Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Dear Friends in Christ,

Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. In the Gospel for this Sunday Jesus relates the parable of the Pharisee and the publican “to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others” (Luke 18:9). They are represented in the parable by the Pharisee who stands proudly before God (and anyone watching) giving thanks that he is better than other men. There is a phrase in contemporary parlance to describe such behavior: virtue-signaling. People go about the business of sharing how virtuous they are in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s just a matter of saying the “right thing” in a casual conversation, but some people go so far as to put signs in their yards listing all the things they believe that make them more virtuous than others. Sadly, the inclusivity frequently proclaimed in such displays generally excludes those despised for not sharing the same beliefs. In the parable it is the one who prays humbly in the background, acknowledging his sinfulness, who goes home justified: “because everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).


Calendar of Special Observances

Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962.

DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)

Sunday, August 17 – Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (II)

Monday, August 18 – St. Agapitus, Martyr (IV)

Tuesday, August 19 – St. John Eudes, Confessor (III)

Wednesday, August 20 – St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor (III)

Thursday, August 21 – St. Jane Frances de Chantal (III)

Friday, August 22 – Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (II) – Commemoration of Ss. Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorianus, Martyrs

Saturday, August 23 – St. Philip Benizi, Confessor (III)


Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

The links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the Proper Prayers for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost with English or Spanish translation, followed by commentary by Dr. Michael P. Foley.

 



Latin Mass Schedule: Sundays

Charlotte Area Latin Masses

  • 11:30 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas

  • 12:30 p.m., Saint Ann

 

Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses

  • 8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)

  • 1:00 p.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock)

  • 1:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)

 

Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses

  • 12:00 p.m., Prince of Peace (Taylors SC)

  • 1:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)

 


Note: Travelers are urged to consult parish websites or offices for up-to-date information regarding possible changes in the regular schedule of Sunday Mass times.


Latin Mass Schedule: Weekdays (August 18 - August 23)

Charlotte Area Latin Masses

  • Saint Ann – Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

  • Saint Ann – Friday, 7:00 a.m.

  • Saint Ann – Saturday, 8:00 a.m (Respect Life Latin Mass followed by prayers at the abortion facility or a Holy Hour of Reparation in the church.)

 

Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses

  • Our Lady of the Mountains (Highlands) – Thursday, 9:30 a.m.

  • Saint John the Baptist (Tryon) – Friday, 8:30 a.m.

  • Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) – Friday, 9:30 a.m.

 

Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses

  • Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m.

  • Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – Saturday 8:00 a.m.

 

Travelers are advised to contact parish offices to confirm weekday and Saturday Mass times, since local schedules are sometimes subject to change without notice, especially on or around holidays, holy days of obligation and other special feast days.


**IMPORTANT: Novena to Saint Augustine August 19 - 27**

Saint Thomas Aquinas parish is sharing a novena to Saint Augustine, the 4th century bishop and doctor of the Church, whose feast day is August 28. The intentions are for Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Martin, and the priests of the Diocese of Charlotte. We encourage all the faithful to participate in this novena. (For more on the local importance of St. Augustine please see Announcements)

The prayer text can be found below or downloaded as a PDF (click here).


Novena to St. Augustine

Begin on August 19 to complete on August 27, the Vigil of the Feast of St. Augustine

Intentions: Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Martin, and Diocese of Charlotte Priests

Opening Prayer: O holy Saint Augustine, who has famously declared that “Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in Thee,” aid us in our search for Our Lord that through your intercession we may be granted the wisdom to determine the purpose God has planned for us. Pray that we be blessed with the courage to follow God’s will even at times when we do not understand. Ask Our Lord to lead us to a life worthy of His love, that we may one day share the riches of His kingdom. Petition Our Lord and Savior to ease the burden of our problems and grant our special intention, and we will honor you all of our days.

Glorious St. Augustine, you are renowned in the Christian world for your kindness, compassion, and powerful intercession. Emboldened by this, we humbly come before you to invoke your aid in asking for God’s all-powerful assistance to see us through our most pressing concern.

Glorious Saint Augustine, we boldly ask for your intercession confident in your boundless wisdom and compassion. May this devotion lead us to a life dedicated to the fulfilling the will of God, that we may one day be deemed worthy of sharing His Kingdom with you and all the saints for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be…

St. Augustine, pray for us!

Closing Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Announcements

**New Book** The Most Powerful Saints in Exorcisms: What Exorcists Want You to Know – Sophia Institute Press has just released an intriguing new book which details how specific saints have assisted in formal exorcisms and how these saints can assist us in our daily spiritual challenges. The book, The Most Powerful Saints in Exorcisms, was written right here in North Carolina by two Catholic local authors, Charles Fraune and Patrick O’Hearn. To learn more or purchase your copy, visit Sophia Institute Press at this link.


