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Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Ember Wednesday after Pentecost

Ember Wednesday after Pentecost

Station at St. Mary Major

"The Gift of Fortitude is a permanent power which the Holy Ghost communicates to our will to assist us in overcoming the difficulties which might deter us in the practice of what is right." (Rev. M. Meschler, S.J., Ibid., p. 260.)

The Ember Days always fall during the octave of Pentecost. The Church then offers up to God the first-fruits of the new season, and prays for the priests who, on the coming Saturday, are about to receive the Holy Ghost in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Station on Ember Wednesday was always held at St. Mary Major. It was at the feet of the Blessed Virgin, whom the Holy Ghost filled with His grace in the Cenacle, that the newly baptized gathered together. The Liturgy reminded them of the miracle of Pentecost (Lesson) and the marvels wrought by the Apostles, as a result of which the number of those who believed in the Lord was greatly increased (Epistle).

Moved by the Holy Ghost the Catechumens also believed in Jesus: they turned to Him, and Jesus gave them to eat of the bread that would make them live for ever (Gospel).

Let us implore the divine Consoler to enlighten, us always more and more and to place us in full possession of the truth." (Collect)

May God protect the Church, as of old He protected His chosen people.

Deus, dum egredereris coram populo tuo, iter faciens eis, habitans in illis, alleluia: terra mota est, caeli distillaverunt, alleluia, alleluia.* Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus: et fugiant, qui oderunt eum, a facie ejus.
O God! when Thou didst go forth in the sight of Thy people, making a passage for them, dwelling among them, alleluia, the earth was moved and the heavens dropped, alleluia, alleluia. * Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered: and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
(Psalm 67:8,9,2 from the Introit of Mass)

Mentes nostras, quaesumus, Domine, Paraclitus, qui a te procedit, illuminet: et inducat in omnem, sicut tuus promisit Filius, veritatem.
May the Holy Comforter, who proceedeth from Thee, enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and lead us into all truth, even as Thy Son hath promised.
(Collect)

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, David, for providing at least direction in my search this morning; in preparing to serve this morning's 11am Usus Antiquior Mass, I came across in my St. Andrews Missal the same footnote you quoted wholesale--and still seek the referent citation the "Ibid" refers to.

    I find today's Ember Wednesday after Pentecost Mass on page 717 (this is an older Missal that father had found for me when I wasn't able to afford a new one of my own, when I was just beginning to attend the Traditional Latin Mass; the page reference may differ a little in the newer reprints) the same footnote 2: "Rev. M. Meschler, SJ. Ibid. p. 260."

    The previous footnote, however, refers to pp. 70-71, which to save anyone the trouble of looking up/adjusting the page reference, is just the map of the Stational Churches--nothing that would help complete the Meschler citation (not so much as a year or where it was written).

    (If anyone or any One can enLighten me, the more-apparently-over-time poorly-catechised perpetual neophyte convert, I would most appreciate it, as I am [not so] ironically the sole remaining practising Catholic in my daughter's family, that it fall to me to catechise her better than I have been, myself...) Robin.Cheung@mba2003 dot biz

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