Twenty-Fourth and Last Sunday after Pentecost,November 20, 2022:
Dear faithful,
On this Last Sunday after Pentecost, Dom Prosper Guéranger ends his commentary by putting us in the attitude of holy anticipation of the new liturgical year about to begin:
“Several times during Advent we meditated on the circumstances which are to accompany the last coming of Christ our Lord; and in a few days the same great teachings will be again brought before us, filling our souls with a salutary fear. May we, then, be permitted on this last Sunday of our liturgical year to address ourselves in a prayer of desire and praise to our adorable Lord and King, the solemn hour of whose judgment is to be the consummation of His work, and the
signal of His triumph” (The Liturgical Year).
An entire liturgical year is almost behind us, we are on the doorstep of the next one. Questions may arise in our minds – what will come this year? Are there more reasons for hope or for dread? Why does it seem that I have made such a small portion of the progress in virtue that I had determined to make at the beginning of this year?
Whatever lies ahead, let us remain convinced that God will be with us, and that He will sustain us. We can draw abundant fruits of His grace by our worthy assistance at the sacred mysteries of the liturgy, which is Christ’s redemptive sacrifice continued and propagated, in a sense, in our world.
A reminder: Christmas cards are now available for purchase. These ornately-decorated cards are offered for sale at $20/pack by the Institute of Christ the King so that your loved ones will know they’re on your mind, and that you desire their highest good – union with Our Lord who took flesh among us. The cards will be sold in the vestibule after the 7 am Mass and during the reception after the 12:30 pm Mass.
There will be a Requiem Mass for Mary Persinger, sister of Mary and Maria de Ornellas, on Wednesday, November 30 at 12 pm, followed by the funeral at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward (26320 Mission Blvd). Her Rosary Vigil will be on Tuesday, November 29 at the Santos-Robinson Mortuary in San Leandro (160 Estudillo Ave.) at 6:30 pm.
I hope you’re assiduously practicing the Tota Pulchra Es for our Novena in preparation for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception! As you hopefully noticed, I recently sent out the music sheets and a recording to help everyone prepare. The Novena will take place from Tuesday, November 29 to Wednesday, December 7.
Many of you have been turning in your November lists with the names of your deceased loved ones to be remembered in the Masses this month. Thank you for responding so generously to this initiative. I read the names each day as I collect these sheets. How many prayers we should offer up all our lives for the Holy Souls in Purgatory! They will surely remember your kindness and return the favor when the day of your own departure from this life inevitably comes. If you haven’t yet done so, please be sure to take one of these sheets from the back tables in the church and fill it with the names of your beloved faithful departed.
Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco will honor the lovely Advent tradition of the Rorate Mass in the middle of next month. His Grace will celebrate this pre-dawn candlelit Mass, with its particular quality of Marian devotion, on Wednesday, December 14 at 5:30 am at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (1111 Gough St., San Francisco).
Our next Men’s Group event will also be on Wednesday, December 14, beginning at 7:15 in Kozina Hall as usual. We will be viewing the classic film on the life and martyrdom of St. Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons. In 1966, the great English actor Paul Scofield accomplished a masterful representation of the wit, faith and fortitude of this martyr for the One, True, Catholic Faith who, before facing the executioner’s axe, spoke these immortal words: “I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” May we all practice our faith with the same conviction and steadfastness. Please rsvp to Felipe Vasquez if you’re interested in attending: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Our half-day Men’s Retreat had been planned for December 21. Due to a scheduling conflict with the retreat site; this event will unfortunately have to be postponed to sometime early in the new year. Please contact me if you are interested and would like to receive updates.
Lastly, I would like to wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. May our gratitude to God for all His blessings, material and spiritual, grow ever greater.
Wishing you a blessed Sunday,
Canon Norman
The Institute’s recent Gregorian chant recording, Gaudeamus Omnes, contains the four seasonal Marian antiphons as part of the Office of Compline, in simple and solemn tones. These Marian anthems can be downloaded individually on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, CD Baby and more. For details and to hear clips of each track, go to:
https://instituteofchristthekingsovereignpriest.hearnow.com/
