Homily - Sunday within the Octave of Christmas - December 27, 2015

Gal. 4:1-7; Lk. 2:33-40

I mentioned in my sermon on Christmas Day that the readings in this season would show us how deeply our Lord entered into humanity, except for sin, which He nevertheless took upon Himself to redeem us.

The readings in the traditional Latin Mass missal are very doctrinal.  So what we see in the readings today is that our Lord entered into the Old Testament law.  He is presented in the temple now, for Mary and Joseph to make the required offering for His birth.  But already we see the portent of what is to come.  Simeon and Anna appear, moved by the Spirit.  The Old Testament law was in preparation for the Messiah, and now our Lord has come, and He fulfills the law.  He will send the Holy Ghost to remind the Church of everything He said, and to show us the way to live our faith.

Cardinal Burke at Shield of Roses 2016 Benefit Dinner

The Shield of Roses,  a pro-life charitable organization invites you to their fundraiser this year which features His Eminence Cardinal Burke.  It promises to be a memorable evening for everyone and a wonderful opportunity to hear His Eminence speak in person! 

The Love, Life & Family Benefit Dinner will be at the Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale on Friday, January 15th, 2016.  RSVP before January 4th.  For more details...

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - January 2016

10 AM January 1st - Octave Day of Christmas
Low Mass

10 AM January 3rd - Holy Name of Jesus
Confessions 9 AM.  Benediction after Mass
Mass intention:  Barbara Blewett (L)

10 AM January 10th - The Holy Family
Confessions 9AM
Mass intention:  Monica Watson (L)

10 AM January 17th - 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Confessions not available
Mass intention:  Catherine Maddux (D)

10 AM January 24th - Septuagesima Sunday
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention:  Helen Milan (L)

10 AM January 31st - Sexagesima Sunday
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention:  Andrew Shapiro (D)

Homily - Christmas - December 25, 2015

Heb. 1:1-12; Jn. 1:1-14

One would think that the Gospel today would be that of the nativity, with the beautiful and familiar scene of Mary, Joseph, and the Infant in the manger.  In fact, that was the Gospel for midnight Mass, and this morning at dawn, that of the shepherds.  This is the birth of our Lord of Mary.  It shows that He is truly human, born of a mother, at a specific place and time.

For unto us a Child is born

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder:  and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  Speak ye comfort to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

Camarillo Community Center Dance

If your evening is open, please join Leo & Debbie Raab, celebrating the coming of the New Year with a dance for adults at the Camarillo Community Center.  Sponsored by the Senior Center, the Disc Jockey will be our own Latin Mass choir director, Andrew!  The event is on Tuesday, December 29th from 6 to 9 pm at 1605 Burnley Street, Camarillo.  Advance ticket sales at the Senior Center are $7 each or $10 at the door.  For more information, call 805-482-4881.

Homily - Fourth Sunday in Advent - December 20, 2015

1 Cor. 4:1-5; Lk. 3:1-6

The Gospels of the second, third, and fourth Sundays of Advent give us St. John the Baptist.  Today’s Gospel, from Luke, gives us the content of his message.  As you know, John the Baptist belongs to the Old Testament.  He is the last of the prophets.  He announces Christ, the beginning of His public ministry, and of the Church.  So, at this moment in history, the Gospel tells is, “The Word of the Lord came to John,” to let us know that all of this is the work of God.

Homily - Third Sunday in Advent - December 13, 2015

Phil. 4:4-7; Jn. 1:19-28

This Gospel immediately follows the great Prologue of St. John.  You know it well.  It is the second Gospel which we proclaim at the end of every traditional Latin Mass.  In it, it says that St. John the Baptist was not the light, but was sent to bear witness to the light.  And in today’s Gospel, that is what we see, St. John the Baptist bearing witness.  In last Sunday’s Gospel, our Lord referred to St. John the Baptist as His messenger, who prepares the way before Him.  The excellent quality of a messenger is that he says nothing of himself, but is completely dedicated to the one who sent Him.

Homily - Feast of the Immaculate Conception - December 8, 2015

Prov. 8:22-35; Lk. 26-28

On this Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the missal gives us the gospel of the Annunciation, which we celebrate on March 25^th, in which, as you heard, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be the mother of the Lord.

Homily - Second Sunday of Advent - December 6, 2015

Rom. 15:4-13; Mt. 11:2-10

As you know, our Lord calls St. John the Baptist the greatest prophet.  Those before him foretold Christ, but he was the one who was sent to prepare His way.  He is also the last of the prophets.  With him, the age of the prophets ends, and the time of salvation in Christ has appeared.

Special Series on the Traditional Mass on EWTN

Extraordinary Faith is a monthly 30 minute television program on EWTN that celebrates the beauty of classical Catholic sacred art, architecture, music, and liturgy. You will be taken to some of the world’s most awe-inspiring churches. You will be introduced to dynamic young Catholics whose faith has survived the demands of a secular world and who are becoming key players in the New Evangelization by sharing their enthusiasm for the traditions of Catholicism. You will be shown the rich vocations harvest that is synonymous with the movement to restore the Extraordinary Form of Mass to mainstream parish life.

