St. Philip Howard - the Catholic Hero who Refused to deny his faith

William Barraud (1810-1850) - http://www.intaglio-fine-art.com/images/trf227.jpg

Stephanie A. Mann writes:-

St Philip, born 28 June 1557, was thirteenth Earl of Arundel. His father Thomas, IV Duke of Norfolk, was beheaded by Queen Elizabeth in 1572 for involvement in the affair of Mary, Queen of Scots. Philip Howard, baptised by the Archbishop of York in the Chapel of Whitehall Palace, had Philip of Spain as one of his godfathers.

Philip married Anne, daughter of Lord Dacre of Gilsland, when he was fourteen. He graduated at St John's College, Cambridge in 1574 and was about eighteen when he attended Queen Elizabeth's Court. Handsome, high-born, quick-witted and articulate, he neglected his wife and God but the turning point came in 1581 when he was present at a disputation in the Tower of London between a group of Catholic prisoners, Fr Edmund Campion, Jesuit, Fr Ralph Sherwin, Priests and others. These humble suffering Confessors awakened Philip's soul and he returned to Arundel to think about reconciliation with the Catholic Church, which he knew meant death.

His trial and imprisonment were totally at Queen Elizabeth's pleasure--the only treason he had committed was being reconciled to the Catholic Church.

Thereon began his long term of imprisonment, never knowing from day to day which would be his last. Each day he spent several hours in prayer and meditation; he was noted for his patience in suffering and courtesy to unkind keepers. Weakened by malnutrition and not without a suspicion of having been poisoned, he died on 19 October 1595. He was 39 years old and had spent the last eleven years of his life in the Tower of London.

Written on the step before the Shrine is this inscription: 'The more affliction we endure for Christ in this world, the more glory we shall obtain with Christ in the next'. This is a translation of the original Latin cut by St Philip over the fireplace in the Beauchamp Tower, which visitors to the Tower of London can still see: Quanto plus afflictionis pro Christo in hoc saeculo, tanto plus gloriae cum Christo in futuro. Arundell - 22 June 1587.

The Cathedral of Arundell and Brighton is named for St. Philip Howard. It had been named for St. Philip Neri before the canonization of today's saint in 1970. More about the cathedral here.

One of the most horrible aspects of his long imprisonment and then his imminent death is that when he asked permission to see the son with whom his wife was pregnant when St. Philip was imprisoned, Elizabeth I placed a condition on it. He would have to conform to the Church of England and deny his faith. "Good Queen Bess" indeed. After his death he was buried in St. Peter ad Vincula but was entombed at the cathedral after his canonization and his shrine is described here.

See:- http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-philip-howard-affliction-in-this.html for more details about other English Martyrs.

Or see here for details about St. John Wall. Or see here for St. John Kemble.For a full list of English and Welsh Martyrs see:- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/MarytrsofBritain.htm

How to make the Five First Saturdays Devotion

From Young Catholic Adults Weekend 2017

 The http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com writes:-

 How to make the Five First Saturdays Devotion

The devotion of the first Saturdays consists in four acts: Confession, Communion, five decades of the Rosary, and fifteen minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary.

Confession:

On February 15, 1926, Sr. Lucia was visited by the Child Jesus who greatly encouraged the Five First Saturdays devotion. However, Sr. Lucia explained that many find it very difficult to confess on the first Saturday, and so asked whether it would be permissible for these to confess within at least eight days of the first Saturday.

Our Lord responded: “Yes. It can even be made later on, provided that the souls are in the state of grace when they receive me [in Holy Communion] on the first Saturday, and that they had the intention of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Mary.”

But Sr. Lucia persisted:“My Jesus! And those who forget to form this intention?”

The Lord: “They can form it at the next confession, taking advantage of their first opportunity to go to confession.”

