A Pastoral Epistle for the feast of St George the Great Martyr, Patron of England
To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate in England
Carissimi
Though the liturgical calendar this year defers the celebration of St George’s feast to April 28th, due to the solemnity of the Paschal Octave, it remains fitting on this traditional date — April 23rd — to reflect on the life, witness, and continuing spiritual significance of our national patron, especially for us who dwell in England.
We do not commemorate St George simply as a relic of the past or as a national mascot. We honour him because he bore witness to the truth when doing so came at the greatest cost. In an age increasingly unsure of truth itself, let alone our identity as a Christian people, St George calls England back to courage, to fidelity, and to Christ.
St George the Martyr — Not a Myth, but a Man of God
St George was a historical man, born in Cappadocia and martyred in Palestine — lands that today lie within the very region where millions of Christians still suffer persecution for their faith. In the Middle East — from Syria to Iraq, from Egypt to Gaza — our brothers and sisters are harassed, displaced, and even martyred for confessing the name of Jesus. In some of the same places where St George stood for Christ against Diocletian, Christians today stand against hatred, terror, and oppression.
We in England are not persecuted with sword or flame. But we do face a subtler martyrdom: the erosion of faith through ridicule, the pressure to conform to secular dogmas, and the silencing of Christian witness in the public square. In such times, we must recover the clarity and courage of St George.
He is immortalised in Christian iconography as the one who slays the dragon, defending a maiden — representing the Church, the Bride of Christ — from destruction. The dragon is not just Diocletian, but any power, ideology, or fear that seeks to devour truth and virtue. And the Church is still under threat — sometimes overtly, sometimes through the slow decay of indifference and apostasy.
There Is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of
If England is to be renewed, she must again venerate and honour her saints — especially her patron. His legend exalts his virtues, even as it preserves truths that are timeless: chivalry, charity, chastity, courage. And if medieval or Victorian romanticism sometimes wrapped him in embellishment, let it only serve to rekindle in our hearts a longing for the nobility he embodied.
We must speak truth to ignorance, dispel myth with history, and defend our spiritual heritage with love.
England Today — A Nation in Need of a Patron
Ours is a nation uncertain of its purpose and divided in its identity. Public institutions too often seem ashamed of the very values they once upheld — values rooted in the Christian Gospel: reverence, sacrifice, fidelity, justice, mercy. St George is not a symbol of empire or conquest, but a witness to the moral clarity that faith gives. He stood for truth when truth was dangerous. He gave his life for the Church — she who had first given him the light of faith, the same light we still carry. Shall we not, at the very least, live for her?
The Victory of the Resurrection
Throughout this Paschal Octave, Holy Church calls us to rejoice in the victory of Christ over death — a victory into which all the saints, including the martyrs, are drawn. As we celebrate the Risen Lord, we are reminded that the call to holiness is a call to share in His Resurrection through lives of sacrificial love. The blood of the martyrs, like that of St George, bears witness to this triumph: not merely as the seed of the Church, but as a mirror of our own baptismal vocation — to be living branches of the Vine of Christ, bearing fruit that endures.
The Power to Transform
Let no one say the Gospel has no power to change the world. It is the only thing that ever has. If England is to recover her soul, it will not come through policy, protest, or power, but through the quiet and heroic witness of those who live in grace. As Christ said, “Remain in me, and I in you.”
If we remain in Him, we will bring others to Him — our families, our communities, even this nation. The power to forgive, to sacrifice, to love truly — this is what will make England Christian again. And that is how we truly honour St George.
Let England Return to Christ
So I ask you: are you striving to remain in Christ? Are you bearing the fruit that will last? Are you actively living the eternal life that began for you at baptism?
Do you love God enough to bring His love to others? Do you love your nation enough to fight for her soul — not with weapons, but with virtue? Do you love the Church enough to defend her honour in a hostile age?
St George did. And so can you.
May St George intercede for us. May England again be a land of saints. May she once more rise — not in empire, but in holiness.
With my apostolic blessing,
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis Dominica de Passione MMXXV A.D.
Oremus
Deus, qui beátum Geórgium Mártyrem tuum virtútis constántia roborásti, da nobis, quǽsumus, ut, qui eius imitatiónis exémpla sectámur, inter adversitátis ǽstus invicti permaneámus. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
O God, who strengthened your martyr Saint George with constancy in virtue, grant us, we pray, that following his example of imitation, we may remain unshaken amid the storms of adversity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
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To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate
Carissimi
As we cross the threshold into Passiontide, the Church, in her maternal wisdom, begins to draw the veil over the face of her suffering Spouse. With the gravity of one who knows the hour is near, she prepares us not merely to recall the Passion of the Lord, but to enter it, to dwell within its mystery, to participate anew in the great drama of redemption. The sacred liturgy, especially in its traditional Roman form, offers not abstract theology but enfleshed truth — truth that speaks in signs and silences, gestures and omissions, in what is said and in what is no longer said.
Among these signs, subtle yet profound, is the shifting place of Psalm 42, Judica me, Deus, a psalm that forms the threshold prayer of the priest in the Mass throughout the year, but which is now deliberately silenced — and then made to reappear, not as the priest’s own private preparation, but as the public proclamation of Christ’s own entry into His Passion. I offer the following meditation to illuminate this sacred gesture and to draw out the spiritual significance it holds for our own participation in the liturgy of these most holy days. May it assist both clergy and faithful to enter more deeply into the mind of the Church, and through her, into the Sacred Heart of the Redeemer.
In the traditional Roman Rite, Passion Sunday inaugurates a profound shift in the spiritual landscape of Lent — a shift not merely seasonal or devotional, but sacrificial and sacerdotal. With the veiling of sacred images, the Church signals her entry into the hidden mystery of the Passion: the Bridegroom begins to withdraw from view, even as He prepares to ascend the mount of offering. This moment is marked with quiet solemnity by a liturgical detail easily overlooked, yet theologically luminous: the relocation of Psalm 42, Judica me, Deus.
Until Passion Sunday, this psalm — “Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy” — forms the heart of the priest’s private preparation at the foot of the altar, as part of the Preparatio ad Missam. From Septuagesima through the Fifth Sunday of Lent, it remains in place. Only on Passion Sunday is it conspicuously omitted — not as a Lenten gesture of penance, but as a Passiontide gesture of mystery. From this Sunday forward, the Judica me disappears from the priest’s prayers and is instead elevated to the public proclamation of the Introit of the Mass1.
This is no mere rubrical curiosity, but a liturgical transfiguration. The voice of the individual priest is quieted, so that the voice of the Eternal High Priest might resound. As the Church sings Judica me at the beginning of the Holy Sacrifice, it is no longer the voice of the minister preparing for Mass; it is the voice of Christ Himself, standing at the threshold of His Passion. “Why hast Thou cast Me off? And why do I go sorrowful, whilst the enemy afflicteth Me?” Here is Gethsemane, prefigured; here is the Cross, foreshadowed. “I will go to the altar of God”: here is the obedience of the Son unto death2.
The traditional liturgy is here doing something profoundly theological: it marks not merely the continuation of Lent, but a new and deeper phase — Passiontide — in which the High Priest begins His liturgical entry into the Holy of Holies. This is emphasized by the Epistle of the day, taken from Hebrews: “Christ being come, an High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle… entered once into the holies, having obtained eternal redemption”3. The High Priest is Christ, and the altar is no longer merely the table of offering, but the wood of the Cross. The Mass of Passion Sunday stands at the threshold of this sacrificial ascent.
The relocation of the Judica me from the priest’s lips to the voice of the Church is the liturgical moment in which Christ takes full possession of the rite. The veiled crosses, the hushed tones, the intensification of the readings — all signify that the divine action is now taking centre stage. The priest no longer prays in anticipation of Christ’s action; now, Christ Himself prays in and through the liturgy. Ipse Christus agere incipit — Christ Himself begins to act.
Dom Guéranger notes that Passiontide marks “the solemn opening of the mysteries of the Passion,” in which the liturgy now becomes a direct participation in the redemptive work of the Savior4. The silence of the psalm at the foot of the altar becomes its proclamation at the head of the Church: the Lamb is stepping forward, and He does not go unwillingly. “I will go to the altar of God” — not the golden altar of the Temple, but the rough wood of Golgotha.
That the modern rites have suppressed this liturgical choreography altogether — omitting Psalm 42 from the New Mass entirely — is emblematic of a broader loss. The faithful are no longer mystagogically led into the mystery; they are instead given plain speech and procedural efficiency. But the traditional Roman Rite, in its very structure, teaches us how to perceive the hidden Christ — veiled, suffering, yet sovereign.
The Judica me is no longer the priest’s threshold prayer, because the liturgy itself has now become the threshold of the Passion. The Eternal High Priest goes to the altar, and we go with Him.
