thesmellypocket

Fr. Pius writes a reply.

 

"I regret,citizen, that I cannot write at the moment. I am bedridden and I know my time to depart from this world is coming soon. I am suffering from great physical pain. But my good friend Fr. Dima has kindly agreed to write down my response, in as many words as I am able to say.

 

First of all, as has already been pointed out, I am not a citizen of Oren. Nor do I hold up Oren as some standard which is to be imitated. I am a blessed son of Malin, like yourself, and have lived my life in divers countries.  Those who know me best know that I am very critical of immoralities in Oren. I have written an essay on patriotism - perhaps you will be so good as to read it - in which I published in the same journal last month. Love for one's country ought to be like love for one's family: just as it is our duty to love our family, so it is our duty to love our race and country, and I would say the greatest patriot is the greatest critic. For a man who loves his mother, if she became a drunkard, would not indulge that evil in her, but attempt to help her overcome it. In the same way, know that I wrote my journal article not out of hate, but out of love, a love for my own mother, and a love as dear and true as any who are fortunate enough to call themselves Mali'aheral. And as I confessed in that essay, the nation is truly right and good and moral when she tries to strive for purity, but she goes about it in the wrong way, pretending that it can be achieved by ourselves. It is not a very sound philosophy of life for the reasons I gave.

 

You write of my "inferior mind." Doubtless you are correct in this. But here is another problem with you and our countrymen: they do not see the difference between wisdom and knowledge. No doubt, your mind has a superior capacity for scientific and historical knowledge than mine. No doubt, you have lived longer and have learnt from more experiences than I have. And no doubt, you can process all this knowledge with greater clarity than I can. But a little bit of humility might go a long way for our people. First of all, because we did not earn our own intellects, they were given to us, and you, who were given a greater intellect than I am, ought to use this freely-given and unearned gift without holding yourself above others. Secondly, because the more we know, the more we realise we don't know. The more scientific knowledge we have, the less we realise we do have. Therefore, a man who accumulates more and more knowledge ought to realise he knows less and less. For I wish I knew one thousandeth of what I thought I knew when I was a young student in Haelon'ur! But God has given me the grace to know but a little more natural knowledge since then, and, in knowing it, I realise how little I did know, how little I do know. It seems to me, that two classes of men have wisdom. The first, is those who know they know nothing. The second, is those that know they don't know everything. Never the man who is self-wise and thinks that he knows. Your life will become most more joyful and virtuous when you embrace this philosophy. For I have observed that the truest joy is gratitude: if I were to hold myself and compare myself to others for being born into the race that I was, I should be miserable. Rather I recognise that I did not earn it and thank the good God for the gifts that I do have, fewer though they be in comparison to yours. 

 

Point I. The Author Writes That What the Orenians did was Evil, for He Writes that Women were "Made Concubines, OR WORSE." But This is Irrational Apart from Belief in a Transcendent Moral Standard.

 

But knowing this, I don't see the relevance of your recounting of the historical atrocities of Oren, as if they belonged to me, or as if I had any purpose as claiming them for my own. My point was that purity, and truth, and goodness, are not rooted in any nation, or empire, for nations and races, being imperfect things, act imperfectly, and sometimes with utter malice and evil, as you yourself have well proven here. And that nation could be the Orenian nation, the Dwarves, and so on, and so forth, but the same truth holds true.

 

You claim that transcendent morality rooted in the Good is a lie made to sustain society and to appease men who fear their imminent deaths.  Well, if morality has no real existence, and if transcendent moral truth is a lie of convenience, wherefore are you so woeful? They just did what was necessary to expand their Empire and society, using the bendable principles of morality. You can no more blame them than a tiger who eats a gazelle, according to your view. What they did cannot be called right or wrong; there is only the interest of the state, and, in doing what was in the interest of the state, they, in fact, acted rightly, since according to your principle, the state and society begat morals, instead of right morals begetting a society, thereby the state having just cause to bend morals to its own need, as they did here. Your reaction, therefore, is itself only an irrational and emotional reaction, for this, according to your own principle, is the only way in which morality really exists: feelings. You must therefore concede to one of two points: either a)this transcendent standard of goodness does not exist, and was invented for the utility of the state, and therefore the Orenians were perfectly right and justified in slaughtering our babies, and therefore your stance is entirely irrational and has no basis, and in fact, you ought not to blame the Orenians for using morality in its right place, but rather to praise them, or b)you have already intrinsically accepted the idea that there is a transcendent moral good by which these actions can be objectively measured, which exists outside of space and time. For to assert the objective existence of positive evil does not disprove positive good, but rather it proves that it exists, for we knew about Good before we knew about evil; we cannot call it evil objectively unless we know what is good objectively. Nihilists, as the name implies, have nothing to be outraged about; that is contrary to reason. Your relatives were, by your own reckoning, "droplets," what matter if they are killed? You should be happy and praise the Orenians for acting in accordance with your philosophy! There is no better or worse - there is only expediency!

 

Point II. The Author Proves my Point About Progress: Either a)Progress is a Lie and the High Elves aren't Progressing Toward Anything, or b)There is some Intrinsic Standard of Good to Which one can Progress to or from. This is Exactly the Point I Made in my Journal Essay. The Author of this Response is a Truly Despicable Person.

 

Also, as I wrote before, Haelon'ur speaks of "progress." Progress cannot exist without a goal, for progress must exist toward something. There must be a point at which perfect goodness in your society is reached. For a man who was building a house, could be said to "progress" when he lays the foundations, to have done still further once he has acquired mortar, and so on, and so forth. But if the man had no plan or goal, but was just lumping arbitrarily building material unto building material, and told you he was making "progress", we would call him mad, because he has no goal. Moreover, if a society is progressing toward something, then goodness cannot be vested in that society, but something higher than it. For you claim that the conception of transcendent goodness is something that comes from society, but if society is progressing, then that implies a prior understanding of what goodness is before the existence of the society.  Indeed, the yardstick we use to measure progress must be outside of time, because progress is within time. Progress, implies goal, goal implies perfectibility, perfectibility implies perfection. Progress cannot therefore exist without a prior idea of what a positive movement toward the Good would be, and therefore you must either concede that a)There is no transcendent standard of good, by which progress can be measured, therefore our society's idea of progress is an arbitrary lie, and we are not progressing, just arbitrarily moving, or b)There is one, and we can progress toward or go away from what is good. If law in Haelun'or were to fade, and all men were to become murderers, you would no doubt say this is "against progress"; if they were to lose all the virtues of purity, temperance, justice, liberality, and so forth, no doubt you would grieve, because these virtues are good.  It would not be "progress" if the whole society agreed on infanticide; therefore a society can only progress if there is some ideal of goodness that precedes it. Therefore, you DO agree that progress is a lie, that your society is built on falsehood, and you consent to the point of my essay. So you haven't actually disagreed with what I said. I wrote, that you must either believe in a transcendent standard of goodness, or progress is a lie. You have chosen the latter option: you utterly despicable man, truly evil and cowardly, you look down on Mankind for believing so-called fictions, but you indulge what you believe to be lies knowingly for the purposes of expediency. If there is no Good, progress is a lie, and if you believe there is no Good, you are therefore a liar.

 

Point III. The Myth that the Mali'aheral are Governed by Reason.

 

I may be "weak" and therefore find life and goodness and truth and wisdom outside of my own self-absorbed, nihilistic and disdainful-of-those-"beneath"-me philosophy, but you are "egotistical" and therefore refuse to see any life or truth outside of yourself and your own subjective sense experience. The idea that the Elves are purely rational creatures is a myth springing from pride and self-importance. The existence of impurity proves that purity is violated, which shows your reason does not rule you, but that you are the slave of passions and emotions. If the Mali'aheral acted on reason any more than any other race, there would be no need for laws, for their actions would be in accordance with right reason.  

 

Mali accept dogmas just as much as men do, except men are more honest and call them just that, dogmas. No one can live more than 24 hours sanely without accepting premises that can't be proven, and can only be accepted, which we call dogmas. Mankind is therefore much more sane, happier and clear thinking than us. For despite our long life-spans, we are barely more technologically advanced than Man. In matters like science, mathematics and astronomy they seem to have as great a capacity for advancement as we do, in terms of art, architecture, cultural achievement and so forth, in terms of martial advancement - how is it we do not simply out-develop their armies despite our greater intellect and long years? How is it men were able to slaughter our ancestors if we were so much better than they? One reason at least is Man's capacity for clear-thinking. Man does not delude himself, he is precise and knows what dogmas he accepts. Man absorbs less knowledge in a shorter life-span, but he integrates that knowledge into a view of the world that is sane and wise. The sons of Malin, most especially our race, tend to have our minds muddled by a contemptible pretended scepticism we mistake for "reason", when, in fact it is riddled with an unconscious dogmatism, which is the worst dogmatism of them all.

 

Even the concept of "expediency", accepts certain dogmas. You say, there is no standard of good, only what is expedient, and virtues therefore must have no real value. But by acting to do what is expedient, doesn't that already imply that you have interests which are good and bad? For example, if you, out of this principle of expediency, were to cite morality (in your view, lie) to justify self-defence, and, were to kill a man in that defence, have you not already accepted that it is better to live than to die? If you have placed value on self-preservation, and you consider it good that you and others should preserve their own lives, and that this is expedient for them, you have already accepted that it is inherently better for them to live than to die. There is no proof that it is better to live than to die, so why do you consider it expedient that you should live? If expedient is defined as acting in the interest of that thing, does not that show that you have already accepted that there are certain things that are good and bad for a person prior to this principle? If the Mali launched an attack on the Orenian grain supply, and used the concept of "progress" to justify what was truly an attack of expediency, have they not accepted the dogma that to eat and live is better than to starve and die?

 

Point IV. Seeking Immaterial Truths in what is Material is to Make a Category Error.

 

Two plus two equals four. Two plus two would equal four if all of material creation ceased to exist. Some truths, then, are immaterial, being known by logic in reason, irrespective of material truth. Nor do these truths exist in the mind alone, for if we ceased to exist to think about it, even if all rational minds ceased to exist, two plus two would still equal four. Mathematical truths, therefore, exist immaterially, not materially. You cannot see the number "2 centillion." Where can you show 2 centillion of anything? In your holdings? What about in your citizens? What about the mathematical concept of Infinity? Nowhere can it be found in Orenian or any other holdings. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but rather mathematical truths are immaterial truths known by reason, and not by scientific examination. They are truths that exist outside of and irrespective of space and time. To seek them within space and time is foolish. But they do prove that things outside of space and time can be known, if not comprehended.

 

If you expect me to go and point to you to some empirical proof of this goodness, you are as a man blindfolded. I can't prove the existence of God by pointing to a cloud and saying "look, there is God", or an Empire, or anything that is contingent and empirical. But I can know His existence by the natural light of reason. 

 

A Canonist is simply this: it is someone who has plucked up the wild yet thrilling conclusion that there is something in this world wiser than himself. I am sorry you cannot see or know my joy at this time.  The truly thrilling joy of life is in humility and gratitude, in putting yourself at the service of others and losing yourself, I mean really forgetting yourself. Then your life is as light as a feather, whereas snobbery - yes, that is what the men of my race are, snobs in the main, all their virtues - makes you heavy as lead, and prevents you from reaping the harvest because you never sowed the seed. I am now experiencing the full harvest of my hope. That is why I shall say no more. My time is nearly up, and I shall presently write my last testimony. Nevertheless my last prayers shall be for you.

 

May the blessing of Almighty God, fall down upon you and remain with you forever and ever. Amen. (+)"

Father Pius, FSSCT, receives the obituary as he himself is on his deathbed. "Have no fear, Father," says he, smiling fondly. "It won't be long before I join you to wave it away."

"Et Ego dedi Horeno uxorem primam." (Virtue 3:4)

 

To Almighty God, be all glory, honour and empire, world without end. Amen.

 

 

PREFACE.

 

'Friends,

 

I recently wrote an essay in an Orenian column addressing the High Elven ideas of purity. It garnered some interest. But it lead me to consider the wider implications of patriotism, love for one's own race and nation. It is a virtue that my people, the High Elves, as you will know them, possess to an admirable degree, although, as I mentioned in that essay, we do take it to excess sometimes. This is not a thesis. I am a Priest, and the love of Almighty God permeates every single beat of my heart, therefore, of course, I dedicate this to Him. But this, rather than being a study of Scripture or the Holy Doctors, is more philosophical in nature. To God be all honour and glory, Amen.

 

THE ESSAY.

