Tag Archives: Prayer

Pentecost Ember Days

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Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost are Ember Days, when we pray especially for those called to Holy Orders, and for all people in their various vocations.

Holy Ghost stained glass1 300x266 Pentecost Ember Days

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed various orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are called to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O God, who didst lead thy holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that thy Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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The Casting of Lots

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Even after thirty years as a Catholic, I still think of the Feast of St. Matthias as falling on February 24th, but we kept it with great solemnity today, with plenty of incense, a young men’s schola chanting the minor propers, and all the patrimonial bells (no whistles, however). Actually, I think the change in date was a good thing. Unless Ash Wednesday came especially late, St. Matthias' Day often fell within the Lenten season, but having it on May 14th means it’s closer to the time of the ascension – and historically it was soon after that event that the “casting of lots” took place. So I’ve adjusted myself to the kalendar.

St. Matthias had been a follower of Jesus and was probably one of the seventy-two disciples. After our Lord’s ascension into heaven, the nascent Church was gathered in prayer and St. Peter said that it was right to choose an apostle to replace Judas. He said it should be someone who had been with Jesus from the time of His baptism in the Jordan until the ascension. Two names were proposed: one was Matthias, and the other was Joseph, called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus). Both of them were good men, but since the Church needed only one, they prayed and asked God to reveal the right choice. This is where the “casting of lots” came in. Sometimes people have the mistaken notion that this was akin to gambling, or some kind of game of chance, and there are those who think perhaps it wasn’t the most appropriate means of determining God’s Will in the matter.

Actually, casting lots was a fairly common way of making a decision. When we look back through Scripture, we come across it pretty often. It was the method used to choose the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8); it was used to determine the priests’ duties in the temple (I Chronicles 24:5); during the terrible storm at sea, poor Jonah was determined to be the guilty one by the casting of lots (Jonah 1:7). For us, it has the unsavoury connection with the crucifixion, since it was by casting lots that the soldiers divided our Lord’s clothing (St. Matthew 27:35). In the case of choosing a replacement for Judas, it was settled in this way because of the very fact that both candidates were equally good.

Casting lots was done in different ways, but a common way of doing it was to put the necessary number of polished stones of different colour in a container, and to shake it until one stone fell out, determining the choice. Whatever we might think of the method, it certainly worked. St. Matthias proved to be such a good apostle that after spreading the Gospel in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), Egypt and Ethiopia, he was so successful he ended up being martyred (probably stoned) for his efforts.

There are plenty of things we can get out of the account of the choosing of Matthias, but I like the thought that the dignity of apostleship seemed to hang by the thread of chance – and yet it wasn’t really chance, was it? God had His plan all worked out, and Peter (along with the others) knew that. They could have pushed their own human will and thoughts into the situation: (“Hey, that Joseph Barsabbas is a really nice guy. Let’s choose him!”). In fact, the very fact that Christ’s own choice for that particular seat in the College of Apostles didn’t work out – at least by human standards – shows that God is very much in control of every detail. I mean, would we have planned things that way? The betrayal by Judas that led to the sacrifice which has atoned for man’s sin wouldn’t have been at the top of my list for a good plan. Finding an apostolic replacement by shaking some stones in a container isn’t something I would have thought of.

It seems like we’re rarely prepared for the twists and turns which define God’s plan, and yet – that’s the way He works. Why are we surprised when things don’t follow the meticulous plan we’ve worked out in our own minds? After all, even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself prayed in Gethsemane, “Nevertheless, not My Will, but Thine be done.” And isn’t it our universal experience that, in the end, God’s plan is always best? Quite so.

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Collects for the Rogation Days

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From the Book of Divine Worship:

I. Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that thy gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who constantly receive good things from thy hand, may always give thee thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II. Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life shared our toil and hallowed our labor: Be present with thy people where they work; make those who carry on the industries and commerce of this land responsive to thy will; and give to us all a pride in what we do, and a just return for our labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

III. O merciful Creator, whose hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us, we beseech thee, ever thankful for thy loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Serving with a Quiet Mind

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The collect for this coming Sunday (Trinity 21 in the Prayer Book Calendar) was originally taken from the Gelasian Sacramentary.

