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Author Topic: North American customs, traditions and devotions  (Read 3037 times)

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North American customs, traditions and devotions
« on: November 29, 2012, 09:34:54 PM »
Reading throughout Cathinfo I see comments of posters who lament the loss/suppression of North American customs, traditions and devotions in their SSPX chapels.  
Other countries and continents may be having the same experience.
Even some of the devotions STILL practiced have been altered so they are
now the same as the Novus Ordo.
 
As most SSPXers can only attend Mass on Sundays  we NEED
devotions to keep us focused.
 
For those over 70, you might remember some of these.
 
THE ROSARY (Taken from the 1858 Raccolta Pg 555 and the 1961 Ideal Missal Pg 49)
Joyful Mysteries Monday & Thursdays throughout the year: and
                         DAILY FROM THE 1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT until the
                         feast of the Purification (Feb 2nd)
Sorrowful Mysteries Tuesdays & Fridays throughout the year and
                         DAILY  FROM ASH WEDNESDAY until Easter Sunday
Glorious Mysteries Wednesdays & Saturdays throughout the year and
                          DAILY FROM EASTER SUNDAY TO TRINITY SUNDAY
This was the custom until 1961.  How much more sense this makes to
follow the church calendar.  No more trying to meditate on Glorious or
Joyful mysteries during Lent or Sorrowful after Easter etc.  I restarted this
a few years ago and found it profoundly more devotional.
 
 
 
FIRST FRIDAY
How many chapels have a Holy Hour on First Friday?  Our Lord told
St. Margaret to wake up at 11 P.M. on Thursday night to make a
Holy Hour in commemoration of His agony in the garden and
in preparation for First Friday.
As late as 1960 churches held the First Friday Holy Hour on
Thursday evening as Our Lord asked ,with priests in attendance to hear confessions.
In my town one NO church STILL has this custom, but all the NO
and the SSPX have moved the Holy Hour to Friday.

 
 FRIDAY AT 3 P.M.
On Fridays at 3 o'clock the church bells rang FIVE times in honour of the
5 wounds of Jesus.  It was the practice (indulgenced) to pray an
Act of Contrition then 5 Paters, Aves and Glorias in honour of the
5 wounds.  2 NO churches in town still do it. Are we SSPXers
even told about it?
 
DAILY DEVOTION FOR THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY
(Indulgenced)
One hour after sundown (or 1 hour after the evening Angelus),
light a candle and pray the De Profundis for the Poor Souls
in Purgatory.
 
POOR BOX
Has anyone seen a Poor Box in an SSPX chapel?  If a child
confesses he stole something he can't restore (possibly
perishable) he was often told to put a portion of he
allowance in the Poor Box.  Also, how are we helping the
needy through the chapel?
 
9 DAYS PRAYERS FOR ONE RECENTLY DECEASED
(Indulgenced Pius IX)
When was the last time you heard someone ask or tell you
to start the 9 days prayers as soon as someone died?
 
HOLY WATER
Is there a Holy Water font in every SSPX classroom?
in every bedroom and exit door in your home?
Are you encouraged to sprinkle/flick Holy Water for the
souls in purgatory after blessing yourself?  Do you
sprinkle your bed with holy water before retiring?
Do you keep a jar of holy water by your bed so
you can sprinkle water for the holy souls if you
wake up? Do you sprinkle holy water at the
cemetary?  Are the Poor Souls even mentioned
outside of November?  Has the Heroic Act
ever been mentioned by your priest?
 
SHORT EJACULATIONS THRU THE DAY
Are we encouraged to pray :
"Eternal Rest etc" when we pass a cemetary?
or a funeral procession?
"We adore the O Christ etc when we genuflect in church?
"O sacrament most Holy" when we pass the church?
A Pater or Ave when we see an ambulance or medivac helicopter.

HYMNS  Where did all our beautiful hyms go?
 
These are just a few devotions/customs taught in Catholic schools
throughout the U.S. and Canada  that have become part of
our tradition and custom but dropped in the last 40 years or so.
 Are any of these devotions or practices being taught in
SSPX schools??
 
Can any other old timer remember other devotions and
practices to help us stay Catholic?
 
