Masses on Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving Day, both Immaculate Conception and St. Stephen will offer Low Latin Masses at 8am.

We sincerely wish you a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving Day!

O God of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite: we render thanks to Thy most gracious Majesty for the gifts Thou hast bestowed upon us, always beseeching Thy clemency; that as Thou grantest the petitions of them that ask Thee, Thou wilt never forsake them, but wilt prepare them for the greater rewards that still await.

Collect, from the Votive Mass of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving?...Catholic?....Really?

Yes. Forget everything you learned. The American textbooks tell you the first thanksgiving was celebrated by pilgrims and Native Americans in about 1621. But, years before that, in about 1565, in the eldest city of this nation, St. Augustine, Florida, Catholics celebrated Thanksgiving.

In 1565, Pedro Menindez de Avilis, the Spanish founder of St. Augustine, and 800 Spanish settlers shared in a Mass of Thanksgiving. Following the Mass, Menindez ordered a communal meal to be shared by the Spaniards and the Seloy Indians who occupied the landing site. 

This history can be found in The Cross in the Sand, by Michael Gannon, an expert on Florida colonial history and professor of history at the University of Florida.

And, of course, Eucharist means Thanksgiving.

Set a Soul in Purgatory Free

This is a reminder that a plenary indulgence may be granted for a soul suffering in purgatory anytime during the octave of All Souls, Nov 1 to Nov 8, by doing the following, as prescribed by the ENCHIRIDION INDULGENTIARUM:

13. Visit to a Cemetery (Coemeterii visitatio)
An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. 

The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

In order for the indulgence to be plenary, the following conditions must be met, in addition to the visit and prayers at the cemetery:

1. Sacramental confession within “about twenty days” of the actual day of the Plenary Indulgence. 
2. Eucharistic Communion on the day of the Plenary Indulgence. 
3. Prayer for the intentions of the Pope on the day of the Plenary Indulgence. 
4. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.

An Evening of Russian Choral Music

Support Good Sacred Music! Free Event

Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7:30pm

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

East Ninth Street & Superior Avenue

216-771-6666, ext. 5510

Free parking is available in the Cathedral Plaza Garage

on the SE corner of Rockwell Ave. and East 9th St.

All concerts are free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

A free-will offering will be taken.

Tenebrae (UK) http://www.tenebrae-choir.com/

Nigel Short, Founder/Director

Tenebrae is a professional chamber choir from Great Britain, founded by Nigel Short and Barbara Pollock. Often performing by candlelight, the choir creates an atmosphere of spiritual and musical reflection, where medieval chant and renaissance works are interspersed with contemporary compositions to create an ethereal mood of contemplation. Its members are drawn from the ranks of many distinguished choirs: the Monteverdi Choir, the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, and King’s College Cambridge. Many of Tenebrae’s singers have worked with leading vocal groups, including I Fagiolini, Tallis Scholars, Swingle Singers and The King’s Singers. Contributing to the dramatic qualities of Tenebrae’s performing style are singers from Britain’s two major opera houses, Covent Garden and English National Opera.

New Poll

We just wanted to call your attention to the first poll posted on the TLM Friends blog. The poll question is simply: How do you find out about updates to the Cleveland TLM Friends blog?

The reason for this poll is because of feedback we have received recently. It seems that some, perhaps many, simply wait for new posts to be delivered to their email through the blog subscription service. Unfortunately, we have received feedback that not all blog posts arrive in a timely fashion or even at all. For example, the Oct 31 post concerning the Solemnity of All Saints still hasn't arrived in email, but is actively on the blog. The point is that if you only wait for email subscription updates, you may never get them, or you will get them late. We are not sure how to resolve this issue.

On the other hand, we have received feedback that some readers of the blog regularly check it. This is perhaps the best way to stay up to date with any blog posts.

As always, we encourage readers to send us feedback.

The poll can be found in the right hand column, and will run throughout November, if you are interested in participating.

Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis Domine

Remember the Souls of the Faithful Departed this day. They are the Church Suffering and are in great need of our prayers. November is traditionally dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

From the Golden Legend...

