Your answers set me on a search.
Our priest mentioned last week that the SSPX church in Chile is now strongly influenced by the French, which accounts for many changes we've seen this year (here and throughout the Society worldwide, it appears)
For example, last year our church offered a Mass at midnight, and a full schedule of Masses on January 1st. This year, no midnight Mass and January 1st is treated as a weekday, non holy day.
This goes to his remarks, since, according to this source, France does not recognize January 1st as a holyday of obligation?
from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_day_of_obligation#Latin_Catholic_ChurchThank you, Neil Obstat and Sigismund, for your insight.
We will be assisting at Mass tomorrow, regardless.
Excerpts from a Sermon of St. Francis de Sales
on the Feast of the Circuмcision, January 1, 1622
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The gospel from the Feast of the Circuмcision would have us understand that the shedding of Jesus’ blood is related to His name. It is appropriate that He be given this name on the day of His circuмcision, for He could not be Savior without pouring out blood, nor give blood without being Savior. The name of Savior was rightly given Him on this day, for there is no redemption without shedding of blood [Heb. 9:22] and no salvation without redemption, since no one can enter Heaven except by this gate. Also, by making Himself Savior and Redeemer of mankind, Our Lord begins, in taking this name, to pay our debts with no other money than that of His Precious Blood. He was, then, called Jesus, which means Savior [Matt. 1:21].
All the ancient Fathers agree that, notwithstanding His many names and titles, Our Lord has only three which belong to Him essentially:
The first is that of Supreme Being, reserved only to Him and applicable to no other [Ex. 3:14-15; Is. 42:8] In this name He knows Himself through Himself. The second is that of Creator, which also can be given only to Him, since no one else but Him is Creator. In this name He knows Himself through Himself, but He also knows Himself through His creatures.
The third name is Jesus, which likewise belongs only to Him alone, since no one else can be Savior [Cf. Acts 4:12].
Beyond this there is the title of Christ [Matt. 1:16], which means High Priest, Anointed One of God. We Christians participate in these last two names [1Ptr. 2:9; Acts 4:12]. In this life we bear the name of Christ, namely Christians, and we are anointed by the Sacraments which we receive. Now, how are we to pronounce the sacred name of Jesus so that it may be beneficial and profitable to us? Our Lord showed us how we are to say it. He shed His blood in receiving His name. In fact, He indicated His willingness to do what this holy name signifies: to save.
It is not enough to say it with your lips; it must be engraved upon your heart. It is not enough to simply call ourselves Christian. Our actual lives must be congruent with these titles. We must take care of the charge we exercise and of the vocation in which we live. How happy we will be if, at the hour of our death, as well as during the whole of our lives, we pronounce the sacred name of the Savior with due respect. It will be like a password by which we will freely enter Heaven, for it is the name of our redemption. We ought most certainly to repeat it often during our lifetime, for it was given to His Son by the Eternal Father, It is a name which is above every other name, wholly divine, gentle and full of goodness. It is an oil poured out [Cant. 1:2(3)] to heal all the wounds of our souls. At this sacred name every knee bends. [Phil. 2:9-10]. It is the name which gives joy to the angels, saves men, and causes demons to tremble. This is why it should be deeply engraved upon our hearts and our spirits so that, blessing it and honoring it in this life, we may be worthy of singing with the blessed: Live Jesus! Live Jesus!
Topic: Feast of the Circuмcision - Holyday of Obligation? (Read 612 times)