The Crisis and the Storm

Originally posted on FullyChristian.Com, reprinted here by permission. Source: http://catholicozarks.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-fourth-great-crisis.html

THE CRISIS AND THE STORM



In ages past, the Catholic Church faced three great crises....
The First Great Crisis was the Arian Heresy, and it was by far the worst. It happened in the fourth century and lasted about sixty years. The crisis centred around the divinity of Jesus Christ, wherein a rogue priest, named Arius, challenged established Church doctrine that Jesus Christ is divine, and God exists in the form of Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Arius asserted that Jesus was merely a man, a great prophet, and the promised Messiah, but not God. Arius was the first one to come up with the concept of a "Bible" or Canon of Scripture, in which he hand-selected the books contained therein, all of them affirming his heretical views. This period saw the majority of the world's Christian bishops, priests and laity siding with Arius. The Councils of Nicea and Constantinople were held during this time, and in response the Church not only condemned Arius and his heresy, but also formulated the Nicene Creed and commissioned the work of compiling an authentic Christian Bible, particularly the New Testament, which happens to be the same one all Christians use today. The First Great Crisis of the Church came to an end with the dismantling of Arianism and the victory of the Catholic Church.
The Second Great Crisis in the Church came during the tenth century, in what some have called the "Obscure Century". This was a period when the papacy was corrupted by wicked families with great wealth and political power. During this time the papacy was drug through the mud, so to speak, with corrupt popes, nepotism, materialism, political ambitions, and so on. No official heresy was taught from the Chair of Peter, but the level of corruption and lack of discipline led many Catholics to be carried away by heretical doctrines anyway.
The Third Great Crisis in the Church was called the Occidental Schism (or "Western Schism"), which was in part caused by the exile of the papacy to Avignon in France. This led to confusion which ultimately culminated in the reign of three "popes" simultaneously, each contenting to be the one true authentic pope. The crisis was ended at the Council of Constance in 1414-1418, when two of the three "popes" agreed to resign for the greater good of the Church, the third was deposed by the council, and a new authentic pope was elected in their places.
Now we face the FOURTH GREAT CRISIS of the Catholic Church. These words are not my own. They come from Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary of Astana (Kazakhstan), who's interview can be read on Rorate Caeli blog. The Fourth Great Crisis in the Catholic Church can be summarised as the widespread abuse of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is manifested in the form of liturgical, doctrinal and pastoral abuse.


The seeds of this crisis began in the middle twentieth century, before the Second Vatican Council and shortly after World War II. It was at this time that the focus of leaders within the Catholic Church began to shift from God to man. The discipline of psychology was growing in popularity at the time, and many Church leaders started to embrace it. Along with that, new theologians were coming to the forefront that questioned what was previously established Church teaching. Into this mix the Second Vatican Council was called. Pope Benedict XVI, who was present at the Council as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, in one of his final public addresses as pontiff some fifty years later, clarified the situation that existed at that time. (I blogged on this extensively here.) In summary, he said that "two councils" were going on simultaneously. The first was the "Council of the Fathers", or the authentic Second Vatican Council, which is what the bishops were actually discussing in Rome. The second was the "Council of the Media", which was a counterfeit council created by the mainstream news press, in which the documents of the Second Vatican Council were "reinterpreted" by the press, and then disseminated to the public with a remarkably Left-wing and Modernist spin that the Council Fathers never intended. This process has continued, more or less, for the last 50 years, to a point where we now live in a time when the popular media has more influence on Catholics than the bishops of the Church. What we have witnessed in the last half century is nothing short than a psychological coup d'état on the minds of faithful Catholics, wherein the authentic leadership of the Church was replaced by the counterfeit leadership of the mainstream press.


Immediately following the Second Vatican Council was the introduction of the Missal of Pope Paul VI. On the whole, the missal was a simplification of the Roman Liturgy, making room for the expansion of Lectionary readings, as well as greater liturgical participation by the faithful laity. This was all it was ever intended to do, and the Council Fathers, previously assembled in Rome, envisioned a future liturgy with greater public participation and more reading from the Sacred Scriptures. They also envisioned a future liturgy that looked remarkably similar to the Missal of Saint Pius V, celebrated by the Council Fathers at the Second Vatican Council. That was not to happen. Immediately, the counterfeit Council of the Media went into action in the 1970s, following the release of the new missal, reinterpreting the intention and purpose of the new liturgy. What was produced was a new Roman liturgy that scarcely looks anything like what the Second Vatican Council intended, resulting in a complete loss of the Latin language (a language the Council Fathers affirmed as liturgically necessary), the loss of Gregorian chant, and most profoundly, a watered-down presentation of the Eucharist wherein the faithful receive communion in the hand while standing, and the sacred tabernacle is literally pushed off to some remote corner of the parish chapel. In almost all celebrations of the new missal, the priest faces the people, and in those parishes where the tabernacle is set off to the side somewhere, it leaves the congregation with the visual impression that man is the centre of the liturgy not God.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), in his book Spirit of the Liturgy put it this way:
'In the very form of its places of divine worship, which we have just been considering, Christianity, speaking and thinking in a Semitic way, has laid down principles by which this question can be answered. Despite all the variations in practise that have taken place far into the second millennium, one thing has remained clear for the whole of Christendom: praying towards the East is a tradition that goes back to the beginning. Moreover, it is a fundamental expression of the Christian synthesis of cosmos and history, of being rooted in the once-for-all events of salvation history while going out to meet the Lord who is to come again. Here both the fidelity to the gift already bestowed and the dynamism of going forward are given equal expression... Admittedly, these connections were obscured or fell into total oblivion in the church buildings and liturgical practise of the modern age. This is the only explanation for the fact that the common direction of prayer of priest and people got labelled as "celebrating towards the wall" or "turning your back on the people" and came to seem absurd and totally unacceptable. And this alone explains why the meal – even in modern pictures – became the normative idea of liturgical celebration for Christians. In reality what happened was that an unprecedented clericalization came on the scene. Now the priest – the "presider," as they now prefer to call him – becomes the real point of reference for the whole liturgy. Everything depends on him. We have to see him, to respond to him, to be involved in what he is doing. His creativity sustains the whole thing.... Not surprisingly, people try to reduce this newly created role by assigning all kinds of liturgical functions to different individuals and entrusting the "creative" planning of the liturgy to groups of people who like to, and are supposed to, "make their own contribution." Less and less is God in the picture. More and more important is what is done by the human beings who meet here and do not like to subject themselves to a "pre-determined pattern".... The turning of the priest towards the people has turned the community into a self-enclosed circle. In its outward form, it no longer opens out on what lies ahead and above, but is closed in on itself.'
THUD! And with that, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) summarised the prevailing direction of the Catholic Church in the modern age. The Council of the Media was so powerful that it affected the minds of some priests and bishops, reorienting them toward a new hierarchy, one in which the Zeitgeist of Modernism (the diabolical spirit of our age) reigns supreme.



Ratzinger characterised the fruit of this zeitgeist as the "tyranny of relativism" in which sin and depravity is tolerated in the name of "tolerance", while objection to sin and depravity is not tolerated in the name of "tolerance". So we see it played out in the Western governments of today. Easy "no-fault" divorce is commonplace, as is unmarried sexual cohabitation, artificial contraception and abortion on demand. A tide of homosexuality is rising at a rate unseen since the days of Pagan Rome, and once again in the name of "tolerance" this Zeitgeist of Modernism imposes a tyranny of relativism upon anyone who would dare speak out against it. Legal homosexual unions, mockingly called "marriages", have become the norm in Europe and Canada, while in the United States, one state after another falls to this tyranny in spite of the electoral will of the people.



In Christianity, the Zeitgeist of Modernism, with its tyranny of relativism, has wreaked havoc on the Protestant world. What was once just a couple dozen denominations and sects has exploded into literally hundreds, as conservative Protestants, faithful to traditional Christian morality, have fled their mainline denominations to create new splinter churches that maintain older Biblical standards. These "conservative" churches provide a refuge of peace for now, but the Zeitgeist of Modernism knows no denominational boundaries. Already the tyranny of relativism is knocking at the doors of many of these new conservative Protestant denominations. Some religious trend observers have forecasted their downfall within a matter of a decade or two.



In the Catholic Church, the Zeitgeist of Modernism, with its tyranny of relativism, has not fractured the unity of Rome -- yet -- but it has apparently infiltrated into the highest echelons of the Church hierarchy. Priests, bishops and even cardinals have been unable to evade its deep reaching tentacles. We have seen this unfold over decades with priests who refuse to teach their congregations the evils of: divorce, cohabitation, contraception, abortion, euthanasia and homosexual acts. We have seen this unfold over decades with bishops who refuse to enforce Canon 915 by making excommunication and interdiction almost unheard of in the modern Church. We have seen this unfold over decades with innumerable examples of liturgical innovation and abuse. We have seen this unfold over decades in the form of a clerical sex scandal, with the abuse of minors, that is unprecedented in the whole 2,000 years of Church history!