Let us, then, beloved in Christ, heed the wisdom of the Church, who veils her sanctuaries not out of despair, but out of reverence; who silences certain prayers not to impoverish the liturgy, but to make room for the voice of the High Priest Himself. In a time when so much of the sacred has been obscured not by veils but by neglect, not by reverent silence but by liturgical reductionism, we must redouble our fidelity to the tradition that nourished the saints and formed the martyrs. The sacred liturgy in its ancient form is not a relic of the past, but the living voice of Christ, speaking now as ever, in signs that are clear to the eyes of faith.
As we accompany our Lord toward His altar — which is His Cross, and through it, the heavenly sanctuary — may we learn to make our own the words of the Psalm: Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. And may we never forget that in the Mass, above all in this solemn season, Christ Himself is the One who ascends — and we, if we are united to Him, ascend with Him, through suffering, into glory.
May the sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, who stood at the foot of the true altar, obtain for us the grace to remain faithful unto the end.
In Christo sacerdote et hostia,
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis Dominica de Passione MMXXV A.D.
Oremus
Quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus, famíliam tuam propítius réspice: ut, te largiénte, regátur in córpore; et, te servánte, custodiátur in mente. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen
Look graciously upon Your household, almighty God, we beseech You, that by Your grace we may be governed in body, and by Your protection safeguarded in mind. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
Missale Romanum (1962), Ordo Missae and Dominica de Passione, Introitus. See also Rubricae Generales, Tit. IV, §1: “A Dominica Passionis usque ad Sabbatum Sanctum inclusive, in principio Missae non dicitur Psalmus Judica me Deus.” ↩︎
Psalm 42:4: Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam. In patristic tradition, this verse is interpreted Christologically, especially by Cassiodorus and the Fathers of Gaul. ↩︎
Hebrews 9:11–12, Epistle of Passion Sunday in the traditional Roman Missal. Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, III, q. 22, a. 2: “Christus fuit sacerdos secundum quod humanam naturam assumpsit.” ↩︎
Dom Prosper Guéranger, The Liturgical Year, Vol. 6: Passiontide and Holy Week (tr. Dom Laurence Shepherd), p. 87: “The holy Church begins, today, a new period, in her liturgical year. It is called Passiontide. This morning, the badge of mourning appeared on all the sacred images in her temples.” ↩︎
Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.
A Pastoral Epistle on the Sanctity of Life in the Face of the End of Life Bill
To the Faithful of Christ, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
In these critical times, we address you with pastoral concern and apostolic conviction. On April 25, 2025, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is scheduled for further debate and voting in the House of Commons. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the bill, has confirmed this date and emphasized the importance of proceeding without delay.
As shepherds of souls and witnesses to the Gospel of life, we cannot remain silent in the face of legislation that seeks to legalize the deliberate ending of innocent human life. The implications of this bill—however framed in terms of compassion and autonomy—are profound and call for clear teaching, faithful resistance, and fervent prayer.
Life Is Not Ours to End The proposed bill seeks to permit adults with mental capacity, diagnosed with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less, to request medical assistance to die. Such an act, regardless of intention, constitutes the moral equivalent of suicide, and the cooperation of others in that act is euthanasia. The Church has consistently condemned both.
From the earliest centuries, the Christian tradition has held that life is a gift entrusted to us by God, not a possession to be disposed of at will. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Cor 6:19–20). St. Augustine taught with clarity: “He who knows it is unlawful to kill himself may nevertheless do so if he is ordered by Him whose commands we may not neglect.”¹ His words underscore that life and death are under divine sovereignty.
The Cross Is Not a Curse The suffering of terminal illness is real. It can be frightening, painful, and isolating. But Christ has gone before us. The Cross was not a failure; it was the place of redemption. Those who endure suffering in union with Christ participate in His saving Passion.
The Roman Catechism, issued by the Council of Trent, teaches us that suffering borne patiently is pleasing to God and a source of grace: “The other part of this Commandment is mandatory, commanding us to cherish sentiments of charity, concord, and friendship towards our enemies, to have peace with all men, and finally, to endure with patience every inconvenience which the unjust aggression of others may inflict.”² To propose death as a solution to suffering is not only a false mercy; it is a rejection of the redemptive value of suffering, which has always been part of Christian witness.
The Role of the Physician and the Meaning of Care This bill also distorts the very vocation of the physician. Traditionally, doctors have sworn the Hippocratic Oath, promising never to administer poison, even when requested. The Church has consistently upheld this moral boundary. Pope Pius XII taught that while one may accept palliative means to alleviate pain, “It is not right to deprive the dying person of consciousness in order to eliminate suffering if this renders impossible a final act of love for God.”³
In his 1954 address to the World Medical Association, Pius XII emphasized the natural moral law, affirming that euthanasia has been officially condemned.⁴
The Slippery Slope and the Silence of Society Advocates of assisted suicide often claim strict limitations. But once society concedes that it is lawful to end life to alleviate suffering, the logic inevitably widens. We have seen this in nations where euthanasia was introduced with similar promises—only to expand later to include psychological distress, non-terminal illness, and even minors. St. Thomas Aquinas warned that the toleration of lesser evils often paves the way for greater ones: “Human law is framed for a number of human beings, the majority of whom are not perfect in virtue. Wherefore human laws do not forbid all vices.”⁵
Moreover, such laws erode the fabric of society. They suggest to the aged and the vulnerable that their lives are a burden. But as Pope Pius XI taught in Casti Connubii, life is sacred “not only in its beginning and development but also in its natural termination.”⁶ We must build a civilization of charity where no one is abandoned, and where each soul is cherished until God Himself calls them home.
Our Christian Witness and Duty Dear faithful, this is not merely a civil matter. It is a spiritual trial. In times like these, we are called to be salt and light, to give public testimony to the Gospel of life.
We urge you:
Pray earnestly for our legislators, doctors, and those approaching death.
Write respectfully to your Members of Parliament, urging them to reject this bill and protect the most vulnerable.
Visit the sick and elderly, accompany the dying, and support Catholic hospice initiatives.
Instruct the young in the sacredness of life, and the nobility of offering suffering to God.
St. John Chrysostom wrote: “The one who honors the sick honors Christ Himself.” Let this be our response to a culture that tempts the suffering to despair: to meet them not with poison, but with prayer; not with death, but with love.
Conclusion: Choose Life We must remind our fellow citizens and lawmakers of the ancient words of Moses: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut 30:19). Let no Christian be found among those who choose otherwise.
May Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and St. Joseph, Patron of the Dying, intercede for us all. And may Christ our King, who conquered death by His own death, fill you with courage, fidelity, and peace.
May Our Lady, Comfort of the Afflicted, intercede for us.
Yours in Christ,
S. Isidori Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris Brichtelmestunensis MMXXV
Footnotes ¹ St. Augustine, City of God, Book I, Chapter 26. ² Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part III, The Fifth Commandment. ³ Pius XII, Address to Catholic Physicians and Anesthesiologists, November 24, 1957. ⁴ Pius XII, Address to the World Medical Association, September 30, 1954. ⁵ St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I–II, q.96, a.2. ⁶ Pius XI, Casti Connubii, §64.
How to Contact Your MP Before the Assisted Dying Vote
Practical Guidance for Faithful Citizens
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is due for parliamentary debate and vote on April 25, 2025. Now is the time for faithful Catholics to speak out—clearly, charitably, and urgently. Here’s how to contact your MP effectively:
Email is fastest. Most MPs can be reached at: firstname.lastname.mp@parliament.uk (e.g., jane.doe.mp@parliament.uk)
Write a Letter if you prefer a physical approach. Address it to: [MP’s Name] House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
Call the Constituency Office or attend a local surgery (drop-in meeting). Times are usually listed on the MP’s official site.
3. Keep It Short and Personal
Start by stating you’re a constituent (i.e., you live in their area). MPs prioritize messages from their own voters.
Use your own words—this carries more weight than a form letter.
Share why you personally oppose assisted suicide. You might mention:
The sanctity of life and Christian teaching.
Concerns about the pressure this may place on the elderly, disabled, or those with mental health struggles.
The role of true palliative care as a compassionate alternative.
Fears of “mission creep” from other countries where similar laws have expanded.
4. Be Respectful and Clear
You don’t need to be a policy expert. Speak sincerely, and end by asking them to vote against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on April 25.
5. Follow Up
A short thank-you or reply if they respond can build trust—even if they disagree. If they express support for the bill, clarify your concerns respectfully and encourage them to reconsider.
Your voice matters. MPs often cite messages from constituents when making their decisions. As faithful citizens, let us not be silent when the vulnerable are at risk. As St. Paul reminds us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
For further moral guidance and resources, see the Anscombe Bioethics Centre at bioethics.org.uk.
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To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate
Carissimi
On this great feast of St. Joseph, the Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Guardian of the Redeemer, the Church presents to us the most perfect model of true fatherhood, so necessary in these troubled times. At the root of much of the disorder in our world today is the crisis of fatherhood, a crisis that has left countless homes, communities, and even the Church itself weakened and vulnerable.
Our age suffers from a profound corruption of masculinity, with the true vocation of manhood and fatherhood being either distorted or denied entirely. On one side, we see the rise of a toxic machismo, promoted by worldly figures who glorify aggression, power, and self-indulgence, treating fatherhood as a means of dominance rather than a call to service. This counterfeit masculinity appeals to frustrated young men, offering them an image of strength that is, in truth, nothing but slavery to their own passions¹.
On the other side, we see the feminist distortion of patriarchy, a vision that portrays all fatherly authority as oppressive, all masculine strength as abusive, and all headship as a relic of a past best left behind². This ideology has so permeated modern culture that many men fear their own vocation, hesitating to lead their families, hesitant to take responsibility, and uncertain whether they should even assert themselves in the world. The result is an entire generation emasculated and passive, unwilling to act, unwilling to protect, and unwilling to embrace the burdens that true fatherhood requires³.
Caught between these two extremes—the arrogance of false machismo and the weakness of modern emasculation—the men of our age are left with no true guide. But St. Joseph stands before us as the alternative, the true model of fatherhood that the world so desperately needs.
The Fatherhood of St. Joseph: A Model for Our Time
St. Joseph was neither a tyrant nor a weakling. He was neither obsessed with power nor afraid to lead. He was neither a man ruled by his passions nor one who shrank from his responsibilities. Instead, he exemplified a fatherhood that is ordered toward God, lived in sacrificial love, and exercised with humility, strength, and obedience⁴.
He was entrusted with the greatest responsibility given to any man—to guard and protect the Holy Family, to lead Our Lady in purity, and to raise the Son of God in righteousness. He did not rule his household with harshness, but neither did he abandon his role. His strength lay in his self-mastery, his authority was exercised in service, and his leadership was not for his own sake but for the glory of God and the salvation of those entrusted to him⁵.
Fathers today must look to St. Joseph if they wish to restore their dignity and reclaim their sacred mission. The world desperately needs men who will take up the mantle of true fatherhood—men who will embrace their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and faith. The time for hesitation has passed; the time for action is now.
To Fathers and Husbands: The Sacred Duty of Leadership
Fathers and husbands, you are called to a divine mission. Your role in the home is not a mere social construct, nor is it a position of privilege for personal gain. Rather, it is a sacred duty entrusted to you by Almighty God, modeled after St. Joseph, who was given authority not for his own benefit, but to guard, guide, and sanctify the Holy Family. The same charge is now laid upon you: to lead your families in faith, prayer, and discipline, so that they may be brought safely to the gates of heaven.
The world has lost its understanding of fatherhood because men have abandoned their duty. Too often, fathers are either tyrants or cowards—either lording their authority over their family without love, or shirking their responsibility entirely, leaving their wife and children vulnerable to the dangers of the world. Neither of these is the way of St. Joseph. He did not dominate Our Lady, nor did he retreat from his role. Instead, he led with humility and quiet strength, accepting the immense burden of protecting, providing for, and sanctifying the Virgin Mother and the Christ Child.
Your headship is spiritual, not merely material. You are not just a provider of financial stability, though this too is an important duty⁶. You are above all the spiritual head of your home, the one upon whom God has placed the responsibility of leading souls to Him⁷. This means that you must be the first in faith, the first in prayer, and the first in sacrifice. You cannot expect your wife and children to love God if you do not show them by your own example⁸.
Be the first to rise for Mass. Ensure that your family attends Holy Mass faithfully⁹. It should not be your wife who drags the family to church while you remain indifferent or absent. As a father, you must be the leader in worship, teaching your family that nothing is more important than their duty to God.
Be the first to teach your children the faith. Too many fathers leave the instruction of their children entirely to their wives, or worse, to the schools and society. Yet God has given you this duty¹⁰. It is not enough to assume that religious instruction is happening elsewhere—you must be the one to ensure it¹¹. Catechize your children. Read the Scriptures with them. Teach them the lives of the saints. Pray the Rosary together as a family. Let your home be a domestic church, where your children see in you a model of unwavering faith and piety¹².
Be the first to demonstrate self-sacrifice. St. Joseph worked tirelessly to provide for the Holy Family, enduring hardship and exile without complaint¹³. So too must you embrace the burdens of fatherhood with fortitude and patience. You must be willing to deny yourself for the good of your family. This means sacrificing worldly distractions and vanities—your comfort, your time, even your career ambitions—when they conflict with the spiritual welfare of your wife and children¹⁴. It means setting aside pride and selfish desires to lead with humility¹⁵. It means protecting your home from the corrupting influences of the world, even when this requires difficult decisions¹⁶.
Your authority as the head of the family comes from God Himself, and it is not to be taken lightly¹⁷. The world tells men that authority is about control or personal dominance, but this is a lie. Authority in the Christian sense means responsibility before God¹⁸. You are entrusted with souls—the souls of your wife and children, whom you must lead to heaven. You will be judged not by the wealth you acquire, nor by the success of your career, nor by the comforts you provide, but by whether or not you have sanctified those under your care¹⁹.
“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church” (Ephesians 5:23). Just as Our Lord laid down His life for the Church, so too must a husband be willing to lay down his life—not only in martyrdom but in daily sacrifice—for his wife and children²⁰. To neglect this duty is a grave sin, for Scripture warns: “If any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8)²¹.
The role of fatherhood is not optional, nor is it a matter of personal preference. It is a divine vocation, and you will be held accountable before God for how you have exercised it²². On the day of judgment, Christ will ask you: “Where are the souls I entrusted to you?” Woe to the father who has neglected them! Woe to the man who has abandoned his post!
Do not fail in this duty. Seek the intercession of St. Joseph, who will strengthen you to be the father and husband God has called you to be. Stand firm against the lies of the world. Do not be swayed by the voices that tell you to be passive, or to abdicate your authority, or to let others raise your children for you. Take up your cross, lead your family, and be the father they need—for their salvation, and for your own.
To Priests and Bishops: The Sacred Responsibility of Spiritual Fatherhood
Priests and bishops, you are called to be spiritual fathers, shepherds of souls, and protectors of the Mystical Body of Christ. Your fatherhood is not symbolic, nor is it merely a title—it is a true paternity, one that mirrors the fatherhood of God Himself. It is through your hands that men receive the sacraments of salvation, through your voice that the Gospel is preached, and through your fidelity that the Church is safeguarded from error. Yet in our time, this fatherhood has been gravely compromised. The crisis in the Church today is, in large part, a crisis of weak and compromised shepherds—men who have abandoned their duty, neglected their flock, and in some cases, even turned into wolves themselves.
A father who fails to discipline his household allows it to fall into ruin. A priest or bishop who refuses to teach the truth, uphold doctrine, and correct error permits his flock to be devoured by the enemy. But even worse than negligence is betrayal—the grievous wound inflicted by those who abuse their spiritual authority, scandalizing the faithful and leading souls away from Christ.
The Clergy Abuse Crisis: A Perversion of Spiritual Fatherhood
The great shame of our age is the scandal of clerical abuse, a betrayal so deep that it has caused countless souls to fall into despair and disbelief. What greater perversion of spiritual fatherhood could there be than for a priest, who stands in persona Christi, to abuse the very souls entrusted to his care? Just as the sins of a natural father can wound a child for life, so too does the abuse—whether sexual, emotional, or spiritual—by a priest or bishop inflict incalculable damage upon the Mystical Body of Christ.
Our Lord Himself reserved His strongest condemnations for those who lead His little ones astray: “Whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” (Mark 9:41).
It is not only the abusers who bear guilt, but also those who covered up their crimes, excused their actions, or failed to remove them from ministry. A bishop who protects a criminal in clerical garb does not act as a father but as a hireling, one who sees the wolf coming and does nothing. He allows his flock to be devoured, fearing for his own reputation rather than the souls entrusted to him²³.
The faithful, understandably, have grown wary of trusting their shepherds. Many have abandoned the Church altogether, believing that all priests are corrupt. This is one of the greatest triumphs of Satan—that the sins of a few have led to the widespread loss of faith in the priesthood itself. It is no longer enough for good priests to simply say, “I am not like them.”Every priest and bishop must actively work to restore trust, transparency, and holiness to the Church.