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The word "quiet" was changed from the original Latin which would have been translated "secure". Although we all want "secure" minds (cf. James 1:8), there is something about a "quiet" mind that is worthy of our attention. Those with a "secure" mind will usually also have a "quiet" mind, but not always. The two are related, but not equivalent. A quiet mind is that which is in submission to the admonition "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

What is the opposite of a "quiet" mind? A "noisy" mind is the obvious opposite; but what does it mean to have a noisy mind? When you are nervous about the future and begin to speculate (even silently) about the possible bad scenarios that you may encounter, you have a noisy mind. When you are talking with someone and you find your mind going back to a situation that occurred a few days ago so that you can replay it over and over, you have a noisy mind. When you neglect to fulfill your responsibilities (school, work, home, etc.) because you keep dwelling on the strained relationship you have with someone, you have a noisy mind. When you try to forget a sin you committed last month but cannot (even though you went to confession and did your penance), you have a noisy mind.

Although a noisy mind is never good in itself, sometimes it can be a useful tool to make us realize our spiritual state (like when you stub your toe on a big rock and it prevents you from falling flat on your face). Hence, we should not just try to silence the noise, but rather ask ourselves why our minds are noisy. It might not be because of anything in the immediate context of life, and thus we have to look deeper to discover how we got here. There are times when the noise of our minds has become such a habit that we have forgotten the reason why it is there, and it thus clouds our thinking even more. This should cause us to do more soul searching.

Notice that the collect connects "pardon" (originally "indulgence" in the Gelasian Sacramentary!) with "peace" as being those things that we petition the Lord to grant to His faithful people. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He wants to enable us to be at peace with the Father as well as with each other; but He also wants us to be at peace within our individual selves. All sorts of challenges come at us from different fronts, but when our minds are clouded with noise and distractions, then those challenges can make peace seem like a friend who has been away on vacation for too long. Peace is available, always, through the meritorious work of our Lord Jesus, but that does not mean that we always find it as soon as we need it. He alone is able to give "peace", and yet at times we act as though we have forgotten this and seek it from other sources.

Here in Des Moines at St. Aidan's Church we have a "said-Mass" on Wednesday nights. With no music or chanting, there are a number of points where things are completely silent other than me moving around at the altar (and an occasional sniffle or cough from the pews). For some reason that I am not completely aware of, the ablutions seem to me to be much longer than they actually are. No one is left at the rail, my acolyte is doing some things over by the credence, and I am focused on my liturgical duties. The people, having returned to their seats are silently saying their prayers and waiting for me to finish.

Occasionally, there is the nagging feeling in my gut that I should hurry it up so that we can get on with the liturgy, but I know better. That nagging feeling is wrong. The time after communion is important for prayer and reflection. It should be allowed to go slowly and never be rushed (just like communion itself). It is this "holy silence" that we (especially us modern westerners) need to seek to take full advantage of. Those said-Masses provide a time of silence after communion that is vital to our spiritual growth (and on Sundays when we have a communion hymn–though beautiful–it is actually a bit of a hindrance to this). The people who skip a said-Mass because "it's too quiet without the music" are actually missing something quite important. Learning how to benefit from times of silence is not something that we do merely to fill in that time after communion; it is something that helps to enable us to serve God better.

We are told in Zechariah 2:13 to "Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD". Where, in this life, are we more "before the Lord" than right after communion? Do you allow yourself to be distracted during that time (and, no, I am not referring to things you cannot control) or do you make an effort to be quiet and silent before the Lord so that your heart and mind can practice being at peace? Although some of us will want to fill that time of silence with prayers, that is not necessarily the best spiritual discipline to seek. Yes, those who get out their shopping list to add something, or those who think about what they are going to do when they get home are wrong. Pray, yes, but then just be silent. Do not try to fill that time with anything other than silent submission to the Lord. I recall someone once saying something that took a long time for me to learn. I was told, "you know how to talk real well, but you need to learn how to shut up also." That was some of the best advice I ever received. When I learned how to "shut up" and listen, I also learned how to be quiet and silent before the Lord. That made me able to do this at other important times in life when a silent mind was desperately needed.

Therefore, ask yourself what is on your horizon? Are there things coming up ahead that will require a quiet mind? Are you preparing yourself, even now, to be ready to deal with those things? There are priests who are nervous about their status with the Ordinariates; "will I get my nulla osta?", "will I get a rescript?" "will I have to go through further education?" There are laymen who are anxious about whether their new group will become a full parish in the Ordinariate. There are people who are fretting about whether the Ordinariates will succeed at all. How are you going to handle these (or many other) concerns? Will it be with a noisy mind or a quiet mind?