 :cry:

North American customs, traditions and devotions
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2012, 01:06:21 AM »
There are a lot more things missing:

40 Hours' Devotion and Processional.
Miraculous Medal Novena every week.
Yearly public novena to the patron saint of your church.
You're right -- no poor boxes anymore.
FULL Holy Water founts and people used them to bless themselves when tney came and went and used Holy Water at home.
People making the Stations of the Cross EVEN OUTSIDE OF LENT!
Holy Hours that are SILENT so you can think and pray and they aren't led by an altar boy with a set purpose or list of prayers.
Bookracks available at all times, not just on Sundays.
The organist practicing Bach or hymns during the day when you made a visit.
People staying after Mass on their knees in prayer for quite a while.
Making a visit if you were near a church, even if only for 5 minutes.
Lighting a small candle for someone or the souls in purgatory--the racks used to be full of lit candles all week long.
The hymns used to be pious ones, the words really moved your heart.  I've read that that is discouraged now as that tends toward personal devotion and Mass is not a personal thing.  Some hymns have even had their first verse removed because it was too pious, sentimental.  If you recognize a melody but not the words, that's probably why.
Long lines for confession every Saturday in preparation for Mass on Sunday.
You wore your "Sunday best" to church no matter how uncomfortable it was.  You dressed as is befitting to be in the house where God Almighty resides day and night because you truly believed He IS there.
A sense of humility, unworthiness when approaching Holy Communion especially -- people had their heads bowed down in thought or prayer.
The priest who said Mass used to come kneel down by the altar afterwards for a good long time.  You had to wait to speak to him when he was through his prayers.  
Going into the confessional and the priest had a light on where he sat and he was reading the Breviary.  You waited until he was done before you began your confession.  
You got a good talking to in confession and you thought twice about committing sin again -- priests were gentle but firm.  Hell and damnation were REAL.
RESPECT and silence in God's house -- for the people in prayer and because you were in God's house and you acted humbly and reverently until you were outside the church where those praying inside would not be disturbed by your conversation.
The sermons gave you something to really think about during the week.  You left Sunday Mass resolved to work on yourself to be better by the following Sunday.
People sat up straight, no leg crossing, no arms extended across the back of the pew.  
Children were quiet or a parent took them outside until they quieted down.   If they were too young to be still in church they didn't come (but we had many more Sunday Masses then so parents could take turns staying at home with the little ones)
The Mass was said slowly and reverently by the priest. You watched and your thoughts went to the things of heaven and you forgot your earthly cares for that one hour on Sunday.  You left church with a deep, deep sense of interior peace--the peace that only God can give.  
You respected Sunday as the Lord's Day.
We seem to have lost so very much.  The generations since us have not grown up reading the lives of the saints as we did.  We had good examples for devotion, for our faith.  There was more silence, less rushing around, more time to read and ponder the truths and doctrines we believed.
Devotion to Our Lady was extremely popular  
People carried a Rosary or religious medal with them almost all the time in their purse or pocket.  
Women used to use a tissue and bobby pin on their heads in order to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament if they didn't have a hat or mantilla and the churches were open all the day for such visits.
Church bells ringing at Vespers in the evening.
People understood about the value of indulgences for themselves and others.  
The souls in purgatory were not forgotten.  We were reminded of them often and not just during November because one day we would probably be there if we died in the state of grace.  

It's not nostalgia.  It's called being Catholic.  It belongs to no particular time in history, pre Vatican II or post Vatican II.  It was how we lived what we believed which spans all ages and times and the things mentioned here and in the previous post are some of the things we did to remind us that life on this earth is just temporary and that while we are here we are to do God's Will to glorify Him and because we will be judged and Heaven and Hell are for real.  It can all be done again.  It is a most beautiful way to spend your days and nights:  being Catholic.  



North American customs, traditions and devotions
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2012, 03:55:42 AM »
beautiful reminders of how things ought to be..... :pray:

North American customs, traditions and devotions
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2012, 11:15:12 AM »
.....and taking for granted on the actual miracle that takes place at every single Holy Scarifice of the Mass (during the Consecration....)

 St. James states: “Let all mortal flesh be silent, standing there in fear and trembling; for the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Christ our God is about to be sacrificed and to be given as food to the faithful.”

North American customs, traditions and devotions
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2012, 09:00:00 PM »
Being urged by nuns to "pay a visit" on our way out of school.

The Parish Pilgrim Statue of the Blessed Virgin which stayed at one family for a week then moved on to another. The neighbours would gather to say the Rosary together. The family of the week was advised each Sunday.

The Banns of Marriage announced from the pulpit on Sunday for three consecutive weeks so anybody could raise any canonical or civil legal impediment to the marriage, so as to prevent marriages that are invalid, owing to a pre-existing marriage, a vow of celibacy, lack of consent, or the couple's being related within the prohibited degrees of kinship.

The Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour held every Wednesday night.

Benediction held every Sunday night, (not Mass for those who were too lazy to get out of bed in the morning as nowadays).

Fasting from midnight before Holy Communion, (hence no evening Masses).

All the family sittting around listening to Catholic Radio on Sunday evenings, before the arrival of TV. Dr Rumble's "Radio Replies" was a favourite.