 

Patriotism is a virtue. As Almighty God gave unto Horen the first wife, so he instituted the simple but beautiful love of the family. It is truly the building block of the state. First of all, note that the word economy comes from the Akritian Oikos, which means household. The economy of the state, therefore, is in like manner to the economy of the household, being derived from it. Secondly, a virtuous family means virtuous men, without which no state can sustain itself. For men of this day covet liberty: but liberty without virtue is soon perverted into licence, and men, enslaved by lust and fear and hatred and appeased by bread and circuses, become either savages or slaves. Men will say: These are bad times. Say this not. For such are the men, such are the times. If men love liberty and have the virtue to lay down their lives for her, you shall have liberty. If men grow effeminate, then you have the ruin of the state. To have virtuous statesmen you must first have virtuous men; to have virtuous men you must have loving families. Finally, one might say that the household is the first unit of governance, and the most natural and loving. A village is formed together of families, and villages form a tribe, and tribes a nation, and so on. But in each upward gradient, the potential for personal interaction decreases heavily. A man will, please God, know everyone in his family, he will probably know all in his tribe, but he will not know every man in his nation, let alone his empire. At the family level, one encounters a person. At the national level, a name on a piece of paper, or even just a vague ideal of what the average subject of the state is like. We love persons, we do not love paper. If we love paper, we love paper for the sake of persons and not persons for the sake of paper. Hence it is that the family is the strong building block of the nation, a sacred precinct in which the domestic love first of man and wife, and then children and extended relatives, binds society together, in a rather natural and excellent way. 

 

Patriotism is therefore this principle of familial love extended. For just as men, belonging to the same family, are united by a common bond, so those who share common kinship in their race are linked by blood, by culture, and by locality. Of course, in this world where we seem to have to move to a new set of islands every century-odd (As an Elf I cannot tell you how annoying this has become, just as soon as you get used to a place!) that third one is probably the least important. Nevertheless, if patriotism is built up from this familial love, so ought it to be modelled upon it. 

 

I love my mother. The more I love my mother, the more I realise than it is a virtue to love one's mother. The more I love my mother, the more I realise that another man must love his mother, and even ought to do so. In the same way, the more I love my motherland, the more I realise that another man must love his motherland, and see it as good and healthy for him to do so. I love my people, but the more I, Pius of Sutica, love, the more I realise how much an Orenian loves Oren, or a Haenseman Haense, and the more I realise how much he ought to, and so, in seeing the patriotism I have for my country reflected in others for their country, the more I reflect that patriotism is, strangely enough, a universal virtue. 

 

Hence the type of patriotism which seeks to domineer and destroy other cultures cannot be accounted a virtue. Is that a love of one's own country, or a hatred of others? True patriotism is the one of hearth and home, rooted in families, culture, traditions and race. It is one that, whilst protecting one's own race and country, understands that a man will love and protect his also. The more a man loves his wife and children, the more he respects that in another, and as I have said, it is the same in the national life. If a man begins to slander, domineer, and hate other families, it is to be questioned whether that domestic love - that of Horen and wife - was real to begin with, but was rather built in the murky quicksand of sinful pride and jealously.

 

Another type of false patriotism is that which says: "My country, right or wrong." How can any sane man say this, and say he loves his country? If your mother was an alcoholic, would you cease to love her? Of course not! And, in loving her, would you say "My mother, drunk or sober" and not seek in any way to cure her of that ill? Saints forbid! That is to reduce love to a mere warm feeling, when love is obviously more than that - it is a selfless principle based on putting the good of the other person first. The true patriots are often the most fierce critics of their own country. Not in a self-hating wise, but in a wise of that same domestic love of which I have written. A man who despises his own family, whom God has told him he ought to love, because he finds them despicable, is himself worthy of despising. And a man who despises his own country for her faults, rather than wishing to correct and reprove her like a good son would his alcoholic mother, is deficient in the supernatural Virtue of charity. For as I wrote to Boniface, it is in the extremity that the virtues are proved, like silver in the fire. Charity means not loving something that is perfect, but something that is imperfect. We are called to love our country in spite of her flaws, just as we are called to love our neighbour in spite of his.  

 

And just as the man who worships his own mother as the supreme principle of life would be clearly deluded, so the man who exalts his country to an idolatrous level, therefore distorting and destroying it, offends God. "For" writes his Holiness, James II "Any ideology followed too closely will become idolatry." Our only ideology is the love of God, and let us therefore love all the things with which He has deigned to bless us, for His sake. No man chooses his own family, rather it is chosen for him. And no man chooses his country either. Does it follow, that we ought not to love our country because we did not merit to be born in it? Not any more than we should cease to love our own family into which God has chosen us to be born.

 

Let every man, therefore, love his own hearth and home, his nation and race, for the sake of that Supreme Love which begat all of these lesser loves. Let him love men of all nations and races for the sake of that God who made the Four Brothers. And let him cherish, protect and defend his own nation should the need arise, fighting not for the hatred of what is in front of him, but for the love of what is behind him. 

 

May Almighty bless you, forever and ever. Amen. (+)

"The Mali'aheral are right to care about purity, but wrong about the reasons." Father Pius of Sutica writes in an Orenian public journal. "That is why my blessed people are so severe in their actions. They think that this purity exists in a primordial state, that it is a gift that subsists in the Blessed Elven race, that it is the highest ideal, and that "our ancestors strove for purity", as our laws do say, and that therefore purity can be striven for and enforced. But really, barbarism and impurity are not things that can ever be behind us, but always beneath us. No man, whatever race he may be, is free from impurity. Therefore purity is not something to be found in any one race, only some may yet more embody it with a greater degree of, but never absolute, perfection. But in failing to recognise this universality of impurity, they fall to a greater sin yet: pride, impurity of soul; more repulsive than impurity of body. For the idea of purity in the first place pre-supposes that if only we get rid of the impurities, we will have something pure. And the idea that this purity is something that can be attained by our own efforts suggests that we can reach this purity ourselves. 

 

But we have to recognise that we cannot pull ourselves up by the lobes of our own ears, however pale and long they be, or lift ourselves by our boot-straps. We have enough moral codes, but we are powerless to enforce them. For no man can say he is without sin, and so guiltlessly condemn others of the impurity which is, in however small degree, in himself. We need a pick-me-up. All races are weak and cannot enforce their own moral codes; else there would be no need for laws in the first place. Something outside of ourselves, a force stronger than us, and a reality higher than us, to draw us to itself. And that is why we can sometimes seem over-proud, self-absorbed, and severe. In short, humility must be inculcated, for - glory be to God - is there any man or race that can strive for purity of itself, fruitfully?

 

This recent essay which seems to support the mixture of the races and the monstrous and unnatural lusts of men, which has been the cause of so much controversy in Haelun'or, speaks of the High Elven ideal of "progress." "Progress" towards what? Will greater affluence, technological improvement, material benefits, and so forth, make a man more virtuous and pure? Often, quite the opposite.  For where there is wealth there is contention: where there is gain, there is egotism. The woman who loves her husband in spite of poverty is of a purer love than the one who loves him in wealth, and I believe that it is harder for the rich to be virtuous. How can the sons of Malin progress, then, if they have not a goal? If you're not progressing towards something, you're not progressing at all, just arbitrarily moving. But as we have seen, material benefits are insufficient to of themselves constitute this goal. All brave men would rather live an inconvenient truth than a happy lie. All good men would rather live virtuously and poorly and primitively than with malice and wealth and all the technological advancement in the world. Progress must therefore be something higher than these things. 

 

In order to truly progress, there must be a transcendent idea of what Supreme Good, is.  All of the Virtues: Benevolence, Justice, Prudence, Charity, and so forth, must subsist in this transcendence. For the ideal of purity suggests something pure, and therefore, something perfect. To root this purity and this striving to perfection in something contingent and fading, like a race of people, something clearly imperfect and impure, is a contradictory delusion. Material progress without liberality is greed; harsh law without mercy is severity; racial purity without humility is misery. Our ancient ideal that we can turn in on ourselves instead of looking upwards to the life that is above us, rooting ourselves in what is contingent and imperfect and expecting perfection, is why, however many executions there may be, the subversive and sinister promises of liberalism will not now cease to grow in Haelun'or, I believe, for the futile struggle begats a surrender attractive to many, and this surrender we call Liberalism."

Father Pius votes "aye."

11 hours ago, Lojo613 said:

Goren smiles, thumbing through the work. "Bless you Father Pius." Goren then gently sets the parchments down, shakily and slowly penning a letter to the good Father.

 

"Dear Pius,

 

I am honored by the inclusion of a few of my penned prayers in this great work. May the Lord shine upon you forever and ever, and His manifold blessings fall upon your brow as the Waters of Gamesh. Would you mind if I transcribed this work into a pamphlet which can be distributed to libraries and soldiers on the battlefield?

 

with utmost respect,

Goren"

"Most Reverend Father,

 

I am delighted and thankful to hear of your request, and am happy to grant my consent.

 

I remain your humble servant,

 

Father Pius."

THE SOLDIER’S PRAYER BOOK

By Fr. Pius of Sutica, FSSCT, Assistant Priest at Dobrov.

 

 

St. Edmond, Model of Soldiers, Pray for us.

 

INTRODUCTION. WHAT IS PRAYER, AND WHY PRAY?

 

SOLDIER, why do you need prayer? Perhaps you have been taught to memorise and parrot prayers from your childhood. Maybe it is a habit that has been worked into you; or a habit you have lost. But what are you praying for? What about? And why? 

 

If you believe that God, the one Being alone Sovereign and Supreme, derives any benefit from you saying a few words in His honour, you are deluded. It is evidently not God who stands in need of prayer: it is you. He is all-blessed within Himself and existed before all time, before all prayer. No. It is rather God who wants us to pray for our benefit, for your benefit. 

 

One spiritual writer compares it to little children who bring daffodils to show their affection for their mother. Does the mother need the daffodils? She doesn’t need them. Do the children need to give them? Certainly!

 

What’s the point of a war if you don’t have virtue? It’s a waste of courage and of lives. How can men expect to win peace on the outside through force of arms if they have not peace on the inside? They cannot. A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. If you do not have love, all your battles are vain miseries. It is clear that to fight the battle without but not the battle within is but an empty victory.

 

How are we to receive these virtues? The answer is very simple. We have enough moral codes, but we ourselves are powerless to enforce them. The history books burst open with examples of men who started with good intentions and sank into evil. They thought they could pull themselves up to supreme virtue by the lobes of their own ears. But you can’t. You need help. And who better to help you than the Source of the Virtue Himself? 

 

That is why we pray, so that, by communion with God, we may be filled with His mercy, goodness and truth.

 

Prayer is simply this, the raising of the will and the intellect - or the heart and the mind, if you prefer, to God. That is what prayer is. And we do it, to receive His impressions on our souls, so that, by being open to His sovereign will, we may be filled abundantly with virtues. Only then will you be a true soldier in the cause of right. Therefore, do not only pray vocal prayers, but meditate, and raise your heart and mind to God, and allow Him to lift you up.

 

The one way to prevent a war is to make a war. And not a war against our enemies, but a war against ourselves; to unsheathe the sword, and to unsheathe it not against the enemy we hate, but to unsheathe it against ourselves and all that is base and vile! And when that war is won within each and every one of us, we will have won not just the war, but the peace too, the only thing that makes the war worth fighting. 

 

I.EXHORTATION TO VIRTUE.

 

Soldier, I would like you to realise just how utterly privileged and important and loved you are. At your Baptism, God through his Holy Angel poured at the Waters of Gamesh abundantly into your soul. This not only cleansed you, but made you a Prophet.

 

Yes, I will repeat, your Baptism makes you a Prophet. You receive the selfsame Baptism which Horen received at his calling to the Prophethood. You, like him, become part of God’s spiritual family, the Church. You are part of His household: you are His beloved son. Of course, you do not receive revelations, as that work is now complete. But the immense dignity of the Prophethood is there, because you have received exactly the same as Horen received - you are yourself a spiritual Horen. And if you keep the same virtue as he received, then you too can be destined for that eternal glory which was promised him. 

 

II.THOUGHTS FOR SOLDIERS.

 

When I begin to be infinitely wicked and God ceases to be infinitely merciful, then I have a right to despair.

 

 

If I’m wounded, it’s back to my country. If I’m killed, it’s the Skies. 

 

 

I won’t fear the enemy who can kill my body and not my soul.

 

 

He can kill me, but he can’t do me any real harm.

 

 

I am not fighting to preserve the old world that existed before the war. If I were, I would be fighting to preserve the world that produced this very war. The new world must be a better world than that, or it is not worth fighting for. And the new reign of peace must start in my soul.

 

 

If God be with us, there is no one else left to fear.

 

 

How can I make sure God is with me? Go to Confession, pray, and give alms.

 

 

There is something called the Prayer of Action. If I do everything for the sake of the love of God, whether it be listening to a dull conversation, cleaning armour, writing a letter, sharpening a sword, practicing archery and so forth, these actions become prayers. 

 

 

It is in giving that I receive, because only the empty glass can be filled, not the full one.

 

 

There are two ways to have enough. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.

 

 

I pray not to change God’s will, but my own.

 

 

I pray not that God will be on our side, but that we will be on God’s side. 

 

 

Prayer of Edgar de Saltpans: God is the author of victories, and in Heaven, there is no difference between but a few and a great many. For our courage is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from Heaven. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives and children, and take our lands. But we will fight for our lives and our laws, and as for the enemy, we shall fear them not. We will trust Him.

 

 

Death is nothing to fear for the man of God. If I live, I win the crown of courage. If I die, I win the crown of eternal life.

 

 

The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.

 

 

Soldiering is an holy profession if done with virtue. In the Canticle of Fidelity, God bids us maintain order, protecting both the little and the great, for the Lord made both. As a defender of that order, I have a vital place in God’s vision for my country. 

