Christus Resurréxit! Resurréxit Vere! Sunday is the 2^nd Sunday after Easter, otherwise known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The name is derived from Sunday’s gospel reading (John 10:11). We share a commentary for the Collect prayer from this Sunday’s Mass:  http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/04/the-freefall-collect-of-good-shepherd.html

Fr. Lawrence Carney’s Holy Face Presentations (Today – Tuesday)

Just a reminder that this morning Fr. Lawrence Carney will be offering the 11:30am Latin Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas and preaching on the importance of the Holy Face devotion. Tomorrow he will also be visiting St. Mark parish and Tuesday Holy Spirit (Denver). We list the schedule of events and encourage everyone to attend one of these talks if possible. Practice of this devotion may prove to be an important way in ending the current crisis in the Church and the world.  

• Sunday April 23, 11:30am Latin Mass – St. Thomas Aquinas parish (Fr. Carney will offer the Latin Mass and preach)
• Monday April 24, 5pm Holy Hour of Reparation and Talk – St. Mark parish, Huntersville (book signing to follow – see flyer below)
• Tuesday April 25, 10am Holy Hour of Reparation and Talk – Holy Spirit parish, Denver

Local publisher TAN Books has produced Fr. Carney’s book on the Holy Face: Secret of the Holy Face: The Devotion Destined to Save Society (https://tanbooks.com/products/books/tan-books/the-secret-of-the-holy-face/)

His book has been endorsed by Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Abbot Philip Anderson, OSB of Clear Creek Abbey.

Latin Masses This Week

• Wednesday April 26, 6pm – St. Ann (Ss. Cletus & Marcellinus, Popes & Martyrs)
• Thursday April 27, 7pm – St. Thomas Aquinas (Feast of St. Peter Canisius, Doctor)
• Friday April 28, 7am – St. Ann (St. Paul of the Cross, Confessor)

Major Rogation Day – Tuesday April 25

Although no Latin Masses are scheduled Tuesday in Charlotte, Tuesday April 25 is the Major Rogation Day, which, unique to the traditional calendar, is a day instituted of petitions and formerly penances to God to protect against natural disasters and plagues. It comes from the Latin word “rogare” which is to ask or petition. Sometimes it is accompanied by a procession and the chanting of the litany of the saints. There are two types of Rogation days – major and minor. The major day is April 25, Roman in origin, and was established by Pope St. Gregory the Great in 590 A.D. for deliverance from plagues as Fisheaters.com notes: 

“Rogation” comes from the Latin “rogare,” which means “to ask,” and Rogation Days are days during which we seek to ask God’s mercy, appease His anger, avert the chastisements He makes manifest through natural disasters, and ask for His blessings, particularly with regard to farming, gardening, and other agricultural pursuits. They are set aside to remind us how radically dependent we are on God through His creation, and how prayer can help protect us from nature’s often cruel ways.  Hence, its mood is somber and beseeching; its liturgical color is purple.

Source: https://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide3.html

Holy Face Devotions

• St Mark – Mondays at 5pm (this week led by Fr. Carney himself!)
• St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesdays 6am in the main church
• St. Ann – Tuesdays 7:30am in the chapel after the Novus Ordo Mass (uses the booklet/chaplet which takes 15-20 minutes)
• St Michael the Archangel, Gastonia – Tuesdays, 9am, Main Church
• Holy Spirit, Denver – Tuesdays 10-11am after the Novus Ordo Mass (this week led by Fr. Carney himself!)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• Rogation and Ember Days – An Illustrated Guide:  On the topic of Rogation Days, Fr. Christopher Smith, who offers the Traditional Latin Mass at Prince of Peace parish in Taylors, SC (two hours southwest of Charlotte) has compiled an extensive but instructive explanation of the Rogation and Ember Days in the Traditional Rite. You can download it here: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2019/04/rogation-and-ember-days-illustrated.html
  
  
• Minor Rogation Days: Further on this topic, the minor Rogation days come during three days of Ascension week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), and is more ancient than the major Rogation day, and comes from France in the late 5^th century as New Liturgical Movement explains: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2015/05/the-institution-of-rogation-days.html

• Recap of the Bi-Annual Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage in Washington DC: Noah Peters, the head of the Arlington Latin Mass Society in Virginia has penned a recap with photos about the March 25 pilgrimage to support the Latin Mass in Northern Virginia and Washington DC: https://onepeterfive.com/lucky-indeed-suffer-church/