Now, after the election of Pope Francis, the mainstream press has put the Council of the Media into overdrive. If the Council of the Media gave us that diabolical "Spirit of Vatican II", which had nothing to do with the actual Vatican II, then what we are now witnessing is the equally diabolical "Spirit of Pope Francis" which has nothing to do with the real Pope Francis -- or so we can only hope. This artificial "Spirit of Pope Francis" is in every way heterodox. It embraces homosexual acts along with homosexual persons, as well as divorce itself along with divorced people. It makes no distinction between the act and the person. All is one in the same, with this "lovey-dovey, hippy-dippy" new pope, who refuses to judge anything, and views everything as permissible. Is the real Pope Francis anything like what the media has portrayed in its artificial "Spirit of Pope Francis"? We hope not, but only time will tell.



In the midst of this latest media push comes the Extraordinary Synod on the Family this October, to be followed by an Ordinary Synod on the Family in October of 2015. As we have seen unfold in the Extraordinary Synod, the sum of all fears has been realised. The Zeitgeist of Modernism has reached its tentacles deep into the Church hierarchy, and touched the highest ranking prelates with its tyranny of relativism. We have seen a statement released calling for changes in Church discipline, tone and language, related to the sins of: adultery, fornication, contraception and homosexuality. At the centre of this agenda is a push to permit the reception of Holy Communion (the Holy Eucharist) to those knowingly and obstinately in mortal sin, all with the blessing of the Catholic Church. Along with this comes the predictable "Synod of the Media" which is already making international headlines. As terrible as the Extraordinary Synod has become, the "Synod of the Media" will compound the situation, and make it so much worse, with the news media's reinterpretation and repackaging of the Synod's already warped message.



It remains to be seen what will come of this, and the first Synod report is just preliminary, but with this report, it has become painfully clear and obvious that Bishop Athanasius Schneider was right. With pinpoint accuracy he nailed it. We are now in the Fourth Great Crisis of the Catholic Church. The crisis revolves around the nature of the Holy Eucharist and abuses related to it. Surveys of Catholics all over the world reveal that the doctrine of the transubstantiation (literal presence of Christ) is no loner believed by a majority of Catholics, and this perhaps explains a lot. It is no wonder that the Eucharist is no longer centre in Catholic life, when the tabernacles are placed in some obscure corner of the parish church. It is no wonder when communicants are no longer asked to kneel in the presence of God, and receive Him enthroned on their tongue, but instead take Him in their own hands like a common cookie to be consumed as a casual snack. It is no wonder when the sacrament of confession is celebrated only occasionally, and rarely before mass, so that the faithful are not reminded of their need to confess their sins and prepare themselves for physical communion with God. It is no wonder when the liturgy becomes a "self-enclosed circle" wherein the priest, and not the sacrament, become the centre of attention. It is no wonder when the liturgy takes on an innovative carnival atmosphere, instead of a solemn and reverent celebration of the presence of God. As the Church used to say: Lex orandi, lex credendi, meaning in Latin, "the law of prayer is the law of belief". When the Church creates a liturgical experience that focuses more on man than God, is it any wonder that the people begin to think of man as God? In the Garden of Eden, the lie the serpent told to humanity was this. To disobey God was to become a god, and to become a god is to judge for yourselves, without God, what is good and what is evil. God's laws do not matter. What matters is your own judgement. So we see this unfolding in the Catholic Church, as we previously saw it unfold in the mainline Protestant churches. Man becomes God, and man creates his own morality, based upon his own judgement. We have seen this happen among the laity, many of whom no longer believe in the "real presents" in the Eucharist, but simultaneously believe homosexual "marriage" is permissible and should be embraced. God is denied, and man is exalted to the level of a god, judging for himself what is good and evil. God is left out of the process. What began in the laity has crawled its way up into the hierarchy of the Church. In the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, we have witnessed Catholic prelates call for a relaxation of laws pertaining to the reception of Holy Communion, so that what is already practised illegally in the Catholic Church, may now receive the blessing of the Catholic Church. This way the Holy Eucharist may be profaned even more regularly, and without the care or concern by those in charge. The community of the Church may finally focus entirely on itself, rather than the One whom they have supposedly gathered to worship.



