Thursday, September 29, 2011

Bulletin 70

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 2nd, 2011 External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary

Epistle: Prov. 8:22-24, 32-35
Gospel: Luc. 1:26-38

Mass schedule October 3rd through October 7th

Monday-Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus, Virgin-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint Francis of Assisi, Confessor
Wednesday-Saint Placid & Companions, Martyrs
Thursday-Saint Bruno, Confessor
Friday-Our Lady of the Rosary

The Latin Mass Community Confirmation date is October 23rd, 2011 at 7:00pm in Saint Agnes Cathedral. His Excellency Bishop James V. Johnston will officiate.

The following is an excerpt from the “Life of Union with Mary” by Emil Neubert, S.M., S.T.D.

Consecrate Yourself to Mary

An explicit consecration to Mary is not indispensable for a life of union with her. With the realization that one is a child of Mary comes the natural impulse to live in union with her, just as any child desires to be close to his mother. Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, who passed her life in such intimacy with the Blessed Virgin, seems never to have made any special act of consecration to her.

Experience teaches, however, that a soul particularly devoted to Mary generally feels that his consecration will impel him with greater generosity to an even deeper life of union with her who is so dear to him.

Consecration to Mary is somewhat akin to the baptismal vows. Even without renewing these vows the baptized person belongs to God for life. But in order to live this belonging to God in every circumstance of life, it is helpful at a solemn moment of his life to renew his baptismal vows and even, according to a recommendation of the Council of Trent, to make this renewal often. Especially in certain critical moments will this renewal aid him in emphasizing the conviction that he has already renounced Satan and chosen Jesus Christ for his sole Master. Similarly, a solemn consecration to the Blessed Virgin recalls for the son of Mary his obligations to his Mother in heaven, and, if the act is frequently renewed, it is a powerful help to living that consecration with ever increasing perfection.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Bulletin 69

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 25th, 2011 15th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Gal. 5: 25-26; 6, 1-10
Gospel: Luc. 7, 11-16

Mass schedule September 26th through September 30th

Monday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-SS. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs
Wednesday-Saint Wenceslaus, Duke & Martyr
Thursday-Dedication of Saint Michael the Archangel
Friday-Saint Jerome, Confessor & Doctor


The Latin Mass Community Confirmation date is October 23rd, 2011 at 7:00pm in Saint Agnes Cathedral. His Excellency Bishop James V. Johnston will officiate.


“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” “Bear one another’s burdens; and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We have many brothers in Christ we must assist in time of need, by doing so we show our love for Christ Himself. We must also be willing to offer fraternal correction when necessary. This must be done with all humility and with an awareness of our own weaknesses and personal shortcomings. We can never take issue with another person’s sin without first acknowledging our own.

If we are not in the habit of asking God for Charity we must begin today. If we are not asking God for Charity we shouldn’t be surprised that we are so worldly. We must love our neighbor as ourselves if we want to show our love for God. Who is our neighbor? Absolutely everybody! Those who have wronged us, those who have injured our good name and even those who wish to do harm to us. We must love all of them as ourselves. We must rejoice when our enemies are successful. We must be sad when they suffer loss. If we do not do this and we do not believe it we are bad Christians!

So how do we know if we have Charity? Well, if we are not proud; if we are not controlling; if we refuse to judge other people’s behavior; if we don’t gossip. We have charity if we don’t question the motives of other people’s actions. We must never think that we are better than others. In fact, we must truly believe everyone else is better than us. We must not become disappointed when others have a poor opinion of us. A person who is charitable avoids hurting the feelings of others. He accepts the will of God in everything that happens to him, be it sickness or adversity. These things remind us we are sinners and that our lives here on earth are temporary.

We cannot work out our salvation without charity! When we have charity all the other virtues come with it. Charity purifies and sanctifies our actions. Charity perfects the soul. Saint Paul says in his epistle: “Brethren, If I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries and all knowledge: and if I should have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

Without Charity all other virtues are of no avail! Look at Jesus Christ Himself as our model. Look at what He did for all men, and even for those who killed Him. He prayed for mercy and forgiveness for them. He loved them. He offered up the merits and the sufferings of His death for them. He promised them pardon. If we do not have this kind of Charity we are only mock Christians!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bulletin 68

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 18th, 2011 14th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Gal. 5: 16-24
Gospel: Mt. 6: 24-33

Mass schedule September 19th through September 23rd

Monday-Saint Januarius & Companions, Martyrs-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Feria
Wednesday-Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist
Thursday-Saint Thomas of Villanova, Bishop & Confessor
Friday-Ember Friday

Make careful use of the gift of God. Behold now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation! God will soon come upon us and then we shall have to render an account of the use of every moment of our lives! Blessed shall you be if in the fulfillment of your daily duties you have been faithful in little things. But what disaster it will be if God finds you wasting the goods of His house!