• Following the Habsburg Way: Catholic writer Austin Ruse has written a brief book review about The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules for Turbulent Times. It was authored by Eduard Habsburg, a relative of Blessed Karl von Habsburg of Austria (the last Catholic monarch of Europe whom the CLMC has a devotion to). The book reviews the way of life of this great Catholic royal family and cultivates seven rules the family has found timeless for faith and family throughout the centuries: https://www.crisismagazine.com/opinion/following-the-habsburg-way  The book can be found here: https://www.crisismagazine.com/product/the-habsburg-way

• The War of the Antichrist with the Church and Christian Civilization – Msgr. George Dillon: During Fr. Carney’s talk on the Holy Face he mentioned the threats to the faith posed by communism and freemasonry. For those looking to dive deeper into the latter society (freemasonry), TAN Books has published a reprint of an excellent book from the 19^th century about the plan of freemasonry and its desire to subvert the Church and Christian society: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/war-of-the-antichrist/

The Archconfraternity of the Holy Face: Why Should One Join? – by Fr. Lawrence Carney

With Fr. Carney’s visit to Charlotte this weekend, we share some excerpts of a recent article he wrote for TAN Books about the Holy Face devotion:

St. Veronica wore a head veil. She saw Jesus carry His cross and broke through the mob to console his holy face and took the veil off her head to clean it. [5] The soldiers were stunned at such bravery that they stopped and did not know what to do. After this brief encounter, St. Veronica went home and put the veil on her table and began to weep. She had seen the Holy Face of Jesus in person and it moved her deeply. Someone observed the veil and saw the Face placed miraculously on it when Jesus had wiped his Face. Veronica could not contain her joy knowing that her Redeemer left her this precious relic as a remembrance to that wonderful encounter.

Today the enemies of God attack the freedoms of mankind. They are waiting for the day to take away our Mass. They are nothing but agents moved by the demons. The venomous serpents wait for the day they can wipe the Mass off the face of the earth as they wished to wipe the Face of Jesus off the earth. But we can break through this “mob” of agents and vipers by consoling the Face of Jesus in the devotions to the Holy Face found in the Manual of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face of Jesus. Jesus told Sr. Marie de Saint-Pierre, “…we render Him [Christ] the same service as did the pious Veronica…”[6] when we pray the prayers in this devotion!

…One must give reparation for the sins against God. Then he must strive to be more reverent. One example is by attending the Holy Mass or making efforts to encourage the bishop and priests in each local area to bring the Latin Mass there. Lastly, one must strive to intercede for reversion. This means praying for fallen-away Catholics that they will be led back into the Church. The Church was erected for two purposes, to render true adoration to God and to save souls. The devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus is an excellent outline to achieve these eternal goals.

The Archconfraternity of the Holy Face: Why Should One Join?: https://tandirection.com/tradition-restored/the-archconfraternity-of-the-holy-face-why-should-one-join/

Additionally, as we close this update, we also share an excerpt of Our Lord’s words to Sr. Mary St. Peter on the necessity of the Holy Face devotion and its ability to thwart those who wish to harm the Church. This is taken from the 1954 book by Fr. Emeric Scallan on the Holy Face, entitled The Golden Arrow.

“When a soldier knows that the reason for the war to which he is called to fight is an injury done against his ruler, he burns with indignation to avenge this insult, and therefore arms himself fearlessly for the encounter. Think now, My daughter, of the outrages inflicted on Me by this Society of Communists. They are the ones who have dragged Me from my tabernacles, and desecrated My sanctuaries.  These Communists have also dared to lay their hands on the priests of the Lord, but all their plotting is in vain, because their schemes will not succeed!

…This information must not remain fruitless in you because I am giving you these facts  in order to fire you with new enthusiasm to carry on the fight. Act in a spirit of simplicity because if you will indulge in too much human reasoning, you will not be an adequate tool in My hands. Think rather of the glory that will be offered Me by the whole heavenly court for having conquered such formidable enemies with such a puny instrument!”

– Our Lord Jesus Christ in an approved revelation to Sr. Mary St. Peter, April 1, 1847 (source: The Golden Arrow)

CLMC note: Reflecting upon these words, is there not a more timely devotion to defend the Catholic faith – including the Latin Mass – than by taking up the practice of the Holy Face devotion?

What Mass are you attending Sunday?