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Trinity Sunday (Octave of Pentecost)

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the ancient octave day of Pentecost, otherwise known as the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, the beginning of the season after Pentecost.  Dr. Mike Foley provides commentary on Sunday’s Collect: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/05/the-confessional-collect-of-trinity.html

June Festal Latin Masses

As the Church moves into the season after Pentecost, June has some important feast days to celebrate:

Feast of Corpus Christi – Thursday June 3: 7pm (High): St. Thomas Aquinas, with Eucharistic Procession to follow

Feast of the Sacred Heart – Friday June 11

7am – (Low): St. Ann

12:30pm (Low): St. Mark

7pm (High): St. Ann – the parish’s annual orchestral Mass

Feast of SS. Peter and Paul –Tuesday June 29: 7pm (High), Cathedral of St. Patrick. It will be with the Cathedral Choir and feature Missa Brevis in E minor by Carl Heinrich Biber.

June – The month of octaves: June can also be thought of as a month of ancient octaves. Prior to Bugnini’s liturgical “reforms” of 1955, the church celebrated many more octaves than today. In fact, June would not only have the octave of Pentecost (if Easter/Ascension occurred late enough), but also commemorated octaves of Corpus Christi; Sacred Heart; and of Ss. Peter and Paul – each for 8 days. Occasionally, this also would mean a saint’s feast day was placed on the calendar only after a certain octave concluded, such as St. Isabel of Portugal who died on July 4 (during the Octave of Ss. Peter & Paul); thus her feast day was fixed to July 8. The same occurred with St. Thomas More, who was martyred on July 6 (octave day of Ss. Peter and Paul), but is celebrated in the Traditional Rite on July 9.  As the Church rediscovers the Traditional Latin Mass, especially the calendar prior to 1955, we can pray for a return to more of these octaves, as some feasts are too glorious to be celebrated for just one day. Also please see the last article below on the importance of the octave of Pentecost.

Juventutem is hosting a new series – beginning this Tuesday June 1, 7pm at St. Mark

Juventutem, the young adults group (18-35) centered around the Traditional Latin Mass has a new event series to announce: Beginning Tuesday June 1st, we will consistently gather every first and third Tuesday of the month at St. Mark’s Kerin Center at 7pm (Room 202) for study, discussion, and prayer. During these sessions we will explore the nature of Tradition in the history of the Catholic Church beginning with the Mass. Each evening will conclude with night prayer in the chapel. Open to young adults, married or single, ages 18-35. For details see this page: https://charlottelatinmass.org/about/juventutem/  

Traditional Men’s Recollection with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest – Saturday June 26

The Latin Mass faithful in Raleigh have again invited the Institute of Christ the King for a men’s day of recollection and Mass on Saturday June 26. The Institute is a priestly religious order that exclusively offers the Traditional Latin Mass and operate parishes in the US and around the world. The recollection is for men, but the Mass is open to the public.

Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT

Offered by Canon Matthew Weaver of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 2809 Poole Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610

9:00 am: Men’s Recollection

10:00 am: Rosary

10:30 am: High Mass

Confessions available

Latin Mass & Traditional News

  • St. Philomena anniversary: This past Tuesday, May 25, was the 219 anniversary of the discovery of St. Philomena’s relics in Rome. Her feast day in the Traditional calendar is on August 13, but sadly it was removed shortly before Vatican II (perhaps by Bugnini), but she is still a saint, counts St. John Vianney was one of her devotes, and a powerful intercessor as we saw within our own community earlier this year. Like the octaves, God willing, she will be restored to the calendar. Here is more info: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/13/saint-philomena.html
    Sanctuary of St. Philomena in Italy: http://www.shophilomena.com/
  • Mass of Ages – The Liturgy Film: Several months ago we mentioned a landmark documentary is underway to promote the Traditional Mass to those still attending the Novus Ordo Mass.  We are pleased to announce the film will be released on the feast of the Assumption and will now be a 3 part trilogy. To learn more and signup for updates please visit: https://theliturgy.org/
  • New Scientific Article on the (low) risk of COVID from Communion kneeling: In an interesting post-COVID wrap-up, Dr. Joseph Shaw, chair of the Latin Mass Society of the UK shares a report about how kneeling to receive Holy Communion on the tongue is actually a safer way than standing. It probably goes without saying the risk of COVID is much lower at a TLM: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/05/new-scientific-article-on-the-risk-of.html
  • Mexico’s First Traditional Ordination in Decades: The Mexican Church made history last week when Cardinal Burke ordained new men to the priesthood in the Traditional Rite. His Eminence was visiting for the Fraternity of St. Peter’s Mexico apostolate in Guadalajara, which also has a school of formation. As readers know, like the Institute of Christ the King, Fraternity of St. Peter priests offer the Traditional Latin Mass exclusively, and hence the Ordination Mass is in the Traditional Rite – something we pray can happen here in Charlotte someday (diocesan or religious): https://fssp.com/mexicos-first-traditional-ordination-in-decades/
  • The Eighth Week: The Wisdom of the Traditional Pentecost Octave – Guest Article by a Benedictine Monk: On the topic of octaves, this excellent article details the importance of the having the traditional octave of Pentecost. Below is an excerpt showing the problems of the Novus Ordo/Bugnini reforms which removed octaves and other seasons (like pre-Lent Septuagesima) after Vatican II:

Conversely, from a practical perspective, just as, due to the suppression of Septuagesima, the abrupt start of Lent on Ash Wednesday without transition from “ordinary time” feels strange, so does it feel odd, after the jubilant celebration of Pentecost Sunday, to find oneself all of a sudden, and without transition, in “ordinary time”, as if nothing had happened the day before.

The suppression of the octave, however, would create a number of other problems. So it is when a complex work of art is deemed too ornate, and one tries to simplify it. Can you imagine trying to “simplify” Chartres Cathedral or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?

The Novus Ordo’s abrupt end to Eastertide on the very evening of Pentecost Sunday seems to indicate that, now that we have the Spirit, there is nothing to worry about. But we know this is not true.

The old liturgy on the other hand, as in so many other realms, is a school of humility. We have the Holy Spirit; if we lose Him, it will be no fault of His. This is exactly what the octave of Pentecost helped us to not forget: we can lose Him through our fault if we cease to pray and to ask for His guidance. This can happen to all the members of the Church, including its shepherds.

https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/05/the-eighth-week-wisdom-of-traditional.html

This magnificent article shows the connection between right worship and belief and actually links the removal of the octave of Pentecost to the weakening of the Church, especially seen in Church leaders’ behavior during COVID lockdowns, and speaking foolishly about climate change, vaccines, etc.

The principle of lex orandi, lex credendi (roughly translated, how we pray, is how we believe), can clearly be seen in the Vatican II Church with the removal of this octave (which as we’ve noted above actually began in 1955). How can we change this? Simply by starting to attend the Traditional Latin Mass at least on Sundays, and incorporating its liturgical calendar into one’s prayer and family life.