You live, no, not you, it is Christ Who lives in you by His grace. That grace is a participation in the Divine Nature. It has sanctified His humanity and He shares it with all those who love Him. Christ’s grace penetrates to the very essence of your soul, ennobling it and making it divine. Christ is thus with you as a new being, the Christian, together you have one and same principle activity, namely to love.

Your heart should always rest with Christ. Do not permit your heart to open freely and attach itself to everything that attracts it. Without that safeguard, your life will be absorbed in other things.

Seek God's kingdom first, and everything else will be given to you.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Bulletin 67

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 11th, 2011 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Gal. 3: 16-22
Gospel: Lk. 17: 11-19

Mass schedule September 12th through September 16th

Monday-Most Holy Name of Mary-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Feria
Wednesday-Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Thursday-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday-SS. Cornelius, Pope, & Cyprian, Bishop & Martyrs

Our goal in this life is to serve God perfectly. We must not only believe in God, but we must also believe in everything that the Catholic Church teaches us. Faith is absolutely necessary in order to be saved. Hope is also necessary in order to have pure and upright motives so that we please God in all our actions. But Charity urges us to love God because He is infinitely good and He deserves to be loved.

What is Charity? It is a theological virtue that God infuses into our heart by which we learn to love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. We should pray everyday that we learn to love God above all things, even ourselves. To love God above all things means to be willing to lose fortune, good name, parents, friends children, husband, wife, and even our own life, than to lose God by committing a mortal sin.

Saint Augustine says that to love God perfectly means to love Him without measure, even if there were no heaven to hope for or no hell to fear. Saint Paul knew all too well that to really love God means that neither sufferings, persecutions, contempt, life, or death are capable of taking this love away from us. We owe this kind of love to God.

We were created only for God. God alone is capable of satisfying us and making us truly happy. We are often so blind. We cling to life, to the world and its goods and pleasures. We cling to the very things which make us unhappy. The Saints despised all these things and clung to God alone!

Those who possess Charity do not strive to accumulate the goods of this world. The things of this world are nothing to them. They realize that those who cling to this world’s good’s are unhappy people. They strive constantly to atone for their sins through good works. They are kind to everybody. This is the example that Jesus Christ gives us in the Gospel. In return, He expects that we show our gratitude by treating others the very same way.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Bulletin 66

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

September 4th, 2011 12th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: II Cor. 3: 4-9
Gospel: Lk. 10: 23-27

Mass schedule September 5th through September 9th

Monday-Saint Lawrence Justinian; Bishop & Confessor-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Feria
Wednesday-Feria
Thursday-Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday-Saint Gorgonius, Martyr

There has never been, nor will there ever be, a nobler or more magnanimous love than that which God has shown us in the Sacrament of His love. There is absolutely nothing in heaven or on earth that can be compared to it. We are so very fortunate to have Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, yet He is still so little appreciated! It was so that we could come to Him whenever we want that induced Jesus Christ to condescend to be present in our churches day and night!

What then do we do to repay this love?! We must appear before Him with the greatest reverence. We often appreciate our God so very little, we regard Him with indifference, and time spent in His presence passes ever so slowly for us! The first Christians would have considered it the most blissful time of their lives if they could have spent days and nights in the church, to praise God and weep for their sins! Nowadays it is so very different! It is so hard for us to spend just a few minutes in God’s presence and we see so much indifference and frivolity in our Catholic churches.

Think of the last time a friend did something nice for you. Whatever it may have been, that friend can never do what Jesus Christ has done for you. We must therefore make reparation to Him for all the indifference with which He is so often treated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

We know that our God and Redeemer is truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament and that He speaks to our hearts, and awakens good thoughts and good resolutions within us. He asks: “Why not give up this abominable sin which raises a barrier between us?” “Will you force me to condemn you to eternal punishment?” “I will forgive your transgressions if you would but repent of them!”

Brethren, we should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives! Let us pray with tears and sorrow for the forgiveness of our sins and we will certainly obtain it. When we are forgiven let us ask for the gift of perseverance. Let us truly be able to say we would rather die than offend God again! As long as you do not love God best and above all you will never be content. Everything will trouble and weary you. But if you learn to love God you will lead a happy life and be well prepared for death!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching