A request for a novena to St Therese

I would like to request that all who read this blog begin a novena to St Therese of Lisieux, for Bishop Williamson that he might be granted the grace of a conversion of heart and also for the process of the reabsorption of the SSPX into the Church. The novena can be found here. I have chosen St Therese as, although the one of the duties of all Carmelites is to pray for priests, she had a particular devotion to prayer for both priests and missions. Her correspondence with and spiritual support of Maurice Belliere springs to mind.

Here, too, is a prayer that Therese said daily for priests.

‘O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.

Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.’

Support the Holy Father in Prayer and in Thought

I have, thus far, had very little to say about the whole Williamson debacle because I think it has already been given more than enough attention on various fora and on other blogs. But it grieves me greatly that the Holy Father should have to suffer for the sake of someone who is, quite obviously, a few sandwiches short of a picnic and to have to put up with the peculiar and vicious outpourings of many ignorant journalists and politicians. It is indeed sad when the Holy Father's broad vision is constantly pulled down into the mud by those who want to pick away at what are, within the great scheme of things, minutiae. Had a statement like this come from someone in the Curia then I could well have understood the subsequent uproar. However, it did not. It came from one man. One of four men who have yet to officially return to the Church. Sadly, far too much attention has been given to what Williamson said and not to who said it. I say this not as someone who is unaware of the incredible ignorance and insensitivity of what was said, but as someone who cannot fathom why this person is being given so much credence.

Although I'm not trying to sweep aside the larger implications of what has happened, I cannot understand why anyone is paying so much attention to Williamson. A good friend of mine, who has been and is still currently heavily involved with SSPX, informed me the other night that he is regarded, even in SSPX circles, as being as nutty as a fruitcake. It certainly gives me the creeps when he allows someone to post photographs of ordinations in Argentina, on his blog, under the title "His Excellency ordains in Argentina, December 2008". I think that tells us all we need to know ....

Sadly, these facts are being disregarded by the MSM and anyone who has a bone to pick with the Holy Father and the Holy See. The wolves are indeed beginning to circle. In this light I would ask all who visit this blog to go to bloggingLOURDES where Father Byers has set up a prayer initiative for the Holy Father. There is also a letter of support that can be signed at Support Pope Benedict XVI.

V: Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Benedicto.

R: Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.

V: Fiat manus tua super virum dexterae tuae

R: Et super filium hominis quem confirmasti tibi

Oremus. Deus, ómnium fidélium pastor et rector, fámulum tuum Benedíctum, quem pastórem Ecclésiæ tuæ præésse voluísti, propítius réspice: da ei, quæesumus, verbo et exémplo, quibus præest, profícere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi crédito, pervéniat sempitérnam. Per Christum, Dóminum nostrum. Amen.

V: Let us pray for our Pope Benedict.

R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V: May Thy hand be ever upon the man of Thy right hand.

R: And upon the son of man whom Thou hast confirmed unto thee.

Let us Pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.