Laudetur Iesus Christus and blessed Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul! Tomorrow Thursday June 29 is the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, an important feast day commemorating the first Pope and the apostle to the Gentiles. We share an article in the New Liturgical Movement about today’s vigil of Ss. Peter & Paul, which prepares us for tomorrow’s feast day: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/06/the-vigil-of-ss-peter-and-paul.html#.YrvcY4TMKHs
Latin Masses This Week
- Tonight Wednesday June 28, 6pm – St. Ann parish (Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul)
- Tomorrow Thursday June 29, 7pm – St. Thomas Aquinas (Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul)
- Friday June 30, 7am – St. Ann (Commemoration of St. Paul)
Traditions and Customs of the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) has published an informative article on the traditions and customs of this solemn feast: https://fssp.com/traditions-of-ss-peter-and-paul/
Feast of the Precious Blood – Saturday July 1
We are blessed to have two Saturday morning Latin Masses for this feast day (which is unique to the Traditional Rite), which also falls on first Saturday.
- 9am – St. Ann
- 10am – St. Thomas Aquinas (followed by blessing of religious objects in the traditional rite)
First Sunday Latin Mass in Salisbury – Sunday July 2, 4pm
Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury will offer its 1st Sunday Latin Mass this Sunday July 2nd at 4pm. Mass is offered by Fr. Robert Ferguson, FSSP. Afterwards a potluck will be held in the Brincefield Hall. Please bring a dish or dessert to share. For more information please contact the Salisbury Latin Mass Community at: www.salisburylmc.org
CANCELLED: 1st Sunday Potluck at St. Thomas Aquinas
Due to the holiday weekend, there will not be a potluck after Sunday’s Latin Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Martyrdom of St. Peter by Dom Prosper Gueranger
We conclude this update with a commentary by Dom Prosper Gueranger, on the martyrdom of the first Pope, St. Peter, and his confrontation with his nemesis, the anti-Pope, Simon the Magician, who first appeared in Acts 8:9-24, and reappears in Rome around 67 AD. St. Peter confronted and defeated this false vicar of Christ, actions which ultimately led to St. Peter’s glorious martyrdom. Gueranger notes this confrontation is reminder that “false brethren” have been present in the Church since its earliest days:
But before quitting earth, Peter must triumph over Simon the magician, his base antagonist. This heresiarch did not content himself with seducing souls by his perverse doctrines; he sought even to mimic Peter in the prodigies operated by him. He proclaimed that on a certain day he would fly in the air. The report of this novelty quickly spread through Rome, and the people were full of the prospect of such a marvelous sight. If we are to believe Dion Chrysostom, Nero entertained the magician at his court, and moreover decided to honour the spectacle with his presence. Accordingly, the royal lodge was erected upon the via sacra. Here the attempted flight was to take place. The impostor’s pride, however, was doomed to suffer. ‘Scarcely had this Icarus begun to poise his flight,’ says Suetonius, ‘than he fell close to Nero’s lodge, which was bathed in his blood.’ The Samaritan juggler had set himself up, in Rome itself, as the rival of Christ’s Vicar, and writers of Christian antiquity agree in attributing his downfall to the prayers of St Peter.
The failure of the heresiarch was in the eyes of the people a stain upon the emperor’s character, and if ill will were united to curiosity, attention would be attracted towards Peter in a way that might prove disastrous. Also there was the ‘peril of false brethren’ mentioned by St Paul. This is a danger inevitable in a society as large as that of the Christians, where the association of widely differing characters is bound to cause friction, and discontent is aroused in the minds of the less educated on account of the choice of those placed in positions of trust or special confidence.
The filial devotedness of the Christians of Rome took alarm, and they implored St Peter to elude the danger for a while by instant flight. Although he would have much preferred to suffer, says St Ambrose,[42] Peter set out along the Appian Way. Just as he reached the Capuan gate, Christ suddenly appeared to him as if about to enter the city. ‘Lord, whither goest thou?’ cried out the apostle. ‘To Rome,’ Christ replied, ‘to be there crucified again.’ The disciple understood his Master; he at once retraced his steps, having now no thought but to await his hour of martyrdom.
Ss. Peter and Paul, pray for us!
Charlotte Latin Mass Community 