At he heart of the moral crisis evolving at the Synod on the Family, is a deeper crisis related to the Holy Eucharist, and in particular its treatment in the modern Church. It is revealed in everything, from beliefs, to practises, to liturgy, to discipline. This is the Fourth Great Crisis in the Catholic Church. How long it will last depends entirely on the long-suffering and mercy of God Almighty. In the painting above is depicted a recreation of Jesus calming the storm at sea. Our Eucharistic Christ will calm this storm as well, but like the disciples before us, we must first wake him and ask. Perhaps the time has come for constant prayer vigils to be held at every tabernacle, in every parish, around the world.

Bulletin 224

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

October 5, 2014

External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary

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

Mon 6, No Latin Mass
Tue 7 Our Lady of the Rosary
Wed 8 Saint Bridget of Sweden, Widow
Thu 9 Saint John Leonardi, Confessor
Fri 10 Saint Francis Borgia, Confessor

POT LUCK DINNER IS SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 2:30 PM MASS.

Mass on October 3 will be followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and benediction.

There will be NO LATIN MASS October 13-17 and October 20-24. Father Fasching will be on retreat and attending the annual clergy conference in Branson, MO.


Father Fasching's Mass Travel Schedule – Oct., Nov., Dec.


Oct. 4 – 5 27th Sunday of the Year
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava – Fr.Fasching

Oct. 11 - 12 28th Sunday of the Year
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove - Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava – SCAP – Deacon Joe

Oct. 18 – 19 29th Sunday of the Year
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Fasching
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul

Oct. 25 – 26 30th Sunday of the Year
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr .John Ettensohn
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul

Nov. 1 – 2 All Saint – All Souls
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove - Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Fasching

Nov. 8 – 9 Dedication of Lateran Basilica
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – SCAP – Deacon Joe
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul

Nov. 15 – 16 33rd Sunday of Year
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Fasching
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul

Nov. 22 – 23 Feast of Christ the King
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava - SCAP – Deacon Joe

Nov. 29 – 30 1st Sunday of Advent
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava – Fr. Fasching

Dec. 6 – 7 2nd Sunday of Advent
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove - SCAP – Deacon Joe
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul


Dec. 13 – 14 3rd Sunday of Advent
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove - Fr. Fasching
Gainesville, Ava - Fr. Paul

Dec. 20 – 21 34th Sunday of Advent
Cabool, Mansfield, Mt. Grove – Fr. Paul
Gainesville, Ava - SCAP – Deacon Joe



ANNOUNCEMENT:

You are cordially invited to experience the sacred liturgy according to Divine Worship (the Anglican Use of the Roman Rite) at Immaculate Conception Church in Springfield on Saturday, October 4th, at 7:30pm. Confessions will he heard at 7pm prior to mass. The sacred liturgy according to Divine Worship is a Vatican approved English version of a liturgy modeled after the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass). It includes prayers at the foot of the altar, ad orientem (priest facing the Lord), reading of the last gospel, communion on the tongue while kneeling, all in Tudor English. This particular celebration will be modeled after the low mass according to the Extraordinary Form, and will include all of the customary solemnity and reverence. (Modest dress and head coverings are requested.) The mass will be celebrated by Father Kenneth Bolin, priest for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, who is currently assigned as a Catholic chaplain at Fort Leonard Wood. He comes at the invitation of His Excellency, Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. to celebrate mass quarterly (4 times a year) for the time being.

This will be a special occasion that is sure to bring greater appreciation for tradition to Catholics in the Springfield area. All Catholics are invited to attend and this mass will meet the Sunday obligation for those in attendance. We encourage you to join us, and please pass this information on to Catholics who regularly attend the Novus Ordo mass.

For more information, please contact Shane Schaetzel at: shane.schaetzel@gmail.com

We must always strive to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. Above all, we must strive to imitate her profound humility. She truly believed she was the least of the least. We must also strive to imitate her purity. The Blessed Virgin's purity is what made her so pleasing to God. The same holds true for her modesty.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a dispenser of all God's graces. She is the most powerful force against the attacks of satan. She is satan's most bitter enemy. If it were not for Mary, the world would be without religion because satan would have destroyed it with schism and heresy long ago!

The enemy trembles with fury and despair at the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary because he knows she is destined to crush his head. The angels rejoice because Mary adds new glory to their splendor! We can only gain heaven by humility, self-denial, poverty, and suffering. Mary lived all these things and her splendid virtue was unsurpassed. She had no earthly riches, but was rich in the gifts of God!