Pardon and peace allow us to deal with life with a clear mind. Then we are able to confess our sins to God properly and find absolution and make restitution. Only after this can we achieve that state of mind wherein we can serve God to the fullest extent; not clouded by our own thoughts, or confused by the jumble of worries. There are many things that will help us in this endeavor, but practiced silence is one of the most significant. Learn to be "silent before the Lord" when you are in His presence. It will become easier, and it will help you to serve Him with gladness and joy. This is what it means to "be still"; this is what it means to serve Him "with a quiet mind".

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The Pharisee and the Publican

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This last Sunday as I led Mass here at St. Aidan's I had much on my mind. Yes, I confess that I became distracted more than once. We in the parish are thinking often about the American Ordinariate being announced soon and it feels like we can almost taste it. I had Bishop Moyer and his "new" congregation come to mind more than once. I was thinking about my own people and their needs. I thought a few times about the fact that I have many things "on my plate" right now and it all came together and made me even more nervous than I usually am (which usually leads to chanting off-key, and it did once again). I am one of those who always feels a bit of terror before I step up to the altar, but this week it was more so.

Then right after the Gloria In Excelsis I prayed the Collect of the Day. "Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises." Grace again; the only way that we are able to obtain the promises of God is by His grace. The promises are "gracious" and we need grace to attain them. As Scripture tells us more than once, it comes in different measures according to both our need and the mercy of God. There are parishes that are struggling in the final hours to decide if they want to join the Ordinariate. There are Christians who realize that their parish is joining but that they do not want to and they are now looking for another Church. There are clergymen who are trying to teach their people the fullness of the Catholic faith and hoping that none will resist the truth. And there is the CDF's small staff doing its utmost to fulfill its calling (while we in America murmur that it is too slow). Each of these people needs "a measure" of grace to be able to obey God's commandments.

The Gospel reading for the day was aptly suited to the collect. The "pharisee and the publican" who went up to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9ff) tell us about the difference between grace and self-confidence. The pharisee was prideful, but that was not the primary focus of Jesus' parable. Rather it was the fact that the pharisee "despised others". He saw himself as righteous because he was comparing himself to the publican, and yet the publican was the one who was justified by his actions and not the pharisee.

If we are trying to make ourselves look good, then we can always find someone else who is doing worse than we are. Looking with contempt at another because he is not doing as well as you are, is the exact problem that the pharisee had. He trusted in himself more than in God, and it showed in his attitude to others. Are we much better today? It is self-serving to assume that you are holy and humble like the publican because you know that you need God's mercy. To a certain degree, assuming that you are like the publican (humble and justified) is precisely the thing that Jesus is warning us against: "for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:14).

Those of us who are petitioning for entrance into the Ordinariate can fall victim to the temptation to look down on those who have chosen not to. "I thank thee God that I am not like this Pope-rejecting, communion-hating, so-called-Anglo-Catholic". Those (whether already Catholic or soon to be so) who are staunch in their traditionalist views can give in to the temptation to look down on those who are more modernist or liberal. "I thank thee God that I am not like this compromising, contemporary-hymnody, westward-facing, so-called-Catholic". Those we look down on need grace, but so do we. Unfortunate for us, it is often those that we look down on that very well may need less a "measure of grace" than we do. This is why it is always bad to look down on someone else; only God knows their hearts. I need grace for what I am going through; you need grace for what you are going through; the guy that you are upset at needs grace for what he is going through.

Prayer should never be a last resort. We often treat prayer as though it is a hopeless endeavor. ("All we can do now is pray." "Oh, no; has it come to that?!") Yet, prayer is the most powerful work man can do. Pray for grace. Pray for each of us to have the "measure of grace" that we so desperately need right now. It is possible to look down on someone that you are praying for, but it takes a callous heart to do so. Pray for the parishes that are struggling. Pray for those whom you think have no worries (for we all do). Pray for those who write on the internet that they would realize Jesus reads what they are writing. Pray for the Anglican priests who are going to be going through preparation and formation for ordination. Pray for those who are confused and do not know what they should do right now (they are still out there). Pray for the future Ordinary of each Ordinariate that has not yet been established (you do not know his name, but God does). Pray for our Holy Father that he would stand firm and lead us to Jesus. We each need grace, and to assume we do not is to stand with the pharisee; unjustified and abased.

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To Those Preparing

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Things have been pretty quiet on the blog of late. It’s not because nothing is happening. In fact, quite the opposite – at least here in the United States, where it appears that an Ordinariate will be established next.