Saint Augustine: First patron saint of America? – While the U.S. Bishops in 1846 declared Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception as the official patroness of the United States, the first “unofficial” patron saint of America may in fact be Saint Augustine.

460 years ago this month, Spanish General Pedro Menéndez de Avilés began his quest to establish a permanent settlement and Catholic mission in La Florida - the land which originally included Florida, and the entire east coast including the Carolinas.

It was on August 28, 1565 - the Feast of Saint Augustine - he sighted land, that of Florida - and when he made landfall 11 days later, Menéndez named the settlement after Saint Augustine.

Today San Augustine, Florida remains the oldest city in the United States and the Feast of Saint Augustine marks the beginning of the Catholic Church’s permanent presence in today’s United States. To learn more visit the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche and Mission Nombre de Dios in San Augustine, Florida.


Feast of Saint Philomena – This past Monday August 11 was the historical Feast of Saint Philomena the Wonderworker, who although removed from the calendar in 1960 still has a popular devotion and many still seek her recourse. She is believed to have been a 2nd century martyr buried in the Roman catacombs. Centuries later in 1802 her remains were accidentally discovered during excavations and were eventually interred in Mugnano, Italy, where many miracles occurred over the years. St. John Vianney (whose feast day was earlier this month) had a deep devotion to her. The Sanctuary Shrine of Saint Philomena in Mugnano is a wonderful resource on learning more about this recently discovered ancient saint.


Mary Days Talks (August 15-22) – Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish's annual week-long Mary Days talks on the Blessed Virgin Mary continues through Friday August 22 (Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary). Talks will be part of a homily at Mass, 7:00 p.m. daily (Novus Ordo). The 7:00 p.m. Mass on Thursday August 21st will be a Traditional Latin Mass. To learn more see the flyer at the end of this update or click on this link.

Daily Holy Face Chaplet for Sacred Liturgy (perpetual novena) – For the preservation of the Traditional Latin Mass, it has been recommended to all friends of the sacred liturgy in the diocese to consider continually praying the powerful Holy Face chaplet, under the banner of Our Lady of the Holy Name. To pray the chaplet, please see this link.

National Latin Mass Pilgrimage – Saturday October 11, Washington, D.C. Begins at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington and concludes at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew in Washington D.C. To learn more click on this link.

Cardinal Burke’s Prayer for Pope Leo XIV – His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke has released a prayer for Pope Leo XIV. Please consider praying this daily for the Holy Father as he leads the Church.

Prayer for Pope Leo XIV: Vicar of Christ on Earth and Shepherd of the Universal Church

O Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord of Heaven and of Earth, Our Lady of Guadalupe, guide and protect the Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. Through your intercession, may he receive in abundance the grace of the Successor of Saint Peter: the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of our Bishops and of all our brothers and sisters in the Mystical Body of your Divine Son. Unite Pope Leo’s heart to your Immaculate Heart, leading him to rest his heart ever more securely in the glorious-pierced Heart of Jesus, so that he may confirm us in the Catholic faith, in the worship of God in spirit and truth, and in a good and holy Christian life.

In the tumult of the present time, keep Pope Leo securely within the hollow of your mantle, in the crossing of your arms, protecting him from Satan, the Father of Lies, and from every evil spirit. Implore Our Lord to grant him, in particular, the wisdom and courage to be a true Shepherd of the Church throughout the world. With you, I place all my trust in Christ, the Good Shepherd, Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy upon us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Pope Saint Leo the Great, pray for us!

PDF copies can be accessed at these links: [English] [Español] [Latin]



Holy Face Devotions

Prayers of Reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus are offered each week at the following churches on the indicated days:

  • St. James (Concord) – Monday, 10-10:30 a.m. (in the cry room)

  • St. Mark – Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. (new schedule as of July 29)

  • St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.

  • St. Ann – Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. (following 7:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • St. Michael the Archangel (Gastonia) – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. (following 8:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • St. Vincent de Paul – Tuesday, 8:40 a.m.

  • Holy Spirit (Denver) – Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (following the 9:15 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)

  • Saint Elizabeth of the Hill Country (Boone) – Third Tuesday, at 6:45 p.m. after Mass in the Youth Room

  • St. John the Baptist (Tryon) - First Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (after 8:30 a.m Latin Mass)

 

  • League of St. Martin Monthly Meeting in Gastonia – The League of St. Martin is a Holy Face apostolate that meets monthly to pray the Chaplet of the Holy Face of Jesus. For additional information regarding the League contact ericpieper@me.com for additional information.

  • **NEW** League of St. Martin Monthly Meeting in Clemmons – The League of St. Martin apostolate is meeting monthly to pray the Chaplet of the Holy Face of Jesus. They meet each 3rd Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Holy Family Church in Clemmons (near Winston-Salem). For additional information regarding the League in Clemmons contact: Amanda Ratledge (amandamratledge@gmail.com) or Danielle Parent (danielleparent@proton.me)

 

Note: Days and times may be subject to change due to holidays.

“Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face is for me Heaven on earth” (from Canticle to the Holy Face by Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, the 19th century Discalced Carmelite nun who took the name in religion, Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face).



Latin Mass and Liturgical News

 


Saints and Special Observances

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbott and Doctor of the Church, was born in Fontaines, France, in the year 1090, the third of seven children – all but one boys – brought into the world by well-to-do parents who belonged to the upper rank of French nobility. His father and mother, Tescelin de Fontaine and Alèthe de Montbard, were devout Catholics who sent him at the age of nine to be educated by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles in Châtillon-sur-Seine. He learned how to think rationally and speak convincingly by studying rhetoric, dialectics and grammar, as well as poetry and literature. His course of study also included Scripture and theology, subjects in which he excelled because of his particular interest in them.

Deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bernard was moved by the death of his mother in his twentieth year to discern a religious vocation. His decision to enter the Abbey of Notre Dame at Cîteaux was initially opposed by his family; but when he went in 1113, all of his brothers except the youngest followed, along with another 30 young men of noble birth. Even his youngest brother made his way to Cîteaux eventually, and the lone daughter in the Fontaine family became a Benedictine nun.

The Abbey of Notre Dame had been established in 1098 by a group of Benedictine monks determined to restore strict observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict. They became the Order of Cistercians, a name derived from the location of the order’s origin in Cîteaux. They came to be called the White Monks because of the white robes they wore to distinguish them from the Benedictines who dressed in black. When Bernard and his brothers, and their noble companions, arrived at the abbey, they fell on their faces before the front gate, humbly beseeching Abbott Stephen Harding to let them enter. He was only too happy to do so.

During his 25-year tenure as abbott. Stephen Harding’s inspirational leadership helped to bring about tremendous growth in the ranks of the Cistercian order. Many new monasteries were established, including one at a place called Clairvaux for which Bernard was named founding abbott in 1115, only two years after taking the habit. Noted for his holiness and commitment to monastic reform, Bernard wrote prolifically throughout his years in religion, preparing 300 sermons for delivery to the monks entrusted to his care and producing more than 500 letters in connection with the many activities he undertook. He was responsible for the establishment of 68 new monasteries located throughout western Europe, provided frequent service to popes and bishops who sought his assistance, and sustained a vigorous defense of the Faith against the threat of heretical movements.

When Pope Honorius II convoked the Council of Troyes in 1128, Bernard was elected to serve as secretary. In the course of the Council, the Cistercian monk drafted the Rule of the Knights Templar that was to serve as the ideal expression of Christian nobility. When the Pope died two years later, schism resulted from the selection of two successors, Innocent II and Anacletus II. Driven from Rome by his rival’s supporters, Innocent II was forced to seek refuge in France where King Louis VI convened a meeting of French bishops to settle the matter; the bishops turned it over to Bernard who decided in favor of Innocent II. He went on to spend almost a decade conducting the diplomacy necessary to win final acceptance of his decision. It came in 1139 at the Second Council of the Lateran which formally condemned the remaining adherents of the Antipope Anacletus II.

A visit to Clairvaux by Malachy, the Primate of All Ireland, resulted in a close personal friendship between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Cistercian Abbott. Malachy wanted to join the Order of Cistercians, but his request was denied by the Pope. The Irish bishop passed away at Clairvaux in 1148. He is perhaps best-known today as the purported author of the Prophecy of Popes, a document of unknown provenance that surfaced in 1590. The document is essentially a list of 112 future popes, each identified not by name but by a descriptive phrase, based on visions Saint Malachy is said to have experienced. The last Pope listed is called “Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people.” Saint Bernard, who documented many of Malachy’s miracles, made no mention of The Prophecy of Popes.

Bernard composed a series of 86 sermons on the Song of Songs and preached a famous sermon at Vézelay in 1146 in support of the Second Crusade. Hymns he wrote include, among others, the enduring classic, “O Sacred Head Now Wounded (Surrounded).” His numerous literary works include On Grace and Free Choice, On Loving God, In Praise of the New Knighthood, and The Life and Death of Saint Malachy, Bishop of Ireland. There is much more that could be said of this amazing monk who exerted a powerful influence on monastic life and on the world at large during the 12th century. His intense love of Jesus Christ, and his devotion to the Blessed Mother of Our Lord, are both evident in the classic works of theology and Mariology which he composed. Writing in the 15th century, Dante Alighieri made Saint Bernard the final guide in the poet’s epic journey, leading him in the final canto of The Divine Comedy to that Light that shines in the highest Heaven.