Be True Fathers, Not Mere Administrators
Too many bishops today govern the Church as bureaucrats rather than fathers. They prioritize public relations over truth, compromise over clarity, and diplomacy over doctrine. Their sermons are filled with vague platitudes, never daring to rebuke sin, lest they offend. But a true father does not hesitate to correct his children, even when it is painful. St. Paul warns: “Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).
The faithful are starving for real spiritual fathers, for shepherds who will defend the truth without fear. They do not need more managers who treat the Church like a corporation. They do not need more public figures who speak only when it is politically safe. They need strong men of God, who will preach Christ crucified, even if it costs them their reputation, their comfort, or their very lives.
Do not allow the wolves to scatter Christ’s sheep. Do not be silent in the face of heresy. Do not turn away from the corruption within the Church out of fear of scandal. True scandal comes not from exposing evil, but from allowing it to fester unchecked. St. Joseph, as the Protector of the Church, would never have tolerated the abuse of the innocent. He would never have remained silent while sin destroyed the purity of his household. Neither must you²⁴.
Standing Firm Like St. Joseph
St. Joseph was given the most sacred charge imaginable: to protect the Son of God and His Most Holy Mother. He was not a talkative man, nor a political figure, nor a man of great influence. But he was obedient, he was faithful, and he was unyielding in the face of danger. When Herod sought to destroy the Christ Child, Joseph did not hesitate—he rose in the night and fled to Egypt, carrying Jesus and Mary to safety (Matthew 2:13-14).
This is the model for every priest and bishop today. The world is waging war against Christ, against His Church, against purity, and against truth. The faithful are under attack. Souls are in danger. And yet, too many shepherds hesitate—they wait, they delay, they compromise, while the wolves tear apart their flock.
You must stand firm, as St. Joseph did. You must protect the innocent, as St. Joseph did. You must lead with strength and humility, as St. Joseph did. Your fatherhood is not a career—it is a vocation to spiritual battle, and the battlefield is the souls of those entrusted to you.
When you stand before Christ on the day of judgment, He will ask you: “Where are the souls I entrusted to your care?” What will your answer be?
Will you be able to say, “I defended them with my life, I fed them with Your Word, I sanctified them through the sacraments”?
Or will you be forced to confess, “I let them stray, I was silent when I should have spoken, I feared the world more than I feared You”?
Conclusion: Restore the Fatherhood of the Priesthood
The restoration of the Church will not come from committees or programs, nor from clever marketing strategies or ecumenical dialogues. It will come from holy fathers—priests and bishops who, like St. Joseph, protect the flock without fear, without compromise, and without hesitation.
Be true fathers to your people. Be guardians of the sacred. Be warriors for the truth.
And if you have failed in this duty—repent. Turn back to Christ. Reform your life. Defend your flock before it is too late.
To Young Men Preparing for Their Vocation: The Discipline of True Manhood
Young men, you are being formed in a time of great deception. The world offers you false models of masculinity—on one side, the lie that strength is found in aggression, dominance, and selfish ambition; on the other, the equally destructive lie that virtue is found in passivity, submission, and weakness. But both are distortions, for true manhood does not lie in brute force or in timid compliance, but in self-mastery, self-discipline, and self-sacrificial service.
The men of past generations, even in times of hardship and war, understood that virtue is forged through trial, that greatness comes only through suffering. But today, men are trained to seek comfort above all things. They are told that hardship is something to be avoided, that failure is something to be excused, and that responsibility is something to be feared²⁵. This has created a generation of men who refuse to persevere in anything—who abandon their purpose at the first sign of difficulty, who indulge in their emotions rather than conquer them, and who shrink from leadership rather than embrace it²⁶. This is not the way of Christ, nor is it the way of St. Joseph.
If you wish to become a true man, a man prepared for whatever vocation God calls you to, then you must begin with the conquest of yourself. You must master your body, your mind, and your soul²⁷. You must train yourself in the virtues that make a man strong—not in the worldly sense of dominance, but in the true sense of a man who is unmoved by passion, undeterred by difficulty, and unshaken by fear²⁸.
Self-Mastery: The Foundation of Strength
Self-mastery is the first and most essential virtue of manhood. A man who cannot control himself—his desires, his emotions, his impulses—is not free, but a slave²⁹. He is a slave to his passions, a slave to his fears, a slave to the opinions of others. He is ruled not by reason, nor by the law of God, but by his own undisciplined nature³⁰.
The world will tell you that “following your feelings” is natural, even good. It will tell you that your anger, lust, sadness, and laziness should be indulged, that you must not “suppress” your emotions. But the saints teach otherwise. They teach that a man must govern himself, that he must be the master, not the servant, of his emotions³¹. A man who follows his passions rather than leading them is like a city without walls—defenseless, vulnerable to every attack (Proverbs 25:28).
St. Joseph is the perfect model of self-mastery. He was a man of great responsibility, but he never let his emotions control him. When he discovered that Mary was with child, he did not act rashly. He did not let anger, fear, or sorrow consume him. Instead, he acted with prudence and obedience to God, waiting for divine guidance before making a decision (Matthew 1:19-21)³². This is what it means to be a man—not to be ruled by feelings, but to act according to reason and faith.
Self-Reliance: The Discipline of Responsibility
A man cannot lead others if he cannot stand on his own feet. The world today is full of men who cannot take responsibility for themselves, who are constantly dependent on others to solve their problems, to make their decisions, and to carry their burdens. But true manhood demands self-reliance, the ability to work, to endure, to build, and to persevere without constantly seeking comfort or escape.
This does not mean rejecting legitimate help from others—no man is an island—but it does mean rejecting the entitlement mentality that so many men have today³³. How many young men drift through life, waiting for someone to tell them what to do? How many refuse to make sacrifices, waiting for others to provide for them? This is not the way of a Catholic man³⁴. You are called to bear burdens, not to seek escape from them.
St. Joseph was a man of labor. He did not sit idly by and expect others to care for him. He worked. He built. He provided. He took responsibility. And he did so without complaint, without expecting recognition, and without seeking an easy way out³⁵. The world needs more men like this—men who will take responsibility for their lives, their families, and their vocations, rather than making excuses for their failures.
Self-Discipline: The Key to Perseverance
A man who cannot discipline himself will never persevere³⁶. He will start a task but never finish it. He will begin his prayers but grow bored and abandon them. He will set goals but give up when they become difficult. This is the mark of a weak man—one who is ruled by his own laziness rather than by a will trained in fortitude.
You must learn to discipline your body, your mind, and your soul. This means waking up early, working hard, controlling your appetites, fasting, praying, and practicing obedience even when it is difficult. Do not let yourself be ruled by comfort or pleasure³⁷. Do not let yourself be softened by the ease of the modern world. Train yourself in hardship, for life will demand it of you.
Scripture teaches: “Every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25)³⁸. No great man has ever been made by indulging in luxury and comfort. Every saint, every soldier, every hero of the faith has become great through sacrifice, perseverance, and self-denial.
Conclusion: Become the Man God Created You to Be
The world needs strong, virtuous men. Your future wife, your future children, your future parishioners—they need you to become a man of faith, discipline, and self-mastery.
Do not waste your youth in weakness and distraction. Do not become a slave to your passions. Do not let comfort, emotion, or fear prevent you from becoming the man God intends you to be.
Train yourself now. Build your character now. Become a man of self-mastery, self-reliance, and self-discipline now. Then, when your time comes to serve, to lead, and to protect, you will be ready.
Conclusion: The Restoration of Fatherhood Begins Now
The crisis of our age is, at its root, a crisis of fatherhood. The disorder in families, the corruption within the Church, and the moral collapse of society all stem from the failure of men to embrace their God-given responsibilities. But no crisis is without a solution, and no battle is lost while the faithful still fight. The world is waiting for men to stand up once more—not as tyrants, nor as passive bystanders, but as true fathers, protectors, and guides.
Each of you—whether as a father in the home, a priest at the altar, or a young man preparing for his vocation—has been called to a mission greater than yourself. The time for excuses is over. You must become what God created you to be, regardless of the cost. No man is born a father; he becomes one through sacrifice, perseverance, and grace. You will not find strength in the empty promises of the world, but only by rooting yourself in Christ, submitting to divine authority, and living a life of discipline and virtue.
The restoration of fatherhood will not come through mere discussion or sentimentality. It must be lived. Fathers must lead their families in holiness. Priests must teach with clarity and govern with courage. Young men must embrace the discipline required to become strong, virtuous leaders. The work begins today, in the small decisions that shape your soul, in the daily sacrifices that form your character, in the quiet perseverance that makes a man worthy of the title “father.”
The enemy has spent decades undermining true manhood, knowing that the destruction of fatherhood leads to the collapse of all order. But he will not have the final victory. The Church is not without defenders, nor is the family without its guardian. St. Joseph remains the model, the protector, and the guide for all who seek to reclaim the dignity of fatherhood. Turn to him. Ask his intercession. Follow his example of silent strength, unwavering duty, and complete trust in God.