Like as Saint Gregory recounteth, in the fourth book of his Dialogues, that one of his monks named Justus when he came to his last end, he showed that he had hid three pieces of gold, and thereof sorrowed sore, and anon after he died. And then Saint Gregory commanded his brethren that they should bury his body in a dunghill, and the three pieces of gold with him, saying: Thy money be to thee in perdition. Nevertheless, Saint Gregory commanded one of his brethren to say for him every day mass, thirty days long, and so he did. And when he had accomplished his term, the monk that was dead appeared on the thirtieth day to one which demanded how it was with him, and he answered to him: I have been evil at ease unto this day, but now I am well. I have this day received communion, and the sacrifice of the altar profiteth not only to them that be dead, but also to them that be living in this world.

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great...

Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

All Souls' Mass Start Time Change

It is hoped this update reaches you in time.

The All Souls' Day High Requiem Mass at St. Stephen's, scheduled for 6:30pm, will now begin at 6:20pm due to a slight scheduling conflict. Please pass the notice on. Thank you.

Solemnity of All Saints

A glorious and blessed feast of All Saints to you and your loved ones. We just wanted to share this beautiful excerpt from the wonderful work of Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year.

They that have gone before us wept as they turned the furrows and cast in the seed; but now their triumphant joy overflows upon us as an anticipated glory in this valley of tears. Without waiting for the dawn of eternity, the present solemnity gives us to enter by hope into the land of light, whither our fathers have followed Jesus, the divine forerunner. Do not the thorns of suffering lose their sharpness at the sight of the eternal joys into which they are to blossom? Does not the happiness of the dear departed cause a heavenly sweetness to mingle with our sorrow? Let us hearken to the chants of deliverance sung by those for whom we weep; 'little and great,' this is the feast of them all, as it will one day be ours. At this season, when cold and darkness prevail, Nature herself, stripping off her last adornments, seems to be preparing the world for the passage of the human race into the heavenly country. Let us, then, sing with the psalmist: I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. Our feet as yet stand only in thy outer courts; but we see thy building ever going on, 0 Jerusalem, city of peace, compacted together in concord and love. To thee do the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, praising the name of the Lord; thy vacant seats are being filled up. May all good things be for them that love thee, 0 Jerusalem; may peace be in thy strength, and abundance in thy towers. For the sake of my brethren and of my neighbours, who are already thy inhabitants, I take pleasure in thee because of the Lord our God, whose dwelling thou art. I have placed in thee all my desire.

P.S.  Don't forget. Today is a holy day of obligation. Check Upcoming Events for Latin Mass times.

Latin Masses, All Saints and All Souls

The schedule of Latin Masses for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day is as follows. We are reminded that the Solemnity of All Saints is an holy day of obligation.

All Saints' Day

Thursday, Nov 1

7am Low Mass, Immaculate Conception, Cleveland
6:30pm High Mass, St. Stephen & Immaculate Conception

All Souls' Day

 

Friday, Nov 2
7am Low Mass, Immaculate Conception, Cleveland
6:30pm High Requiem Mass, St. Stephen & Immaculate Conception

In Remembrance of 9/11

Immaculate Conception, Cleveland, will offer a Solemn High Requiem Mass on Tuesday at 6:30pm in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. And, should you not be able to make it to the evening Mass, there is the regular Tuesday morning 7am low Mass at St. Stephen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Solemn Mass, Sept. 14

For the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, St. Stephen will offer Solemn Mass at 6:30pm. Please take the opportunity to celebrate this wonderful feast.

We found this on Fr. Z's blog.

The aromatic herb, basil (Ocimum basilicum) has long been associated with the Holy Cross.

Etymologically, it is related to basileios, the Greek word for king.

According to a pious legend, the Empress Saint Helena found the location of the True Cross by digging for it under a colony of basil. Basil plants were reputed to have sprung up at the foot of the Cross where fell the Precious Blood of Christ and the tears of the Mother of Sorrows.

A sprig of basil was said to have been found growing from the wood of the True Cross.
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross it is customary in the East to rest the Holy Cross on a bed of basil before presenting it to the veneration of the faithful.

Also, from the practice in some areas of strewing branches of basil before church communion rails, it came to be known as Holy Communion Plant Blessed basil leaf can be arranged in a bouquet at the foot of the crucifix; the dried leaves can also be used by the faithful as a sacramental.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God,
deign, we beseech You, to bless
Your creature, this aromatic basil leaf. +
Even as it delights our senses,
may it recall for us the triumph of Christ, our Crucified King
and the power of His Precious Blood
to purify and preserve us from evil
so that, planted beneath His Cross,
we may flourish to Your glory
and spread abroad the fragrance of His sacrifice.
Who is Lord forever and ever.

R. Amen.

The bouquets of basil leaf are sprinkled with Holy Water.