Laudetur Iesus Christus! Yesterday was the ancient feast of the espousal of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Although this feast was removed from the calendar in 1961, the feast day was celebrated in different countries for centuries. Dr. Mike Foley has a great write up not just on the origins of the feast day, but on the historical and theological understanding of the betrothal of the Blessed Mother & St. Joseph: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/01/the-feast-of-espousals-of-mary-and.html

End of Christmas Celebration – Sunday January 24

Today Sunday January 24th is the 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany and it is also the last Sunday of the extended Christmas-Epiphany season*. Dr. Mike Foley also have a commentary for this Sunday: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/01/the-secret-for-third-sunday-after.html

*Normally Epiphanytide would last until the Feast of the Purification, February 2^nd, but due to the early date of Easter, the pre-lent season of Septuagesima begins next Sunday.

Candlemas – Feast of the Purification – Tuesday February 2

St. Ann will offer a special 6pm High Mass for the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This will include a procession, and also a blessing of candles. You may wish to begin to purchase candles 51% beeswax or greater to be blessed. This day also marks the conclusion of our 54-Day Rosary novena for Thomas Lauer and the Mass intention will be offered in thanksgiving for his difficult and long recovery.

Also, we understand Holy Cross parish in Kernersville (near Greensboro) will be offering 7pm Candlemas.

Lenten Spiritual Enrollment

The traditional Carmelite Hermits of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Fairfield, PA are again offering a special Lenten spiritual enrollment which you can begin to participate in today. The Hermits will be offering 40 Masses, 40 days of praying the Divine Office (and other daily prayers), and 40 days of fasting and penance all for the intention of your family or other enrolled loved ones.  This is an amazing spiritual gift. Here is the link to the enrollment form: http://www.ednmc.org/

Please make an offering of alms along with this enrollment.  Your generous financial sacrifice will bear all the more fruit for your intentions.

Latin Mass and Traditional News

• Eucharistic Reverence Novena: Sophia Institute Press and Dr. Peter Kwasniewski are promoting a novena for Eucharistic Reverence from today January 24 – February 1: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/01/upcoming-eucharistic-reverence-and.html

• The Genealogy of the Italian Communist Party: Catholic Historian Roberto de Mattei provides a brief history of the rise of the Italian Communist party in Catholic Italy: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/01/de-mattei-genealogy-of-italian.html

• Monks of Norcia – Restored Church & Monastic Profession: The traditional Monks of Norcia (whose prior superior visited St. Ann and the Eucharistic Congress), are Benedictines who offer the Traditional Mass exclusively and produce some excellent beer. After surviving an earthquake in Norcia a few years ago, the monks have resettled in the nearby mountains and just restored a 16^th century Church as their chapel. They recently posted an article on the restoration, and an interesting piece on a Monk’s profession ritual (click here to read the article). To donate/give alms visit: https://en.nursia.org/donations.html
• ‘A hill worth dying on’: Expert explains how aborted baby cells taint COVID vaccines: As you may recall, we co-sponsored Pamela Acker at our Evolution & the Culture of Death conference in 2019 and she recently published a book, Vaccination: A Catholic Perspective; Ms. Acker, who attends the Latin Mass regularly, recently gave an interview on abortion-linked vaccines and the horrific atrocities that are committed in developing the aborted fetal cells used for vaccine development and production. There is much debate and confusion from the modernists in the Church on this topic. Ms. Acker’s interview is lengthy but helpful in understanding the traditional teachings and how they apply to vaccines:
  https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/a-hill-worth-dying-on-expert-explains-how-aborted-baby-cells-taint-covid-vaccines

Continue to Pray for Our Nation & Practice Fatima Devotions

While we are understandably disappointed and quite concerned about the spread of socialism and Marxism as a result of the U.S. elections results, we also know that this battle over good and evil is a spiritual battle more than a political one. What happens in “politics” is more dependent on what happens spiritually. This is good news for us Catholics as we can continue to affect our nation with our prayers. As many have noted, the message of Our Lady of Fatima was unique in that addressed both spiritual and the geopolitical matters (showing their connection) as she warned the errors of Russia (communism) would spread throughout the world due to sin. If we’re looking for a way out of today’s political and cultural situation, while civic action has its role, the best guidance is from Our Lady of Fatima her who asked the faithful to practice the 1^st Saturday devotions in reparation for the blasphemies against her Immaculate Heart:

• Pray the Rosary
• Receive Holy Communion
• 15 minutes of meditation on the Rosary mysteries; and
• Confession before/after 8 days

Our Lady requests this should be done for 5 consecutive months: https://www.mdrevelation.org/rosary-crusade-for-peace/how-to-practice-the-five-first-saturdays-devotion/

While Cardinal Burke and Bishop Schneider have both rightly stated that the consecration of Russia Our Lady asked for has not happened yet and should be done by the Pope, the laity can best assist this effort by practicing the 1^st Saturday devotions. At some point, the Pope will consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart and then the errors of Russia (Marxism, communism, socialism) will be defeated, and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart will happen and a true period of peace will reign. Let us pray and have hope this will occur soon.