 

 

Purity is represented by a sword in Scripture; Virtue is a sword. A sword to be turned in on myself, on everything evil within me. I must, then, think of life like a battle. Every good deed will be a spear-thrust to my Enemy; every chance to practice Virtue or vice like a skirmish with Iblees.

 

 

But I’m a fool if I go into that battle armed with a twig. I need to report to Headquarters and get kitted up. That is what prayer is. And maybe I’ll need the reinforcements of Saints and Blesseds to come to my aid.

 

 

This day, can I give up one licit pleasure to practise the Virtue of temperance?

 

III.MORNING PRAYER.

 

(Crossing yourself.) O God, come to my aid. O Lord, make haste to help me.

 

OFFERING: My God, I offer to Thy infinite majesty every ounce of my affections, every beat of my heart, every pain and suffering, every good deed, every labour and most of all, I offer Thee my own heart, my body and my soul. Heavenly Father, I trust in Thee.

 

MORNING PRAYER: In rising, I wish my first thought to be of Thee. I thank Thee for guarding me during the night. During this day, please keep my body from accident, and my soul from sin.

 

I am far from my family, surrounded by new temptations; please lead and protect me. Bless, please, my commander and my comrades, and above all, bless our king and country. May I serve today as a good soldier. Amen.

 

PSALM OF VEN. HUMBERT: The Lord ruleth me, I shall want for nothing. He makes me down to lie, in pastures green, He leadeth me, the quiet waters by. For yea, though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil. For thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff, they have been a comfort to me. Thou preparest a table before them that afflicteth me: thou anointest my head with oil, O, how goodly it is! Thy loving kindness shall pursue me all the days of my life: that I might dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

 

PSALM FOR INCREASE IN VIRTUE: Bow down Thy ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am poor, and in misery. Preserve Thou the soul of thy servant, for I am holy: my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in Thee.

 

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I will call daily upon Thee. For Thou, O Lord, art good and gracious: and of great mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. 

 

COLLECT: O Almighty and everlasting God, who hast, by Thy mercy, safely brought us to the beginning of this day: defend us in the same by Thy mighty power, that we, surely trusting in Thy defence, may not fear the power of any of Thy adversaries.

 

Grant, O Lord, an increase in our Faith in Thy promises, our Hope in Thy mercies and our Love of Thy infinite goodness, that we may be docile to receive an increase in all the Virtues. Amen. 

 

THERE OUGHT TO FOLLOW THE LITANY TO A SAINT HERE. (SEE SECTION V.)

 

RESOLUTION OF VEN. HUMBERT: God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

 

He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.

 

Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”

 

Exalted Horen, pray for us.

Saint Julia, pray for us.

Saint Edmond, pray for us.

 

(Crossing yourself:) May the Divine assistance remain always with us. Amen.

 

IV.EVENING PRAYER.

 

(Crossing yourself:) O God, come to my aid. O Lord, make haste to help me.

 

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE: Spend a couple of minutes examining your day and ask God help you to reveal if you have committed any sin, however small. Examine your actions, thoughts and words against the Virtues. (Faith, Charity, Temperance, Diligence, Patience, Fidelity; Humility.) The Church requires Canonists to go to Confession and receive Absolution every year. (II.III.II.1)

 

GENERAL CONFESSION: Almighty and most merciful Father; I have erred, and strayed from Thy ways like a lost sheep. I have followed too much the devices and desires of my own heart. I have offended against Thy holy laws. I have left undone those things which I ought to have done, and I have done those things which I ought not to have done; and there is no health in me. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon me, a miserable offender. Spare Thou me who am penitent; according to the promises vouchsafed unto mankind by the Holy Prophets. And grant, O most merciful Father, that I might hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy Name. Amen.

 

(Crossing yourself:) May Almighty God, in having mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.

 

EVENING PSALM: Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 

I will say unto the Lord: Thou art my hope, and my stronghold; my God, in Him will I trust.

 

For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence.

 

He shall defend thee under His wings, and Thou shalt be safe under his feathers; His faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 

Thou shalt not be afraid of any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day.

 

For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.

 

A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall come not nigh thee.

 

Yea, with thine eyes thou shalt behold: and see the reward of the ungodly.

 

For Thou, Lord, art my hope: Thou hast set Thine house of defence very high.

 

There shall no evil happen unto thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

 

For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

 

They shall bear thee in their hands, that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.

 

Thou shalt go upon the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon thou shalt trample under thy feet.

 

Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him up, because he hath known My Name.

 

He shall call upon Me, and I shall hear him; yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.

 

With long life will I satisfy him: and show him My salvation.

 

COLLECT: O God, merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful; Mercifully assist our prayers that we make before Thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the Evil One or man worketh against us, be brought to nought, and also that by the providence of Thy goodness they may be dispersed; that we Thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy Holy Church, Amen.

 

THERE OUGHT TO FOLLOW THE LITANY OF A SAINT HERE.

 

PRAYER FOR PROTECTION DURING THE NIGHT: Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord; and by Thy great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night; for love of us, Amen. 

 

Exalted Horen, pray for us.

Saint Julia, pray for us.

Saint Edmond, pray for us.

 

(Crossing yourself:) May the Divine assistance remain always with us. Amen.

 

V.DEVOTIONS TO THE SAINTS.

 

Litany of Saint Edmond. (Ven. Humbert.)

 

C : God, Creator of the Earth.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, who judgeth the dead.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

C : Model of Knights.

R: Pray for us.

C : Father of Chivalry.

R: Pray for us.

C : Hero of Mankind.

R: Pray for us.

C : Soldier Most Honourable.

R: Pray for us.

C : Father of Orphans.

R: Pray for us.

C : Protector of Widows.

R: Pray for us.

C : Champion of the poor.

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst grant mercy to the prisoner…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst observe discipline…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who wast ever loyal to thy emperor…

R: Pray for us. 

 

God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us.

 

Litany of Saint Harald Vullier.

 

C : God, Creator of the Earth.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, who judgeth the dead.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

C : Bishop of the battlefield,

R: Pray for us.

C : Refuge of the dead,

R: Pray for us.

C : Mighty commander,

R: Pray for us.

C : Brave leader,

R: Pray for us.

C : Noble brother,

R: Pray for us.

C : Student of the Scrolls,

R: Pray for us.

C : Flower of the Priesthood,

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst mourn the battle-dead tenderly…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst laugh in the face of danger…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst lead thy fellow-soldiers in prayer…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst rigorously prepare for Ordination…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst defend  thy falsely-accused sister…

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst die a martyr for the love of souls.

R: Pray for us.

C : Whom demons fear.

R: Pray for us.
 

God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us.
 

Litany of Saint Emma.

 

C : God, Creator of the Earth.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, who judgeth the dead.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

Crusher of heresy

R: Pray for us.

Avenger of the weak

R: Pray for us.

Model of Faith

R: Pray for us.

Beacon of Hope

R: Pray for us.

Warrior of Charity

R: Pray for us.

Strength of the Little

R: Pray for us.

Enemy of Schism

R: Pray for us.

Boast of the Adrians

R: Pray for us.

Who didst follow the call of God without fail…

R: Pray for us.

Who, while but a young girl, didst overcome multitudes by Faith…

R: Pray for us.

Who didst yield in humility the battleplan…

R: Pray for us.

Who didst bring victory to Holy Church…

R: Pray for us.

Who didst shed thy blood in martyrdom…

R: Pray for us.

 

God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us.

 

Litany of Saint Catherine. (Ven. Humbert)

 

C : Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice onto him with trembling.

 

R: Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.

 

C : When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are they that trust in him.

 

C : God, Creator of the Earth.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, who judgeth the dead.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

C : Seat of Wisdom.

R: Pray for us.

C : Comforter of the Afflicted.

R: Pray for us.

C : Refuge of Sinners.

R: Pray for us.

C : Lady most pure.

R: Pray for us.

C : Lady of peace.

R: Pray for us.

C : Flower of charity.

R: Pray for us.

C : Pattern of humility.

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst observe celibacy in thy marriage...

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst embrace learning, but not vanity... 

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst give so generously, counting the needs of others but never the cost to thyself...

R: Pray for us.

C : Who didst embrace the rejected...

R: Pray for us.

 

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us.

 

Litany of Saint Godwin. (Cardinal Goren.)

 

C : God, Creator of the Earth.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, who judgeth the dead.

R: Have mercy on us!

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

C : Son of Horen.

R: Pray for us!

C : King of Aaun. 

R: Pray for us!

C : Father of Owyn.

R: Pray for us!

C : Leader of souls.

R: Pray for us!

C : Thou, who didst banish demons.

R: Pray for us!

C : Enemy of ghosts.

R: Pray for us!

C : Friend of Exorcists.

R: Pray for us!

C : Saint Godwin.

R: Pray for us!

 

C : God, Almighty King.

R: Have mercy on us!

 

VI.PRAYERS USED AT SEA.

 

DAILY PRAYER. O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with bounds until day and night come to an end; Be pleased to receive into Thy Almighty and most gracious protection the persons of us Thy servants, and the Fleet in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that we may safeguard our most gracious Sovereign King, and his Dominions, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions, and so all of our country dwell in peace and quietness with a thankful remembrance of thy Holy Name; Amen.

 

COLLECT. Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious favour, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy Holy Name, and receive everlasting life. Amen.

 

BEFORE A SEA-BATTLE. O most powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things; Thou sittest in the throne judging right, and therefore we make our address to Thy Divine Majesty in this, our necessity, that thou wouldst take the cause into Thine own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up Thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us, for Thou givest not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. O let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance; but hear us Thy poor servants begging mercy, and imploring Thy help, and that Thou wouldst be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy. Amen.

 

SHORT PRAYER IN RESPECT OF A STORM. Thou, O Lord, that stillest the raging of the sea, hear, hear us, and save us, that we perish not.

 

LONGER PRAYER IN THE SAME. O most powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; We Thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do in this, our great distress, cry unto Thee for help, or else we perish. 

 

VII.PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS USES.

 

THANKSGIVING AFTER A BATTLE.  Almighty God, the Sovereign Commander of all the world, in whose hand is power and might which none is able to withstand; We bless and magnify Thy great and glorious Name for this happy Victory, the whole glory whereof we do ascribe to Thee, who art the only Giver of victory. And, we beseech Thee, give us grace to improve this great mercy to Thy glory, the advancement of the Canon, the honour of our Sovereign, and, as much as in us lieth, to the good of all men. Grant us, Lord,  such a sense of this great mercy, as may engage us to a true thankfulness, such as may appear in our lives by an humble, holy and obedient walking before Thee, to Whom be all honour and glory, Amen. 

 

FOR THE WOUNDED. (Cardinal Goren.)      Dear GOD, most singular, most merciful, who presides over the fates of all men. Thou hast chosen this man to be stricken. Grant him peace, knowing that he has done all he can, and that this be Thy will. Soothe his soul, O Lord, as the time for fear is over, the time for regret has passed. Keep this brave soul close, for he has fought well, and by his presence this world has been made better. Rest his fiery spirit, and grant him strength to live that our world might continue to be bettered by his presence. Let his thoughts turn to Thee, and may he know Thy Love and Mercy. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

DURING A HARD CAMPAIGN. (Ven. Humbert.) God, do not let us freeze to death, grant unto us bountiful rations, and permit us to see home once more. If not, for Thou knowest best, cast merciful eyes upon us, granting repose to our dead, and lift up all the dead of this bloody war into their Heavenly Home. Amen.

 

CONTRITION BEFORE BATTLE. (Cardinal Goren.) Holy God, I have sinned in thought and in flesh. Thou art mercy, Thou art goodness, Thou art charity. With my own weeping spirit do I acknowledge that I have offended Thee. I know my sin, and do in Thy Name enact righteous penance as did Exalted Owyn. Forgive Thou me, O Fount of mercy, and accept my penance, that my spirit might return to a place of purity, and that I may strive to love Thee and do Thy will in all things. Amen. 

 

FOR COURAGE. Saint Edmond, model of all knights, possess me not with fear; grant me peace and strength in the hour of battle. Let God think not on my faults but on my potential. I swear that if I come through this day with courage, I will strive to embody the honour that thou didst: I shall show clemency to the prisoner, give succour to the widow and spare the peasant. Amen.

 

SHORT PRAYERS. It is good to have many short prayers on your lips at all times. An excellent and most laudable practice is to invoke a Saint, by saying, for example “Saint Kristoff, pray for us!” Another good short prayer is “May the Name of the Lord be praised”, good especially when His name is blasphemed; “My God; I love Thee, make me love Thee more”; “Saint Catherine, succour me”, “Holy Angel, protect me”, “My Lord and my God”; “Blessed be God”; “Blessed be His Holy Name”; “Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints”; “My God, have mercy”; “Lord have mercy on us”; “Have mercy on me, a sinner”; “Lord, prosper Thou my work;” “Lord, increase my [Virtue]”; “Lord, deliver us from evil.” You may also make what is called an “Act” of some Virtue. For example, an Act of Humility “Thou, my God, must increase and I must decrease.”