Things are fairly calm because everything seems to be falling in place. Cardinal Wuerl has delivered his final report to the Bishops’ Conference. The priestly formation program is ready to go. The dossiers are being examined. The Curial officials will be returning soon from their summer break. Liturgical considerations are in hand. Things are stirring.

We might consider this time to be rather like those hushed moments before the dawn.

I know we’re at the stage when every day seems like a month. It was like that a generation ago, when we were waiting for the implementation of the Pastoral Provision in this country. The very same pattern prevailed: daily calls to someone – anyone – who might have information; scanning the newspapers (those were pre-internet days) for any word. And then… a period of quiet and calm, just before we realized that it was actually happening.

We continue to rejoice with those in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, as they build upon the foundation of what has been accomplished there. At this moment, I have no further word about developments in Canada, Australia, or anyplace else where Ordinariates might be formed. But here, in the United States, we’re getting close.

So… courage, brethren! Enjoy the stillness of the moment, and know that unseen work is being done. Continue to deepen your knowledge of the faith. Persist in prayer, for that is a great source of strength for you. I know you’re growing impatient with being told to be patient, but… be patient, too. The wait is getting shorter. There will be lots of work to do when the Ordinariate is up and running, and now’s the time to get yourself in shape spiritually for the demanding time ahead of us.

Every morning when I unlock the church, I stop by our shrine to Blessed John Henry Newman, where I pray for all who are preparing to enter the Ordinariate. May the Light he knew and loved – and even now in which he rejoices – lead you on.

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Novena of Prayer to Our Lady of the Atonement

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Our Lady Atonement 0111 768x1024 Novena of Prayer to Our Lady of the Atonement

The feast day of Our Lady of the Atonement is on July 9th; however, at the parish of Our Lady of the Atonement we'll be transferring it to Sunday, July 10th, so that we can keep it with greater solemnity. Leading up to our celebration of the day, we'll be praying the novena prayers, beginning on Friday, July 1st, and if you'd like to join us in offering the novena, here are the prayers. We will be offering it for the intention of the establishment of the U.S. Ordinariate, and for all those who seek to be part of it.

The Novena to Our Lady of the Atonement

To take part in the Novena:

On each day, if possible, assist at Holy Mass, and go to Confession and Communion at least once during the Novena. The following prayers are recommended to be said daily:

ONE DECADE OF THE ROSARY
(One Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory be.)

MEMORARE OF ST. BERNARD
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

THE THREE-FOLD SALUTATION
We salute thee, Holy Mary, Daughter of God the Father, and entreat thee to obtain for us a devotion like thine own to the most sweet Will of God.

We salute thee, Virgin Mother of God the Son, and entreat thee to obtain for us such union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that our own hearts may burn with love for God and an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls.

We salute thee, Immaculate Spouse of God the Holy Ghost, and entreat thee to obtain for us such yielding of ourselves to the Blessed Spirit, that He may, in all things, direct and rule our hearts, and that we may never grieve Him in thought, word, or deed.

THE LITANY
Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy upon us.

Our Lady of the Atonement, Daughter of God the Father, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of God the Son, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Spouse of God the Holy Ghost, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, standing by the Cross, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, given to us as a Mother, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, our Mediatrix, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, firm Hope, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, sure Refuge, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of Divine Love, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Shepherdess of the wandering sheep, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, pillar of Unity, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of Conversions, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of the outcast, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Star of the pagans, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of missionaries, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother most sorrowful, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Lily of Israel, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Model of resignation, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Haven of peace, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Comfort of the afflicted, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Guide of the doubtful, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Welcomer of the pilgrims, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Handmaid of the Father, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mirror of the Son, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Precious Blood, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, true Model, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, strong Protectress, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, hailed by the Archangel Gabriel, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Splendor of Heaven, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Delight of the Saints, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Strength of the weak, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Comfort of the dying, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, triumphant with Jesus, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Universe, pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Children of the Atonement, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
Pray for us, O Blessed Mother;
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, who didst deign that we, thy children, shouldst invoke our Mother Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Atonement; grant that through her powerful intercession we may obtain the fullness of thy blessings; through thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

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Somebody's Watching Us

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When I was young, I was given St. Jude as my patron saint. Then years later, I found out that he is the patron saint of lost causes and hopeless cases . . . hmmmm; did someone back then have a "prophetic moment"? No Saint could be more fitting for me; really. I was indeed the lost cause. I was never exactly a "rabid anti-Catholic" like many of those in the circles I used to frequent, but I did point out my disagreements with the Catholic Church more than once. Of late, I have often taken solace in Paul's assertion that he persecuted God's Church in "ignorance" for that was my experience also. Whenever I spoke against Catholicism it was (I know now, but did not know back then) all based on errant views of what Catholicism is.