The world will not change on its own. The Church will not be renewed by compromise. Families will not be rebuilt without strong fathers. It is time to rise to the challenge, take up your cross, and reclaim the mission entrusted to you. Do not wait for others to act—begin now.
May St. Joseph, Model of True Fatherhood, strengthen you in your mission. And may the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sustain you in your duty until the day when He calls you to give account for the souls entrusted to your care.
St. Joseph, Pillar of Families, Terror of Demons and Protector of Holy Church, pray for us!
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis S. Joseph Sponsi B.M.V. Confessoris MMXXV A.D.
Oremus
Sanctíssimæ Genitrícis tuæ Sponsi, quǽsumus, Dómine, méritis adjuvémur: ut, quod possibílitas nostra non óbtinet, ejus nobis intercessióne donétur: Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen.
May the merits of Your most holy Mother’s spouse help us, we beseech You, O Lord, that through his intercession we may receive what we cannot obtain by our own efforts. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. R. Amen.
¹ Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (1930) – On the duties of husbands and fathers in the divine order of the family, warning against both the abuse of authority and the rejection of paternal leadership. ² Ephesians 5:23-25 – “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church… Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it.” This passage affirms that true fatherhood is modeled after Christ’s sacrificial love. ³ Pope Leo XIII, Arcanum Divinae (1880) – Condemning modern distortions of marriage and family life, asserting the natural and divine order of fatherhood. ⁴ St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians – On the husband’s responsibility to love, guide, and sanctify his wife and children, not through tyranny but through sacrificial leadership. ⁵ Genesis 18:19 – “For I know that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.” The biblical model of a father as a teacher and guide in righteousness. ⁶ St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 32, a. 5 – On the duties of a husband to provide for his household, not only materially but spiritually. ⁷ Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (1930) – The father’s responsibility for the faith formation of his children, as he is the spiritual head of the home. ⁸ Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” ⁹ Catechism of the Council of Trent – On the obligation of parents to bring their children to Mass and teach them the faith. ¹⁰ St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 6:4 – On the duty of fathers to educate their children in holiness, disciplining them in love. ¹¹ Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.” ¹² Pope Leo XIII, Sapientiae Christianae (1890) – On the home as a domestic church and the father’s role in guiding the family to holiness. ¹³ Matthew 2:13-15 – St. Joseph’s flight into Egypt as an example of paternal sacrifice, protecting his family from danger. ¹⁴ Pope Pius XII, Allocution to Fathers of Families (1951) – On the necessity of prioritizing spiritual over material success in fatherhood. ¹⁵ Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6 – On the responsibilities of fathers in ordering the home. ¹⁶ St. Augustine, Sermon 44 on the New Testament – On protecting one’s family from spiritual corruption, emphasizing the father’s duty to safeguard purity. ¹⁷ Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it.” ¹⁸ Pope St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio (1981) – On the father’s responsibility to mirror Christ’s love for the Church through sacrifice and guidance. ¹⁹ 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil.” ²⁰ Colossians 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them.” ²¹ 1 Timothy 5:8 – “If any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” ²² Hebrews 13:17 – “For they watch as being to render an account for your souls.” ²³ Ezekiel 34:2-10 – God’s rebuke of negligent shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel that fed themselves! Should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds? … Behold, I myself am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand.” ²⁴ Pope St. John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992) – On the priest as a true father, not an administrator: “The priest is called to be a living image of Jesus Christ, the spouse of the Church … He is not just a teacher, but a father in the fullest sense.” ²⁵ Mark 9:41 – “Whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” ²⁶ St. Gregory the Great, Pastoral Rule – “The spiritual leader must never hesitate to speak the truth, nor to expose the corruption of his time, lest his silence condemn him.” ²⁷ Matthew 2:13-14 – St. Joseph’s immediate obedience in protecting the Christ Child from Herod. ²⁸ 2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.” ²⁹ Pope Pius XI, Divini Redemptoris (1937) – On the dangers of softness and indulgence in men. ³⁰ St. Benedict, Rule of St. Benedict – On perseverance in discipline and responsibility. ³¹ St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew – On self-mastery as the foundation of holiness. ³² Proverbs 25:28 – “As a city that is open and without walls, so is a man that cannot rule his own spirit.” ³³ St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 155 – On the vice of effeminacy as the inability to endure hardship. ³⁴ 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.” ³⁵ St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises – On the need for the will to rule the passions. ³⁶ Matthew 1:19-21 – St. Joseph’s prudence and obedience. ³⁷ Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891) – On the dignity of labor and self-reliance. ³⁸ Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6 – On the responsibilities of young men. ³⁹ St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family – Traditionally honored as the patron of workers. ⁴⁰ Proverbs 6:6-8 – “Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways: and learn wisdom.” ⁴¹ Pope Pius XII, On the Ideal Christian Youth – On the necessity of sacrifice in forming strong men. ⁴² 1 Corinthians 9:25 – “Every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things.”
Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.
To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate
Carissimi
“Come back to the Lord your God; He is ever gracious and merciful, ever patient and rich in pardon, and when He threatens punishment, He is ready to forgive.” (Joel 2:13)
As the sacred season of Lent dawns upon us once more, Holy Mother Church calls us to a deeper conversion, a turning of heart and mind toward the Lord who has loved us with an everlasting love. The ashes imposed upon our foreheads today are not mere symbols of penitence, but an urgent reminder of the truth that modern man, in his folly, strives to forget: “Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.” The world would have us believe that we are masters of our destiny, architects of our own fulfillment, yet here, at the very threshold of Lent, the Church strikes at our pride and reminds us that all flesh is grass, and all human glory fades as quickly as the flower of the field (cf. Is. 40:6-7).
But the Church does not call us to despair; rather, she bids us lift our eyes to the merciful Father who “desires not the death of the sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live” (Ez. 33:11). Lent is not a season of sterile self-discipline or mere external observance, but an interior renewal, a return of love for Love. Indeed, our fasts, our mortifications, our prayers, and our alms ought to spring from this one central truth: God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn. 4:19), and we must love Him in return with the total gift of ourselves.
The Love that Fasts, the Love that Gives
Our Lord warns us in the Gospel for this holy day: “Where your treasure-house is, there your heart is too.”(Matt. 6:21). These words strike at the heart of the spiritual malaise of our times. The modern world teaches us to treasure ease, comfort, pleasure, and self-indulgence; our culture exalts those who accumulate wealth, who indulge their passions, who take pride in their self-sufficiency. And yet, Christ reminds us that these things are but dust and ashes. If we set our hearts on the transient, we will ourselves become transient; if we set our hearts on Heaven, we will be made worthy of Heaven.
Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are not arbitrary Lenten disciplines, but the very means by which we tear our hearts away from earthly attachments and anchor them firmly in God. St. Augustine, reflecting on these three pillars, observes:
“Let no one think that fasts alone, or prayers alone, or alms alone are sufficient. Fasting without mercy is barren; prayer without fasting is weak; almsgiving without piety is vain. If one desires to fly to God, he must have two wings: fasting and almsgiving, animated and strengthened by prayer.”1
In fasting, we imitate Our Lord’s own forty days in the wilderness, subduing the flesh and restoring order to the soul. St. Basil the Great calls fasting ‘the weapon of the spirit,’2 for it strengthens us against temptation, trains us in virtue, and makes us more docile to divine grace. The Church, in her maternal wisdom, requires only the most modest fasts of us, yet how many today find even these unbearable! Let us rather embrace our fasting with joy, as a means of proving our love, for “the true measure of love is to love without measure”(St. Bernard of Clairvaux).3
Almsgiving, likewise, is the concrete manifestation of charity. Our self-denial must not end with ourselves, but spill over in love toward our neighbor, particularly the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that “it is better to give alms from what one has denied himself than merely from one’s abundance, for in this a man shows greater love”.4Let our sacrifices be generous, not reluctant; let our giving be joyful, not constrained.
The Joy of the Saints in Self-Denial
The world scoffs at the idea that renunciation can be joyful. And yet, this is the paradox of the Gospel: the one who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it (cf. Matt. 16:25). The saints, who loved most, understood this best. St. Francis of Assisi, who stripped himself of all worldly goods, called Lady Poverty his bride and rejoiced in suffering for Christ. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, though hidden in the obscurity of the cloister, found in her “little way” of self-denial the most profound happiness:
“When one loves, one does not calculate. One does not say, ‘I will go this far and no further.’ One loves as much as possible, and even more than one can.”5
Let us, then, not fast with a gloomy countenance (cf. Matt. 6:16), as the hypocrites do, but with the joy of those who know they are making a gift of themselves to their Beloved. Let us not pray as a mere formality, but with the fervor of those who long for Heaven. Let us not give alms reluctantly, but as those who see in the poor the very face of Christ (cf. Matt. 25:40).