Bernard was signaling—he smiled—to me

to turn my eyes on high; but I, already

was doing what he wanted me to do,

because my sight, becoming pure, was able

to penetrate the ray of Light more deeply—

that Light, sublime, which in Itself is true.

Bernard died on August 20, 1153, and was buried in the Abbey at Clairvaux that had been his monastic home for 40 years. His remains were transferred to Troyes Cathedral after the Abbey was destroyed by the revolutionary regime in 1792. Canonized by Pope Alexander III on January 18, 1174, Bernard was named a Doctor of the Church in 1830. On the 800th anniversary of his death, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical in his honor entitled Doctor Mellifluus (link).

The feast day of St. Bernard, Abbott and Doctor of the Church, is celebrated on the 20th day of August.



Closing Commentary

In closing, as we enter into the ancient Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we offer commentary on the Assumption excerpted from The Liturgical Year of Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, followed by a link to the full text.

August 15 – Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven; rejoice, for she reigns with Christ forever.” The Church will close her chants on this glorious day with this sweet antiphon which resumes the object of the feast and the spirit in which it should be celebrated.

No other solemnity breathes, like this one, at once triumph and peace; none better answers to the enthusiasm of the many and the serenity of souls consummated in love. Assuredly that was as great a triumph when our Lord, rising by his own power from the tomb, cast hell into dismay; but to our souls, so abruptly drawn from the abyss of sorrows on Golgotha, the suddenness of the victory caused a sort of stupor to mingle with the joy of that greatest of days. In presence of the prostrate Angels, the hesitating Apostles, the women seized with fear and trembling, one felt that the divine isolation of the Conqueror of death was perceptible even to his most intimate friends, and kept them, like Magdalene, at a distance.

Mary’s death, however, leaves no impression but peace; that death had no other cause than love. Being a mere creature, she could not deliver herself from that claim of the old enemy; but leaving her tomb filled with flowers, she mounts up to heaven, flowing with delights, leaning upon her Beloved. Amid the acclamations of the daughters of Sion, who will henceforth never cease to call her blessed, she ascends surrounded by choirs of heavenly spirits joyfully praising the Son of God. Nevermore will shadows veil, as they did on earth, the glory of the most beautiful daughter of Eve. Beyond the immovable Thrones, beyond the dazzling Cherubim, beyond the flaming Seraphim, onward she passes, delighting the heavenly city with her sweet perfumes. She stays not till she reaches the very confines of the Divinity; close to the throne of honor where her Son, the King of ages, reigns in justice and in power; there she is proclaimed Queen, there she will reign for evermore in mercy and in goodness.

Here on earth Libanus and Amana, Sanir and Hermon dispute the honor of having seen her rise to heaven from their summits; and truly the whole world is but the pedestal of her glory, as the moon is her footstool, the sun her vesture, the stars of heaven her glittering crown. “Daughter of Sion, thou art all fair and sweet,” cries the Church, as in her rapture she mingles her own tender accents with the songs of triumph: “I saw the beautiful one as a dove rising up from the brooks of waters; in her garments was the most exquisite odor; and as in the days of spring, flowers of roses surrounded her and lilies of the valley.”

The same freshness breathes from the facts of Bible history wherein the interpreters of the sacred Books see the figure of Mary’s triumph. As long as this world lasts a severe law protects the entrance to the eternal palace; no one, without having first laid aside the garb of flesh, is admitted to contemplate the King of heaven. There is one, however, of our lowly race, whom the terrible decree does not touch; the true Esther, in her incredible beauty, advances without hindrance through all the doors. Full of grace, she is worthy of the love of the true Assuerus; but on the way which leads to the awful throne of the King of kings, she walks not alone; two handmaids, one supporting her steps, the other holding up the long folds of her royal robe, accompany her; they are the angelic nature and the human, both equally proud to hail her as their mistress and lady, and both sharing in her glory.

If we go back from the time of captivity, when Esther saved her people, to the days of Israel’s greatness, we find our Lady’s entrance into the city of endless peace, represented by the Queen of Saba coming to the earthly Jerusalem. While she contemplates with rapture the magnificence of the mighty prince of Sion, the pomp of her own retinue, the incalculable riches of the treasure she brings, her precious stones and her spices, plunge the whole city into admiration. There was brought no more, says the Scripture, such abundance of spices as these which the Queen of Saba gave to King Solomon.

[The Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary]