BIG C CATHOLICS

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) The image is a familiar one: one or more dogs begging while you are at table, ready to pounce on whatever falls from the table, if not actively “demanding tribute,” as my brother’s Chihuahua “Rosy” does. Cute, if you like that sort of thing. But there is nothing cute about the exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in this Gospel. I once read an author, bent on finding humor in the Bible, who claimed that this was just a friendly little repartee, what Webster’s Dictionary describes as “amusing and usually light sparring with words.”  I couldn’t disagree more. The scene presented here by Matthew is no game of wits! Let me digress briefly with a little trip down memory lane: [Click on this link:] Kyrie eleison from the Missa de Angelis The point isn’t the music, the Gregorian chant or any other classic settings. The point isn’t the Lati

A plenary indulgence may be obtained on each Friday of Lent by the faithful, who after worthily receiving Communion, piously recite the following prayer before an image of Christ crucified – provided the conditions for a plenary indulgence are met. A plenary indulgence remits all temporal punishment due to personal sins. Prayer Before a Crucifix/Prayer to Christ Crucified. Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, pray and beseech thee that thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment; while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the prophet put on thy lips concerning thee: “My hands and my feet they have pierced, they have numbered all my bones" (Ps 21, 17-18). Amen. In Latin: En

Beginning on December 17, as the final phase of preparation for Christmas, the Church recites or chants the O Antiphons preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. The O Antiphons express the Church's longing and expectation for the Messiah, her startled wonderment at the fullness of grace which the Christ-Child is about to bestow on the world. Their theme is the majesty of the Savior, His wisdom, His faithfulness and sanctity, His justice and mercy, His covenant with His chosen people, who in their ingratitude broke faith with Him. They are concerned with His power and love as King and Redeemer of the world, His relation to every soul as Emmanuel, God-with-us. ( With Christ Through the Year by Bernard Strasser) According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one — E mmanuel,

On December 11th, the Church observes the feast of Pope St. Damasus I, who lived in the mid-300s just after the early persecutions of Christians had ended. When Damasus assumed the papacy, there were numerous Gospels and stories of Jesus’ life that were then circulating. Many of these were not inspired. Pope Damasus convened an ecumenical council to determine once and for all which Gospels and letters should comprise the New Testament. He also commissioned St. Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. __________________________________________ Pope St. Damasus I: A Consequential Papacy On [Pope] Liberius' death, riots broke out over the election of a successor. The majority favored Damasus, who was born in Rome of Spanish descent. He had served as a deacon under Liberius and upheld the Nicene Creed. In less than a month, Damasus was installed in the Lateran palace. A minority refused to accept the decision and set up the antipope Ursinu

Memorial - September 30th Anyone who ran afoul of Saint Jerome would not be likely to soon forget it. This formidable Doctor of the Church was as well known for his sarcastic tongue and blunt correspondences as he was for his redoubtable scholarship. The former was aimed at those who taught heresy or who did not uphold the moral standards of the Church. The latter led to his translation of the Bible into Latin, the common language at the time. That translation, the Vulgate, is the Church's official text. Saint Jerome was born Eusebius Hieronymous Sophronius in the year c. 342, in Dalmatia, a region of Croatia. His father, who was a Christian, saw to it that his son was well educated in terms of both faith and academics. Jerome’s instruction began at home, but when he got older, his father sent him to Rome to study with some of the best pagan and Christian scholars of the day. However, as most young men will, Jerome spent at least part of his early youth indulging in life’s

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) The image is a familiar one: one or more dogs begging while you are at table, ready to pounce on whatever falls from the table, if not actively “demanding tribute,” as my brother’s Chihuahua “Rosy” does. Cute, if you like that sort of thing. But there is nothing cute about the exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in this Gospel. I once read an author, bent on finding humor in the Bible, who claimed that this was just a friendly little repartee, what Webster’s Dictionary describes as “amusing and usually light sparring with words.”  I couldn’t disagree more. The scene presented here by Matthew is no game of wits! Let me digress briefly with a little trip down memory lane: [Click on this link:] Kyrie eleison from the Missa de Angelis The point isn’t the music, the Gregorian chant or any other classic settings. Th

April's Blog of Note is   Fr. Gary Coulter, the home page of a Catholic priest and parish pastor . Father Coulter is a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska and a graduate of Mount Saint Mary's Seminary. His website features numerous topics of interest to Catholics seeking information and insight concerning the faith; including apologetics, book recommendations, resources on Catholicism and marriage, current issues, Latin, recommended links, and more. As one reviewer stated, the site: "is a valuable resource for almost anyone. Homeschooling families will delight in checking out the recommended reading list, Latin students will find help in their studies and married couples will find sound direction." Among the offerings, of particular note to priests and seminarians is Fr. Coulter's thesis The Presbyterium of the Diocese , in which he writes: "Addressing the U.S. Bishops of Detroit and Cincinnati on their Ad Limina visit (May 6, 2004) Pope John P

