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St Blase Day Blessing of Throats
image credit: Zvonimir Atletic, Shutterstock
St Blase Day Blessing of Throats this Sunday!
The Saint Blase Day Blessing of the Throats will take place after the 11.00AM Mass this Sunday, 3 February.
Letter from Fr. Allen - January 31, 2019
+JMJ+
Dear Friends,
I sometimes get called upon to tell my conversion story, but technically, it's a "reversion" story. I was born into a Catholic family, but my parents began attending a (very fine) Presbyterian church when I was about eleven years old. I have quite a few memories of Mass in those days, but one that particularly stands out is having my throat blessed on St Blase's Day. I don't know why that should be, except that perhaps we had been told the story of the holy martyr Blase having healed a boy who had a fish bone stuck in his throat, and that I loved to fish and eat my catch, and so having St Blase on my side seemed like a particularly good idea.
In truth, we know very little about St Blase. He was certainly bishop of Sebaste (in Armenia) and martyred in 316. The story of the boy with the fish bone stuck in his throat comes some 400 years later. However, as early as the end of the fifth century, the intercession of St Blase was already being invoked for ailments of the throat. In time it became a custom throughout the Church to bless the throats of the faithful on St. Blase's Day, which is February 3rd. Candles are always used in this blessing, evidently due to the close proximity to Candlemas (also known as the Feast of the Presentation) the day before, with its blessing of candles for liturgical and devotional use.
This year, St Blase's Day falls on Sunday, which of course takes precedence, but we will indeed keep the tradition of blessing throats immediately following Mass. Following the final hymn, Deacon Rosenblum and I will make our way to the Sacred Heart Altar and bless the throats of those who present themselves.
This blessing of throats on St Blase's Day, brown scapulars, miraculous medals, holy water, and even homilies are "sacramentals;" that is, "sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments...they signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church... by them, men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy" (CCCC 1667). Sacramentals do not communicate grace as sacraments do, but, properly and prayerfully used, they dispose us to receive that grace.
Well, at the intercession of St Blase, bishop and martyr, may we be disposed to receive all those graces of love and mercy and healing which flow from the wounded side of Christ. See you Sunday!
God bless you,
Fr Allen
image credit: Zvonimir Atletic, Shutterstock
Catholic Schools Week 2019
This week is Catholic Schools Week. Corpus Christi Catholic Community is proud to have students in three local Catholic Schools:
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
The Charleston Catholic School
St John Catholic School
ALMIGHTY God, of whose only gift cometh wisdom and understanding: we beseech thee with thy gracious favor to behold our schools, that knowledge may be increased among us, and all good learning flourish and abound. Bless all who teach and all who learn; and grant that in fidelity to the Catholic Faith and in humility of heart they may ever look unto thee, who art the fountain of all wisdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the USCCB:
Nearly 1.8 million students are currently educated in 6,352 Catholic schools in cities, suburbs, small towns and rural communities around the country. Students receive an education that helps them become critical thinkers, strong communicators and active members of society, thus equipping them for higher education, a competitive work environment, and most importantly, living a Christian life of virtue in a challenging society. “Following Christ’s example of loving and serving all people, Catholic schools proudly provide a well-rounded education to disadvantaged families, new arrivals to America and to all who seek a seat in our schools. Since the inception of Catholic schools in our country, we have always sought to welcome families of all backgrounds while maintaining our principles and teaching in a spirit of charity,” Bishop Barber said.
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Ordinariate Ordinations January 2019
Click the image above to launch the video of the January 25th Ordination of Fr. Justin Fletcher and Fr. Philip Mayer to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ through the imposition of Hands and the Invocation of the Holy Spirit by Most Reverend Steven J. Lopes at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, TX. Ad multos annos!
New Gradual Brings ‘Prayer Book English’ to the Mass
Photo: Fr Carl Reid
BLOGS | JAN. 23, 2019
New Gradual Brings ‘Prayer Book English’ to the Mass
Catholic parishes that celebrate Masses in the Ordinary Form can boost their experience of sacral English or congregational chant with the Ordinariate’s new St. Peter Gradual from Newman House Press.
by Peter Jesserer Smith
In 2009, Benedict XVI declared the Anglican patrimony was a “treasure to be shared” throughout the Universal Church and set up three ordinariates (akin to dioceses) directly under the pope himself, to provide a permanent home for this reunited English and Catholic liturgy and tradition in the Latin Church. Ten years later, Benedict XVI’s vision in Anglicanorum Coetibus that the ordinariate would provide a further source of enrichment for Catholic worship in English continues to advance with the publication of The St. Peter Gradual by Fr. Peter Stravinskas’s Newman House Press.
The St. Peter Gradual contains the minor propers for all Sundays, Solemnities, and Feasts of the Lord in modern musical notation. These chants are certain biblical verses that are prayed at different points of the Mass, such as the Introit (Entrance), Gradual (Psalm), Alleluia (or Tract in Lent), Offertory and the Communion, when using Divine Worship: The Missal. But the gradual can also enrich parishes that celebrate the ordinary form of the Roman rite and would welcome either more sacral English in the celebration of the Mass or plainchant settings that their congregations can sing without needing extensive musical training.
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RSVP for Wednesday School: 6 February 2019
Joining us for Wednesday School on February 6th? Please RSVP using the form below so that we may adequately prepare. Thanks!
Corpus Christi Updates: 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Click the image for updates from Corpus Christi Catholic Community for this week.
Letter from Fr. Allen - January 24, 2019
+JMJ+
Dear Friends,
My family and I have taken a quick vacation to Florida to visit my family and the Mouse. Please join me in continuing to pray for the Johnson family (see below) as they anticipate the birth of their girls at any time. Also, we have several federal employees in our community - please do pray for them as this government shutdown stretches on, paychecks stop arriving, and stress and anxiety build. Pray also for our government leaders, "that they may be led to wise decisions and right actions," and "right soon" at that. See you Sunday!
God bless you,
Fr Allen
[Editor’s note: Read more about the Johnson family, including recent updates, on Caring Bridge. You may help provide meals for them while they are in Charleston, signing up via Meal Train for the Johnson Family, and they are accepting monetary donations to help cover their expenses via their Go Fund Me page. Thank you for your generosity.]
RSVP for Wednesday School: 30 January 2019
Reminder: There is a meeting for parents of children anticipating First Communion or Confirmation during Wednesday School on 30 January.
Joining us for Wednesday School on January 30th? Please RSVP using the form below so that we may adequately prepare. Thanks!