Episode 1 – Mission San Juan Capistrano
Episode 2 – St. Paul Choir School at Harvard
Episode 3 – Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota
Episode 4 – Chicago – Part 1 of 2
Episode 5 – Chicago – Part 2 of 2
Episode 6 – Miami – Part 1 of 2
Episode 7 – Miami – Part 2 of 2

Homily - First Sunday of Advent - November 29, 2015

Rom. 8:11-14; Lk. 21:25-33

Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the four-week period preparing for the feast of our Lord’s birth at Christmas.  Ironically, it begins with the end.  It is all to tell us that our Lord is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  At every traditional Mass, we proclaim the last Gospel, the Prologue of John.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  He is the beginning, the creator, the source of all.  He has entered into human history and given all creation a new meaning, purpose, and finality.  He has come to establish the Kingdom of God.

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - December 2015

10 AM December 6th - 2nd Sunday of Advent
Confessions 9 AM. Benediction after Mass
Mass intention: Ruth Cahill (L)

7 PM December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Low Mass, Holy Day of Obligation

10 AM December 13th - 3rd Sunday of Advent
Confessions not available
Mass intention: William Whelan (D)

10 AM December 20th - 4th Sunday of Advent
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Maria Meza (D)

10 AM December 25th - Feast of Christmas

10 AM December 27th - Sunday within Octave of Christmas
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Robert Moore (D)

10 AM January 1st - Octave Day of Christmas
Low Mass

Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day

Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day

October 3, 1863       

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.  In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.  Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.  Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

Spiritual Conference - Saturday November 21st - Traditional Latin Mass Community

This month's Conference at the St. Mary Magdalen Chapel will include Low Mass said at 12 noon by Fr. Michael Carcerano followed by the Virtus Training given by Deacon Ron Moon from 1:00p to 4:00p at the school hall at the back of the property.  If you plan to attend the free training session, please let us know by sending an email to Ron Lawson (ronlawson@mac.com).

Homily - Resumed Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - November 15, 2015

1 Thess. 1:2-10; Mt. 13:31-35

Our epistle today is a shining page in sacred Scripture.  It is the first page of the New Testament.  St. Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians in 51.  The first gospel, of Mark, was written in 64.  In the few words, the epistle today has everything.  St. Paul commended the Thessalonians on their faith, hope, and charity.  They turned from idols to the one true God, so we have monotheism.  Their hope is in the Lord, who was crucified and raised up, so there is Christology, and even persecution.  St. Paul had to flee Thessalonika because of opposition by the synagogue.  He commends the Thessalonians for their patient endurance as they persevere in tribulation.

Guadalupe - The Miracle and the Message

The most important event in the evangelization of the New World occurred in December 1531. Over the course of four days, the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared to an indigenous convert named Juan Diego. As a result of this encounter, and the image miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak), nine million Native Americans embraced the Catholic faith, and the Americas began its transformation into “the Catholic hemisphere.” Our Lady of Guadalupe’s message of love had replaced the institutionalized violence of the Aztec culture and built a bridge between two worlds.

Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message, narrated by famed actor Jim Caviezel, traces the history of this transformative event from the 16th century to the present. Featuring interviews with leading theologians, historians and experts on the scientific inquiries into the miraculous image—this gripping film explores both the inexplicable mysteries behind the image, and the continued relevance of the Guadalupe apparition to the modern world.

Homily - Resumed Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - November 8, 2015

Col. 3:12-17; Mt. 13:24-30

The Epistle today gives us the community virtues, how those regenerated by faith and baptism must live together in unity, forbearance, forgiveness, in peace and thanksgiving, a word which, in the Greek, is eucharistoi, suggesting the Eucharist, worshipping together, giving honor to God through Christ.  We are well to remember these qualities and this life which bring us grace and bear witness to the redemption of Christ in the world.

However, it takes on a new meaning when, in the genius of the traditional Missal, this reading is paired with the Gospel, which asks how we are to respond when error arises, or, as St. Augustine comments, any other obstacle or works of iniquity in our mission.

Virtus "Protecting God's Children for Adults" Program - November 21st

All volunteers who work with or around children in any capacity are required to complete the initial three-hour Virtus “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” program.  Deacon Ron Moon from St. Mary Magdalen will offer this 3 hour session for the Latin Mass Community on November 21 from 1 to 4 PM at the School Hall.  The presentation is not suitable for minors and we ask that children not be present for the training.

All director s of religious education , catechists, confirmation coordinators, youth ministers and music ministers working with youth groups as well as adult volunteers who have regular contact with minors must be fingerprinted by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Fingerprinting by other agencies does not take the place of this fingerprint requirement.  There will be a fingerprint session held at St. Mary Magdalen School Hall on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10 to 2 and 3 to 5 PM.  You will need to call 484-0532 to schedule an appointment. 
A complete listing of all requirements relating to Safe Environments can be found in the ADLA Administrative Handbook, Chapter 9 found on the Archdiocesan website under the publications link.

Audio Recording from Spiritual Conference - October 17, 2015

The conference included Low Mass, Benediction, potluck dinner and a talk by Fr. Fryar on "The Social Kingship of Christ" on Saturday October 17th at Saint Mary Magdalen school hall.  If you missed the opportunity, you can still gain benefit by listening to the audio recordings of the talks!  You can download (right-click, save as) or just click and listen on line (be patient while it loads).

The Social Kingship of Christ  (30 MB, 33 minutes)

The Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours)

Divine Office on-line:  http://divinumofficium.com/ 

In the Roman Catholic Church priests are required by canon law to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours each day while deacons are required to pray the morning and evening hours. The practice among religious communities varies according to their rules and constitutions. The Second Vatican Council also exhorted the Christian laity to take up the practice, and as a result, many lay people have begun reciting portions of the Liturgy of the Hours.  This site offers many versions of the Traditional Office going back to pre-Tridentine monastic.  It is interesting and inspiring to see how little it has changed over the centuries.  This site is formatted for access to the traditional office on personal computers or smartphones.

Homily - Feast of All Saints - November 1, 2015

Apoc. 7:2-12; Mt. 5:1-12

Today, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints.  The Epistle gives us the picture of the Church triumphant, in heaven, worshipping the Lamb Who was slain, the 144,000, which represents a great multitude.  It is this great multitude, the saints, those named and unnamed, who we honor today.

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - November 2015

10 AM November 1st - All Saints
Confessions 9 AM. Benediction after Mass
Mass intention: Joseph & Rose Turco (D)

10 AM November 8th - Resumed Sunday after Epiphany
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Evan Zalesak (L)

10 AM November 15th - Resumed Sunday after Epiphany
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention:  William Grimm (D)

12 PM to 4 PM November 21st - Saturday Spiritual Conference
Mass, followed by Virtus Training in SMM school hall

10 AM November 22nd - 24th & Last Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions not available
Mass intention: Leo Raab (L)

10 AM November 29th - 1st Sunday of Advent
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Willie Burke (D)

Homily - Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ - October 25, 2015

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

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.  It is noteworthy that our Lord manifests His kingship precisely in His passion and cross.  In what the world would consider weakness, He manifests His power.  He overcomes all things.  He even overcomes Himself.  He, of course, was sinless, and had no concupiscence.  But in the garden of Gethsemani, He experienced human frailty and the dread of death.  Even this, out of love, love of the Father, love for each of us, He overcame.

Homily - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - October 11, 2015

Eph. 5:15-20; Jn. 4:46-53

Today’s Gospel gives us the second of five signs in the Gospel of John in which he sheds light on unbelief and faith in the revelation of Christ as the Messiah.  In this Gospel, the ruler goes from no faith, to an imperfect but wonderful faith, to a great faith.

We must think that at the beginning, the man had no faith.  Our Lord seems to refuse his request that He heal his son.  He says, “Unless you see signs, you will not believe.”  What he did have was an actual grace, a prompting to seek our Lord.  His son was ill, he loved him, he was attached to him.  He may have heard of the miracles our Lord did in Cana and in Jerusalem.  This is how we come to faith.  When we meet the new catechumens, we ask them, “What brought you to the Church?”  It is often a crisis, a difficulty.  “I was going through a hard time.”  It does not look like an actual grace, but it is a prompting then, to seek faith.  And they have heard, through a friend, family member, co-worker, about our Lord, and that they may put their trust and faith in Him.

Catholic Charities Raffle Fundraiser - Royal Kona Resort

Catholic Charities of Ventura County has raffle tickets which will be available for purchase at the Saturday Conference and Sunday after Mass.  They are for a one week vacation at the Royal Kona Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Your support helps  to prevent hunger & homelessness.  Tickets are $25 each.  See Ron or Kateri Lawson.  Checks should be made payable to “Moorpark Pantry Plus”.

Spiritual Conference - Saturday October 17th - Traditional Latin Mass Community

Join us for our next conference day on Saturday, October 17th, at the St. Mary Magdalen Chapel, provided by Fr. Michael Carcerano and Fr. James Fryar, FSSP. The day begins at 12 noon with Low Mass and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  Afterwards, we will move to the school hall at the back of the property, where a potluck will follow.  The rest of the day’s activities will occur there, beginning with a presentation given at 2:00 by Fr. Fryar on the Social Kingship of Christ.  An activity for the children will also begin at 2:00, but there will be no provided childcare at this time.  The day will conclude at 3:30 with time dedicated to discussion.
 
If you plan to attend and/or if you can bring a dish for the potluck, please let us know by sending an email to Joseph Hise (jph@hise.com).  Your response will be greatly appreciated, as it will help ensure that there is enough food at the potluck for everyone.

Fr. Earl Eggleston - Low Mass - Monday October 12th at 7:30 am

Fr. Earl Eggleston from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Littleton Colorado will offer a low Mass on Monday, October 12th at 7.30 am at Saint Rose of Lima in Simi Valley, 1305 Royal Avenue Simi Valley, CA 93065.  He previously offered a Sung High Mass on December 29th with 330 faithful in attendance  Choir recording and photos from this event are here

Homily - 19th Sunday after Pentecost - October 4, 2015

Audio recording of Fr. Fryar's Homily
(5.5 MB, 6 minutes)

You can download (right-click, save as) or just click and listen on line (be patient while it loads).

