Our Lady's Expectation

Today, as well as being the Fourth Sunday of Advent, is the ancient Expectatio Partus of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The machinations of Annibale Bugnini were well on their way in the middle 1950’s with the planned reforms given to us by Pope John XXIII in the Missal of 1962 revisions. There was a removal of certain Octaves, a simplification of Feasts and a virtual elimination of Commemorations. These are additional Collects, Secrets and Postcommunions in the Mass. They can be when a particular Mass for a Saint was a First Class or on certain other days such as Ferials in Advent, and so on. On Sundays, there were, prior to 1962, three of these, the one Proper to the Day, generally one of the Blessed Mother and a third for the Pope or the priest’s choice. It could be confusing for the faithful as these were not printed in hand missals, and translations were never provided. It was an easy target for the radical reformers and because we are frozen at 1962 as per Summorum Pontificum, you might only hear them at Mass in an independent chapel that might refuse the Missal of 1962. The Society of St. Pius X, Fraternity of  St. Peter would follow 1962.

Commemoration of the EXPECTATION OF OUR LADY

Collect— O God, Who didst will that at the message of an angel Thy word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary: grant that we, Thy suppliants, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. 

Secret—Strengthen in our minds, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the mysteries of the true faith, that, confessing Him Who was conceived of the Virgin to be true God and true man, we may deserve, through the power of His saving resurrection, to attain everlasting joy. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Forever and ever. 

Postcommunion—Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever

For those attending Mass according to the modernist Rite of Pope Paul VI you will notice something interesting. The Collect, which originated as the Postcommunion prayer of the Mass for December 18, as above, is the familiar prayer recited at the Angelus.

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an angel,
may by his passion and cross
be brought to the glory of his resurrection.
Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Before the 2011 correction of the horrid and often Pelagian translations of the prayers in the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal, it read:

Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man, so lead us through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection.

Seriously? How did those of those originate from the same Latin text but reveal two different results? The simple people of faith for a thousand years knew this prayer by heart. We think of it when we see the painting by Jean Francoise Millet, The Angelus. 

We see more clearly how evil was the spirit of the radicalistic reformers and modernists before and following Vatican II. Our ancestors, in their simple times, knew more than us. We have no excuse to not know what was stolen from us. This was evident this past week in reading the Office from the Divino Afflatu of St. Pius X, Pope and singing the Mass yesterday for the Ember with its Lessons, Graduals, Canticle of the Three Children and Tract.

https://voxcantor.blogspot.com/2018/12/ember-saturday-of-advent-have-you.html

Here is a little history on the Feast from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

(Exspectatio Partus B.V.M.)

Celebrated on 18 December by nearly the entire Latin Church. Owing to the ancient law of the Church prohibiting the celebration of feasts during Lent (a law still in vigour at Milan), the Spanish Church transferred the feast of the Annunciation from 25 March to the season of Advent, the Tenth Council of Toledo (656) assigning it definitely to 18 December. It was kept with a solemn octave. When the Latin Church ceased to observe the ancient custom regarding feasts in Lent, the Annunciation came to be celebrated twice in Spain, viz. 25 March and 18 December, in the calendars of both the Mozarabic and the Roman Rite (Missale Gothicum, ed. Migne, pp. 170, 734). The feast of 18 December was commonly called, even in the liturgical books, "S. Maria de la O", because on that day the clerics in the choir after Vespers used to utter a loud and protracted "O", to express the longing of the universe for the coming of the Redeemer (Tamayo, Mart. Hisp., VI, 485). The Roman "O" antiphons have nothing to do with this term, because they are unknown in the Mozarabic Rite. This feast and its octave were very popular in Spain, where the people still call it "Nuestra Señora de la O". It is not known at what time the term Expectatio Partus first appeared; it is not found in the Mozarabic liturgical books. St. Ildephonsus cannot, therefore, have invented it, as some have maintained. The feast was always kept in Spain and was approved for Toledo in 1573 by Gregory XIII as a double major, without an octave. The church of Toledo has the privilege (approved 29 April 1634) of celebrating this feast even when it occurs on the fourth Sunday of Advent. The "Expectatio Partus" spread from Spain to other countries; in 1695 it was granted to Venice and Toulouse, in 1702 to the Cistercians, in 1713 to Tuscany, in 1725 to the Papal States. The Office in the Mozarabic Breviary is exceedingly beautiful; it assigns special antiphons for every day of the octave. At Milan the feast of the Annunciation is, even to the present, kept on the last Sunday before Christmas. The Mozarabic Liturgy also celebrates a feast called the Expectation (or Advent) of St. John the Baptist on the Sunday preceding 24 June.