It is clear that confession need not be made on the very first Saturday itself, nor even (necessarily) within a week – but rather, it is to be made sometime around the first Saturday. This could easily be understood to extend to ten or perhaps even twenty days on either side of the first Saturdays. Surely, however, it is better to confess closer to the first Saturday itself (or at least within the eight days before or after), when possible.

Communion:

We are to receive Holy Communion with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Further, Communion may be received either the Friday before or (as is more likely) the Sunday following, if it is difficult or impossible to receive Communion on the Saturday itself.

Further, the Saturday Mass need not be a specific Mass for the Saturday Devotion – whether a Funeral Mass, a Wedding Mass, or even a Vigil Mass for the coming Sunday, any Mass at all will suffice. This is to be granted by the dispensation of the local priest, generally Communion on the Saturday itself is to be preferred (but, we re-iterate, this is not an absolute).

Finally, if an individual is unable to attend Mass (due to some serious reason), even Communion outside of Mass will satisfy for the First Saturday Devotion, with the dispensation of the individual’s priest.

The Rosary:

It is required that we pray five decades of the Rosary with devotion [apologies for a typo earlier which said fifteen decades]. This must be done on the First Saturday itself.

However, to be sure, even the greatest saints struggled with distractions in prayer – and St. Louis Marie de Montfort, the “Apostle of the Rosary,” says that this is the most difficult of all prayers. Therefore, we need not become scrupulous or excessively troubled if our Rosary is not perfect. Rather, we strive to make our Rosary a true and worthy expression of love – avoiding distractions as much as possible, but also recognizing that such is the human condition. St. Teresa of Avila gives consoling words regarding distractions in prayer (see the Fourth Mansions of the Interior Castle).

Meditation:

Lastly, we are to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary for an additional fifteen minutes. This could be the devout recitation of another portion of the Rosary, or meditative reading of Scripture which pertains to some of the mysteries of the Rosary, or any other of a number of different forms of prayer.

What is most important is that we set aside this additional time for meditation on the mysteries. It will generally be better to chose one or two mysteries to consider – though, technically, we could meditate on any number of them. Together with our Lady, we consider the love of God made manifest in the mysteries of our Savior’s life, death, and resurrection.

In Sum:

Put simply, the following acts of the Five First Saturdays Devotion are to be completed on the first Saturday of five consecutive months: Confession (about eight days before or after), Communion (between Friday and Sunday, preferably on the Saturday itself), the Rosary (five decades), and an additional fifteen minutes of meditation on one or more of the mysteries of the Rosary.

In reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

All of these acts are to be performed in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on account of five offenses she suffers (and hence, it is a devotion of FIVE first Saturdays):

1) For blasphemes against her Immaculate Conception

2) For blasphemes against her perpetual virginity (before, during, and after birth)

3) For blasphemes against her Divine Maternity of Jesus and against her spiritual motherhood of all Christians

4) For the neglect of imbuing children with a knowledge and love of the Immaculate Mother of God

5) For offense against statues and images of Mary

The great promise

Our Lady does not promise that all who make the Five First Saturdays Devotion will go to heaven, but rather that they will have all the graces necessary for salvation provided to them at the hour of death. This is a great promise indeed, and at the same time calls to mind that we must co-operate with God’s grace.

We recall what St. Alphonsus regularly emphasized: The grace of final perseverance is not to be considered alone and separate, but rather is rightly thought of as the final grace in a long line of graces throughout many years of life by which God leads a man to salvation.

The grace of practicing the First Saturday devotions is then seen as an important link in this chain of graces which, God willing, culminates for each of us in final perseverance unto eternal life.

Further, our Lord promises that he will bring salvation to many other souls through our practice of this devotion, and also peace to the world.

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us! Help us to pray the Rosary daily!

  H/t to the http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2012/05/fatima-devotion-of-five-first-saturdays.html

10 Reasons to Attend the Latin Mass with Eric Sammons and Dr Marshall

The Burning Babe, by St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595, martyr)

 
The Burning Babe, by St Robert Southwell SJ (1561-1595, martyr)

"As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow, Surpris’d I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow; And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;

Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed; As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed. “Alas!” quoth he, “but newly born, in fiery heats I fry, Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I!

My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns, Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns; The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals, The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls, For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good, So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood."

With this he vanish’d out of sight and swiftly shrunk away, And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day."

The Alma Redemptoris Mater (Simple Tone)

The Alma Redemptoris Mater

Sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2 (the original ending date of the Christmas season), this prayer tells of Gabriel’s announcement, and of Mary’s divine motherhood.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes et stella maris, succurre cadenti, surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem, Virgo prius, ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud ave, peccatorum miserere.

This translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Holy mother of our Redeemer, thou gate leading to heaven and star of the sea; help the falling people who seek to rise, thou who, all nature wondering, didst give birth to thy holy Creator. Virgin always, hearing the greeting from Gabriel’s lips, take pity on sinners.

Third Secret of Fatima: Who is the Bishop in White?

Was Third Secret fully revealed? Who is the "bishop in white"? This is a line by line analysis of the Third Secret of Fatima (released in 2000) with commentary about the missing part of the Third Secret (3b) by Dr Taylor Marshall and Timothy Gordon. We examine the words of Malachi Martin, Sister Lucia, John XXIII, Ratzinger, John Paul II, and others.


Dr Taylor Marshall is the best-selling Catholic author of The Crucified Rabbi, The Eternal City, and Sword and Serpent. He produces weekly Youtube videos (usually published 12pm Central). Please consider subscribing to receive future interviews and conversations. Please explore Dr Marshall's blog at taylormarshall.com and his 8 books at amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2MOZG3G

Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

H/t to https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/:-

"It's been a long-held popular belief that Christmas is the day when the most souls are released from Purgatory. 

Please send the names of your deceased loved ones before Christmas Day. As long as they're in our inbox they're enrolled in the Society perpetually (if you've sent them in before, don't send them in again). 

Enroll them in time for Christmas then consider making your Christmas Mass offertory intention for the relief of all the souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society.

Priests: The Souls still need more of you saying Mass for them! Please email me to offer your services. There's nothing special involved -- all you need to do is offer a weekly or monthly TLM with the intention: "For the Souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society."

How to enroll souls: please email me at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com and submit as follows: "Name, State, Country." If you want to enroll entire families, simply write in the email: "The Jones family, Ohio, USA". Individual names are preferred. Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well."

UPDATED Good News the First Wednesday (5th Dec) EF Mass at St. Gregory's Cheltenhamis BACK IN THE MAIN CHURCH

UPDATED

There was a good attendance on Wednesday, at least 20 more than the last few months!!

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After many months the Traditional Mass (Low Mass) will return to the main Church at 7pm on Wednesday 5th December, the celebrant will be Fr. Goodman of the Diocese of Clifton.

The Old Rite first re-appeared at St. Gregory's in 2008 - see here.

The Transalpine Redemptorists are Always Getting Vocations - A Video of a Final Profession From a Few Years Ago

The FSSR have plentiful vocations,"On August 15th 2010, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Br. Martin Mary, F.SS.R. made his final vows in the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on Papa Stronsay. His mother, father, sister and two brothers were also there for the occasion, and his father and brothers sung in the schola. This video is mostly made up of clips from the ceremony. In the evening we held our annual bonfire and BBQ, to which the residents of Stronsay are also invited, to celebrate the profession and the feast." (From the fssr Youtube Channel).

Who are the FSSR? 