So, when I was about seven years old and we were attending Mass less than annually, St. Jude was praying for me. When I was in my early teens and falling into various worldly habits, St. Jude was praying for me. When I arrived at my middle teens and was being led into all kinds of heretical ideas, St. Jude was praying for me. When I was in my late teens and getting into some quite unholy behaviors (those were the years I gave my guardian angel an ulcer), St. Jude was praying for me. When I found my way into Protestant Churches and was imbibing various errors, St. Jude was praying for me. About this point in time, most people would have given up on me ever coming back to the Catholic Church. When I started reading the Church fathers, St. Jude was (really) praying for me. When I started rejecting core Protestant doctrines, St. Jude was (really intensely) praying for me. Now that I am in process to come home to Mother Church, I know that "the prayers of a righteous man availeth much" and that St. Jude was indeed the right Saint to be given watch over me (whether anyone back then knew what they were doing or not). His statue now sits on my desk as a constant reminder of what he did and is still doing.

Some of my former colleagues in Protestant denominations would scoff at me and say that I was never "really and truly" saved, and that this proves it because I fell away. They would also tell me that no saint in Heaven has any idea what is going on down here on Earth. The perspective of the saints in Heaven is certainly not one of those things that you can quantify or examine under a microscope. Science is completely unfit for the task of examining spiritual reality; its limitations are even worse in this area than in others. Yet, that fateful day when I read that I was "compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses" who were watching me "run . . . the race that is set before" me (Heb 12:1), I asked myself: "Are these saints really witnesses to what I am doing?"

The list of saints in Hebrews 11 is a list of people whose deeds were seen (by God and men) to be faithful so they "obtained a good report" (Heb 11:39; which uses the verbal form of the same noun for "witness" in Heb 12:1). Then the author says next that we are surrounded by witnesses. His whole point is to say, "here are faithful men and women whose works were seen as righteous, and they are now watching you in your struggle to see whether your works will also be righteous." Things must be confirmed by two or three witnesses, yet we are surrounded by a multitude of witnesses. These "saints departed this life in [God's] faith and fear" are watching what we are doing. How are they able to see us? I do not know. We apparently do not need to know or we would have been told; we only need to accept that God says it happens.

They are not just watching us though. They are also hearing our prayers and praying for us. This is what we are told in the most extensive biblical description of Heaven after the Resurrection of Christ. In the book of Revelation, John says that the "beasts and elders" in Heaven receive our prayers and take part in offering them to God (Rev 5:8; cf. 8:3). St. Jude is one of those who was witnessing me and praying. He never gave up. Now when I ask him to pray for me and my family, I am confident that he is doing so. On this week when we recognize the feast of Corpus Christi, it is quite fitting for us to think of those with whom we have communion in Heaven. It is important to remember that everything we are doing in entering the Ordinariates is for the sake of communion. The preservation of our Anglican heritage is not for our sake alone, but for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Why are we going through these struggles? It is for the sake of that most blessed of gifts; the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. It is for the glory of Christ and for the conversion of the lost that they too make partake of His very body and blood. This is what the "witnesses in Heaven" are praying for and it is what we should be praying for also.

Who is witnessing how we are behaving right now? The list of names is longer than I have room for here. As the Ordinariates are being established throughout the world, we need to be praying and have others praying for us. I know St. Jude would be joyful to have the Ordinariate succeed, but he is not exactly the expected patron saint for the Ordinariates. The Ordinariates are not a "lost cause" or a "hopeless case" regardless of what many nay-sayers have been hoping for (although St. Jude may very well be praying for them!). Whether it be Blessed John Henry Newman, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, or Our Lady of the Atonement, they are members of that very same cloud of witnesses. They long to see the growth of the Anglican heritage within the Catholic Church, and it is their voices that are being lifted up onto the altar of God along with ours as a sweet incense. They are the "spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb 12:23) whose presence we enter during every liturgy. Let us take heart in knowing that whatever challenges lie in our path, whatever delays may occur, and whatever confusion we may have, that there is an innumerable company of the "souls of the faithful departed" who continually behold the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and are petitioning Him for our good, both today and forever.

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