On 29th June 1975, His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke was ordained a priest of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the Bishop of LaCrosse, Archbishop of St. Louis, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, and is presently a member of the College of Cardinals.

Today, on the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Cardinal Burke celebrates his 42nd anniversary of priestly ordination.

I commend him to your prayers! Ab uno disce omnes!

Just as the brilliance of the sun is often hidden by the clouds, so too, the true motives and the hearts of men are hidden by the appearance of other things. The Scribes and Pharisees could not see the Divinity in Jesus Christ; they could not see His goodness, His mercy or His love. As they were filled with their own pride, they could not see nor comprehend how the Divinity could be in Man. God humbled and hidden in the flesh of a Man, was too much for their pride and vanity to comprehend.

Appearances are seldom what they seem to be. Only God is witness to many of the things that are hidden in the hearts and minds of men. Frequently, we are not even aware of the many things that transpire within us. Because of this, we should be ever more vigilant in the discerning of the motives of others. A child that has just been reprimanded or punished, often thinks (feels) that he is no longer loved because he sees the anger in his father's face. Every father, however, knows that the appearance of his countenance at this moment is not reflective of the sentiments of his heart. For the father truly loves his child. It is love for the child that causes him to become displeased and even angry over the sins, faults, or failings of his child. It is actually love for the child that brings him to discipline and correct him.

A harsh word from our superiors should not fill our hearts with dismay, but should be rather a consolation that the superior cares enough for us to correct us. Tragically, there are many in the world that fail to see or understand this, and end up filling their lives with great anxiety and even misery. We should care when we are corrected, and we should strive always to make amends and do better, but we should not allow the correction to cause despair or hopelessness.

The corrections, punishments, and chastisements of God and of the Church are signs that we are loved. This should fill our hearts with joy not despair. Outwardly we may see something completely different, but when we examine it from within — on a spiritual level — we find something much more beautiful and pleasing.

Christ spoke to and ate with sinners, and the "righteous" were scandalized by this. They could not comprehend how a holy man could in any way associate with sinners. The real motives of Christ were not visible to them because they were filled with pride and vanity. Christ loved these men too, and He went out of His way to explain to them the love that God has for all men, and how His heart rejoices in the salvation of those souls that were lost in sin.

The evil of sin, became a grace to those that Christ went after to save. He, like the shepherd, went in search of them and picked them up and returned them to their proper place with God. The humility of the sinner opened for him the door to grace. The grace of righteousness in the Scribes and Pharisees became an evil for them because they were proud and vain. We must not be too quick to judge someone as a sinner or as a saint. We all have some of both in us. The sinner through humility and the grace of God can become a saint. The righteous in this world may actually be the greatest sinner of all. Things are not always what they appear to be.

If we have been lifted up from evils or preserved from them, we should be especially grateful to God and become ever more humble. We must, however, be careful not to despise those who appear to be less blessed with the graces of God than we have been. The obvious and humiliating sins of others are often less detestable than the hidden vices of pride and vanity.

We caution one and all true Catholics to be grateful to God for this gift and to become ever more humble, realizing that this is God's gift and not our own work. We need not look down upon or scorn those less fortunate. The love we have for God and our fellow men should be abundant enough in us that we are drawn to compassion for these less fortunate. We should have compassion even upon those who consider themselves our enemies and do evil to us. As Jesus said upon the cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing." It may be necessary for us to correct and instruct from time to time, in doing so, we should remember how gently and kindly God dealt with us when we were in sin; as well as remember the compassion that Jesus has for sinners, even as He corrected and instructed the Scribes and Pharisees. May we humbly do good always as Christ has done — even to those who do evil to us.

Following on from today's ordinations at Warrington, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest ordinations will take place in Florence duting the week commencing 3rd July.

The Holy Order of Priesthood will be confered upon six deacons on the Thursday of that week (6th July) by His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke at the church of Saints Michael and Cajetan.

The deacons are:

Rev. Deacon Scott SMITH
Rev. Deacon Bertrand SIGROS
Rev. Deacon Jean-Guillaume de la CROCHAIS
Rev. Deacon Jonathan FEHRENBACHER
Rev. Deacon Benoît BELIGNÉ
Rev. Deacon Christian MAHLBERG

Please keep them in your prayers.

The full schedule is:

Monday 3 July:

• Reception of the Cassock at 4 p.m. in the Church of Saints Michael and Cajetan in Florence including 3 men from the UK.
  
  

Tuesday 4 July:

• Clerical Tonsure and Minor Orders at 9 a.m. in the Church of Saints Michael and Cajetan in Florence.
  
  

Wednesday 5 July:

• Ordinations of 5 Subdeacons and 8 Deacons at 9 a.m. in the Church of Saints Michael and Cajetan in Florence by the Most Reverend Guido Pozzo, Titular Archbishop of Bagnoregio and secretary of the Ecclesia Dei commission.
  
  

Thursday 6 July:

• Priestly Ordinations at 9 a.m. in the Church of Saints Michael and Cajetan in Florence.
• Te Deum at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Gricigliano.
  
