Sunday, January 1, 2017

Project BLACK MAMBA: Mary, the Holy Mother of God

'Tis the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord): Our Lady-link ūna, Our Lady-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Were 1 January not a Sunday, 'twould also be the feast of Saint Joseph Mary Tomasi, Priest, C.R. (1649-1713): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings
The Book of Numbers, chapter six, verses twenty-two thru twenty-seven;
Psalm Sixty-seven, verses two, three, five, six, & eight;
The Letter to the Galatians, chapter four, verses four thru seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter two, verses sixteen thru twenty-one.

Mass Matters
2016 was the first year since 2010 in which I attended fewer Masses than the preceding year, but given the unprecedented frequency with which I attended Mass in that preceding year, 2015, I do not think this alone is reason enough to panic about the state of my immortal soul, not yet. I did not attend Mass on every Sunday of 2016, though on the two or three Sundays I missed I still met my obligation by attending the Saturday vigil Mass (which is Sunday, liturgically speaking). The Summer of '16 was rough; I found myself under diabolical attack & my daily Mass attendance suffered as a result; that forms a vicious cycle, because the sicker one feels the less likely one is to go to Mass, the very thing that could help one heal. I hope for better things in 2017, including admission into the seminary, God willing.

2008: 32
2009: 33
2010: 32
2011: 37
2012: 45
2013: 63
2014: 130
2015: 293
2016: 261
2017: 1…

Mass Journal: Week 1
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:
There are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. There are sixty-seven million Catholics in America—that's at least fifteen million more than it takes to elect an American president. And every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, & clothes more [persons]; takes care of more sick [persons]; visits more prisoners; & educates more [persons] than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to.

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