In Christo Jesu et
Maria Immaculata,

Father Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 131

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

December 16th, 2012; Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)

Epistle: Phil. 4:4-7; Gospel: Jn. 1:19-28

Mass schedule December 17th through December 21st

Monday: Greater Feria of Advent--No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Greater Feria of Advent

Wednesday: Ember Wednesday of Advent

Thursday: Greater Feria of Advent

Friday: Saint Thomas * Apostle

The most powerful temptations we can possibly experience are those to ambition, pride and arrogance. Ambition is the worst of them because it caused Lucifer to be cast out of heaven into hell. Some theologians say it was because of a spiritual self-complacency combined with an awareness of their angelic nature’s grandeur and excellence, which caused such self-pride that he and the fallen angels arrogantly desired to be equal to God.

Contrast this attitude with that of Saint John the Baptist in today’s Gospel. Saint John played a significant role in the mystery of the Visitation. His humility thus appears to be the most excellent and the most perfect that has ever been, after only Our Lord Himself and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was sanctified in the womb of his mother, Saint Anne, when Mary paid her a visit while pregnant with Our Savior. He went on to perform an outstanding, single-minded, public ministry in pointing the way to Christ. Saint John was so effective and well-liked that his followers were ready to name him the Messiah. Saint John was tempted with one of the most violent temptations imaginable to pride and ambition. It was even presented by his own friends, sent to him from Jerusalem by the hypocritical doctors of the Law. They wanted to find out if John was actually the Christ. If so, they wanted to give John his due honor.

The religious leaders were waiting for the Messiah. They knew that all the prophecies had been fulfilled. Jesus Christ came performing miracles and teaching His doctrine. However, instead of acknowledging Him, the religious leaders go looking for someone else. When asked, Saint John said I am not the Christ. He could have easily accepted the praise that his followers wished to bestow upon him, but he did not. John was so humble and truthful that he refused even to accept credit that he actually deserved!

We can learn humility from Saint John the Baptist. We can learn humility from the Blessed Virgin Mary. We should acknowledge the teaching of Christ who said “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.”

In Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 128

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

November 25th, 2012; Last Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Col. 1: 9-14; Gospel: Mt. 24: 13-25

Mass schedule November 26th through November 30th

Monday: Saint Sylvester, Abbot--No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Requiem Mass + Catherine Dias

Wednesday: Requiem Mass + Anne Machado

Thursday: Requiem Mass + Joyce Spencer

Friday: Requiem Mass + Austin Machado

Saint Paul exhorts us to give thanks to God the Father for the countless gifts He has bestowed upon us in the person of Jesus Christ. God has made us worthy to share the lot of the saints in light and delivered us from the powers of darkness by the blood of Jesus Christ. Today we rejoice because we have been freed from our sins through the death of Jesus Christ. We should be reminded that we cannot neglect to show our appreciation for what God has done for us without suffering the consequences. Indifference towards God love permeates our culture. Many are choosing death over life in Christ Jesus. Let us embrace life with the saints and pray for those who do not.

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. Indulgences, which remove temporal punishment due to forgiven sin, may be gained by the living for themselves or applied to the souls in purgatory but they cannot be applied to other living persons. Indulgences are called plenary if they remove all temporal punishment and partial if they remove only some of it. A plenary indulgence can be acquired only once in the course of a day but a partial indulgence may be acquired more than once a day. To gain an indulgence for oneself one must be baptized, in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed work and subject to the one granting the indulgence. He must also have at least a general intention of gaining them and must perform the works enjoined at the time and in the manner prescribed.

Some works to which are attached plenary indulgences are: a visit to the Blessed Sacrament which lasts for a half hour, the Stations of the Cross, recitation of five decades of the Rosary while contemplating the mysteries, and reading of Scripture for one half hour.

Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domini, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace” (“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”).

All indulgences whatsoever may be applied to the Poor Souls at any time by way of suffrage. The simple intention to offer them for the Poor Souls is sufficient.

Bulletin 124

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 28th, 2012; Christ the King

Epistle: Col. 1: 12-20; Gospel: Jn. 18: 33-37

Mass schedule October 29th through November 2nd:

Monday: Feria; No Latin Mass

Tuesday: Feria

Wednesday: Feria

Thursday: All Saints

Friday: All Souls


Sunday, October 28 is the feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. One may gain a plenary indulgence by the public recitation of the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We will recite the consecratory prayer immediately following the 2:30pm Mass.

The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls. On all the days from November 1 through November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed.

Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us, humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee; many, too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou Kind, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee; but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee: grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who even now sit in the shadow of idolatry or Islam, and refuse not Thou to bring them into the light of Thy Kingdom.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.


In Christ,

Father Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 123

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

October 21st, 2012; 21st Sunday After Pentecost

Epistle: Eph. 6: 10-17; Gospel: Mt. 18: 23-35

There will be NO LATIN MASS October 22nd through October 26th due to the annual clergy conference in Branson, MO.

Jesus had willed to be as entirely dependent upon His Mother as a tiny infant. If I am to please God as a priest, Christ must be allowed to continue toward her through my ministry that humble and loving subjection. I undertake nothing without her, without her counsel, without having asked her to enlighten me. Jesus willed to have her consent not merely to receive His human life, but also to lay it down on the Cross, for she had received a mother’s power over Him from His Father. So I also pay her the homage of my whole priestly life, of my activity, of my joys, of my suffering, even my death, because I am her son, I belong to her.

Christ’s well-beloved Mother, after having given Him His human existence, the material of His Sacrifice, offered Him to the Eternal Father as a holocaust at the foot of the Cross. And so, invisibly present at every Mass, she continues with me, her priestly son, to offer Christ as a Victim to the Divine Majesty. Before His death, Jesus gave into her motherly care Saint John, the disciple whom He loved. He represented all the faithful but especially his favored ones, His priests.

He gave me then to His Mother as well and placed my priestly career under her maternal protection. She marked me off from that moment from among all her future children and she placed on my shoulders her maternal mantle. As He gave Saint John to his Mother, so He also gave his Mother to Saint John, that he should take her home with him, that he should take care of her and console her in Christ’s absence during the rest of her pilgrimage on earth.

In like manner, Christ has given me His Mother, her honor, her glory, the defense of her privileges. I have to help spread her devotion everywhere; inspire in others the faithful confidence and love for their Mother in heaven, the Mother of Perpetual Help! Remember the tears that she shed, the anguish she endured in her Mother’s heart at the time of Christ’s Passion. Remember that in its apostolic task the Church rightly looks to the one who bore Christ. In the words of Lumen gentium: “Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin in order that He might also be born and grow in the hearts of the faithful. In her whole life this virgin mother showed herself as an example of that motherly love that must animate all who share in the apostolic mission of the Church for the regeneration of mankind.”

In Christ,

Father Jeffery Fasching

Bulletin 106

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

June 10th, 2012 External Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Epistle: 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Gospel: Jn. 6:56-59

Mass Schedule June 11th through June 15th

Monday –Saint Barnabas, Apostle-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint John of San Facundo, Confessor

Wednesday-Saint Anthony of Padua, Confessor & Doctor

Thursday-Saint Basil the Great, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Friday-Sacred Heart of Jesus

JUNE 10, 2012 IS THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI. MASS WILL BEGIN AT 2:00 PM. A PROCESSION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW MASS BEGINNING AT 4:00PM. JOIN HIS EXCELLENCY, BISHOP JAMES V. JOHNSTON FOR THIS DIOCESAN EVENT.

THERE WILL BE NO CONFESSIONS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 BEFORE THE 2:00PM MASS.

Friday, June 15, 2012: A plenary indulgence may be gained by saying the Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus publicly in front of the Blessed Sacrament today. I will lead those who attend Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue for a period followed by Benediction.

Corpus Christi is a special day in the life of the Church. What an infinite treasure Christ has bestowed upon us in giving Himself in the Blessed Sacrament! Our Lord Jesus Christ is truly present—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the consecrated host. The words of our Savior are clear: “Take ye and eat, this is my Body, which shall be delivered for you…This chalice is the new testament in My Blood; this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of Me.”

We must take great pains to consume the Body and Blood of Christ in a worthy manner, lest we be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Saint Paul is very explicit when he says: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord!”

Jesus says in the Gospel: “My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him…He that eateth this bread shall live for ever!”

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery Fasching

Bulletin 105

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

June 3rd, 2012 Trinity Sunday

Epistle: Rom. 11:33-36; Gospel: Mt. 28:18-20

Mass Schedule June 4th through June 8th

Monday –Saint Francis Caracciolo, Confessor-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Boniface, Bishop & Martyr

Wednesday-Saint Norbert, Bishop & Confessor

Thursday-Corpus Christi

Friday-Feria of the 1st Sunday after Pentecost

JUNE 10, 2012 IS THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI. MASS WILL BEGIN AT 2:00 PM. A PROCESSION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW MASS BEGINNING AT 4:00PM. JOIN HIS EXCELLENCY, BISHOP JAMES V. JOHNSTON FOR THIS DIOCESAN EVENT.

THERE WILL BE NO CONFESSIONS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 BEFORE THE 2:00PM MASS.

Jesus Christ tells His Apostles: “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Omnipotence is an attribute belonging to God alone. Jesus gives His disciples authority to carry out their mission. The authority of the Church, therefore, comes directly from Jesus Christ. With respect to faith and morals this authority is higher than any on earth.

The Apostles and their successors receive the command to teach all nations exactly what Jesus taught. We have the responsibility to proclaim the truth until the end of time. The teachings of the Pope and the Bishops should therefore always be accepted with humble obedience.

The mission of the Church is to continue the work of Christ. Christ promises to stay with the Church to the end of time and never leave it. This means that the Church will never fail to fulfill its mission until the end of time!

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 104

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

May 27th, 2012 Pentecost Sunday

Epistle: Acts 2: 1-11; Gospel: Jn. 14: 23-31

Mass Schedule May 28th through June 1st

Monday after Pentecost -NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday after Pentecost

Ember Wednesday of Pentecost

Thursday after Pentecost

Ember Friday in the Octave of Pentecost


A plenary indulgence may gained by publicly saying or singing the Veni, Creator on Pentecost Sunday.

JUNE 10, 2012 IS THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI. MASS WILL BEGIN AT 2:00 PM. A PROCESSION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW MASS BEGINNING AT 4:00PM. JOIN HIS EXCELLENCY, BISHOP JAMES V. JOHNSTON FOR THIS DIOCESAN EVENT.

THERE WILL BE NO CONFESSIONS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 10 BEFORE THE 2:00PM MASS.


Pentecost is a time to reflect on the immense gifts God pours out for us through His Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the soul and the source of life of the Church. Christ’s Church was born on the day of Pentecost through the breath of Christ.

The Blessed Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. She was with the disciples gathered in prayer on the day of Pentecost to preside over the birth of the Church. We must realize that we need the Holy Ghost to fulfill our apostolic activity to build up the Body of Christ. We possess the very same Spirit the disciples received, therefore we have the very same power within us to accomplish great things in Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 100

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

April 29th, 2012 Third Sunday after Easter

Epistle: 1 Pet. 2: 11-19—Gospel: Jn. 16: 16-22

Mass Schedule April 30th through May 4th

Monday-Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Joseph the Worker

Wednesday-Saint Athanasius; Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Thursday-SS. Alexander & Companions, Martyrs

Friday-Sacred Heart of Jesus

The New Testament places strong emphases on the unity of the Church. The Church is:

• one People of God (1 Pet 2.9f)

• one Body of Christ (1 Cor 12.2; Eph 4.4)

• one Temple of the Holy Ghost (Eph 2.21)

• one household of God (Eph 2.19)

• one flock of Christ (Jn 10.16)

• one bride of Christ (Eph 5.25-32).

Last Sunday, when Christ described Himself as the Good Shepherd, He spoke of His desire to unite all His sheep so that there will be but one flock and one shepherd:

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me…I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must lead them, too, and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one flock then, one shepherd.” (Jn 10. 14-16)

Jesus Christ also prayed at the Last Supper for unity when He said:

“I do not pray for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; I pray that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, that they may be one, as we are one—I living in them, you living in me—that their unity may be complete.” (Jn 17.20-23)

Finally, the Epistle to the Ephesians speaks emphatically about the unity which Christians are to preserve and the many bonds that make them one:

“Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force. There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all.” (Eph 4.1-5)

Note: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all! Pray for Christian unity!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 62

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

August 7th, 2011 8th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Rom. 8: 12-17
Gospel: Lk 16: 1-9

Mass schedule August 8th through August 12th

Monday-Saint John Mary Vianney-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Vigil of Saint Lawrence, Martyr-NO LATIN MASS
Wednesday-Saint Lawrence, Martyr
Thursday-Saint Tiburtius, Martyr
Friday-Saint Clair, Virgin

THERE WILL BE NO LATIN MASS ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 9th

If you wish to have a Mass offered for a particular intention or person you must see me first.

The website for the Latin Mass Community has been upgraded to include a mobile version for iPhones, BlackBerrys and other smart phones. Information, bulletins and updates for the Latin Mass Community will now be easily accessible and easily readable on these devices. The website remains the same.


God has given us talents which we must go and make productive. These precious talents are the days of our lives. If we spend our short lives profitably, we will enjoy an eternity of glory and happiness. If we misuse this gift of our life, we will endure an eternity of shame. God has placed before us water and fire. We must choose. Before us are life and death, good and evil. Whichever we wish will be given to us. If we bury our talents in the earth, we will lose our souls.