 

FOR PEACE. Saint Amyas, the ravages of war, plague and famine hath assailed us all too much. Pray for God’s mercy, that we may be spared of these evils, and that we may, with perfect Charity, strive to avoid them. Amen.

 

FOR OUR KING. We beseech Thee, O almighty God, that Thy servant, [name], who has by Thy mercy taken the government of these realms, may advance in all virtues; that being adorned therewith, he may be able to avoid the enormity of sins and to come to Thee, who art the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

 

MISERERE. (VEN. HUMBERT) Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquity. Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. 

 

To Thee alone have I sinned, and have done evil before Thee: that Thou mayst be justified in Thy lessons and may overcome when Thou art judged. For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceived me. Behold, Thou hast treasured truth: the uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom, Thou hast made manifest to me. 

 

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. To my hearing Thou shalt give joy and happiness: and the bones which have been humbled shall rejoice.

 

Turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God: renew a right spirit in my bowels. Cast me not away from Thy face, and take not Thy holy ghost away from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. I will teach the unjust Thy ways, and the wicked shall be converted to Thee.

 

Deliver me from blood, O God, Thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol Thy justice! O Lord, Thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall spew forth Thy praise! For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings Thou wilt not be delighted. A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. Deal favourably, O Lord, in Thy good will with Oren; that the walls of Helena might be built up.

 

Then shalt Thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and incense: then they shall lay the bells at the altar.

 

JUDICA ME. (VEN. HUMBERT) Judge me, O God, and discern my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and disobedient man. For Thou art God, my strength, why hast Thou cast me off? And why do I go sorrowful whilst the foe afflicteth me? Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they hath conducted me, and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, to God who giveth joy to my youth! To Thee, O God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, o my soul? Why does thou distress me?

 

Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him: the salvation of my will, and my God.

 

VIII.THE ENDURING POWER OF SILENCE.

 

You are mistaken, soldier, if you believe that prayer is simply parotting vocal prayers like the ones listed here. If prayer, as I have defined it, is the raising of the will and intellect toward God, then it requires the engagement of those faculties. It does not, by the way, need emotional engagement. If you feel dry or have no great feelings of devotion, do not be distressed, even if you feel great feelings of discouragement in prayer. In fact, a prayer offered in these circumstances may be more meritorious than one done with positive emotions, because the man who still prays in that circumstance does it out of a purer love rooted in the will, and not passing feelings. 

 

Raise your needs to God. Open your heart to Him. 

 

Now to do this, we must have silence. How are we supposed to know ourselves, let alone God, if we are constantly busied by noise? How much silence is there in your life? Not enough, if you’re not setting aside time in the day for silent prayer.

 

What do I pray about? You can pray about your needs, you can pray to know God’s will, and so on, anything really. The amazing thing about prayer is that, despite knowing our needs already, God delights in letting us nag Him about them. This ought to be done with resignation and humility. Another means of mental prayer is to meditate. This can be done on the texts of the Scrolls, as Ven. Olivier was known to do, or on the Dogmas of the Faith. 

IX.DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.

 

We talked before about life as battle in the pursuit of goodness. Virtue is our sword which we turn inwards, unsheathing it against what is base and vile. And as I say, every moment of the day is a battleground. Be sober and watchful. 

 

But sometimes we get full of ourselves. You’ve no doubt seen inexperienced soldiers rush into battle against orders. In the same way, we think we can conquer sin without God’s help, and we fall. The peculiar thing about Iblees is this: before we sin, he convinces us that the sin is no big deal and can be easily repented of anyway. After the sin, he tries to drive us to despair, and convince us that it is unforgivable.

 

Fortunately, there is Something more powerful and wise than Iblees, so you don’t have a right to despair. Losing a skirmish doesn’t mean the war is lost, especially with an ally like God on your side. You’ve taken a few bruises, sure. But report back to headquarters and you’ll find the finest Physician it’s possible to know. And, as Ven. Humbert said, your accumulated injuries cannot surpass the skill of that Physician. 

 

That Headquarters is what the Church has traditionally called Confession, but really has two parts, your Confession, and the Priest, acting as a mediator for God, absolving you from your sins. After that, comes penance. But even the resolution to do penance is sufficient for you, through the Holy Church, to be totally cleansed of all your sins. God is truly marvelous beyond compare!

 

I: Examination. Go thoroughly over the time since your last Confession. Reckon up all transgressions, however minor or major you believe them to be, since that time, against the Seven Virtues, against God and neighbour. 

 

II: Contrition. Contrition is sorrow for sin; it means we, with our wills, turn away from sin and resolve never to sin again. There are two types of contrition: imperfect and perfect. Imperfect contrition is contrition because we fear punishment. Perfect contrition is contrition because we love God, and are sorry for having offended Him. Both are valid, but perfect contrition is higher. The difference may be summarised as a boy and a girl who wrong their mother. The boy says: “I’m sorry mummy, I suppose I wouldn’t be able to have sweets tonight.” The girl says: “Mummy, I’m sorry I hurt you”, and just throws herself on the mother. Make an act of Perfect Contrition: 

 

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,

and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell,

But most of all because they have offended Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,

to confess my sins,

to do penance,

and to amend my life. Amen.

 

III: Confession. Tell your sins, plainly to the Priest. Do not be afraid or embarrassed. He is bound very strictly to keep the information secret, and he has probably heard much worse. He’ll probably have forgotten about your sins within the hour.

 

IV: Advice and penance. Listen carefully as the Priest gives you advice and proscribes a penance.

 

V: The Priest should then absolve you. The most common Act of Absolution is this: “God, the Father of mercy, hath, through the authority of the Prophets, instituted a sacred priesthood for the administration of the Sacraments and for the remission of sins. In union with the Exalted, Saints and Angels in the Skies, and all the faithful departed, and on the authority of said priesthood, I do absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the God, the Almighty Father. Thy sins are all forgiven: go in peace!”

 

X.APPENDIX: THE CODE OF CHIVALRY.

 

Revised by Ser Maric II Varodyr, 1470. 

 

A Knight shall live by honour, for glory, and guard the honour of fellow Knights.

Honour The Creator and maintain His Temple.

Keep faithful and act in righteousness.

He shall serve his liege Lord with valour and conviction.

Persevere to the end in any quest begun and never turn his back upon a foe.

 

-=-

 

A Knight shall not give wanton offense and shall despise monetary reward.

Give succour to widows and orphans and regard the honor of women.

He shall offer that which is not needed, to those who are needy.

And safeguard the helpless and uphold the weak.

 

-=-

 

A Knight shall respect those in authority but fight for the welfare of all.

Abstain from injustice, cruelty and deceit.

He shall be vigilant and show courage, even in the face of evil.

Resolve not with swords what can be with words.

And at all times speak the truth, even if faced with death.

 

15 hours ago, Lojo613 said:

Goren responds, his feeble body rising once more like the tides on the forgotten shores of lost Arcas. “It is not my advice I give. It is not from my life, from my experiences, which answers are drawn. All advice is that which is granted by Him, in His words. And as Father Pius has noted, we have both presided over very different flocks. When men and women come to me, they do not come begging for forgiveness, or the mercy of GOD. Those who have such spirits are often the least likely to have sinned at all. In my time, those who have been the most ardent attendants of Confession are those who do not truly know if they have sinned, or have mired themselves so deep within the twisting black garden of Iblees that they cannot find the light alone. They come with questions, not requests. As for the matter of the Sacrements, GOD is indeed the Author of these most holy of rites. That being said, the priesthood is an organization which represents GOD and may administer and organize itself as it so pleases. While established by GOD, it is the right of the Church to rule itself in a just manner. This includes the manner by which it affirms who is and who is not capable of performing the Sacrements. The nature of the Sacrement does not change, as there is no innovation in faith, but the manner by which the priesthood determines who can perform such a Sacrement is, and always has been, subject to the whim of the Pontiff who was appointed as the Vicar of GOD and builder of bridges. If such a thing were rigid, it would not be within Pontifical power to alter the age at which youths may enter the priesthood, nor within the power of bishops to ordain new priests. By the grace of the Church, we may create hierarchy within the priesthood, and restrict or let the Sacrements out as is necessary, as we see with the manner by which the Sacrement of Ordainment is reserved for Bishops rather than granted freely to all priests. A solution, or compromise, would therefore involve the creation of a new rank within our clerical hierarchy which would see that women and monastics may perform the Sacrement of Ablution, while being unable to perform other Sacrements which are reserved for the priesthood. Aside from that, the only recourse I see is to allow all monastics to take Confession, but not grant ablution. The Church is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it, and all who do are happy. It connects Terra and Heaven, and the sap which runs through its body are the Sacrements. A Tree is alive, it grows, and it is not rigid, but sways in the wind, unbroken by the storm.” Goren finishes with a hacking cough, his body sinking once more to a seated position.

"That is not true, for you merely lack a distinction between what is rigid and what is firm. The age of admission to the Priesthood, except that, I suppose he be old enough to have the use of reason (For Owyn instituted men as Priests and not toddlers as the Gospel tells us), is, I grant you, fluid. But the very form and nature of this Sacrament is vested in the Sacred Priesthood. For the Prophet has said: "No man can call himself above them." Them being the Sacraments; Proverbs chapter three; verse six.

 

For it has always been held that this renewal of Baptism given by the remission of sins, is explicitly rooted, and, as part of the very form of the Sacrament, indelibly linked to the Sacred Priesthood. This is clearly the authoritative teaching of the Church as regards this Sacrament and has always been so, that this not be merely a changeable discipline, but a matter of the form of the Sacrament itself, thereby being a matter of faith, and there can be no innovation there.

 

I should consult the wonderful Encyclical of Blessed Jude the First, which, I repeat, every Priest and Acolyte should read at once, and for that reason I have brought it with me here. Sacerdoti in Nostra Ecclesiae makes it explicitly clear. Moreover, so does the Act of Absolution itself: wherefore Ven. Humbert added: By that same authority or something to that effect, I mean to say the authority of the Sacred Priesthood, I absolve thee. It is therefore clear that it has always been understood that it is on the Priestly authority from whence the Absolution comes. If there were no Priesthood, there would be no Sacrament. Dispensation is given, again, as I said, to in exetremis Ablution, but that proceeds from desire and not from substance, for they receive the benefits of the Sacrament because God is pleased to grant their intent, not because the form of the Sacrament itself is apart from the Priesthood. To therefore extend the Sacrament apart from the explicit Sacerdotal dignity is a perversion of the very Sacrament, not merely a disciplinary change, for the remission of sins has always proceeded, as part of the Sacrament itself, from the Priest, and on his authority alone, a layman's authority being insufficient to absolve."

9 hours ago, Lojo613 said:

Goren rises to his feet once more, bowing deeply to Pius. “God bless you brother, and you do not need to refer to me as Cardinal any longer. Your argument is strong, and I see that you are correct, that the law ought to emphasize the simplicity of the Confession, and that it therefore ought to be entirely connected to the Sacrament of Ablution. Yet, Confession is much deeper than a simple act of humility. Perhaps this is my experience alone, but of all the Confessions I have taken, the vast majority of individuals confessing have not already made their penance, but seek something deeper, they seek advice. And advice I give, always drawn from the Texts. I recount to those wayward souls the stories of Owyn, of Horen, the laws as well as the end of days. I recount to them these that they might find both comfort and context for their own lives. I firmly believe that this is the purpose of the act of Confession, the personal education of a lost soul in the same truths that gird us of the priesthood with so much comfort. Some men never find ablution, yet they still come to confession, they still come for advice and to learn the truth and be shown the proper path with love and grace. All I ask is that the women of our church, the monastics and abbots of our faith, be given the same right. There is no innovation in faith, but I do not propose we change our faith, only the way we guide our flock towards the same unchanging truth we have always upheld. We know that the ministry is but a tool of God, something which changes as best needed to serve His will. Perhaps this great council may find a compromise, and instead of opening the gates of confession to the laity, we create a new category within our ministry that properly separates the monastics from the laity and gives these men and women duties which we know that they are capable of performing. If we knew ablution to be the renewal of the Baptism, then perhaps this act may be performed by monastics? This edict would join the rites of Confession and ablution once more in simplicity, but subsequently expanding the roles of our convents and abbeys.” He pauses before going on “Oh, and as it is not being debated, I still hold firm to my statement that the nuns are wives of God, just as the Pontiff is His Vicar, and should retain the right to perform exorcisms.” He then sits down again.

"A man may sit down, tell his sins to a holy woman and get advice on them, there is no trouble there. Most nuns far outdo me in holiness, and I am happy to consult them. When they consult me, I pray God speak through me, and in His mercy He usually answers. And these very devout women say: "Father, I wonder how you do seem to know the secrets of my heart!" I do not, but He does. But when they come to me for Confession, they are coming for something quite different. The advice is well and good. But Confession has always been understood as the floodgate of God's mercy. They don't want my advice primarily - frankly, I don't blame them" He laughs at himself happily "They want God's mercy. When a penitent comes to me in Confession, I try to minimise my personal point of view, so flawed and prone to rashly judge, and instead try to see that soul as God sees him, speak to him in the words God would say, and absolve him as God would free him from sin. When I go for advice, I want the advice of that person, man or woman, cleric or lay. When I go for Confession, I want the mercy of God. The two are quite different, but not entirely separate."