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - October 2015

10 AM October 4th - 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9 AM.  Benediction after Mass.
Mass intention:  Hozie & Laura Burke (L)

10 AM October 11th - 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Bertie & Willie Burke (D)

10 AM October 18th - 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions not available.
Mass intention: Jessie Urcheck (D)

10 AM October 25th - Christ the King
Confessions 9 AM
Mass intention: Elizabeth Hise (D)

Homily - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - September 27, 2015

1 Cor. 1:4-8; Mt. 9:1-8

In our Gospel today, our Lord does a healing.  However, it is more than that.  He is acting sacramentally.  He has forgiven the sins of the paralytic, something which cannot necessarily be seen.  The Pharisees accuse Him of blasphemy.  So he does something which can be seen, the healing.  He is able to heal by His authority, and, therefore, a fortiori, by His authority, he is able to forgive sins.

Homily - Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - September 20, 2015

Eph. 4:1-6; Mt. 22:35-46

It was not unusual in our Lord’s day to ask a holy man which of the commandments is the greatest, and it was not even unusual for a holy man to respond with the command to love the Lord our God will all our heart, soul, and mind.  But it was unique for our Lord to add the second command, to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We can almost see the doctor of the law begin to walk away, before our Lord adds the second command.

Audio Recordings from Spiritual Conference - September 19, 2015

About 55 faithful gathered to hear Fr. Carcerano speak on "Blessed Junipero Serra" and "The Family as the Domestic Church" on Saturday September 19th at Saint Mary Magdalen school hall.  If you missed the opportunity, you can still gain benefit by listening to the audio recordings of the talks!  You can download (right-click, save as) or just click and listen on line (be patient while it loads).

Blessed Junipero Serra  (40 MB, 43 minutes)
The Family as the Domestic Church  (58 MB, 62 minutes)

Homily - Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - September 13, 2015

Eph. 3:13-21; Lk. 14:1-11

In the world, we often find that those who seek the highest place and honors obtain them.  However, if we think about it, those are only passing, and end when our earthly journey ends.  Our Lord in the Gospel today is talking about something much greater and more important than that.  What we have are two of four lessons which St. Luke groups together since they all have to do with a banquet.  In the lesson which follows our Gospel today, our Lord says to invite those who cannot pay us back.  Our charity must be gratuitous.  Then He says, “and you will be repaid in the resurrection of the just.”  It is wonderful to think that we share that life even now, and that our Lord speaks to us today about something which will be fulfilled in the resurrection.

Spiritual Conference - Saturday September 19th - Traditional Latin Mass Community

Stained Glass Window in St. Mary
Magdalen Chapel Museum Wing

Join us for our first conference day on Saturday, September 19th, at the St. Mary Magdalen Chapel.  The day begins at 1:30 with Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by presentations at 2:00 and 3:30, in the school hall, by Fr. Michael Carcerano, our priest chaplain, on Blessed Junipero Serra, and on the Family as the Domestic Church.  Refreshments (punch/cookies) served between presentations.  There will be an activity for the school age children in the school hall at 2:00, and supervised Frisbee on the school lawn at 3:30, but no childcare at this time.  The day will conclude with Low Mass at 5:00 PM (Sunday Mass of precept).  Our pastor, Fr. Preston Passos, has graciously approved this format for the third Saturday of each month (except December and March, due to seasonal use of the facilities).  Fr. James Fryar, F.S.S.P., who is on pilgrimage in September, will also join us for future conference days and give a presentation.

Homily - Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - September 6, 2015

Gal. 5:25-26; 6:1-10; Lk. 7:11-16

This moving passage appears only in the Gospel of Luke.  Our Lord is at the end of His Galilean ministry, and about to descend to Jerusalem where he will undergo His cross and resurrection.  Today’s Gospel sheds light on the meaning of His paschal mystery.

Up until now, He has healed, but this is the first instance where He has restored life, where He has raised someone from the dead.  Fittingly, this is also the first time in which He is referred to by His messianic name, Lord, Kyrios, the name attributed to Him in His Godhead.  Only God can give life.  The central purpose of this passage is to present us with the meaning of His cross and resurrection, that the dead rise to new life in Christ

Homily - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - August 30, 2015

Gal. 5:16-24; Mt. 6:24-33

Our Lord says in today’s Gospel that we cannot serve two masters, God and mammon.  Mammon is a Syrian word which means hard master, and represents all the temporal things of life.  The reason we cannot serve two masters is that we have only one purpose in this life, to get to heaven.

St. Paul gives us the context in the Epistle.  He is addressing the Galations, newly baptized, as were many in his missionary destinations.  He says the flesh is opposed to the spirit, and the spirit to the flesh.  By this, he is referring to their former way of life, in which they had no hope except for the things in this life.  But, now, with faith and baptism, they have the gift of salvation, and grace, and sanctifying grace, the indwelling of God with them.  Then, what they have received in reality, they must now inculcate in their way of life.

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - September 2015

10 AM September 6th - 15th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM.  Benediction after Mass.
Mass intention: Helen Milan (L)

10 AM September 13th - 16th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM.
Mass intention: Rodney Angotti (D)

10 AM September 20th - 17th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM.
Mass intention: Jose & Rebeca Meza (L)

Ember Wednesday, September 23rd (No Mass)

10 AM September 27th - 18th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions not available
Mass intention: Jeane Richmond (L)

Homily - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - August 23, 2015

Gal. 3:16-22; Lk. 17:11-19

St. Paul is very strong on what he says today in the Epistle, that salvation comes from the promise to Abraham, fulfilled in Christ.  In another place, St. Paul says that, by the promise, Abraham saw Christ from afar.  The reasons he says this is because in his missionary work among the gentiles, there were the Judaizers, those Israelites who insisted that the new gentile converts observe the law of Moses, promulgated, as St Paul says, 430 years later.  St. Paul says the law cannot save.  As St. Augustine said, it can point out sin, but it cannot take away sin.  It is Christ, the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, who heals, forgives, and brings us salvation.

Solemn High Masses in Lander, Wyoming

Wyoming is one of the largest States in the country, vast and beautiful, and yet the least populated of all 50 States. This contributes to Wyoming’s palpable sense of solitude, remoteness, and ruggedness, which is ideal for outdoor adventures as well as for people seeking a slower pace of life in the midst of more contemplative surroundings -- like the famous but practically inaccessible Carmelite Monks.

Numbering about 10% of the population, the Catholics in the State generally live quite a distance from the kind of populous urban centers in which it is relatively easy to muster forces for (not to mention interest in) solemn liturgical functions. Fortunately, the presence of Wyoming Catholic College, with its strong Catholic commitment, emphasis on the traditional liberal arts, and devotion to the glories of Western culture, has drawn many students, faculty, staff, and families to the small town of Lander (pop. 7,732) over the past decade. This, in turn, has provided the incentive and the infrastructure for the celebration of many magnificent liturgies...   Read more...

More Christ, Less ‘Worldly Entertainment’ at Mass, Says Vatican’s Head of Worship

"We run the real risk of leaving no room for God in our celebrations"

VATICAN CITY, August 17, 2015 (ChurchMilitant.com) - The Church still hasn't seen a genuine implementation of the Second Vatican Council's teachings on the Mass, says Cdl. Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

In a recently translated document published in L’Osservatore Romano, the African cardinal asserts that in spite of all the liturgical changes witnessed since the 1960s, the Church has yet to authentically realize the Council's understanding of what the liturgy actually is.  Read more...

Homily - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - August 16, 2015

2 Cor. 3:4-7; Lk. 10:23-37

You may recall in the letters of St. Paul his difficulty with the Judaisers.  After announcing the Gospel in the missionary areas, there were those who insisted that the new converts observe the Jewish law.  Some commentators say this was because it was easier to follow the old law with its clear formulations than the subtleties of the new law.  And yet, as St. Paul says in the epistle today, the letter kills but the spirit gives life.  St. Augustine echoes this when he says that the old law gave us knowledge of sin but could not take away sin.

Homily - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15, 2015

Jdt. 13:22-25; 15:10; Lk. 1:41-50

Today’s feast expresses the ancient faith that the Blessed Virgin Mary, having come to the end of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven, defined in the lifetime of many of us here, in 1950.

In the first pages of the Scripture, in the Book of Genesis, after the fall of the first man and woman, there is a haunting verse:  Eve became the mother of all the living.  What transpired in the garden resulted in their fallen human nature.  We receive the nature of our fathers.  And so all who come after them are afflicted with original sin, save the Blessed Virgin Mary, preserved by a singular privilege of God by virtue of the merits of Christ.  At the other end, in the final pages of the Book of Revelation, the inspired author says that death will be no more.  And there is this woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption:  a woman clothed with the sun, wearing a crown of twelve stars.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Saturday August 15th

Extraordinary Form Low Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 15th at St. Mary Magdalen Chapel

Celebrated every year on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay--a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time. Because it signifies the Blessed Virgin's passing into eternal life, it is the most important of all Marian feasts and a Holy Day of Obligation.  However, in the United States and other countries, the bishops have received permission from the Vatican to abrogate (temporarily waive) the requirement for Catholics to attend Mass when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday.

Instead of an obligation, take this most Blessed of Feast Days as a "Holy Day of Opportunity"!

Read more about the Assumption at:
catholicism.about     fisheaters.com

Traditional Latin Mass Community of Blessed Junipero Serra

The central coast's Traditional Latin Mass Community of Blessed Junipero Serra (Pismo Beach/Oceano) is served by Dom Christopher Andrews, O.S.B. a young Benedictine monk from Clear Creek monastery.  The new young Priest came at the request of the Most Reverend Richard J. Garcia, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey in California.  The community is blessed with daily Latin Masses.  Sunday Mass is at St. Paul the Apostle in Pismo Beach while weekday Masses are offered at St. Francis of Assisi in Oceano.  They hope someday to have their own church facilities.

Baptism of Joseph Benedict Zalesak

You are invited to join the Zalesak family in prayer as the Sacrament of Baptism is conferred upon Joseph Benedict Zalesak, August 16th following the 10:00 a.m. Mass.

Juventutem Michigan Chapter Leads Nationwide Growth in Devotion to Tridentine Liturgy

Karla Dorweiler | Special to The Michigan Catholic

Detroit — While scores of young adults spent July 31 socializing with their peers in downtown Detroit, members of the Michigan chapter of Juventutem were doing the same — in a very different way.  Juventutem is an international organization of Catholic married and single men and women, ages 18-35, who share a devotion to the traditional Latin Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass or the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.  On July 31, the group hosted its second Latin Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and celebrant Fr. Clint McDonell of Sacred Heart Major Seminary.  Nearly 175 people attended the Mass, with Juventutem members accounting for about 75, with cathedral organist Joseph Balistreri and members of the Archdiocesan Chorus providing sacred music.  Archbishop Vigneron, in his homily, noted the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola and urged members of Juventutem to imitate the saint’s zeal for evangelization.  “Like St. Ignatius, we, too, are called today to be ‘all in’ in our discipleship,” said the archbishop. “To have an unconditional commitment to the Lord, to be intrepid in our devotion.”  Read more...

Homily - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - August 2, 2015

1 Cor. 12:2-11; Lk. 18:9-14

Comparisons are odious, including in the spiritual life.  We never compare.  If we compare ourselves with others, we will always find someone who we consider better off than ourselves, and we will feel dejected.  And we will always find someone who we consider worse off than ourselves, and we will feel proud.  We simply try to see ourselves as God sees us, with His presence, gifts, love, and the grace necessary to overcome our sins and weaknesses.  St. Paul says he does not even judge himself.  He leaves that to God.  If we can see ourselves as God sees us, we will be in a good place.

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - August 2015

10 AM August 2nd - 10th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM. Benediction after Mass. Mass intention: John Campbell (D)

10 AM August 9th - 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions TBD. Mass intention: David Halpin (D)

10 AM August 15th (Saturday) - Feast of the Assumption
Confessions 9:00 AM

10 AM August 16th - 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM. Mass intention: Ramiro Campos (D)

10 AM August 23rd -13th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM. Mass intention: Jason Lopez (D)

10 AM August 30th - 14th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM. Mass intention: Kinga Illes (D)

Homily - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - July 26, 2015

1 Cor. 10:6-13; Lk. 19:41-47

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis visited three countries in Latin America last week.  While in Bolivia, he said, “Faith is a light which does not blind.  Politics blinds.”  Faith enlightens, but agendas, ideologies, blind us to the plan of God, the dignity of the human person.  Pope Francis was addressing a hostile regime.

Pope Francis Appoints Fr. Robert Barron Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles

ROME - This morning (7/21/2015), Pope Francis formally announced Father Robert Barron's appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  Bishop-Elect Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, host of the award-winning CATHOLICISM film series, and since 2012 has served as the Rector/President of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago, IL.  His website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 13 million times. Next to Pope Francis, he is the most-followed Catholic leader on social media.  Read more...

Portiuncula Indulgence

 From midnight August 1st to midnight August 2nd, you can gain the “Portiuncula” Indulgence.  To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, or a Franciscan sanctuary, or one’s parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. Then perform the work of reciting the Creed and Our Father and pray for the Pope’s designated intentions. You should be free, at least intentionally, of attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. Make your sacramental confession 8 days before or after. Participate at assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after.  Read more...

Picnic in the Park after Mass - August 16th

Come and join us in the park after Mass from Noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 16th at the Camarillo Community Center park.  Bring your own lunch, beverage (no alcohol) and folding chair. There is a horseshoe pit with horseshoes. There will be a Bocce ball set, bean-bag toss, Frisbees to use as well! For those adventurous enough bring a squirt gun or Nerf gun for an epic battle!  There are clean bathrooms and a nice playground for the kids. This will be a great opportunity for all of us to get to know each other better!

Click to Enlarge

Directions from the Chapel: From the Chapel driveway, turn left onto Ventura Blvd (west). At Carmen Drive, turn right (north) to Modesto Avenue, turn right (east). The park is on the right and the playground is across from 1014 North Modesto Ave., Camarillo, CA 93010.

Homily - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 12, 2015

Rom. 6:19-23; Mt. 7:15-21

The Gospel today had a specific application in our Lord’s day, in the apostolic Church, and in our own day.  It is a perennial issue, that is, false teachers.  And our Lord says something wonderfully and disarmingly simple:  the inside and the outside must match.  There is a sensibility about this in the society in some areas.  We have laws about truth in advertising.  The list of ingredients on the outside of the can need to be the same as the inside, and, if not, there are penalties.  But the society rarely thinks of this in terms of other important areas, as well.

The Supreme Court and Laudato Si’

Posted by Christopher Zehnder in his blog:  "Notes from the Wasteland" June 27th 2015

When I first learned of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down statutes forbidding same-sex marriage, I felt neither surprise nor dismay. No surprise, for it was just what I had expected. No dismay, for I did not expect anything other from our society, or its government.  I did feel annoyed, however – for, like a vamp coming late to a party, the Supreme Court has drawn all eyes from the one who had been the belle of the ball: Pope Francis and his encyclical, Laudato Si’.  Read the full post...

Archconfraternity of Saint Stephen

Over the past year, work has been done to develop a group of Altar Servers dedicated to serving the Latin Mass that could go anywhere in the Archdiocese if asked. They have coordinated with Fr. Fryar and other priests to insure that Masses have been covered, both on Sundays and Weekdays. The next steps of establishing the Archconfraternity of Saint Stephen for Altar Servers is to extend an invitation to all servers of the Archdiocese. This is a worldwide program used by many Traditional Communities, including the FSSP in Sacramento:

The Guild of St Stephen is an International Organization of Altar Servers founded in England in 1904 by Father Hamilton McDonald when he formed a Society of Altar Servers at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in London. In 1905, Pope Pius X gave his approbation to the Canonical establishment of the Guild at Westminster Cathedral and in 1906, the Sacred Congregation of Rites made the Guild an Archconfraternity prima primaria enabling all the parish branches to be linked with it. The Guild spread, and in 1934, Pope Pius XI enabled all Guilds of Altar Servers throughout the British Commonwealth to be affiliated with the Archconfraternity at Westminster.

The objectives of the Guild:  To encourage, positively and practically, the highest standards of serving at the Church's liturgy and so contribute to the whole community's participation in a more fruitful worship of God. To provide altar servers with a greater understanding of what they are doing so that they may serve with increasing reverence and prayerfulness and thereby be led to a deepening response to their vocation in life. To unite servers of different parishes and dioceses for their mutual support and encouragement.

The organization is an Archconfraternaty which includes a special Mass of enrollment and presentation of a medal that may be worn whenever serving.  For more information, please contact Charles Coulombe at decoulombe@gmail.com

The Litmus Test

Irene and Bill Grimm

Our parents were a warm blanket and a hair shirt to us

The following came in an email to Cal Catholic on July 1, written by Anita Zepeda, one of the 17 Grimm children, raised in Pasadena, most of whom graduated from Thomas Aquinas College.

I ordinarily set no store by the idea of planetary influence on our lives, but obviously the Magi did, so I will just say I would not be surprised if the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter this month did indeed have something to do with Grandpa Bill and our family Summer of Love. I have been watching these planets draw nearer and nearer through a string of lovely Southern California evenings, musing a lot about my recently deceased father and his countercultural life.  Read more...

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - July 2015

10 AM July 5th - 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Missa Cantata, Confessions 9:00 AM.  Benediction after Mass.  Mass intention: Jason Lopez (D)

10 AM July 12th - 7th Sunday after Pentecost
Low Mass, Confessions 9:00 AM.  Mass intention: Michaela Watson (L)

10 AM July 19th - 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Low Mass,  No Confessions.  Mass intention: Michael Watson (L)

10 AM July 26th - 9th Sunday after Pentecost
Missa Cantata, Confessions 9:00 AM.  Mass intention: Andrew Petracca (L)

Homily - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - June 28, 2015

1 Pt. 3:8-15; Jn. Mt. 5:20-24

Our Gospel today is taken from the Sermon on the Mount of our Lord.  Successively, he takes an Old Testament command, in today’s case, “Thou shalt not kill,” and continues, “But what I say,” and presents us with a higher standard, in this Gospel passage, “whoever is angry with his brother is subject to judgment.”  Our Lord is not simply giving a higher standard or a more strict command.  Rather, it is a matter of the heart.  St. Peter, in our Epistle, gives the famous Christian moral axiom, “Avoid evil and do good,” and continues, “Sanctify the Lord Christ, in your hearts.”

Elizabeth Hise - Rest In Peace

It is with a heavy heart that I give notification of my Grandmother Elizabeth Hise’s death.  She passed away on June 17^th 2015 of natural causes at the age of 94.  She is survived by 5 children, 25 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.   She has been an advocate of the Traditional Mass her entire life and is credited throughout our family for teaching us our faith.  She will be missed.

Her Requiem Mass will take place this Monday, June 22^nd at the San Fernando Mission at 10:30 a.m.  15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd, Mission Hills, CA 91345.  A burial will follow thereafter at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Joseph Hise

An Invitation from Santa Barbara Pro-Life Catholics

Dear Mary-and-Mercy Catholic
 
Have you heard about the diabolical new anti-life bill from our lawmakers in Sacramento?  AB 775 would require pro-life pregnancy centers to offer free Medicaid abortions to the pregnant moms who come to them for help!  If a center refused, it'd be fined $500 for the first "offense" and $1,000 for every "offense" after that!  No pregnancy center could afford to pay those fines, so they'd all have to close their doors, which of course is the ultimate goal of this vicious bill. 
 
We need to storm Heaven to stop AB 775!  An ideal way to do that is to gather this coming Sunday, June 14, at our monthly Prayer Vigil to End Abortion.  As always, we'll meet at 3:00 p.m. (the Hour of Mercy) in front of "Planned Parenthood," 518 Garden Street (between Haley and Cota Streets; from the 101, take the Garden Street exit)) in Santa Barbara.  Our Chaplet of Mercy, Rosary, litany, hymns and other prayers (about 40 minutes) will delight the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, bringing down powerful graces to defeat AB 775 and abortion, to save babies and moms, and to convert abortionists.  And we'll be sure to pray for our beloved fathers, too.
 
Please also pray for the soul of Maddie Press, who entered eternal life today (Friday).  Maddie is the mother of faithful pro-lifer Dr. Mary Press.  

Yours for Life, Mike and Dan

Rosary Rally for Traditional Marriage at St. Mary Magdalen Saturday, June 13 at 10 AM

Traditional Marriage Campaign - Sister Claudia, Director of Religious Education at St. Mary Magdalen invites you to join the Rosary rally which will be held this coming Saturday, June 13 at 10 AM in the Church on Las Posas Road at Crestview to support Traditional Marriage.

As Catholics we know without any doubt that marriage can only occur between one man and one woman, period.  We know that despite what men or men’s laws state to the contrary, marriage always has been and always will be between one man and one woman.  The traditional family and the very notion of God’s marriage as the union of one man and one woman is being confused, attacked and undermined.  America Needs Fatima is spiritually fighting back by organizing rosary rallies in defense of "God's Marriage". 

Read more about America Needs Fatima Traditional Marriage Campaign

Pope Francis wants Vatican Liturgy Chief to continue the work of Benedict XVI

Vatican City, Jun 3, 2015 / 01:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, revealed in a letter sent to a liturgical conference this week that when he was appointed to his post, Pope Francis indicated a desire to continue the liturgical work done by his predecessor as Bishop of Rome.

“When the Holy Father, Pope Francis, asked me to accept the ministry of Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, I asked: ‘Your Holiness, how do you want me to exercise this ministry? What do you want me to do as Prefect of this Congregation?’ The Holy Father's reply was clear. ‘I want you to continue to implement the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council,’ he said, ‘and I want you to continue the good work in the liturgy begun by Pope Benedict XVI,'” Cardinal Sarah wrote in a letter to the Sacra Liturgia Conference, which was made public June 2.

“My friends,” the cardinal wrote, “I want you to help me in this task.”

The Sacra Liturgia Conference is held annually, and addresses the importance of liturgical formation within the Church. It is a proponent of the new evangelization, and supports liturgical catechesis of the faithful.

Cardinal Sarah, who was appointed head of the CDW in November 2014, asked that Sacra Liturgia “continue to work towards achieving the liturgical aims of the Second Vatican Council and to work to continue the liturgical renewal promoted by Pope Benedict XVI.”

He cited in particular the emeritus Pope's apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, on the Eucharist, and his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which made it easier for all priests to celebrate the liturgy as it had been done prior to the reform which followed Vatican II.  Read the full article

Baptism on Feast of Corpus Christi

You are invited to join the Lawson family in prayer as the Sacrament of Baptism is conferred upon Michael Paul Owen Lawson on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 7th at 9:00 a.m. 

Please note that Confessions will begin afterwards around 9:30 a.m.

Mass, Confession & Benediction Schedule - June 2015

10 AM June 7th - External Solemnity of Corpus Christi
Confessions 9:00 AM.  Eucharistic Procession and Benediction after Mass.  Mass intention John Campbell (D)

10 AM June 14th - 3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:30 AM.  Mass intention Jane Schaeffer (D)

10 AM June 21st - 4th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM.  Mass intention William Maddux (D)

10 AM June 28th - 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Confessions 9:00 AM.  Mass intention Alyssa Watson (L)

Homily - Ascension Thursday - May 14, 2015

Acts 1:1-11; Mk. 16:14-20

When I was a child, my grandparents used to visit us for the summer from Massachusetts.  When it came time for them to leave, of course, there were tears.  I remember once, my grandmother rolled down the window of the car, and said, “If we don’t go, we can’t come back.”  We were somehow consoled by these words.  We know that, though unseen, the bonds of love, and of longing, and of the hope of seeing our loved ones again, are very palpable.

The Occult and Satanism in America

The Occult and Satanism in America
This article-report (page 10) is based on studies by the author Rex Teodosio as well as an interview with ex-satanist Zachary King. It is meant to raise awareness regarding the growing popularity of the occult and satanism in America, its threat to our children and how society is being transformed to be more accepting of the devil.

A Medal, a Vision, a Conversion
The conversion story of Claude Newman (page 22).  Claude Newman was a twenty-year-old African American who, in 1943, awaited execution in a prison in Mississippi. His crime was that of ambushing and shooting a man named Sid Cook, his beloved grandmother’s abusive second husband.

The Hidden Treasure: Holy Mass by St. Leonard of Port Maurice

There are several copies available to loan out.  Please contact me at latin.mass.smm@gmail.com if you would like to read this inspiring short book! 

The Hidden Treasure. This book written by St. Leonard who lived from 1676-1751, describes the great spiritual power of the Mass, how it holds back the wrath of God, its wonderful eternal and temporal benefits and several excellent ways to pray at Mass. Hidden Treasure is the prototype book on the Mass for all other books on the same subject; others basically repeat what this small book contains.  Read more

Homily - Fifth Sunday after Easter - May 10, 2015

Jas. 1:22-27; Jn. 16:23-30

 

As you know, in the Gospels, the disciples were sometimes slow to recognize our Lord after His resurrection.  This is not because they did not know Him.  After a few clues, they recognized Him readily.  We cannot blame them too much.  The resurrection of the Lord was something they had never seen before and could hardly have expected.

Zachary King - Audio Recordings

Recordings of the Zachary King talk hosted at San Felipe Chapel in Los Angeles after a Traditional Latin Mass offered by Fr. Fryar.  Zachary was the former High Wizard of the Church of Satan and tells the amazing story of his conversion to Catholicism!

If you missed the opportunity, you can still gain benefit by listening to the audio recording of the talk!  You can download (right-click, save as) or just click and listen on line (be patient while it loads). 

Talk by Zachary King (57 mb)

Questions and Answers (31 mb)