A Season to Love Much
Our Lord commended the woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee, saying,“her many sins have been forgiven, because she has loved much.” (Luke 7:47). Lent is given to us so that we may love much—first and foremost by returning to God the love we owe Him, but also by pouring ourselves out in love for our neighbor.
The Baltimore Catechism reminds us that “to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must have sorrow for our sins, a firm purpose of amendment, confess our sins to a priest, and be willing to perform the penance imposed”.6Lent is the time to rekindle this penitential spirit. It is the moment to renounce our sins not halfheartedly, but with a firm resolve to turn from them and embrace holiness.
Let this Lent be for us a season of true reorientation. Let us cast off tepidity and half-measures. Let us prove our love by our deeds—by fasting, by prayer, by alms, and above all, by a joy that manifests to the world that true happiness is found not in self-indulgence, but in self-gift.
As we journey toward Easter, may our sacrifices, undertaken with love, bear abundant fruit in holiness. And may the Blessed Virgin, who stood steadfast beneath the Cross, obtain for us the grace to love as she loved, to suffer as she suffered, and to rejoice as she rejoices forever in the presence of the Risen Christ.
With my blessing and prayers,
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis Feria II infra Hebd Quinquagesimæ MMXXV A.D.
St. Augustine, Sermon 207: On Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.
St. Basil the Great, Homily on Fasting.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon on Love.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 32, a. 5.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Story of a Soul.
Baltimore Catechism No. 3, Q. 777.
Oremus
Deus, qui culpa offénderis, pæniténtia placáris: preces pópuli tui supplicántis propítius réspice; et flagélla tuæ iracúndiæ, quæ pro peccátis nostris merémur, avérte. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
O God, offended by sin, and appeased by penitence, graciously hear the prayers of Your people as they entreat You to turn away from us the scourges of anger that we have deserved because of our sins. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.
To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate
Carissimi
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).
On this holy feast of the Epiphany, we are reminded of the radiant light of Christ—a light that pierces through the deepest darkness and calls all nations to the truth. The Magi, representing the wisdom of the nations, were drawn to the star of Bethlehem, journeying through peril to pay homage to the true King. Today, we too are summoned to follow that light, amidst a world darkened by apathy, ignorance, and deliberate sin cloaked in false virtue.
A World in Crisis
We cannot ignore the profound brokenness that characterizes much of our modern societies. The Grooming Gangs scandal, with its systemic failures and moral cowardice, and the corrupting harm of Gender Ideology lays bare a society that has abandoned the weak to their predators, preferring the silence of complicity to the courage of justice. The duplicity of political leaders, who campaign on one set of promises and govern by another, reveals a class driven not by the common good but by self-interest and ideological servitude. A materialist and consumerist society driven by a greed that knows no limits to its sense of self, self-interest and possessive obsession.
Our politics have become arenas of hypocrisy and polarization, poisoned by cultural Marxism and critical theories that sow division and enmity. These ideologies elevate resentment to a virtue, dismantling the bonds of charity and truth upon which a just society must stand, falsely revising the history of our common humanity to exact faux revenge and ill conceived vengeance for a contemporary imagined injustice. The unchecked influx of mass immigration, coupled with the spread of radical ideologies, threatens the demographic, cultural, and democratic integrity of Europe and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, collusion with evil – whether through apathy or active support – prevents nations from upholding the righteous actions of those courageous enough to call out or act to address the broader scourges of ideological totalitarian oppression and terrorism.
We see, too, the growing pressures on Christian witness in the public square. Increasingly, faith is marginalized, our dogmatic principles undermined and fictionalised, and moral truths are suppressed in favour of a culture that celebrates sin as virtue. A world threatened by thought, private prayer, overt charity, self-sacrifice, chastity, fidelity and true virtue. A world that cowers from truth. In such a world, standing for truth becomes an act of defiance, but it is a defiance rooted in love – a love that desires salvation for all.
The Hope of Christ’s Light
Yet, into this world of shadows, the light of Christ still shines. The message of the Epiphany is that the truth cannot be extinguished, for it emanates from the eternal Word of God. The Magi’s journey reminds us that even amidst chaos and confusion, there is a path to truth, discernible to those who earnestly seek it, and that the only worthy response is to humble oneself before it, surrendering all that is most precious.
Yet the light of Christ that calls us to action, is not a passive glow but a fire that ignites courage and righteousness. The Church, as the guardian of this light, must refuse to bend to the false idols of our age. We are called to be witnesses of truth, even when it costs us, and to stand against the evils that threaten the dignity of human life, the sanctity of family, and the sovereignty of nations under God.
The hope we proclaim is not mere optimism but a living assurance in Christ. It is the hope that transforms despair into trust, fear into courage, and division into unity under the banner of truth. This hope invites all people – regardless of background – to join in the joy of the Gospel.
A Call to Conversion
The darkness of our age is not merely external. Each of us must examine the shadows in our own hearts. The sins of apathy, cowardice, and complicity begin with individuals who prefer comfort to conviction. The light of Christ demands repentance, a turning away from sin, and a renewal of our minds and hearts.
In the Epiphany gospel, Herod exemplifies the “prince of this world” (John 14:30) with his duplicity (Matthew 2:8) and murderous will (Matthew 2:16) to preserve his power and control. Modernist exegetes obfuscate his sin as they do Judas, appealing to nihilism, blaming prophecy (Matthew 2:18), instead of recognising the disastrous exploitation of his freewill and culpability for his actions, just as they seek to cover their own faults and excuse sin with their obfuscating eisegeses.
There are many within the Church who try to extinguish the light of truth, refracturing it through the subjective prism of their relativism. Some through ignorance, some led and misguided by emotions and unrestored nature, some desiring to make the uncomfortable truths of the Gospel reconcile with worldly attitudes. Many have succumbed to the wiles of the Devil through his appeals to their prideful self.
As shepherds of God’s people, we call on all who read this letter to resist the seductive lies of false virtue. Compassion without truth is not love but deception. Tolerance without justice is not peace but betrayal. Love without sacrifice is no love at all. Let us embrace the authentic virtues of faith, hope, and charity, grounded in the unchanging truth of Christ.
Moreover, let us cultivate a spirit of prayer and fasting, recognizing that the spiritual battle we face requires spiritual weapons. In humility, we must intercede for our world, asking God to illuminate minds, soften hearts, and embolden spirits. We must embrace our own crosses of death to self and sacrifice self-interest for the sake of the higher purpose to which we are all called, to realise the common good and serve the supreme good.
Christ, the True King
The Epiphany reveals Christ as the King of kings, whose reign brings peace and justice. No earthly power can usurp His authority, and no ideology can overshadow His truth. Let us draw courage from this reality, knowing that we serve a sovereign Lord whose light will never be overcome by darkness.
Let us remember that we are not alone in this mission. The communion of saints surrounds us, offering their prayers and examples. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, guides us toward her Son, teaching us to say, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). Our Lord Himself told us where His kingdom is – within our hearts (Luke 17:21)!
May this holy season be a time of renewal for all of us. Let us recommit ourselves to Christ, the light of the world, and become bearers of His light in our families, communities, and nations. Let us pray fervently for our leaders, that they may be guided by wisdom and courage. And let us work tirelessly to build a society that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Kingdom of God.
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5).
With every blessing in Christ,
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis In Vigilia Epiphaniæ MMXXV A.D.
Oremus
Deus, qui hodiérna die Unigénitum tuum géntibus stella duce revelásti: concéde propítius; ut, qui jam te ex fide cognóvimus, usque ad contemplándam spéciem tuæ celsitúdinis perducámur. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
O God, You Who by the guidance of a star this day revealed Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant that we who know You now by faith, may come to behold You in glory. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.
To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate
Carissimi
“Fortiter Sperate”—Have Courage and Hope! As we stand on the threshold of a new year, these words encapsulate the spirit with which we are called to approach the challenges and blessings that lie ahead. For ours is not a hope rooted in fleeting things, but in the eternal promises of Christ, whose Incarnation we continue to celebrate in this holy season.
This day, the Octave of Christmas, also marks the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord. In this sacred mystery, we are reminded of Christ’s humility, obedience, and His mission of salvation. The New Year begins with the Holy Name of Jesus, the Name that is above every name, proclaiming to all the world that “God saves.” It is a day that invites us to reflect deeply on our calling as disciples and to recommit ourselves to living lives of fidelity, humility, and mission.