 

"How can this Absolution - sorry, I am old - Ablution be performed apart from the Priesthood? We didn't create the Sacraments, we received them, because it was not we who established the Priesthood, but God. God never demands of us the impossible, of necessity He cannot condemn us for what we cannot do, being infinitely just. And so Confession and Ablution in exetremis, in this circumstance, the rite itself, without priestly absolution, will do, for God accepts the contrition without the medium of the Priest. This does not mean, however, we should not make it the rule, for that is not God's will. The Sacraments serve God; He is not junior to them, but being their Author, He desires to ordinarily work through them, but He is not confined by them. And hence here, the desire of ablution signified by the Confession of sins and the act of a layman is sufficient to give the remission of sins. But in the ordinary, the Priest is the visible representative of God, and absolves in His Name, and therefore Absolution and Confession are joined in what was traditionally called the Sacrament of Confession."

 

Father Pius of Sutica (F.S.S.C.T.) finally turns up at the Council in the middle of the proceedings, during Bishop Benedict's recess. He looks frail. He has survived the illness, but it has deeply affected the health of the Elf. Nevertheless, it is as if he has dragged half of the Angelic choir in with him: or rather, that he himself is an Angel, for the stoic, stony, unfeeling Elf is replaced by an utterly gleeful figure, who taps about as if he had wings. Previously known for his lively health and his dour personality, he is now notable for his dour health and his lively personality. He bows humbly to the Bishops and goes on his knees to kiss the ring of the Pontiff.

 

"God and his Holy Angels guard your sacred Throne, and make you long become It. I greet your guardian angels, all of you!"

 

"I am glad I can finally speak to you on the topic of Confession. I think His Eminence Cardinal Goren's superior understanding of Canon Law is evident from this debate. He wrote a most excellent letter in response to my Tract, which was very revealing.

 

I wrote to you before, and I hope I impressed upon you the importance of this topic. This is central to who we are as Priests. Every one of our Faith's great teachers is very clear on that. If we don't understand this topic, we don't understand even our own purpose and mission as Priests. It is utterly critical. I would go this far: if I felt Canon Law embraced a tradition contrary to that which I know has been handed down to us, I would be forced in conscience to step down from my positions. 

 

The good Cardinal's letter revealed much. I can see that traditional Confession had three parts: the confession of sins, the assignment of penance, and the absolution. When you speak of Confession, you are not speaking of what I am speaking of. I am speaking of Confession back in my day - old fuddy-duddy that I am - I am speaking of all three, but you are speaking of but one. Of course, a man could theoretically go around and tell - confess - every Tom, **** and Harry about every sin he has committed. That would certainly be an exercise of humility and not a Sacramental rite. 

 

I understand now. I think all of your many prayers for me have done more for my health in helping me to understand that than in healing my Consumption. Indeed, what is written is truly excellent: "Unless there is grave need, confession should always be taken by a cleric who then celebrates a sacrament of ablution over the penitent." This makes sense. For in the times of the Holy Doctors a Priest would have heard sins and then pronounced absolution immediately thereafter.  And by making true penitence a necessary part of the Sacrament, we prevent priests from simply absolving men without true contrition, and this creates the prior need for Confession.

 

I would suggest two things. Firstly, if we are to have this revised understanding, I do not precisely see the absolute necessity of holy water in governing the validity of the Sacrament. I mean that, in the past, the absolution part needed no holy water. Of course, the water is very good and underlines what we have said about the renewal of Baptism, but an absolute necessity for absolution, this cannot be the case, not unless we are to rule all the Confessions of ages past invalid. It was always considered that when the Priest pronounced an act of Absolution - or Ablution, to use the modern term - this was the part of the "traditional" Sacrament of Confession that actually and sacramentally absolved a man from his sins. This is a more minor point, it must be admitted. Therefore I would have it modified: "The form of the Sacrament is holy water, or an Act of Absolution (Some variant of "I absolve thee from thy sins") if taken with Confession, which ordinarily it ought to be."

 

I would also have it impressed heavily that, whilst Confession ought to be followed by Ablution by the same Priest, Ablution (unless Baptism) ought to be ordinarily proceeded by Confession (I mean by the same Priest.) For then, the term "penance" takes an objective, sacramental form. This is very important. Confession was so attractive in the past because it was so reassuring. A man, upon hearing the words of absolution, knew he had been forgiven. Now, a man will be left questioning whether he has done penance sufficient, whether his "spirit" is suitably penitential, et cetera. But in the old, facts don't care about your feelings: so long as you, with an act of the will, confessed your sins and then renounced them, and then swore never to sin again, and agreed to a proscribed penance, you would be absolved! What wonderful clarity! And how much less dependent on that niggling and changing thing we call the emotions of men - let alone those of women! Hence, if a man goes to Confession and then receives Ablution immediately thereafter, he knows he is forgiven - and if we do not impress this, we risk opening the floodgates to the spiritual problem of scrupulosity, which may be the spiritual ruin of thousands. It is clear therefore that a good Confession ought to be the objective way this penitence is defined. Yes, I am a doctor of souls, and no canon lawyer, but there I can speak with experience! 

 

Certainly, laymen and even women may hear others tell them about their sins to them. There is no trouble. But I don't see the point. There's nothing there. The layman can't absolve you from them, only a Priest can. And the Priest ought not to give you absolution unless he can know to a reasonable level of satisfaction that you are a "sincere and penitent seeker of God." The only way for him to establish this is to have heard his Confession first. Most Canonists - including me - find it hard to confess to an anonymous Priest - let alone, I mean - I don't think we would like to confess for the fun of it! Nor do I see the point in giving these lay "confessions" - accepting the modern definition which separates it from the absolution - any kind of official status."

On 12/24/2020 at 7:52 AM, Lojo613 said:

A letter finds its way to the mailbox of Father Pius.

“Dear Most Learned and Wisened Father, firstly, I am elated to know that you too yet live, and am saddened to hear of your state as noted to us by His Holiness during the Council of Providence. May GOD in His mercy keep you, and restore you in health and spirit to us, for though surely the greatest of rewards await thee nearest to Him, there is yet so much work to be done here that the world would truly be worse without you in it. In response to your letter, I wish to both agree and disagree with the published tract. I agree that the act of Confession as defined currently does have a great religious value, and is entirely holy and righteous in all its forms, and I agree that the act of confession is necessary for the renewal of the Baptism. Yet, the current state of the separation of the Sacrement of Ablution and the rite of Confession is necessary and correct. The act of Confessing is the acknowledgement of ones sins to another, whether in private or public. Under normal circumstances, and under the prevailing Church doctrine for many years, Confession would be immediately followed by ablution, such that to use the term Confession would have it go hand in hand with the term ablution by implication. Furthermore, confession to priests was, and still is, the most convenient, if not necessary, requirement to recieve ablution. The necessity of separating the rite from the sacrement becomes clear precisely due to the fact that layman can hear confession. Yet, not only laymen can hear a confession, but theoretically, anyone with ears may hear a confession, even a pagan. It is an argument similar as to why the rite of prayer is not considered a sacrament, despite having a clear effect on the souls of men and forming a pillar of virtue. Anyone may pray, anyone may venerate GOD, and anyone may Confess their sins to whomever. It is the individual who acts, in these circumstances, just as it is the individual who resists temptation and the individual who adheres to virtue. A priest may hear a confession, but refuse ablution, yet is the man who confessed not bettered by his act? If not, it proves that confession has no effect beyond being a vehicle for ablution, but we know, as stated by the great Church Doctors, that the very act of confession does have an effect, an effect which functions independent of the Church and the ritual of ablution. For ablution to occur, a man must confess, or perish in martyrdom with the grant of an indulgence from His Holiness, this much is true. Yet, often before a man can recieve his ablution, he must make penance for his sins, and before that can occur he must tell the priest, or rather, anyone listening should he so choose, his sins. Confession as currently defined is the act of admitting you are flawed, and asking for forgiveness, and this makes it holy. This is also where the great distinction between rite and sacrement lies, for it is not the priest who must admit you are flawed, nor is it the priest who must draw your confesssion from you, but rather you who takes this act upon yourself. Compared to every other sacrament, Confession would be the only Sacrement where the priest would not necessarily have to play a direct role in the completion or validity of the ritual. To be reborn, one must have his sins cleansed by a holy and pure cleric, and to be joined in marriage the priest must beseech GOD to make the matrimony official and holy. A man cannot simply declare that GOD has made him reborn, or that GOD has seen his marriage as just, for a layman is beyond such ordainment. Yet, the virtue of admitting ones own fault lies entirely within the command of the individual. A Confession, so long as it is truthful and good, is a confession, and only the individual confessing and GOD know the truth. Such is the way the meaning of the word has been sieved from its combined meaning. Again, I hope you are well, Father Pius and would dearly wish to see you once more.

 

Your humble servant,

Goren”

"Your Eminence,

 

I appreciate your concern and am most thankful for your prayers and those of all the clerics. My health is improving. Are you saying that the Act of Absolution pronounced by Priests by the Church for centuries and prescribed by the Judites is the act of Ablution, this being the part which has a sacramental effect? And that the Confession is merely the part where the man confesses his sins? So that when past generations wrote of the "Sacrament of Confession", they meant both of these together, whereas in today's Canon Law, there is a separation? 

 

I think I understand now. And reading his Holiness' latest proposal, I find it acceptable and good. For he writes:

"Unless there is grave need, confession should always be taken by a cleric who then celebrates a sacrament of ablution over the penitent." This makes sense. For in the times of the Holy Doctors a Priest would have heard sins and then pronounced absolution immediately thereafter.  And by making true penitence a necessary part of the Sacrament, we prevent priests from simply absolving men without true contrition, and this creates the prior need for Confession.

 

I suppose the only explanation for my confusion is that I am old, trained in the old ways and confused by the new ones. I am also not a Canon Lawyer: I am merely a priest who has voiced concerns.

 

My only quibbles, if you like then, with the proposed law are this. Firstly, I do not precisely see the necessity of holy water in the act of ablution. Yes, it is very important, and indeed, advances the theology I have defended whereby the absolution is considered a renewal of Baptism, but I do not think it governs the form and validity of the Sacrament. For indeed, in past times, a simple act of absolution by the Priest was considered sufficient. Therefore I do not see how the water governs the Sacrament as such. This is only a minor point.

 

Secondly, I think it ought to be impressed upon the Church that just as Confession ought to be administered by Priests who then absolve, so penitents ought to be absolved by those Priests who have heard their Confessions. For then, penance takes a concrete and objective form. If a penitent spirit consists in confessing one's sins with the resolution of the will never to commit them again, then a man will know he has such a spirit, and therefore there can be no doubt that he is absolved. (Whereas a vague term such as "he ought to have a penitent spirit" will produce no little scrupulosity among us which may ruin the spiritual lives of many.)

 

I do wonder now at the implications of the Judite Rite of mass, which is centered on the Asperges, viz., the ritual sprinkling of holy water. I wonder if  a man had his Confession heard and then went to the Judite mass - would he not be then, absolved and have received both Confession and Abolution? I think he would have already received it at Confession - viz., the pronouncement of the Priest ("I absolve thee from thy sins by my priestly authority") would have already had the sacramental effect of cleansing in itself. Do you see what I mean?

 

I thank you for your considered response, in which you have deigned to enlighten my ignorance. My prayers are continually with you.

 

I remain your humble servant,

 

Pius of Sutica."

Pius of Sutica, FSSCT, is much consoled in his illness by his brother's beautiful tale.

A young boy dashes into the room, takes off his little hat, and, becoming mindful of the august company, bows to the High Pontiff shyly and hands him a sealed letter. "Beggin' your pardon, your Hono- I mean, your 'Oliness. Father Pius promised me 'arf a Crown if I would gis you this."

 

The boy hesitates for a moment, before pleading shyly. "He's in a bad way, milords. Pray for him, please."

 

Inside, is a letter.

 

The handwriting is far from Pius' beautiful and immaculate script to which the Pontiff would by now have become accustomed to. It is shaky, very shaky, full of blots and blemishes, and on the bottom of the page there are, clearly visible, blood-stains. 

 

It reads:

 

"Your HolinesS, 

 

I oFfer my apologies for

my failure to attend the latest ECumenical Council of Holie Church. I have come

into

an ailment which preventS my attendance. The GoOd God as ever has kept me as the apple

of His eye. I have come to reaLiSe novv just how prodigous - is that how you spell it? my mind is much befuddled - just how all-encompassing His mercy truly is and has been in my life. I have been surrounded by Holy Angels and Saints from the first moment of my existence - I do not have a devotion to Saint Jude and Saint Kristoff, but they, thOse blesSed brethers - brothers - have a devotion to ME. Almighty God truly conspires for the good of each and every soul that He has made, and so I leave my condition in His hands, and am resigned to my fate, happy to ssuffer exile here for centuries more if it be His wish for me - He knows best, does He not?

 

He has given, after so le

                                        Nghty a combat, an inexpressible sense of inner peace to my soul.