From:- http://www.papastronsay.com/ "In 1999 after an unknown break that could have been as long or longer than 700 years, the wilderness rejoiced as the little Priests' Island of Papa Stronsay became inhabited again by priests and monks, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (Transalpine Redemptorists). After many centuries the holy Mass is offered again on this island in the same Latin language as by the Irish monks who lived here over a thousand years ago, and as the Viking priests living here at the time of the Orkneinga Saga. It is true that if they appeared here we could neither speak to them in Old Norse nor in a Celtic tongue but the language and the actions of our Masses would be perfectly understood; so we could pray together as members of the same Mystical Body of Christ that knows a living unity that transcends the limits of time. It is a privilege to continue the Holy Mass here on the island that was the site of the most northerly early Christian monastery ever found. From this holy desert, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, leave their contemplative life and set out on voyages, from this island in the North Sea, like so many Irish or Viking monks, to preach the Eternal Truths in the form of Missions wherever they are invited; which means in any part of the world. They also spread devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and pray for the holy souls in Purgatory. Fundamentally our message is this: Remember O Christian soul that time passes quickly and you too must soon die, be judged and enter into your eternity of heaven or hell. You have only one soul to save; that is your chief, nay your only work. For what does it profit you if, by your work, you gain the whole world which must soon end, and lose your immortal soul in an eternity of sufferings that will never end. What exchange can you give for your soul? There is none.

At all cost then, save your soul. Lead the life of a good Catholic (for there are many bad Catholics who will lose their souls). Avoid sin and the dangerous occasions of sin, go frequestly to Confession and Holy Communion. To save your soul, to save your immortal soul: That is your only work. Do it with great love and care and invoke the assistance of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour to help you."

"Fr. Anthony Mary FSSR - "Anointed"

From the FSSR Youtube channel:-

"The Film Team have been at it again in Christchurch, New Zealand, where we run the Latin Mass Chaplaincy for the Diocese from our Monastery. This time they have produced a beautiful interview with Fr Anthony Mary, F.SS.R., the chaplain, to commemorate his 25th Anniversary of Ordination to the sacred priesthood. To find out more about the Sons of the Most holy Redeemer, you can check out our blog: http://papastronsay.blogspot.co.uk/ Our Website: http://papastronsay.com Our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Transalpine-... For more information, photos and videos from the Latin Mass Chaplaincy in Christchurch, New Zealand, see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LatinMassChannel"

For more Papa Stronsay videos see:-

https://youngcatholicadults-latestnews.blogspot.com/2018/11/papa-stronsay-calendar-2019-out-now_23.html

https://youngcatholicadults-latestnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-does-church-use-latin.html

 

Third Secret of Fatima and the Smoke of Satan in the Catholic Church

Dr. Taylor  Marshall states:- 

"We track the prophecies of corruption in the Catholic Church beginning with the vision of Pope Leo XIII in 1884 (and St Michael's Prayer) and move up through Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 and Our Lady of Akita in 1973.

We also discuss Our Lady of Good Success. Dr Taylor Marshall is best-selling author of a number of Catholic books. taylormarshall.com Timothy Gordon is the author of Catholic Republic: https://amzn.to/2NIgiyi."

Faithful Catholic Bishop Morlino of Morlino has Died

One of the more tradition friendly and orthodox Bishops in the United States,Bishop Morlino of Madison Diocese, sadly died last night :-

 

Some of the comments on the Diocese of Morlino Facebook account state:-

"I am saddened to hear about Archbishop's passing. We are in desperate need of faithful pastors in these sad times. The holy Church has lost a formidable defender. May he intercede for us at the Lord's throne where I am sure he is. Requiescat in pace."

"So very sad...praying for the soul of this great Shepherd, Bishop Morlino...this is a great loss to the people of God...the good Bishop was such a Holy Man of God..."

"....this Bishop is one of the true good Shepherds who boldly proclaims the truth of the teachings of Jesus and the Catholic faith...."

"RIP to a very brave & Faithful Bishop!"   

Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine: et lux perpétua lúceat eis. (Ps. 64: 2, 3). Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et tibi reddétur votum in Jerúsa!em: exáudi oratiónem meam, ad te omnis caro véniet. Réquiem ætérnam dona eis,. Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat eis.