Looking back over the year that has passed, we find much to give thanks for, even amidst the trials we have faced. In November, the passage of the Assisted Dying Bill in certain jurisdictions brought with it a stark reminder of the moral darkness that threatens to engulf our societies. Yet, the Apostolate responded with courage and clarity, proclaiming the truth that every human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred and inviolable. In a culture increasingly indifferent to the dignity of life, our steadfast witness has been a sign of hope and a call to repentance.
Amidst these challenges, God has also blessed us abundantly. This past year, we celebrated the ordinations of priests and deacons, men who have answered the call to serve Christ and His Church with courage and generosity. These ordinations are a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness, even in times of difficulty, and they inspire us to persevere in our mission. In the wider Old Roman tradition the consecration of two new bishops in America promises greater collaboration and a future for our efforts, pray for their Excellencies, ✠Luis Baez and ✠Raphael Villareal Falquez.
Similarly, the incardination of priests from other jurisdictions into the Apostolate has brought renewed strength and vitality to our mission. These clergy, drawn by the Apostolate’s unwavering fidelity to the faith of our fathers, have chosen to unite with us in proclaiming the timeless truths of the Gospel. Their decision speaks to the hunger for authenticity and truth in a world often lost in compromise and confusion.
I was privileged this year to visit many of our communities around the world. These pastoral visits allowed me to witness first-hand the vitality and faith of our clergy, religious, and lay faithful. From the missions of Asia to the parishes of Europe and the Americas, I saw a living Church, united in its love for Christ and its commitment to the sacred tradition of the Apostles. These encounters were moments of profound grace, reminding me of the beauty and resilience of our Apostolate.
The Feast of the Circumcision offers a profound model for how we should approach the coming year. In submitting to the rite of circumcision, Our Lord demonstrated His perfect humility and obedience to the Father’s will. He who is above the Law subjected Himself to it, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice He would make on the Cross for the salvation of humanity. His example calls us to live lives of humility and fidelity, embracing God’s will in all things.
This feast also reminds us of the sanctity of the human body, a temple of the Holy Spirit, created in God’s image. In a world that increasingly distorts and desecrates the body, we are called to be witnesses to its dignity and sanctity, defending life, marriage, and the family as God ordained them.
Finally, this day proclaims the Holy Name of Jesus, a name that is both a prayer and a proclamation. It is a name that brings peace, salvation, and hope, reminding us of the centrality of Christ in all that we do. As we begin this new year, let us carry the Holy Name of Jesus on our lips and in our hearts, boldly proclaiming His truth to a world in desperate need of it.
Let this year be one of renewal. Deepen your prayer life, frequent the sacraments, and immerse yourself in the Word of God and the teachings of the Church. Commit to acts of charity, within your families and beyond, being the hands and feet of Christ in a world longing for His love. Be unafraid to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular, for the truth of Christ is the light that scatters darkness.
Above all, let us remain united in faith, hope, and charity. The strength of the Church lies in its unity, and our unity is rooted in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. Let us support one another in prayer and action, building up the Body of Christ as we labour for the Kingdom.
As we begin this new year, may the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose fiat made the Incarnation possible, guide and intercede for us. May the Holy Name of Jesus, proclaimed today, be ever on our lips and in our hearts. And may the Most Holy Trinity bless you and your families abundantly, granting you the grace to persevere in faith, hope, and love.
I.X.
Brichtelmestunensis S. Silvestri Papæ et Conf. MMXXIV A.D.
Oremus
Deus, qui salútis ætérnæ, beátæ Maríæ virginitáte fecúnda, humáno generi præmia præstitísti: tríbue, quǽsumus; ut ipsam pro nobis intercédere sentiámus, per quam merúimus auctórem vitæ suscípere, Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, have bestowed upon mankind the reward of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech You, that we may enjoy the intercession of her through whom we have been found worthy to receive among us the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.
The Most Revd Jerome Lloyd, Titular Archbishop of Selsey’s Christmas Message for 2024AD to the clergy and faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Dear Faithful,
As we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are reminded once again of the eternal truth of the Incarnation: God became man to save us from sin and to reconcile humanity with Himself. In this divine mystery, the heavens rejoice, and the earth is renewed, for in the Christ Child, born in Bethlehem, we find the fulfilment of God’s promise to His people.
Yet, as we look upon the world today, we cannot fail to see the grave dangers that threaten both the faith and the moral order. Across the globe, we witness the rise of ideologies that seek to undermine the truth of Christ, erode the sanctity of life, and dismantle the family, the fundamental unit of society as ordained by God. These are not mere political or social trends but manifestations of a deeper spiritual battle—a battle between the forces of good and evil, between Christ the King and the prince of this world.
The Crisis of Our Time In many nations, the faithful face persecution, not only through overt acts of violence but also through insidious efforts to silence the Church and marginalize her teachings. The growing secularization of society has led to a rejection of divine law and an embrace of relativism, whereby truth is replaced with opinion, and virtue is mocked as intolerance. This crisis is not confined to any one nation but is global in scope, affecting every corner of Christendom.
Even within the Church, we face challenges that test our fidelity to the Gospel. The forces of modernism and compromise have infiltrated the sacred halls of our Holy Mother Church, sowing confusion among the faithful. It is in times like these that we must stand firm, clinging to the immutable truths of the faith as handed down through Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
The Light of the Nativity Yet, amid this darkness, the light of the Nativity shines forth. Christ came into the world not in power or wealth but in the humility of a manger. His birth is a call to reject the false promises of the world and to embrace the eternal hope found in Him alone. As the angels proclaimed to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will” (Luke 2:14). True peace and justice can only be found in the reign of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
A Call to Action This Christmas, I urge you, dear faithful, to renew your commitment to the faith. Strengthen your families in prayer and devotion, for the family is the domestic church and the first line of defence against the errors of the age. Stand boldly for the truth, even when it is unpopular or difficult. Do not be afraid to proclaim Christ as the only Saviour of mankind and the sole hope for our salvation.
Let us also remember to pray fervently for the persecuted Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The times in which we live are challenging, but we know that the ultimate victory belongs to Christ, who reigns now and forever.
As we kneel before the manger, may we entrust ourselves fully to the Lord, seeking His grace and strength to remain faithful in all things. May the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph inspire us to live lives of holiness, sacrifice, and love, as we await the day when He will come again in glory.
With my apostolic blessing, I wish you a most blessed and holy Christmas.
As Mass is offered later in the day on Christmas Eve, this meditation is offered to prepare our hearts and minds for the profound mystery of the Incarnation. It is an opportunity to reflect deeply on the gift of the Word made flesh, the humility of His birth in a stable, and the unfathomable love of God that brought salvation to the world. Let us enter into this sacred time with reverence and gratitude, setting aside worldly concerns to focus on the light of Christ, who dispels all darkness and fills our lives with hope and peace.
As we celebrate the joyous mystery of the Word made flesh, we wish you a blessed and holy Christmas filled with the peace and light of Christ. Your faithful readership and support throughout the year have been a source of encouragement and strength for our mission of sharing the timeless truths of the Faith.
As we prepare to welcome a new year, we invite you to continue this journey with us, deepening your knowledge, fortifying your faith, and drawing ever closer to the heart of Our Lord. Your engagement with the Nuntiatoria strengthens our shared commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and preserving the rich traditions of the Church.
This marks our final edition until the great feast of Epiphany. May this sacred season be one of profound grace for you and your loved ones. Together, let us carry forward the light of Christ into the coming year.
With prayers and blessings, The Nuntiatoria Team
From the Primus
Carissimi
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
As we celebrate the sublime mystery of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I write to you in the spirit of profound reverence and holy urgency. The birth of the Saviour—the Incarnate Word—is an event that not only divides history but unites Heaven and earth. In these times of great trial and confusion, the light of Bethlehem shines with even greater clarity, calling us back to the immutable truths of our Holy Faith.
The Incarnation: God’s Triumph Over Darkness
The Holy Infant, born in a humble manger, is the eternal response to the rebellion of sin and the darkness of a fallen world. He comes not in power and majesty, but in meekness and purity, to teach us that the Kingdom of God is built not upon the principles of this world but upon the eternal decrees of the Almighty. His birth is the culmination of divine love—a love that seeks to redeem and restore, even when humanity has turned away.
In our era, marked by confusion and rebellion, the Incarnation offers the clearest possible contrast. As modern society glorifies pride, rebellion, and falsehood, Christ’s birth in poverty and humility reveals the path to true greatness. The manger in Bethlehem calls us to reject the false promises of the world and to embrace the eternal truths of our faith.
