Muïn, a fearless Christian who had slipped into the police, could see Father Théophane four or five times a day.

A calm lake

«Although the majority are kind to me,» wrote Father Théophane in a letter to his family on January 2, 1861, «there are people who insult and mock me.» Fortunately, visitors became rare, and he could write to his bishop, «My heart is like a calm lake.» Up until the end, he prayed his breviary, the only book that remained in his possession. Théophane expressed his happiness by singing his desire for Heaven, and hoped to receive the Eucharist. The deacon Men succeeded in having Holy Communion brought to him by devout Christians who passed unnoticed. The priest Thinh, sent by the bishop, managed to hear Father Théophane's confession.
The morning of February 2, Father Théophane learned that he was going to be executed that very day. He thanked God, asked the Blessed Virgin to help him until the end, then, dressed in a feast day habit, walked joyfully to be executed, singing the Magnificat. The executioner, who had had a drink to give himself courage, had to make five attempts to detach the martyr's head with a saber. It seemed that with the third blow, Théophane was already in Heaven, in a joy without end... This was what he wanted with all his soul. He was happy beyond all measure.
Théophane Vénard's example, particularly his way of accepting his martyrdom, was a valuable aid to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. The future Doctor of the Church drew light and strength from it.
The day after Théophane Vénard's canonization (June 19, 1988), Pope John Paul II, speaking to French pilgrims, said, «Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus was on intimate terms with Saint Théophane Vénard, whose picture never left her as she suffered the pangs of death. She had recognized her own spiritual experience in a farewell letter by Théophane: 'I do not rely on my own strength, but on the strength of Him who defeated the power of Hell and of the world through the Cross.'»
We entrust to these two great figures of recent Church history all your intentions, including your deceased.
Dom Antoine Marie osb.

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