 

Now my lord, what you have written is truly excellent, but I expected no less from you. Only, you yourself know how anxious I

have been

to 

             defend

the most holy Rite of Confession.

 

It is very pressing to me. St. Jude, that glorious and venerable Patriarch, wrote hearing divers Confessions in sundry times and places among his chief achievements

 

and that

 

in a life so rich! And Bl. Wigbrecht, Bl. Jude I, and Ven. Humbert, as you know, had a similar devotion to that holy Rite, indeed Humbert on at least several occasions used to say his entire Breviary in a single block, and theN he wOULd heaR Confessions till he dropped asleep with exhaustion. That is the dedicatione a TractarIan is expected to have to Confession.

 

But you have already read my thoughts. I am no Canon Lawyer like you, I am only an assitant - assitant - assistant - priest at a parish. I only propose that the nature of Confession be more neatl-y defIned sO as to give [the writing becomes increasingly vague] clarity. For any vagueness is unacceptable when dealing with such a weighty matter, as I have at length and sundry times proven it to Be. 

 

Therefore, I propose to yOu that two things be made clear:

 

that the ordinary minister of Confession is the priest. Non-priests may hear Confessions only when absolutely necessary.

 

ANd that it is not merely guidance or fraternity, but the pronouncement of absolution - which I have since discovered does

not originate

with Ven. Humbert but is, in fact, much older and which he merely modified, which is ordinarily made with the full priestly authority, but may, in emergency, be done from the Prophetic authority endowed at BapTiSM, HAS a sacramental effect, namely that if the penitent 

accepts

             a valid penance and has true contrition

then, objectively, his soul is cleansed, and the remission pronounced takes a real and substantial EFFECT.

 

I would like to write to you, and venerable Bishops of Holy Church at greater length, but rest assured I am offering every pain and suffering to Almighty God for your sakes. That is my prayer for you.

 

PiUs."

                       

 

 

 

 

Pius of Sutica asks for the Saint's intercession in composing a prayer to him for soldiers.

THE SCROLL OF SPIRIT.

CRITICAL EDITION of the FLEXIO TEXT

By the Venerable Father Humbert, O.S.J.

 

With the “Canonist Commentary on Sacred Scripture” by Pius of Sutica, F.S.S.C.T.

A.D. 1798.

 

Venerable Humbert of St. Jude.

 

((OOC note: It is recommended to read this on the computer and NOT on the phone. It is very footnote heavy, and the footnotes don’t appear on the phone, so you would miss the greater part of the document! Also, if any of you happen to be Latinists and see errors, please correct. 

 

THE SCROLL OF SPIRIT.

Pius of Sutica writes to his Eminence the Prelate of the Priesthood asking whether he could be appointed as assistant priest at Dobrov.

 

 

DEDICATION.

 

BISHOP BENEDICT: Your Excellency, I know that you regard this subject with special interest. Therefore, please accept this little apple tree in thanks for the veritable orchard you have given me over the years. It was you who received me into the splendid bosom of Holy Mother Church, you who catechised me, and you who used to make the arduous journey to the wastes in order to hear my Confession. I have tried to imitate your zeal for the salvation of souls, that all men might love God. But I am entirely helpless and feeble. Please continue to pray for me, and add the Saints and Holy Angels to your choir for good measure. I remain totally yours in God,

 

Father Pius, Priestly Fraternity of Saints Kristoff and Jude. 

 

 

"To sing well is to have prayed twice!"-Ven. Humbert, O.S.J.

 

Judite Chant, also known as Plainsong, may perhaps be the oldest form of music in terms of its origins. The simple and clear but beautiful melodies are uniquely perfect for the liturgy precisely because they are conducive for meditation. I might also call Chant the sound of silence, that is, if the soft and beautiful moan of the silent winds had a voice with which to praise God, they would choose Plainsong. Knowing, however, that in recent times the importance of so splendid a garden, lovingly cultivated by Holy Mother Church, has been somewhat neglected, I thought it would be a profitable and godly work were I to categorise and record the history of such music for the benefit of both present and future generations.

 

I.EARLY DEVELOPMENT (Until c.1400.)

 

By most people, Scroll of Virtue was heard before it was read, and the same holds true for the Scroll of Spirit. Ven. Humbert, who spent years trying to produce a final and critical edition of the Flexio manuscripts of the Scrolls, noticed something very interested in reference to these two texts. "I could perceive" writes he to one Judite brother "Or, God allowed me to perceive something entirely unnoticed by previous generations. Something fascinating and tantalising. I saw little marks above certain words, like an apostrophe. Naturally I thought that these marks were some early form of punctuation lost to us now, for example, how there is no longer any indication in modern Flexio writing of the differentiation between long and short vowels, where once there was. But a closer examination forced me to considered this quite natural conclusion. The marks ALWAYS correlate with some kind of meter, as in, when we would normally go up or down in say, singing the Epistle to the Orcs, so these marks appear there. They appear in the same repetitions which correlate exactly with how we sing. This has entirely convinced me that these represent some very early form of musical notation."

 

It is fascinating that the tones with which the earliest Flexio manuscripts express the Scrolls are still sung in a very similar way by modern Judites. It testifies to the very ancient origins of Chant, it perhaps being, the earliest form of human music. These primitive melodies were faithfully recorded and passed down to successors, a process which has endured down the centuries to this very day. This gives Plainsong a special and moving symbolism. It is a living and breathing beacon bearing witness to the Church's faithful adherence to tradition. Whilst the world moves back and forth going from musical craze to musical craze, the Church has faithfully built upon the foundation given her.  The priesthood passed on to Everistus and Clement is still with us, therefore let the melodies softly breathe this truth into your hearts. When we hear Chant, we hear a faithful echo of the prophetic voice of Owyn. When we hear Chant, we, albeit in an indirect way, hear the voice of God as He has spoken to the Church. 

 

Another thing ought to be noticed about the Scrolls. And that is their use of repetition. Owyn repeats in every Epistle "admoneo", etc., and it is well to ask why. I think that, if the Scrolls were sung so early, they may have been written to have been sung as much as read, perhaps more. There is nothing rhetorically to be gained from such repetition. Owyn is writing them to separate persons and peoples, and therefore, in no way would the one benefit from, say, the repititon of the word admoneo. That benefit God has rather reserved for us, the faithful.  Such repetitions enrich the first two Scrolls by turning them not into rusty old books, but into living melodies. 

 

And hence it is that Plainsong was preserved chiefly in the High Priesthood. Around the 13th century, it seems to have grown heavily in influence and popularity. There are even references to Gaius Marius and the Teutonic Order singing Chants before battle. This shows that the knowledge of Chant had passed from the priestly class to the soldiery, to the point where even knights and footmen could be known to sing them. An account of Marius' death tells us that the mourning Teutons united in Chant, "thundering hymns of solemn peace from each citizen knowledgeable of their different chants that day." 

 

Through such singing, men could turn their work into prayer by singing the Virtue and so forth in their daily lives. And it was in the 14th century that the notation evolved beyond the very primitive ones contained in the early Virtue and Spirit manuscripts. From the time of the Prophet Godfrey it became popular to sing "Deus Magnus!" or "God is great!" in various tones of Chant. That Prophet, as we know, spoke in Proverbs and lessons, and it is interesting to note that we have manuscripts of square notation from this period of the Proverbs. It is even possible, dare I say probable, that the first recordings of Godfrey's Proverbs are in Plainsong. This means that Godfrey's words were orally transmitted into music by his followers, and this is how his Proverbs would originally have been known. Below can be seen one such - the Magnificat of St. Julia, as we know it in Proverbs.

 

Translation of the below Chant: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my saviour. For He hath looked kindly on the lowliness of His handmaid, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him, throughout all generations. He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts. He hath cast down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He, remembering His mercy hath holpen His servant Oren, as He spoke to my husband, to Horen and his seed forever."

 

 

II.SAINT KRISTOFF OF HANSETI (c.1440-1497.)

 

We have cause to bless the Lord in that we have exited the early development and have entered the stage at which specific changes can be attributed to specific persons. For all of Saint Kristoff's many shining virtues, he was not a man of spectacular learning. He was wise enough to lean on the brilliance of his disciple, Saint Jude. He wrote very little, but the fact that, besides a treatise on the treatment of wounds, his only written word is A Collection of Hymns and Litanies speaks highly of the importance they occupied in the 15th century and to this Saint in particular. 

 

Kristoff's role was to be one of the first collectors of these popular Chants. It is to him we owe the most popular tone of the Sanctus, and the Hosanna Filio Horeni. And it is in him that the notation reaches its peak period of development from which it has never evolved, for then it would lose its charming simplicity. Now I will enumerate the musical notes which can be identified in Kristoff's Chants. A system of music had developed, based on four lines instead of the more modern five, and are written down in Neumes, that is, a note sung on a SINGLE SYLABULL. ((Special thanks to: https://www.lphrc.org/Chant/ 

 

The simple Punctum is the first neume and represents a simple note. From whence this system owes its name "square notation." 

 

The Virga is the same as the Punctum. 

 

The Podatus indicates that the bottom note ought to be sung first, and then the top note. 

 

The Salicus shows three or more notes going upward. 

 

The Climacus shows three or more notes going downward.

 

The Torculus represents three notes that go up and then go down.

 

The Porrectus: A high note, a low note and then a high note.

 

The Scandicus Flexus: Four notes, going up and then going down.

 

The Porrectus Flexus: A porrectus with a low note at the end.

 

The Climacus Resupinus: The opposite of a scandicus flexus.

 

The Torculus Resupinus: Low-up-down-up.

 

The Pes Subbipunctus: One note up and two notes down.

 

Virga Subbipunctus: Four notes in a row, going downwards.

 

Virga Praetripunctus: Four notes in a row, going up. 

 

We owe a great deal to our Venerable Father, Saint Kristoff. Below I have attached a couple of hymns which he preserved. The first is translated: "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!" The second is similar: "Hosanna son of Horen! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! The King of Oren! Hosanna in the highest!"

 

 

 

 

 

III.SAINT JUDE OF PETRUS. (c.1460-1541.)

 

Our most glorious and wonderful Patriarch, Angelic among the Holy Doctors, outstanding in splendour and charity among the Saints, and our guiding star, Saint Jude, who was of great learning, saw he ought to continue with his own learning the work began by Saint Kristoff. He writes about this work in his Thesis on the Monastic Life. "In order to become a monk, one must learn both hymns and prayers. He will memorize these prayers and will possibly be tasked with writing a hymn or prayer. These two forms of worship are a big role in the life of a monk."  Saint Jude, the Father of Monasticism, tells us that the Judites would rather together at least thrice a day to pray. No doubt, given the high importance to which he attaches liturgical music, this included the chanting of psalms and so forth in common.

 

By instituting the simple rule whereby a monk would be expected to learn, explain, and decipher hymns in great detail and often to compose their own, St. Jude sowed a great seed which was to be reaped in the following centuries by Blessed Wigbrecht and Venerable Humbert. The previous work, such as that of Saint Kristoff and those that recorded the Proverbs, had been in preserving Chants handed down to them. Now, at last, we see the composing of new Chants and antiphons, many of them of splendid beauty, by the Judite monks. Tradition attributes the splendid Lucis Creator Optime to him. The reason it is called Judite Chant is, because, although far from originating with him, it is he and his successors who have contributed greatly to its development. 

 

Moreover, Jude's insistence that monks musically analyse hymns led to a revolution in the musical world. It is at this time that we see modern musical notation and polyphonic hymns emerge. It was perhaps Jude himself who set the Sanctus to polyphony. Therefore it is certainly to Judite Chant that modern notation owes its origins.

 

Below I attach the notation for The Lucis Creator and the polyphonic Sanctus attributed to Jude. The lyrics of the former I translate as:

 

 

"O blest Creator of the light,

Who mak'st the day with radiance bright,

Thou didst o’er the forming earth

Give the golden light its birth.

 

Shade of eve with morning ray

Took from thee the name of day;

Darkness now is drawing nigh;

Listen to our humble cry.

 

May we ne’er by guilt depressed

Lose the way to endless rest;

Nor with idle thoughts and vain

Bind our souls to earth again.

 

Rather may we heavenward rise

Where eternal treasure lies;

Purified by grace within,

Hating e'ry deed of sin. Amen!"

 

 

 

 

IV.BLESSED WIGBRECHT, O.S.J. (d. C.1690)

 

An history of Chant would be unjust if it did not mention that excellent monastic, Blessed Wigbrecht the Martyr. It is he who laid the foundations for the work completed by Ven. Humbert, by codifying the teachings of St. Jude into a set rule, and establishing hours of prayer such as Compline. These were able times at which to sing in choir. Whilst no set numbers of Psalms were to be said, this was an early form of the Pontifical Office and it is to him we owe many antiphons and the setting of many Psalms. For example, what would become Tone or Mode 1 we owe to him, to which he set a Psalm translated into Common. However I think he was afar of in this, as Chant sung in Common does not sound very good. This is attached below.

 

 

 

V.VEN. HUMBERT, O.S.J. (1696-1731.)

 

The compiler of all of this 1700 years or so of development was to be the Ven. Humbert. In a gargantuan exercise of Horenian effort, he gathered together all the Psalms, antiphons and tones together into a Liber Usalis, which he used to officially codify, with the approval of Daniel VI, the Pontifical Office. He gathered together every single tone of every single Psalm and hymn. He categorised the Psalms into 8 modes of Chant, which he used to set any canticle to music, and composed antiphons for each and every one. Below I attach printed manuscripts from Father Humbert.

 

 

 

 

The Peregrinus tone is especially beautiful. This categorisation enabled Humbert to set the entire liturgy to Chant. He was not only a categoriser, but a composer. An Epistle of Clare of Reza confirms that he regularly composed antiphons, and Cardinal Coppinger tells us he also loved sacred polyphony. He also, as can be seen in the Comprehensive Book of Prayers, set Litanies to Chant. He also set the Asperges to music by refining the Asperges Me, Vidi Aquam and Rorate Caeli. Below is attached his tone for the Litanies, the Asperges Me, and his polyphonic rendering of the Miserere. 

 

 

 

Translation: "Thou wilt sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy! Thou wilt..."

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION.

 

In the modern world, there is a temptation to neglect Chant in favour of changing and evolving forms of music. But as Cardinal Coppinger argued in his Thesis on Sacred Music, Chant must always occupy a special place. It is the organic result of centuries of development, starting with the first Prophets. It is a direct and tangible link to the entire history of salvation. It is a sacred treasure, whose simplicity and beauty lends itself perfectly to the worship of Almighty God. Men, if they are to live, cannot be slaves to the spirit of the age. As Ven. Humbert himself said as one of his Maxims, the man who marries the spirit of the age finds himself a widower in the next. The Church cannot be a slave to passing fashions, but rather, what was sacred for previous generations remains sacred for us, now. Chant represents a connection to something ancient and primordial, but yet sophisticated and beautiful. It is both ever old and ever new. And there is one Being who is ever old and new, and this is Almighty God, the source of all Being, Who, being outside of time, is ever old and ever new. It is clear therefore that these developments reflect and worship best our Almighty God. May we in the Church guard this treasure jealously. Saints Jude and Kristoff, all ye Holy Prophets and Judites, pray for us. Amen.

"I am flattered that such a wonderful exhortation has been dedicated to me." Pius of Sutica, FSSCT, remarks, offering his mass and office for the bright Acolyte.

Father Pius of Sutica writes: "Good Father, what you have written here is truly excellent and edifying. It is, however,  singularly unfortunate that there is only one word for love in the Common tongue to express all of these different things. That is where I think the confusion chiefly lies. Love describes so many different things in so many different contexts so as to become almost meaningless to most people. 

 

For indeed, God is love is a translation of Deus Caritas Est. The word Caritas is whence we get our word charity. The origin of this maxim I believe lies with Exalted Godfrey, who quoted it in his Proverbs (5:1), and used the word Caritas rather than Amor. The Akritian language is yet more refined, differentiating Agape, selfless charity, Eros, romantic love, et. cetera. Caritas, then is similar to this Agape, this selfless giving of the self. 

 

You see, you used the word "feeling" in relation to love. But in the sense of God being love, it cannot be so, for God does not have human emotions. In addition, some persons are more emotional than others and have more nice feelings, but it does not mean they love more. Additionally, a man's feelings - and especially a woman's - are very prone to change. Does a man having an argument with his wife cease to love her when he is angry with her? He may even be angry with her because he loves her! The feelings of the honeymoon soon fade, but the selfless love of the other ought only to grow. To feel nice feelings for your wife, is excellent and a thing given to us by God, but it belongs to the realm of men, but to love her truly, this belongs to the nature of God. 

 

Love, then, or, more accurately, CHARITY, is not located in the emotions. Nor is it in the intellect. Our intellect may take delight in the theories of astronomy, but we cannot display this kind of selfless love toward them, because they are made for us, and not we for them, and they have no good of their own except in relation to us, since they are not persons.  It is in the will. The way I define this type of selfless love is this: it is to will the good of the other person. God wills the good of every creature He has made, and therefore, He loves us. The man is angry with his wife because she does some damaging to herself and the children, and he wills what is right and good and virtuous for her. 

 

I have had to wrestle with this topic myself because I am not a man prone to great emotion. But you can be assured, Father, that I still love you even if I do not feel nice things about you. My inspiration for this letter which I write to you is from the writings of a Judite nun called Clare of Reza, who wrote in Auvergene and Flexio. I plan to translate her Epistles soon and have them published for the benefit of Holy Church.

 

I remain your humble servant, 

 

Father Pius, Priestly Fraternity of Saints Jude and Kristoff."

BLESSED JUDE THE FIRST, DEFENDER OF THE SACRED PRIESTHOOD, PRAY FOR US.

 

"At Owyn's command, the brothers set shepherds over the flock of men, and so created a priesthood for their instruction, in anticipation of the second son of spirit."-Gospel 5:5.

 

TRACT V: A DEFENCE OF THE SACRAMENTAL NATURE OF CONFESSION.

ADRESSED TO HIS HOLINESS JAMES II, AND TO ALL OF HOLY CHURCH. 

Written by Father Pius of Sutica, FSSCT. 

 

I.The Point at Issue.

 

I.Your Holiness, Your Excellencies and Your Eminences, most Reverend Fathers of the Church, this Tract is for you. I fear that there is a fundamental trend in Church practice and Canon Law that fundamentally alters the nature of this most sacred rite. You are, and remain, our most excellent teachers and guides, but there is something here that is clearly contrary to my duties as a Priest, and therefore I am compelled to speak. As Bishops, you are my Fathers, but as Priests, you are my brothers. And I speak to you with the deference of a son to a father but also the concern of a brother to a brother. I should like to seek clarity in the truth, in order that the true nature of this most critical rite of Holy Church be defended and upheld.

 

II.Jude the First, that Saintly and Venerable Pontiff, lays out our priestly duties very clearly in the Encyclical Sacerdotii in Nostra Ecclesiae, which ought to be read by each and every Priest. He taught very authoritatively that a Priest's fundamental duty is the defence and advancement of the Sacraments. He labelled us, brother Priests, Sacramentum Defensores, that is, the Priest is first and foremost The Defender of the Sacraments. I, reading this, laid out my view of the Priesthood in my Epistle entitled Floodgate of Mercy. This refuted, on the one hand, the secularising tendencies that made any kind of political involvement from a Priest anathema, but, on the other hand, also warned against worldliness and reminded us that we are first and foremost ministers of the word and the Sacraments. In this, I wrote of Confession as a Sacrament essentially renewing one's Baptism, perhaps to be considered a rite of penance linked to baptism, which has the clear Sacramental effect of cleansing the person of guilt. I had no hesitation in committing these words to paper. I was only repeating the constant teaching of Holy Church, including her finest Doctors, Blessed Jude and Venerable Humbert among them, the two holy men who perhaps have exerted the greatest spiritual influence on the charism of our Fraternity. 

 

III.This Epistle was received well, including, if Elven memory serves, by His Holiness, James II. I had known about the changes in Canon Law from what it was in the time of Daniel the Sixth. However, not being cognizant with Canon Law as our present Pontiff is, I assumed I was simply misinterpreting: although non a Sacrament as such, Confession is a rite of the Church with a sacramental element linked to that of baptism; therefore, I continued to do the old and traditional absolution which makes it clear that that person is absolved of sin. (NB: Whether Confession is or is not its own Sacrament, is, I grant you, an open question. Whether it has a sacramental nature is not.) But a letter published by His Holiness to the good historian Mrs. Yuliya Styrne, makes it clear that, in the view of the present Pontiff, Confession is considered a mere private devotional with no objective element. 

 

IV.He writes: "Mass and confession are ceremonies for the purpose of spiritual fraternity, but they are not sacraments in the traditional sense: manifestations of the Exalted's authority in the priesthood, of which there are only four (Ablution, Ordination, Consecration, and Matrimony). At the moment it is forbidden for laymen and monastics to take confession or give mass, but these are disciplinary rules--each of these ceremonies has no sacramental effect, whether performed by priest or layman."

 

V.In this Tract I will counter this claim that Confession "has no sacramental effect," owing to my vow to defend the rites and Sacraments that have been handed on to me by Holy Church.

 

II.Just Because Confession can be Administered by Laymen, does not Mean it has no Objective, Sacramental Effect.

 

I.The ordinary minister of Confession is a Priest. Church teaching makes it clear that he is the distributor of that Rite. However, when circumstances permit, laymen and even women may be dispensed to hear them. This supposedly renders it a private devotion without sacramental effect. However, are they prepared to say the same of Baptism? Baptism can be administered by laymen in the same circumstances, and yet, we read from the Code of Canon Law: "Baptism is the gateway to the seven skies and necessary for all those who deem themselves following the Canon. Through baptism, men are freed from sin and evoke the prophethood gained by the exalted in the holy waters of Gamesh." (Daniel VI, CCC III.II.1) That Baptism has sacramental power is even more evident from the Gospel: "Behold, thou art cleansed, and thou art God's domestic." (Gospel 2:36.) Baptism, the gate of heaven, absolves a soul entirely from the stain of sin, and by it they enter into that Prophetic office which was given unto Horen - viz., they become part of God's household, his assembly: his Church. If Baptism did not have an objective sacramental effect, it would not be necessary for the Sacrament of Matrimony. (Daniel VI, CCC III.VIII.II.) 

 

II.If Baptism is not a manifestation of priestly authority, in what sense can it called sacramental, let alone A Sacrament? The answer is clear: all Canonist men, to some extent, share in the Prophetic office. If Baptism was the anointing of Horen as Prophet, so by Baptism we enter into Horen's Prophetic role. Wherefore Blessed Daniel VI continues: "[The Physical Act of Baptism] acts as a simulacra of the prophethood gained by the exalted in the holy waters of Gamesh." (CCC III.II.1.) In a similar way, so by the rite of Confession, a laymen can absolve by that same Prophetic, although I would not say Priestly, authority that has been given unto him, sacramentally, by Baptism. But this properly and ought to be done by a Priest unless a man is cut off from a Priest and therefore a)cannot fulfil his obligation of yearly Confession, or b)is in mortal danger without a Priest, or c)is stranded in some foreign land in which no ordained person can be found. Why is this? The Priestly authority is simply stronger: a Priest who hears a valid Confession can absolve by his Priestly authority, a laymen by his Prophetic. The authority of the Priesthood is the authority of Owyn, and the authority of Owyn is the authority of God. (Gospel 5:5.) And hence the Priest, hearing a Confession, can absolve with this same authority, and thereby essentially renew a man's Baptism by the words of absolution. (We will speak more of this in the next section.) Moreover, God does not expect the impossible. He is infinitely just and therefore cannot condemn a man for circumstances beyond his control. Therefore a layman's Confession will do when a Priest cannot be found, because it shows a resolution to confess but the presence of an ordained minister being inaccessible, God, in His mercy, receives it like unto a Priest's Confession. But this must again be stressed: this is not the ordinary way of things.

 

III.Hence, on no account is the argument that because it is not necessarily priestly, it is not necessarily sacramental, to be accepted.

 

III.The Historical Teaching of the Church.

 

I.THE MODERN DOCTORS: Now is the time to lay out the Church's clear and obvious teaching that Confession has sacramental value. First of all, the four modern Doctors who express it most plainly are Jude I, Blessed Seraphim of Leora, my dear brother, Daniel VI and Ven. Humbert. Daniel VI included Confession as a penitential Sacrament in the CCC. (III.III.II.) 

 

III.Jude I wrote clearly of Confession as a Sacrament, adding: "At the core of the duties of the parish priest is the celebration of the sacraments. His mandate is to faithfully adhere to the life of the Church that in these sacraments, he may impart the salvatory obligations to his faithful flock...Upon hearing confession, the duty of the priest must be to act in the mercy and benevolence of GOD, calling into mind the Scroll of Virtue. He must be the witness for the faithful’s contrite heart and impart the absolution of sin so as to save and renew the baptismal vows conferred upon the people." (Sacerdotii) 

 

III.Blessed Seraphim wrote: "How unfathomable and great is the Lord’s mercy that he has given the power of forgiving the sins of men to Evaristus and Clement and to all their successors after them, the bishops and the priests of our Holy Church? Why would he do this? To open his hands to mankind and make certain the forgiveness of this sickness in us. But how does this occur? It is simple; through the Sacrament of Penance (Ablution/Confession), which is a pillar of our faith, for it when initial powers from Baptism cannot overcome the passions, comes to set them aside and make room for that grace." (GO TO CONFESSION, PRAY, GIVE ALMS.)

 

IV.Venerable Humbert is so full of references that it is hard to choose and remain concise. He made it clear that the "Church has the power to forgive sins" (Maxims 4.24) and such was his devotion to the Sacrament, Cardinal Coppinger tells us, that he sometimes spent up to 18 hours a day in the Confessional, even falling asleep in that blessed place. (Life of Father Humbert, O.S.J.) He wrote: "Wouldst thou mock at God? He hath instituted this Sacrament as the means of forgiveness, and if thou hast any sense, thou wilt drink this bottomless cup of mercy. For I have observed that we have only a limited time on this earth, but an eternity in the Skies. Prepare accordingly;" and in another place he proscribes tells us that the prayer he and other Priests ought to use by way of absolution: "God, the Father of mercy, hath, through the authority of the Prophets, instituted a sacred priesthood for the administration of the Sacraments and for the remission of sins. In union with the Exalted, Saints and Angels in the Skies, and all the faithful departed, and on the authority of said priesthood, I do absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of Horen, and of all the Exalted. Thy sins are all forgiven: go in peace!" (How to Take and Make Confessions.) And this formula of absolution became popular among the Judites.

 

V.Such have written the more modern Doctors of Holy Church. Several themes are common. Firstly, that Confession is of God's institution and not man's. Secondly, that it is a Sacrament, or at least has a sacramental effect, namely the forgiveness of sins. And the renewal of Baptism seems to come up in all of them. God recognises our weaknesses and provides a means of renewing the covenant of our Baptism too often broken by substantial sin, for as the Angelic Doctor writes: "why would our lord give us life, promise salvation, and not give it to us? He wants us to live with him and love him forever." (On the Afterlife.) God wants us to access His abundant mercies and dwell with Him in bliss. He provides us the means, so that if we fail after our Baptism (for, unlike me, most of you are baptised as babies and have no reason wherewith to repudiate sin), these mercies can be renewed. That Confession is His instrument of doing this, by which "All thy sins are forgiven", is evident by the authoritative teaching of these Doctors. 

 

VI.Now in case any man say that this is simply the modern teaching that has been changed, I propose to show that this has always been the case. Now I will quote a number of sources from before the reign of Jude I, that you may know he was no innovator, for "there is no innovation in Faith." (Spirit 2:17) An early edition of the Rite of Confession reads as such: "O, Creator the Father of mercies, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Light among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace,and I absolve you from your sins. Amen."  One of the very earliest monastic documents emphatically asserts that Confession "destroys Iblees' records." A story is related which implies that a man confessing to his Bishop obtains complete remission of sins. The Saintly Reader lists Confession as a rite with an implied equality to Matrimony. (First Pontifical Address to the Orenian Peoples.) It is clear that Confession has always been considered more than a private devotion with no sacramental effect. It has always been held to have a sacramental effect and to even possess in itself the renewal of baptismal vows.

 

IV.Conclusion.

 

I.It is clear that Confession has a sacramental effect. It is clear that it has a very great sacramental effect. It is clear that it is - as I wrote before - a Floodgate of Mercy, by which the waters of Gamesh pour freshly into our souls. On no account can be neglect or denigrate this most vital duty of ours. The current confusion caused by this denigration causes the faithful to recoil and despise what they ough to flock to. Therefore I beseech the Holy Pontiff and all the Synod that the importance of Confession as an objective act with a sacramental effect be restored, renewed and clarified, and that its effects be defined and known in perpetuity. Certainly we would only be following our ancient teachings which have been passed down to us from the Most High were it be declared that Confession is the renewal of Baptism. 

 

II.And now, my lords, I beg that I might have your blessing, that I might persevere in holiness in this long exile which men called life, and return at last to the Source of my existence. All ye Saints, pray for us. Amen.

"This immoral and sham publication must proceed from an immoral and sham organisation, hence proving that there be certainly a part of the Void reserved for lawyers." Fr. Pius remarks.

 

 

 

 

TAKE HEED and your yet-unfailing ears incline

For the time comes when you shall be mine.

Though man and beast I can alike take,

The fruit of Virtue I cannot shake.

All flesh is GRASS, it shall die

That day of death is always nigh.

God shall judge each and ev’ry estate

Death alike is your predestined fate.

 

You must join my dance at last.

 

In that black minute, O rich and famous man,

Thou shalt in coveting virtue only have just began,

But thy cry shall fall on deaf ears

Banished ‘neath falling black rain and fears

For thou shalt be mine then, and I shall say

I have waited for thee, for this is my day

Call upon thy riches, thou didst trust in those!

Let them deliver thee, though they cannot me oppose.

 

Thou must join my dance at last.

 

And thou, great Bishop, by pride enslaved

Knowest thou not that the road to hades is with Priests’ skulls paved?

Thou Bishop will make for me a fine lamppost along the way,

Thou hast no longer time to weep and pray.

For thou shalt be mine, then, and I shall say,

I have waited for thee, and this is my day

Call upon thy lifetime of learning, thou didst trust in it!

An act of Virtue would have done more for thee in a minute.

 

And now thou must join my dance at last.

 

O middle man of contented worldliness most!

Thou art my grandest feast and boast.

Like many, thou carest but little for thy soul, 

And into the Void’s blackness doth idly stroll.

But day shall come when I shall say,

I have waited for thee, and this is my day,

Call upon worldly contentment, it served thee in life!

But now thou must needs hark to the tune of my fife.

 

And thou must join my dance at last.

 

O knight of honour and zeal and might!

O knight spoiling for a fight!

Grapple with me, and thou shalt not doubt,

Thou canst not fight nor stand nor rout,

But must at last yield thy knighthood to my day, the grave,

Thou shouldst have made love of God and man instead thy crave.

Call upon thy worldly honour, thou didst it prize!

And now to my song add thy wretched cries!

 

For thou must join my dance at last. 

 

O, young woman, who dost envi-full dowry want!

I am thy bridegroom now, O come, thou proud debutant!

Death took thee so quick and so fast,

Didst thou not know that dowries do not last?

I come for thee, for this day is mine,

Now look to thy dresses fine.

Can they deliver thee? Give it a try!

Better if they had clothed that orphan thou didst let die!

 

For they fail, and thou must join my dance at last.

 

O, man who put his trust in the Virtues se’en!

I have no power to stop thy soaring into he’en.

How can I not thee confound?

I am before thee weak and dead and drowned!

I thought I could all things possess, 

But thou hast put thy trust in things of holiness.

I call upon all my powers of darkness true,

But thou art blessed by the Most High in thy goodness new!

 

For I fail, and thou hast skipped my dance!

 

O lordling, layabout, craftsman and count,

Know that no worldly good of any amount,

Can stop me, for I was once what thou art now,

And be me forever one day shalt thou.

I am death, and my day is nigh

Covet then the things that do not die.

Then let thy Virtues deliver thee,

And God shall win thee eternal life and glee.

 

Then thou shalt have skipped my dance. Amen. So be it.

 

Fr. Pius of Sutica, FSSCT.

Pius of Sutica lets out an audible "bruh" at the lack of "Blessed Olivier de Savoie." 

 

"Blessed Seraphim of the Fraternity of Saints Jude and Kristoff, pray for us." He says. "A true Tractarian."

 

THE PATRIARCHATE OF CHICAGO

"I forgive Allesandro Serenelli, and I want him to be in heaven with me forever."-St. Maria Goretti. (1890-1902)

 

THE CHICAGO-ILLINOIS CHRONICLE IN THE TWO THOUSANDTH TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTIE-EIGTH YEARE OF OUR LORD'S INCARNACION.

 

 

 

The Synod

 

"COME FROM LIBANVS, MY SPOVSE, COME." (Canticles 4:8)

 

IN THIS YEARE HENCE, the First Synod of Chicago gathered to deliberate the most pressing matter of the discoverie of non-human life possessed of reason. Now the question was their capabilitie to receive grace. Two Benedictines, Father Moore and Brother Edward laid out the respective cases. This I tooke from the transcriptes of the matter.

 

MOORE: Your Holiness; Venerable Brothers. It was for good reason that God raised man alone above all the beasts. We read in the Creed: Et Incarnatus est, de Spiritu Sancto, ex Maria Virgine, et HOMO FACTUS EST. That is, God became MAN. He did not become Deathe-clawwe or mutante. Since that the Son of God emptied Himselfe and became the Son of Man, so men could "receive power to become the sons of God." (John 1:12) To say that these creatures may receive grace fundmanetallie alters the pattern of salvacion. Moreover, they are made by menne, some of them, and therefore, are not in the image of God, but of man.

 

EDWARD: It is written: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life eternalle", and, in another place "For this I was born, for this I came into the world, that I should give testimonie to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." Now these capacities "Believing" and "knowing truth" belong to any to whom is gifted, by God, the use of reason. For to believe implies choice, and therefore will and intellect. It is cleare that those of whom we speake are possessed of this capacitie. If they have a capacitie for truth therefore, they have a capacitie for grace, for God came for any man who can believe and know the truth.

 

MOORE: Any man? Thou dost admit of the point. MAN, not deatheclawwe, brother.

 

EDWARD: I saide by manner of slipping.

 

PATRIARCH (To Edward): What is man?

 

EDWARD: Man is a creature possessed of bodie and soul, that is, of a bodie, and the capacities of wille and intellect.

 

PATRIARCH: Thou sayest it. Now it is true that God came to save the sons of Adam. But that as they are possessed with a capacitie for Faith, Hope and Charitie, since that they can know the truth, and since they can assent of Faith by intellect and affirme Hope and Charitie by the wille, for as Saint Pius X saith, Faith is an assente of the intellect to divinely revealed truth, so therefore, they can receive that power to become sons of God of which we spoke. And since they self evidently suffer under the same Falle as natural men, and, having the same capacitie of receiving, therefore have they the power also of the remedie. Now I asked thee, "what is man?" "A little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:5) - possessed of a spiritual and corporeal part. As saith the Angelic Doctor, quoting Augustine: "Man's excellence consists in the fact that God made him to His own image by giving him an intellectual soul, which raises him above the beasts of the fielde." Therefore things without intellect are not made to God's image." (Summa Theologica, 93.2) If it is this in which man's excellence consiseth, namelie that he hath bodie and soul, by which he is raised, so too are not these raised above the beastes of the field? I think thy manner of slipping was inspired by the Holy Ghost. 

 

EDWARD: Reverend Patriarch, if it define and raise men that they be possessed of wille and intellect, and these creatures too are so possessed, but also being possessed of a bodie, are not angels, can these not be saide to be, in spiritual terms, men? For in will and intellect the image of God consisteth. Not in the biological sense, men, but in the spiritual, wherefore, Our Lord died for them, and God is the primary cause of their existence, man being the secondary. And since they proceedeth from man, man can say of them: "bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." (Genesis 2:23)

 

PATRIARCH: Thou sayest it. Let us vote upon this Canon.

 

The Synod came out with these Canons. "IF any man saith, that it be utterly impossible for a deathclawwe or some other creature possessed of both bodie and soul to receive grace, including the Sacraments, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA."

 

"If any man saith that these be not creatures with dignity and with the image of God, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA."

 

"If any man saith that it is needfulle to make more of these, and striveth to make more of these creatures, instead of birth in the natural way, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA."

 

The Maxims of Vegetius

 

"WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES AND OUR LAWS, AND THE LORD HIMSELF WILL OTHERTHROW THEM BEFORE OVR FACE: BVT AS FOR YOV, FEAR THEM NOT." (1 Maccabees 3:21-22)

 

IN THIS YEARE HENCE, we monkes produce a "Edicion Definitive of Militarie Knowledge" containing in it our translacion of Flavius Vegetius, the greate Roman author, who cautioned: "It is better to subdue an enemie by famine, raids and terror, than in battell where fortune tendes to have more influence than braverie." And Guderian's "Achtung Panzer" Manstein translated into the tongue of the Angles and many other textes, maximes as speeches as the monkes can finde. And this is put into a volume and collected. 

 

The great laboure of this problem, especially the longe transcripcion of Classical workes in which we have beene engaged, became hence cleare. And so attempts are made to finde either a printing press, or the parts thereof, or the instrucions of how to build or operate. 

 

Meanwhile, the workes of greate writers are preserved and put into practice on how whereof we are to live. (Developlment points invested.)

 

Actions

 

"WHO IS SHE THAT COMETH FORTH AS THE MORNING RISING, FAIR AS THE MOON, BRIGHT AS THE SUN, TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY IN BATTLE ARRAY?" (Canticles 6:9.)

 

-Construction of the cathedral continues. [-5 B, -5 M, -25,000 C.]

-150 men armed with T1 guns and T2 melee weapons expand into a northward district.  [Circled and coloured in.]

 

 

-6 Development points invested. 2 into Feudalistic society (750 C per block controlled), 4 into streamlined economy (25%+ C income.) 

-4 R put into T2 small arms. [17/25.]

-Missionary efforts continue in the city and with the chaplains of NCR and Douglas, in the same manner as before. 

-Leaders in the Fyrd are taught from a military textbook which draws from historical military texts from Sun Tzu to Guderian.

-Attempts are made to find anything use for a printing press, or even a press itself! Especially in this new district. Also, the ongoing search for radio parts and stations carries on.

-3 B was traded for 5 M with the Marines.

 

 

Stats

 

 

Buildings: 1 Market (2000 C), 1 Scrap Yard (1 M, 500 upkeep), 2 Agri-Houses (4 S, 2000 upkeep), 1 Salvage Yard (750 Upkeep, 1 E), 5 Construction Yards (2 B, 3250 upkeep), 1 Fortification (250 upkeep).

 

8,548 Caps, 8 metal, 26 supplies, 3 building materials. 4 Energy. Population: 969.