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!

Do not seek rest here below. When time shall be no more we shall take our rest together in the bosom of God. Satan knows no rest. He pursues with fury each one of us, knowing that there remains to him but little time. The wicked are mad in their desire to destroy souls, to dechristianize society, to uproot the family, to sow everywhere hatred of God’s holy name. How can we give ourselves over to sloth, or take our ease, to think of leisure for ourselves or to indulge in useless pastimes?

The parable of the unjust steward reminds us of our duty not to be outdone by the children of this world in zeal.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching







Sincerely in Christ,

Bulletin 58

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

July 10th, 2011 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Rom. 8:18-23
Gospel: Lk. 5:1-11

Mass schedule July 11th through July 15th:

Monday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint John Gualbert; Abbot
Wednesday-Feria
Thursday-Saint Bonaventure; Bishop, Confessor & Doctor
Friday-Saint Henry; Emperor & Confessor

The Gospel passage for Mass has very much to do with the life of the Church. The bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ on earth because he represents Christ on earth and acts for Christ in the government of the Church. Jesus Christ asks all of us to search for souls. The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. We must constantly ask the Lord to send out laborers!

It takes courage to respond the the call of discipleship from Christ. We cannot make excuses. We cannot say we are not qualified. We must stop saying the job belongs to someone else. We must all respond to Christ's apostolic mission. We must respond to His call to the priesthood.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 55

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

June 19th, 2011 Trinity Sunday

Epistle: Rom. 11: 33-36
Gospel: Mt. 28: 18-20

Mass schedule June 20th through June 24th

Monday-Feria-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Confessor
Wednesday-Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop and Confessor
Thursday-Corpus Christi
Friday-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

If you wish to have a Mass offered for a particular intention or person you must see me first.

The website for the Latin Mass Community has been upgraded to include a mobile version for iPhones, BlackBerrys and other smart phones. Information, bulletins and updates for the Latin Mass Community will now be easily accessible and easily readable on these devices. The website remains the same.

Christ’s disciples adore and worship Him as God. In the Gospel passage for Trinity Sunday they finally see Christ as the Son of God. They are both joyful and amazed at what they are now witnessing. Jesus says to His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus Christ is omnipotent. Christ tells His disciples that the authority He is giving them to proclaim the Gospel comes from Him.

This reminds us that the authority of the Church comes directly from Jesus Christ. This authority in the sphere of faith and morals is above any other authority on earth. The Apostles receive the task of teaching the world what Jesus taught them. The Church therefore has the duty to proclaim the same faith the Apostles themselves received. This mission belongs especially to the Bishops.

The teachings of the Pope and the Bishops therefore should always be accepted by everyone with assent and obedience. The mission of the Church is to continue the work of Christ. We must teach the truths of God and the duty we have to embrace these truths. We must rely on the grace of the sacraments. Christ has promised to never leave His Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Bulletin 44

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

April 3, 2011 Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday)

Epistle: Gal. 4: 22-31
Gospel: Jn. 6:1-15

Mass schedule April 4 through April 8

Monday-Feria of Lent-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-Feria of Lent
Wednesday-Feria of Lent
Thursday-Feria of Lent
Friday-Feria of Lent

Pot Luck Dinner Sunday, April 10 immediately following Mass in the cafeteria.

The Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of all Christians. She is an example we should all follow. If we become identified with Mary and imitate her virtues, we will be able to bring Christ to life, through grace, in the souls of others. From the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council:

Mary, because she has entered intimately into the history of salvation, in a certain sense gathers up in her own person the great truths of the faith and awakens their resonance when she is the object of preaching and veneration; she summons the faithful to her Son, to His sacrifice and to the Father’s love. In seeking to further the glory of Christ, the Church becomes more and more like Mary, its exalted type, as it continues its progress in faith, hope and charity, seeking and fulfilling the divine will in all things.

So also in its apostolic task the Church rightly looks to the one who bore Christ, Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin in order that He might also be born and grow in the hearts of the faithful. In her whole life this virgin mother showed herself as an example of that motherly love that must animate all who share in the apostolic mission of the Church for the regeneration of mankind. (Lumen gentium, nn. 63-65)

Saint Cyril of Alexandria writes: “Mary, Mother of God, we salute you. Precious vessel, worthy of the whole world’s reverence, you are an ever shining light, the crown of virginity, the symbol of orthodoxy, and indestructible temple, the place that held Him whom no place can contain, mother and virgin. Because of you the holy gospels could say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching