I wish my parish had a First Saturday Mass. Unfortunately, the only Mass on Saturdays is the Vigil Mass for Sunday.

Don't forget about wearing the Brown Scapular!

I am bumping this thread for this coming Saturday. Please read the OP above.

Also, I have just updated the Seven Dolors of the BVM page on my website with amazing pics from Adreaen Isenbrandts rendering. Please visit and pray the Seven Sorrows.

http://silverwingsofthedove.org/the-seven-dolors-of-the-b-v-m

We've been using our First Saturday Masses to make reparation to Mary's Immaculate Heart specifically for the sins of abuse by clergy we all know too well about by now. We've been using the Votive Mass of Our Lady, Mother of the Church on these days, which is then followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary and other meditations, and finally Benediction.

This saturday

And Groundhog Day

Much Reparation is required of us. Go to confession, Mass, communion and pray the rosary and also meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries (or a mystery) of the rosary as this Saturday is the day marked by Our Lady of Fatima.

I recommend reading from this meditation.

Eg., http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/pjc/pjc36.htm

Much Reparation is required of us. Go to confession, Mass, communion and pray the rosary this Saturday.

Why you ask?

http://silverwingsofthedove.org/offer-prayers-and-sacrifices

Today

This coming Saturday, consider...

http://silverwingsofthedove.org/first-five-saturdays-of-reparation

Tomorrow.

We have a serious responsibility as musicians of the greatest drama on the face of the earth... the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass... we deliver the art form that is the most profound, and “marries itself to the liturgy”... If our heart, soul, mind and strength are rooted and devoted to Jesus and Mary, and we are pure before God, then our offering of music is more acceptable to the Most High.

Go each month to confession, pray the rosary, and keep oneself unstained from the world. This is an assault on the evil one and his minions and an advancement of the Kingdom of God. It is a way to secure your soul for the afterlife.

Please hear our dear Mother and her request of this, her children.

May you all be immersed in that One and only Holy Ghost.

Francis

OK... now I understand better what you are saying.

Musicians need to receive the sacraments MORE often since they are in a place of service to the liturgy... I don't encourage practicing any music before Mass, just warm ups (and NOT IN THE CHURCH!). Practice is on weekday eves and does not conflict with being able to go to confession or Mass.

Perhaps that is more to your question?

If you don't know it just before Mass, yous in trouble. Getting hyper at that point is useless. I then say, 'do no damage'! If you don't know it, don't sing!

Francis,

So.... you use time before Mass on Sundays and Holy Days for warm ups only, not for learning new music you're to sing less than an hour later?

All,

Is it important to leave time for the individual preparation of the choir members, including time for confessions, or is this the awkward sorry problem of individuals who really should avoid sinning in the first place and who certainly can't take time out of your precious rehearsal to make things right with God?

Not sure what the issue is. I've sang in choirs that rehearsed immediately prior to Mass for almost eight years and never had issues finding time to go to Confession.

I would love to do a mini-rehearsal on Sunday. Trouble is, half the choir doesn't show up until into or after the Gloria.

That might work if they saw anything they do as wrong. They don't.

Our Sunday priest is available an hour before and an hour after Mass to hear confessions, everyone has learned how to do quick Confessions and one can always ask to jump the line in an emergency. Not everyone takes Communion every week, either. Those in the choir loft who are taking Communion hurry down to receive right after Mass.

Chris,

Wouldn't that be wonderful? "We're hosting our parish's choir rehearsals on -days at -:00, perhaps it would be wise/courteous to have confessions available for 15-20 minutes prior to that time," thought the priest...

Because it is true. We are expected to attend at least a rehearsal per week, plus rehearsal/warm-ups right before Mass (which, at most churches, is when confession is taking place).

Of course, music directors don't like people walking in and out of rehearsal - people don't like having to repeat the same instructions or musical phrases just because another person wasn't listening. Therefore, it would make sense to have confessions available immediately before rehearsal.
If rehearsals ended early enough, confessions could be had after rehearsal, so that we can all confess the malicious thoughts we've had toward others, based on how rehearsal went. ;-)

Final Interview with Sr. Lucia

Interview of December 26, 1957

Speaking to the sisters of Motherhouse of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Mexico on May 22, 1958, Fr. Fuentes said, “I want to tell you the last conversation I had with her [Sister Lucy], which was on December 26 of last year. It was in the convent, where I found her very sad, pale and drawn.”

A very grave Sister Lucia in 1957
He then proceeded to read Sister’s Lucy’s words to him at the December 26, 1957, interview:
“Father, the Blessed Virgin is very sad because no one has paid attention to her Message, neither the good nor the bad. The good, because they continue on the road of goodness, but without paying mind to this Message. The bad, because of their sins, do not see God’s chastisement already falling on them presently; they also continue on their path of badness, ignoring the Message. But, Father, you must believe me that God is going to punish the world and chastise it in a tremendous way.
“The chastisement from Heaven is imminent. The year 1960 is on us, and then what will happen? It will be very sad for everyone, and far from a happy thing if the world does not pray and do penance before then. I cannot give more details, because it is still a secret. By the will of the Blessed Virgin, only the Holy Father and the Bishop of Fatima can know the secret. Both have chosen, however, not to open it in order not to be influenced by it. (1)
“This is the third part of the Message of Our Lady, which still remains secret until 1960. Tell them, Father, that the Blessed Virgin said repeatedly – to my cousins Francisco and Jacinta as well as to me – that many nations would disappear from the face of the earth, that Russia would be the instrument of chastisement from Heaven for the whole world if the conversion of that poor Nation is not obtained beforehand. …”
A decisive battle with the Devil

Sr. Lucy also told me:

Fr. Augustin Fuentes
“Father, the Devil is fighting a decisive battle against the Virgin and, as you know, what most offends God and what will gain him the greatest number of souls in the shortest time is to gain the souls consecrated to God. For this also leaves unprotected the field of the laity and the Devil can more easily seize them.
”Also, Father, tell them that my cousins Francisco and Jacinta made sacrifices because they always saw the Blessed Virgin was very sad in all her apparitions. She never smiled at us. This anguish that we saw in her, caused by offenses to God and the chastisements that threaten sinners, penetrated our souls. And being children, we did not know what measures to devise except to pray and make sacrifices. …”
We cannot wait for Rome to speak
Referring to the vision of Hell that Our Lady showed her and Jacinta and Francisco, she said:
“For this reason, Father, it is my mission not just to tell about the material punishments that will certainly come over the earth if the world does not pray and do penance. No, my mission is to tell everyone the imminent danger we are in of losing our souls for all eternity if we remain fixed in sin.
“Father, we should not wait for a call to the world from Rome on the part of the Holy Father to do penance. Nor should we wait for a call for penance to come from the Bishops in our Dioceses, nor from our Religious Congregations. No, Our Lord has often used these means, and the world has not paid heed. So, now each one of us must begin to reform himself spiritually. Each one has to save not only his own soul, but also all the souls that God has placed on his pathway.
Two last remedies to save the world
“Father, the Blessed Virgin did not tell me that we are in the last times of the world, but I understood this for three reasons:
“The first is because she told me that the Devil is engaging in a battle with the Virgin, a decisive battle. It is a final battle where one party will be victorious and the other will suffer defeat. So, from now on, we are either with God or we are with the Devil; there is no middle ground.
“The second reason is because she told me, as well as my cousins, that God is giving two last remedies to the world: the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And, being the last remedies, that is to say, they are the final ones, means that there will be no others.

‘Our Lady never smiled. She was always very sad’
“And the third, because in the plans of the Divine Providence, when God is going to chastise the world He always first exhausts all other remedies. When He sees that the world pays no attention whatsoever, then, as we say in our imperfect way of talking, with a certain fear He presents us the last means of salvation, His Blessed Mother.
If we despise and reject this last means, Heaven will no longer pardon us, because we will have committed a sin that the Gospel calls a sin against the Holy Spirit. This sin consists in openly rejecting – with full knowledge and will – the salvation that is put in our hands.
“Also, since Our Lord is a very good Son, He will not permit that we offend and despise His Blessed Mother. We have as obvious testimony the history of different centuries where Our Lord has shown us with terrible examples how He has always defended the honor of His Blessed Mother.
“Prayer and sacrifice are the two means to save the world. As for the Holy Rosary, Father, in these last times in which we are living, the Blessed Virgin has given a new efficacy to the praying of the Holy Rosary. This in such a way that there is no problem that cannot be resolved by praying the Rosary, no matter how difficult it is – be it temporal or above all spiritual – in the spiritual life of each of us or the lives of our families, be they our families in the world or Religious Communities, or even in the lives of peoples and nations.
“I repeat, there is no problem, as difficult as it may be, that we cannot resolve at this time by praying the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will save ourselves, sanctify ourselves, console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls.
“Then, there is devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Most Holy Mother, holding her as the seat of mercy, goodness and pardon and the sure door to enter Heaven. This is the first part of the Message referring to Our Lady of Fatima, and the second part, which is briefer but no less important, refers to the Holy Father.”

http://silverwingsofthedove.org/final-interview-with-sr-lucia

[The photo is how OLF statues are depicted as per the explanation of how she always appeared to the children as per the explanation above.]

Rejoice with me: This Friday I celebrate 25 years since I was received (on my third attempt) into the Catholic church.

Francis,

Since this Saturday is All Souls' Day, do you know if there is a stipulation that the Mass must be the Immaculate Heart of Mary?

CGZ - Wonderful. Thanks be to God.

Our Lady would love to see you tomorrow

I was visiting the BVM Sunday and as you can see, she is looking to see if you will be coming to Mass and confession as first saturday is approaching this weekend. She hopes to see us all.

Liam,

Francis is using the un-reformed Calendar.