The events of the past year have underscored the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged. Whether it is in the defence of life against the growing acceptance of euthanasia, or in protecting the innocence of children from harmful ideologies, we are reminded that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. The birth of Christ is our assurance that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
A Year of Mission and Witness
This year, by the grace of God, I have had the privilege of visiting many communities across the globe. From the fervent devotion of the faithful in the Philippines to the ancient traditions preserved in Greece, from the prayerful gatherings in the Czech Republic to the vibrant witness of traditional Catholics in the United States, these journeys—spanning over 42,900 miles—have been a source of inspiration and renewal.
In the Philippines, the faith of the people shines brightly despite material hardships. Their love for Christ and His Church is evident in their worship and their daily lives. In Greece, the land of saints and martyrs, I witnessed the enduring power of tradition to anchor the faithful amidst the storms of modernity. Each visit reminded me of the universality of the Catholic Faith and the strength that comes from our shared commitment to the Gospel.
The Nuntiatoria publications have also played a crucial role this year. These newsletters have provided theological insights, addressed the pressing moral issues of our time, and shared updates on the Apostolate’s mission. They are a reminder that the work of proclaiming the Gospel is not limited to the pulpit but extends to every means of communication. Through these efforts, we have strengthened the bonds of faith and provided clarity amidst the confusion of our age.
Christmas: A Time for Conversion and Hope
The birth of Christ is not merely an event to be remembered but a call to action. Just as the shepherds left their flocks to adore the new-born King, we too must leave behind all that hinders us from embracing the fullness of God’s will. This Christmas, I urge you to make a heartfelt examination of conscience and approach the Sacrament of Confession with humility. Do not delay, for God’s mercy is infinite, and He waits to welcome you back into His grace.
This holy season is also a time of profound hope. The trials and challenges we face—whether in our personal lives, in our communities, or on a global scale—are not the end of the story. The Child of Bethlehem is the Prince of Peace, and His reign will have no end. Trust in His promises, and let His light guide you through the darkness.
A Call to Resist and Rebuild
In these perilous times, we are called not only to resist the encroachments of the enemy but to actively rebuild the Church upon the foundation of Christ. This requires unwavering fidelity to Sacred Tradition, a rejection of compromise with error, and a willingness to suffer for the truth. The attacks against the Church today come not only from external forces but also from within. We must be vigilant against the spirit of the world that seeks to dilute and distort the Faith.
To resist is not enough; we must also rebuild. Families, as the domestic Church, must become strongholds of faith and virtue. Fathers and mothers must teach their children the truths of the Faith and shield them from the corrupting influences of modern society. Prayer, particularly the Holy Rosary, must become central to our lives, as Our Lady has given it to us as a powerful weapon against evil.
Let us also work to restore reverence and beauty in our worship. The liturgy is the highest expression of our Faith, and through it, we encounter the living God. By restoring the sacredness of our worship, we restore the soul of the Church.
A Blessing for the New Year
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, let us move forward with courage and hope. The challenges before us are great, but our God is greater. May the light of Christ illumine your paths, and may His grace sustain you in every trial. Let us take inspiration from the Holy Family, whose trust in God’s providence enabled them to endure hardships and fulfill their mission.
The new year is an opportunity for renewal—a time to deepen our commitment to the Faith, to strengthen our families, and to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Church. Let us work together to restore all things in Christ, trusting that He who began this good work in us will bring it to completion.
With my paternal blessing and prayers for you and your families, I remain,
Feria II infra Hebdomadam IV Adventus ~ Feria major
Liturgical Colour: Violet
Mass: “Roráte Cæli”
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Gospel: St Luke 3:1-6
Preface: Preface of the Common
Commemorations:
de S. Maria Adventus
Contra persecutores
Special Notes: The “O Antiphons” final; anticipate the Nativity of Our Lord.
Tuesday, December 24 – Vigil of the Nativity
In Vigilia Nativitatis Domini ~ Duplex I. classis
Liturgical Colour: Violet
Mass: “Hodie scietis” (Vigil Mass of the Nativity)
Epistle: Romans 1:1-6
Gospel: St Matthew 1:18-21
Preface: Preface of the Common
Commemorations: None
Special Notes: Fasting and abstinence observed; Mass is traditionally offered late afternoon; anticipation of the joy of Christmas.
Wednesday, December 25 – Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas)
In Nativitate Domini ~ Duplex I. classis
Liturgical Colour: White
Midnight Mass: Missa in Nócte “Dóminus dixit” Mass of the Angels
Epistle: Titus 2:11-15
Gospel: St Luke 2:1-14
Preface: Preface & Communicantes of the Nativity
Commemorations: None
Proper Last Gospel: St John 1:1-14
Dawn Mass: Missa in Auríra “Lux fulgébit” – Mass of the Shepherds
Epistle: Titus 3:4-7
Gospel: St Luke 2:15-20
Preface: Preface & Communicantes of the Nativity
Commemorations: For St. Anastasia
Proper Last Gospel: St John 1:1-14
Day Mass: Missa in Dié “Puer natus” Mass of the King
Epistle: Hebrews 1:1-12
Gospel: St John 1:1-14
Preface: Preface & Communicantes of the Nativity
Commemorations: None
Proper Last Gospel: St Matthew 2:1-12
Special Notes: Holy Day of Obligation; three distinct Masses celebrate the mystery of Christ’s birth. The commemoration of St. Anastasia is made at the Second Mass.
Sunday, December 29 – Sunday in the Octave of Christmas & Feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury
Dominica Infra Octavam Nativitatis~ Semiduplex Dominica minor
SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY
Liturgical Colour: White
Mass Sunday in the Octave: “Dum Médium Silentium”
Epistle: Galatians 4:1-7
Gospel: St Luke 2:33-40
Preface: Preface & Communicantes of the Nativity
Commemorations:
For the Octave of the the Nativity
St Thomas of Canterbury
For the Octave of St Stephen
For the Octave of St John
For the Octave of Holy Innocents
S. Thomæ Cantuariensis Episcopi et Martyris ~ Duplex
Mass St. Thomas of Canterbury: “Statuit Ei Dominus”
Liturgical Colour: Red
Epistle: Hebrews 5:1-6
Gospel: St John 10:11-16
Preface: Preface & Communicantes of the Nativity
Commemorations:
For the Octave of the the Nativity
For Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity
For the Octave of St Stephen
For the Octave of St John
For the Octave of Holy Innocents
Proper Last Gospel: St Luke 2:33-40 (Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity)
Special Notes: St. Thomas Becket, Martyr and Archbishop of Canterbury, is celebrated in the UK and Churches/Chapels dedicated under his patronage. Both celebrations may be observed; consult local Ordo.
Thursday, January 2 – The Octave Day of St Stephen Protomartyr
In Octava Sancti Stephani Protomartyris ~ Duplex
Liturgical Colour: Red
Mass: “Sedérunt príncipes”
Epistle: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Gospel: St Matthew 23:34-39
Preface: Preface of the Nativity
Commemorations:
For the Octave of St John
For the Octave of Holy Innocents
Friday, January 3 – The Octave Day of St John the Evangelist
In Octava S. Joannis Apostoli et Evangelistæ ~ Duplex
Liturgical Colour: White
Mass: “In médio Ecclésiæ”
Epistle: Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6
Gospel: St John 21:19-24
Preface: Preface of the Nativity
Commemorations:
For the Octave of Holy Innocents
Saturday, January 4 – The Octave Day of Holy Innocents
In Octava Ss. Innocentium ~ Duplex
Liturgical Colour: Red
Mass: “Ex ore infántium”
Epistle: Revelation 14:1-5
Gospel: St Matthew 2:13-18
Preface: Preface of the Nativity
Commemorations: None
Special Notes: today the Holy Innocents are remembered as martyrs.
Sunday, January 5 – Vigil of the Epiphany
In Vigilia Epiphaniæ ~ Semiduplex
Liturgical Color: White
Mass: “Dum Médium Silentium” (from the Octave of the Nativity)
Epistle: Galations 4:1-7
Gospel: St Matthew 2:19-23
Preface: Preface of the Nativity
Commemorations: de Sancta Maria
Special Notes:
This is the Twelfth day since the Birth of our Emmanuel. If the Vigil of the Epiphany fall on a Sunday, it shares, with Christmas Eve, the privilege of not being anticipated, as all other Vigils are, on the Saturday: it is kept on the Sunday, has all the privileges of a Sunday, and the Mass is that of the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas Day. Let us, therefore, celebrate this Vigil in great joy of heart, and prepare our souls for tomorrow’s graces.
Epiphany Water: is blessed after Compline or after Mattins. This blessing comes from the Orient, where the Church has long emphasized in her celebration of Epiphany the mystery of our Lord’s baptism, and by analogy our baptism. This aspect is not neglected in western Christendom, although in practice we have concentrated on the visit of the Magi. Many years before the Latin Rite officially adopted the blessing of Epiphany water, diocesan rituals, notably in lower Italy, had contained such a blessing.