Whether you're fluent in Latin or a neophyte, ChurchPop has a most excellent quiz. The quiz starts easy and gets progressively harder. 1. " Dóminus vobíscum ." Lord, have mercy. The Lord be with you. May the Lord be with you. May the Lord be praised. 2. " Laus tibi, Christe ." Praise God, you Christian. Praise to you, Christ. Have mercy on us, Christ. You praised God, St. Christopher. 3. " Sursum corda ." Give thanks in your heart. Let us pray. Hosanna in the highest. Lift up your hearts. 4. " Orémus ." Let us pray. God be praised. The Mass is over. And with your spirit. 5. " Et cum spíritu tuo ." It is just and right. And with the Holy Spirit. And with your spirit. And also with you. 6. " Hoc est enim corpus meum ." For this is a symbol of my body. This is our holy prayer. For this is my blood. For this is my body. [ ... ] See ChurchPop for more questions and the answers

Whether you're fluent in Latin or a neophyte, ChurchPop has a most excellent quiz. 1. " Ora et labora "  [pray and labor] Carthusians Carmelites Augustinians Benedictines 2.  "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis "  [The Cross is steady while the world is turning] Jesuits Carthusians Franciscans Dominicans 3. " Anima una et cor unum in Deum "  [One heart and one soul in God] Trinitarians Barnabites Augustinians Dominicans 4. " Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio "    [With Him is Plentiful Redemption] Kiltegan Fathers Redemptorists Adorno Fathers Carmelites 5. " Ad maiorem Dei gloriam "  [For the greater glory of God] Josephites Legion of Christ Franciscans Jesuits 6. " Ad Jesum per Mariam "  [To Jesus through Mary.] Carmelites Marist Brothers Society of Mary Alliance of Holy Mary [ ... ] See Church Pop for more questions and the answers . 

No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus.   — Otto Betz One assertion detractors of Christianity make to sow seeds of doubt about Jesus is the alleged lack of historical evidence for Christ outside of Sacred Scripture. Such claims are counterfactual and easily refuted. Here are five, first-century, non-biblical, historical references to Jesus of Nazareth. Publius Cornelius Tacitus (55-120 c. AD) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. His two major works, the Annals and the Histories, record the reigns of seven Roman Emperors: Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who ruled in the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD). These works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus in 14 AD to the 1st Jewish – Roman War in 70 AD. In the Annals , [XV,44] Tacitus mentions the death of Christ and the existence of Christians in Rome at the time of the great fire: "But not all the relief that could come from man, not al

Today is Virgil's birthday. He was born in 70 B.C., and died fifty-one years later. Virgil's poetics were revolutionary. Anyone who has studied Latin has read and translated his poetry. Virgil is ranked as Rome's greatest poet. His Aeneid is considered the national epic of ancient Rome. It tells the story of the eternal city's legendary founder and proclaims the Roman mission to civilize the world. Virgil's writing has greatly influenced Western literature (i.e., in Dante's Divine Comedy , Virgil is Dante's guide through hell and purgatory). Fortunately, his works are in the public domain . The verse inscribed on Virgil's tomb was supposedly composed by the poet himself. It reads in part: In Latin: Mantua me genuit, Calabri rapuere, tenet nunc Parthenope. Cecini pascua, rura, duces  In English:  Mantua bore me, the Calabrians snatched me away, now Naples holds me. I sang of pastures, countrysides, leaders... Want to learn Latin? Father Ga

Some of you were interested in how to pronounce the Salve Regina in Latin. For your information here is the Salve Regina along with other rosary prayers with text and accompanying audio . You can listen to the Salve Regina chanted by the monks at Conception Abbey here .

Continuing with our Marian theme for the month of May, this is the Dumb Ox's favorite prayer the Hail Holy Queen better known as the Salve Regina. Here is the prayer in English and in Latin: Hail Holy Queen Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. V./ Pray for us O holy Mother of God, R./ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Salve Regina Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae, ad te suspiramus, gementes et  flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; et Jesum,

Continuing with our Marian theme for the month of May, this is the Dumb Ox's favorite prayer the Hail Holy Queen better known as the Salve Regina. Here is the prayer in English and in Latin: Hail Holy Queen Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. V./ Pray for us O holy Mother of God, R./ that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Salve Regina Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae, ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; et Jesum, b