A few years ago, I discovered the text to a wonderful hymn by Father Faber of the Oratory, a contemporary of Blessed John Henry Newman, Cong. Orat. Faber was a prolific hymn-writer, the most famous of which is Faith of Our Fathers.  We will sing of Our Lady's Expectation at the end of Mass today.

Our Lady's Expectation 

Like the dawning of the morning

On the mountains’ golden heights,

Like the breaking of the moon-beams

On the gloom of cloudy nights;

Like a secret told by Angels,

Getting known upon the earth,

Is the Mother’s Expectation

Of Messiah’s speedy birth.

Thou wert happy, Blessed Mother,

With the very bliss of Heaven,

Since the Angel’s salutation

In thy raptured ear was given;

Since the Ave of that midnight,

When thou wert anointed Queen,

Like a river over-flowing

Hath the grace within thee been.

On the mountains of Judea,

Like the chariot of the Lord,

Thou wert lifted in thy spirit

By the uncreated Word;

Gifts and graces flowed upon thee

In a sweet celestial strife

And the growing of thy Burden

Was the lightening of thy life.

And what wonders have been in thee

All the day and all the night,

While the angels fell before thee,

To adore the Light of Light.

While the glory of the Father

Hath been in thee as a home,

And the sceptre of creation

Hath been wielded in thy womb.

And the sweet strains of the Psalmist

Were a joy beyond control,

And the visions of the prophets

Burnt like transports in thy soul;

But the Burden that was growing,

And was felt so tenderly,

It was Heaven, it was Heaven,

Come before its time to thee.

Oh the feeling of thy Burden,

It was touch and taste and sight;

It was newer still and newer,

All those nine months, day and night.

Like a treasure unexhausted,

Like a vision unconfess’d,

Like a rapture unforgotten,

It lay ever at thy breast.

Every moment did that Burden

Press upon thee with new grace;

Happy Mother! Thou art longing

To behold the Saviour’s Face!

Oh his Human face and features

Must be passing sweet to see

Thou hast seen them, happy Mother!

Ah then, show them now to me.

Thou hast waited, Child of David,

And thy waiting now is o’er;

Thou hast seen Him, Blessed Mother,

And wilt see Him evermore!

O His Human Face and Features,

They were passing sweet to see;

Thou beholdest them this moment,

Mother, show them now to me. Amen.

Hymns of the Annunciation

The Office of the Annunciation

From Matins.

The God whom earth, and sea, and sky

Adore, and laud, and magnify,

Who o'er their threefold fabric reigns,

The Virgin's spotless womb contains.

The God, whose will by moon and sun

And all things in due course is done,

Is borne upon a maiden's breast,

By fullest heavenly grace possest,

How blest that mother, in whose shrine

The great artificer divine,

Whose hand contains the earth and sky,

Vouchsafed, as in his ark, to lie.

Blest, in the message Gabriel brought;

Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought;

From whom the great desire of earth

Took human flesh and human birth.

All honour, laud, and glory be,

O Jesu, Virgin-born to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To Father and to Paraclete.

Amen.

From Lauds.

O glorious lady! throned on high

Above the star-illumined sky;

Thereto ordained, thy bosom lent

To thy creator nourishment

Through thy sweet offspring we receive

The bliss once lost through hapless Eve;

And heaven to mortals open lies

Now thou art portal of the skies.

Thou art the door of heaven's high King,

Light's gateway fair and glistering;

Life through a virgin is restored;

Ye ransomed nations, praise the Lord!

All honour, laud, and glory be,

O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To Father and to Paraclete.

Amen.

From Vespers.

Ave, star of ocean,

Child divine who barest,

Mother, ever-virgin,

Heaven's portal fairest.

Taking that sweet Ave

Erst by Gabriel spoken,

Eva's name reversed,

Be of peace the token.

Break the sinners' fetters,

Light to blind restoring,

All our ills dispelling,

Every boon imploring.

Show thyself a mother

In thy supplication;

He will hear who chose thee

At his incarnation.

Maid all maids excelling,

Passing meek and lowly,

Win for sinners pardon,

Make us chaste and holy.

As we onward journey

Aid our weak endeavour,

Till we gaze on Jesus

And rejoice forever.

Father, Son, and Spirit,

Three in One confessing,

Give we equal glory

Equal praise and blessing.

Amen.

Those who should speak will fall silent

Let the Voxers discern:

“Thus I make it known to you that from the end of the 19th century and shortly after the middle of the 20th century…the passions will erupt and there will be a total corruption of morals… As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with His Church, it will be attacked and deeply profaned. Freemasonry, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the aim of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin and encouraging procreation of illegitimate children born without the blessing of the Church … In this supreme moment of need for the Church, the one who should speak will fall silent.” -Our Lady of Good Success

"America is great, because America is good."

"America is great, because America is good," according to Hillary Clinton.

No Hillary, America is not good. She was once, she is no longer.

Lest I offend my many loyal American readers, my own country, Canada; is not good either.

Our nations have advocated and aggressively promoted the slaughter of innocents in the womb. On this, America has led the way for the whole world. Sixty, maybe seventy million - 70,000,000 babies murdered since Roe vs. Wade. The eldest would be young grandparents today, the loss of population so far is perhaps 90,000,000. One wonders what is wrong with the economy? The economic contributors were murdered or never conceived by those who were. I apologise for putting people in economic terms but it does highlight the issue quite dramatically.

Hillary Clinton wants every American Christian to now pay for baby murder.

Canada has already embraced euthanasia; American states are individually rushing towards that abyss.

The United States of America, has destroyed Syria, Iraq, Libya and is now provoking a potential confrontation with Russia. Russia is not America's enemy, she is not Canada's enemy. Imagine if a Russian and American president could sit down together. Imagine if these two nation-states could join forces to defeat our real enemy.

No, America is not good. It lost that claim a long time ago.

But it can be.

Our Lady of America, Our Lady of Tepeyac pray for Americans, pray for all of us.

It is late and Russia's errors are upon us

Ninety-eight years ago today in a field known as the Cova da Iria belonging to the Santos family of Fatima in Portugal an event happened of such profundity that its occurrence is still felt and yet, disregarded - the apparition of the Virginal Mother of God, Our Lady of Fatima. Over the course of the next six months, she would appear again to the three shepherd children culminating in the public witness by 70,000 people of miraculous cures and celestial events.

Just over twenty years later, the "Lady" appeared again to the last remaining child, then a Religious Sister. At that time in 1939, the Lady came to ask for the Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart so that Russia would be converted lest its "errors" be spread throughout the world and to prevent the "annihilation" of many nations. 

Was the visionary, Sister Lucia, delusional?

She was certainly not delusional on May 13, 1917 or for the months after that. Some will argue that this is "private revelation" and I don't have to believe it because it is no in the catechism. Fine, don't. Yet, the Church has a feast day in honour of Our Lady of Fatima, there are shrines and churches and schools named after her; so clearly, something happened at Fatima.

In 1942 and again in 1952, Pope Pius XII attempted this "consecration." It was not done in the manner instructed [specifically Russia and Russia only and with all the bishops of the world united with the Pope.] It was attempted again twice by St. John Paul II but again, not in the form required.

So, was Sister Lucia delusional? 

The answer must be "no." If she were delusional, then why did two Popes attempt the consecration? She must have been right or they would not have done so and those who say that the consecration has never been done must be right because nowhere in history can you find that it has occurred with the specific mention of "Russia!"

Is it too late as it was in France when the King failed to consecrate France to the Sacred Heart until it was too late for France, or is it just late? 

Is the Russia of 1939 still the Russia of today? What of its errors and what of the annihilation of nations?

When we join Fatima with Our Lady of Akita we see an ominous time that could be nuclear catastrophe leading to the "annihilation of nations." This very day, talks continue to prevent or permit an nuclear Iran and Saudi Arabia may have used a tactical battlefield nuclear weapon in Yemen. 

But is there something more about Russia's errors and what were they? We are living in a time when it is "late," for Russia's errors have spread and nations have been annihilated. We need to look beyond the obvious political and economic errors of "Russia" which are clearly communism. That Russia, the Soviet Union, no longer exists in a sense, de jure, though some will argue that there are those their that desire its de facto return. Does this mean that it is "too late" that the Consecration should not still occur? What were Russia's evils?  

Communism is Godless, it is political atheism. It removes God and in His place, it exalts Man embodied in the State. It denies the image of God in Man and instead puts forward Rights of Man as if it itself were a god. Communism is Freemasonry and its errors have spread throughout the world. In the West - in Europe, Canada, the United States and Australia and elsewhere, communism has spread and infected our culture. Those communists of today know that there economic theory was a shame and a failure, that is obvious - they lost the battle, but they picked up another one and today they have achieved nearly final victory. Rampant secularism, corporate fascism, globalism, environmentalism, homosexualism, abortion are all the errors which stemmed from Russia and communism. Now we see more and more every day, the persecution of Christians and specifically, Catholics at the hands of the masonic-globalist-fascist monster with its roots in Russia where not even owners of pizzerias or flower-shops are safe. 

More than political-economic

We have seen only nuclear war and the physical annihilation of nations as a possibility. The Bishop of Utrecht and Primate of Holland recently announced that one-thousand churches would soon close. Has Holland been annihilated as a nation? Belgium is another where abortion and euthanasia are practiced as a science and combined with low birth-rates are not so slowly ceding their nations to Islamism. The rest of Europe is not far behind. "Nations will be annihilated" by Russia's errors of atheism, secularism and the exaltation of Man. In North America, we are only behind Europe and moving quickly to join her in this self-destruction. 

I propose that we have been missing a more critical element of Our Lady's message at Fatima and after 1939 that while not removing the political and economic element is something even greater and more damning - the corruption of the Catholic Church by Russia. This corruption has lead to the inability of Catholics, and therefore nations, to engage the culture of death and secularism that is leading us to destruction. 

Was Our Lady, in speaking of the spread of Russia's errors speaking of the Catholic Church? 

After the rise of communist Russia and the persecution of the Church, the Pope sent bishops clandestinely to Russia to ordain priests. Stalin was outraged and increased the persecution. More though than that, he determined that he had to destroy the Church, yet; he knew that he could not in an all out war. 

The order went out around to communist cells throughout the world and particularly in the West to infiltrate the Church and destroy Her from within by destroying the faith of the people. We have the testimony to the United States Senate of Bella Dodd as well as her own book attesting to it. She personally planted over one-thousand men into the Catholic priesthood between 1930 and 1945. Stalin gave us the communist and atheist priests and they rose up the ranks to Vocation Directors, Seminary Rectors, Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals and they gave us more just like them and worse, they brought in the sodomites who would destroy lives and souls and the very fabric of the Church in scandal and shame.

They gave us Liberation Theology which has poisoned the Church in the Americas, even the African-American protestant churches have bought into this Marxist lie and heresy. We have the admittance that Liberation Theology was a KGB plot (as if we did not know that already) and we have a Pope who his rehabilitating the relationship of its founder. The Church with Paul VI's ostpolitik sold out the lives of Cardinals Mindzenty and Slipyj and will soon do the same with the real Catholics in China. The Second Vatican Council was taken over by modernists and heretics who laid "time-bombs" in the Documents that are rotting the Church from within with false-ecumenism, an inter-religious dialogue that refuses to preach Christ, a protestantised liturgy that fails to worship the Triune God in the fullness and therefore is deficient in grace and dissent tolerated where what was once true is no longer true and what was false is now treated as truth.

Russia's evils and errors are upon us and we are living it because of our sinfulness and lack of faith. The "great apostasy" is here. Islam is being used to confound us because of our lack of obedience to God who will not be mocked. In the same way that ancient Israel committed fornication and was chastised by God we are now reaping what our reward for committing fornication with the world - a world filled with the errors of Russia.

It is late, but it is not too late.

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us.