  

Friday 7 July:

• First Masses of the Newly Ordained Priests in the Chapels of the Immaculate Conception at Gricigliano.

By God's providence, many were present in Warrington today for the ordination of two deacons to the Sacred Priesthood.

My congratulations and an assurance of continued prayers go to Father Alex Stewart, FSSP and Father Krzysztof Sanetra, FSSP - both were ordained by the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon O.P. at St Mary's. The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt. Rev. Mark Davies sat in choir as did many other priests from a wide range of locations in England and further afield.

This is the first time for decades that priests have been ordained in the Extraordinary Form in England & Wales. It is safe to say that not since the liturgical changes in the years following the Second Vatican Council.

This is a major step in the the direction of making the 'Extraordinary' routine and embedding it in the mainstream life of the Catholic Church.

Today is also an opportunity for young men from this country who have heard the call to serve the Church as priests in the context of the Extraordinary Form to be encouraged and follow in the footsteps of Wallasey born Father Stewart.

 St. Gregory informs us that the appetites of the body and the appetites of the soul are diametrically opposite. With the body, there is the greatest desire for that which it does not have; later, the gratification of the desires obtains a satiety which is quickly followed by disgust. With the soul, there is at first repugnance for spiritual things, but once we begin to taste them, we soon form an ever increasing insatiable desire for more.

In today's gospel, we see that the people in the world have no appetite for the spiritual Supper prepared by Our Lord. The desires of those who were invited were not for the Supper, but rather for worldly things: the concupiscence of eyes, the concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life. These, because they did not come, were forever barred from tasting of the Supper.

The poor, the lame, etc. were brought in because they were not attached to the pleasures of this world. Having tasted and found the world lacking in what was necessary to bring them satisfaction, these souls were ready to taste spiritual things.

The things of this world prove a great obstacle to many men. It is, therefore, in our best interest to renounce the world and all its pleasures, but we hesitate to ask this of many because they find it so difficult. Instead, we ask with St. Paul that they strive to use the things of this world as if they used them not.

If we cannot, outright, renounce the pleasures and joys of this life, then at least, we must develop a disinterested use of them. We must be willing to give them up and make a sacrifice of them for the benefit of our souls. Those who have a wife must live as if they did not have a wife, those who have wealth must live as if they did not have it, etc.

We establish a right order in our lives when we hold the spiritual in higher favor than then physical. Whenever there is a conflict between the soul and the body, we must always favor the soul. At first glance, this appears to be a very simple matter. However, we often see that it is much easier said than done. In the tangles of our mind we often deceive ourselves. We imagine that we are doing something for our souls, when in reality it is only for our physical pleasure.

All things are good, because God has made all things. Under this supposition, men often attempt to justify giving the favour to the body over the soul. Evil is not something positive, but is rather a void. It is the lack of right order, or lack of God's grace in our lives. The conflict is seldom about good versus evil, it is most often a conflict of one good versus another good. The conflict is in determining the greater good, and resolving to pursue the greater good at the expense of the lesser good.

Religious take the vows of poverty, chastity (celibacy), and obedience. Wealth is not evil; marriage and procreation are not evil; our free wills are not evil either. These things are all good. The religious sacrifice these goods for greater goods. It is a sacrifice of physical goods for the greater spiritual goods. In this manner, the religious, who have made these vows, potentially avoid having to constantly enter into this conflict. The choice has already been made, and all that is necessary is to follow through with the vows. Those who have not bound themselves by these vows, must frequently enter into this conflict with themselves, over which is the greater good and which they should choose.

Very often, we hear people complain of being confused. They do not know which way to go. It seems that this is not really the case. They, most often, are not confused, but are rather conflicted. They know which is the greater good and which is the better course to take, but they are not ready to sacrifice the physical good in order to gain the spiritual one.

What is necessary for us, is that we taste of the spiritual things and see how truly sweet they are, so that we can make wise and correct choices. Too often, our appetites are for the things of this world because we have not yet discovered, or have forgotten how these material things that are repeatedly indulged in become insipid and eventually repulsive. If we develop a true spiritual appetite, then the desires of the soul will allow us to make greater and greater sacrifice of the physical and increase our spiritual happiness day by day.

The ultimate goal is to be ready to come to the Heavenly Supper when we are invited. We must understand that it will mean the sacrifice of many physical good things. We must be ready to leave them behind, and come when God's servants tell us all is ready and it is time to come.

"My Flesh is food indeed...He who eats My Flesh...abides in Me and I in him...He who eats this Bread shall live forever” (Gospel).

Jesus offers Himself as a Victim for us on the altar in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Unbloody Representation of Calvary. Jesus comes to us as Food in His Sacrament of Union when the priest distributes Holy Communion. Jesus stays with us as a Divine Guest in the Tabernacle for Benediction or visits to Him.

In 1264 Pope Urban IV established the new feast of Corpus Christi as direct result of a revelation made by Our Lord to Blessed Juliana of Cornillon, a sister, that a feast of glory and splendour be established in honour of the Most Blessed Sacrament to combat growing disbelief in the Real Presence.

The Pope requested St. Bonaventure, the Superior General of the Franciscans, and St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican, to submit drafts of an Office and Mass for the new feast. On the day of the judging, done by the Pope himself, St. Thomas read his text, and tears fell from the eyes of both the Pope and St. Bonaventure who tore his own composition into shreds.

Everything was perfect and beautiful and nothing remained to say.

In England and Wales, because this great feast is not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is solemnised on the Sunday by way of the ability to celebrate an external solemnity - in many places a Corpus Christi procession will take place.

These processions outside the church are conducted to confront the faithful with their obligation to spread the Faith among unbelievers. Perhaps some onlookers might comment that we are eccentric or fanatical when processing behind the Blessed Sacrament in streets, but Our Lord has promised the forgiveness of many sins for those who profess Him before unbelievers and overcome human respect. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is an ocean of beauty and goodness, a burning furnace of charity toward us. It is the treasury of every blessing that can make us happy on earth and in Heaven. Let us then love His Heart with tenderness and gratitude and seek our joy and consolation from It!

The Benedictine Monks of Norcia have released the below message ..... pray for them!

The very essence of the Christian faith consists in the knowledge and adoration of one God in three persons. This is the mystery whence all others flow. Our faith centres in this as in the master-truth of all it knows in this life, and as the infinite object whose vision is to form our eternal happiness; and yet, we know it only because it has pleased God to reveal Himself thus to our lowly intelligence, which, after all, can never fathom the infinite perfections of that God, who necessarily inhabits light inaccessible. Human reason may, of itself, come to the knowledge of the existence of God as Creator of all beings; it may, by its own innate power, form to itself an idea of His perfections by the study of His works; but the knowledge of God’s intimate Being can come to us only by means of His own gracious revelation.
 
It was God’s good pleasure to make known to us His essence, in order to bring us into closer union with Himself, and to prepare us, in some way, for that face-to-face vision of Himself which He intends to give us in eternity. But His revelation is gradual: He takes mankind from brightness unto brightness, fitting it for the full knowledge and adoration of Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. During the period preceding the Incarnation of the eternal Word, God seemed intent on inculcating the idea of His Unity, for polytheism was the infectious error of mankind; and every notion of there being a spiritual and sole cause of all things would have been effaced from the earth, had not the infinite goodness of God watched over its reservation.
 
Not that the Old Testament books were altogether silent on the three divine Persons, whose ineffable relations are eternal; only, the mysterious passages which spoke of them were not understood by the people at large; whereas, in the Christian Church, a child of seven will answer those who ask him, that in God, the three divine Persons have but one and the same Nature, but one and the same Divinity. When the Book of Genesis tells us that God spoke in the plural, and said: “Let Us make man to Our image and likeness,” the ancient Jew bowed down and believed, but understood not the sacred text; the Christian, on the contrary, who has been enlightened by the complete revelation of God, sees, under this expression the three Persons acting together in the formation of man; the light of faith develops the great truth to him, and tells him that, within himself, there is a likeness to the blessed Three in One. Power, understanding, and will, are three faculties within him, and yet he himself is but one being.
 
Commentary from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875).

By the descent of the Holy Ghost the Christian Church is born today. As a little group making its first public appearance (Epistle) amongst circumstances more fully described in the Acts of the Apostles, all were preparing “in prayer” with Mary.

Secondly, they were “all of one mind” under the leadership of Peter, thereby indicating the true marks of the Christian Church: Holiness in Jesus through Mary; unity, catholicity, apostolicity through reverence for the Pope, successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ.
 
The Gospel reveals how “We,” the Trinity, “will come” to the individual soul. The Omnipotence of God the Father is made manifest in our creation. The Wisdom of God the Son is made manifest in our redemption. The Love of God the Spirit is made manifest in our sanctification.

In the Offertory we ask God to confirm this work done in our soul on the day of our Baptism and Confirmation.
 
We pray also to “relish” things of the Spirit (Prayer) and to benefit by His “consolation” in the struggle of Church and soul against the “spirit” or the “prince of this world”.

Some people believe the essence of Pentecost was the Descent of the Holy Ghost on Mary, the Apostles and Disciples whereupon the Apostles went on the streets, began to preach and were understood by persons on the streets being subsequently able to understand in their own language the Gospel from the mouths of the Apostles. They further infer that this must mean God was favourably disposed to all languages for all purposes. This is pure speculation and is often cited as a reason not to have liturgy in Latin! I iterate speculative at best!
 
Later this week, within the octave of Pentecost, come the Ember Days.

Traditional observance of Ember Days fall Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Wednesday and Saturday meat at main meal. No meat Friday for those 7 and over. Those 21 to 59 should fast, that is not eat anything between meals, and in addition to the main full meal, eat 2 small collations, both together adding up to a bit less than a full meal. The purpose of the fasting is to pray for the young priests who in days gone by would be ordinarily ordained on the Ember Saturday. Orthodox Catholics know that prayer and a little sacrifice will make them pleasing to Our Lord, set them aside from the sinful world.