Friends in Christ,
Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus issues a warning against those who falsely don the guise of religion: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-16). It is a warning that rings all too true in a sadly debased age when even some Catholics slander and persecute their fellow Catholics for attempting to live according to their shared Faith. “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (Matthew 7:17). “Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). Foremost among the good fruits are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
Calendar of Special Observances
Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962.
DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)
Sunday, July 12 – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II)
Monday, July 13 – Feria (IV)
Tuesday, July 14 – St. Bonaventure, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church (III)
Wednesday, July 15 – St. Henry II, Emperor, Confessor (III)
Thursday, July 16 – Feria (IV) – Blessed Virgin Mary of the Mount Carmel (IV)
Friday, July 17 – Feria (IV) – St. Alexius, Confessor (IV)
Saturday, July 18 – St. Camillus de Lellis, Confessor (III) – Commemoration of St. Symphorosa and her Seven Sons, Martyrs
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
The links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the Proper Prayers for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost with English or Spanish translation, followed by commentary by Dr. Michael P. Foley.
Traditional Latin Mass Schedule
Diocese of Charlotte Sunday Masses
Chapel of the Little Flower (757 Oakridge Farm Road, Mooresville, NC)
Note: Only Sunday Latin Masses and Holy Days are offered at the Chapel. This is the only Diocese of Charlotte location which offers the Traditional Latin Mass.
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, the Little Flower, pray for us!
Diocese of Raleigh Sunday Masses
Diocese of Charleston Sunday Masses
Diocese of Charleston Daily Traditional Latin Masses
Note: The summer Mass schedule for Prince of Peace parish is in effect and according to the bulletin there will be no daily Latin Masses at Prince of Peace Monday-Saturday this summer.
As a reminder, travelers are urged to consult parish websites or offices for up-to-date information regarding possible changes in the schedule of Mass times.
Chapel of the Little Flower Announcements
Mass Intentions for Sunday
Sunday July 12, 12:00 p.m. – Repose of the soul of Elenita Conroy by Carolyn Skinner
Donations for the Chapel of the Little Flower
To donate to the Chapel of the Little Flower, please make out a check to “St. Ann Catholic Church” and carefully earmark it for “Latin Mass” or “Chapel of the Little Flower”. It can be mailed to the parish (3635 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209). To donate online, please visit the parish’s “Chapel of the Little Flower” online donation portal at this link.
Lost and Found
If one is missing a missal, book, or other item, please see the Lost and Found table in the cry room.
Father Jones’ Contact Info
If one has questions about the Chapel of the Little Flower, that are not related to one’s parish, please email Father Jones directly at: tlmchapel(at)rcdoc.org
Visiting the Chapel of the Little Flower
If
you haven’t attended Mass at the Chapel of the Little Flower yet, you
are welcome to join us. Seating is adequate at both Masses, and there is
plenty of parking; a cry room; open space outside for the kids after
Mass. Bulletins from Saint Ann and Saint Thomas Aquinas parishes are
usually available.
General Announcements
Litany of the Most Precious Blood – Father Reid is inviting the faithful to pray the Litany of the Precious Blood in July for the country and protection from evil. To join in this month-long novena please click on this link.
LiveMass.net – Want to watch a Latin Mass online? The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) has a broadcast apostolate which streams its Latin Masses across the world at various times of the day. To view visit: https://www.livemass.net/
Support Saint Ann and Saint Thomas Parishes – Our parishes remain the anchor of our spiritual and community lives and continue to promote the sacred traditions, devotions, speakers and catechesis important for the spiritual growth of ourselves and our families. They also need our continued financial support (and occasional visits!). Both parishes would appreciate our continued generosity.
Rosary for the Traditional Latin Mass – A Rosary is offered for the restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass in the church on Sundays after the 11:30 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church.
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.
Cardinal Burke’s Prayer for Pope Leo XIV – His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke has released a prayer for Pope Leo XIV. Please see the prayer at the links below and consider praying this daily for the Holy Father as he leads the Church. 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:
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).
Traditional Latin Mass and Liturgical News
Saints and Special Observances
Saint Bonaventure, OFM, Bishop, Cardinal and Doctor of the Church had a significant impact on the formation of the future Pope Benedict XVI, who acknowledged in a General Audience on March 3, 2010, “I confide to you that in broaching this subject I feel a certain nostalgia, for I am thinking back to my research as a young scholar on this author who was particularly dear to me” [General Audience of 3 March 2010: Saint Bonaventure | BENEDICT XVI].
Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, who was probably born in 1217, was originally known as Giovanni de Fidanza. As a boy, he fell seriously ill; and even his father, who was a physician, despaired of his life. But Giovanni’s mother turned in prayer to the recently canonized Saint Francis, and the boy made a miraculous recovery.
The saint of Assisi who had famously embraced a life of poverty was to exert a continuing influence on Giovanni throughout his life. After receiving the Master of Arts Diploma in Paris, the young scholar was so impressed by the dedication and piety of the Friars Minor that he sought admission to the Franciscan order. As he would later explain in a letter to another friar, “I confess before God that the reason which made me love the life of blessed Francis is that it resembled the birth and early development of the Church. The Church began with simple fishermen and was subsequently enriched by very distinguished and wise teachers; the religion of Blessed Francis was not established by the prudence of men but by Christ.”
Around the year 1243 Giovanni took the Franciscan habit and the name Bonaventure and was sent to the University of Paris where he acquired the qualifications in philosophy, theology and Scriptural studies necessary to pursue an academic career. The title of his theological dissertation was Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, and Christ was to remain at the center of all his work in the brilliant career that followed.
Both the Friars Minor of St. Francis and the Friars Preachers of St. Dominic, the other relatively new mendicant order, met with fierce opposition from the older religious orders during Saint Bonaventure’s time at the University of Paris, and the right of their members to teach in that prestigious institution was openly challenged. Saint Bonaventure responded by composing a work entitled Evangelical Perfection in which he demonstrated how the members of the medicant orders were living according to the word of Our Lord by observing their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Pope Alexander IV was so impressed by Bonaventure’s defense of the newer orders that in 1257 he supported his appointment as a doctor and master of the University of Paris. The Franciscan scholar’s tenure in the position was short-lived, however, as he was elected the same year by the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor to serve as Minister General.
Prior to Bonaventure’s election, the order had experienced explosive growth, its numbers expanding to include 30,000 members spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and as far east as Peking. During his 17 years as head of the Friars Minor, the former academic was continuously challenged to maintain the unity of purpose and action inspired by the life of the order’s founder, Saint Francis. In 1260 he presented to a session of the General Chapter at Narbonne a text collecting the norms that were to regulate the day-to-day activities of all Franciscans. Just as importantly, he assembled the historical documents relating to the life of Saint Francis and sought input from those who had actually known the Poverello in order to compose an official biography endorsed by the General Chapter at its meeting in Pisa in 1263.
On June 23, 1273, Pope Gregory X made Bonaventure a cardinal and appointed him bishop of Albano. Then he called on him to organize an ecumenical council of the whole Church which was convened at Lyons in May of the following year. Bonaventure addressed the council twice but died suddenly on July 15, 1274. The future saint was buried the following day in the church of the Friars Minor in Lyons. Those attending his funeral Mass included the pope, cardinals, and other members of the council, as well as the king of Aragon. Addressing members of the council one day later, Pope Gregory spoke of the incalculable loss incurred by the Church and directed priests and prelates throughout the world to offer Mass on behalf of the deceased.
Saint Bonaventure was enrolled in the official list of saints by Pope Sixtus IV on April 14, 1482. On March 14, 1557, Pope Sixtus V named him one of the principal Doctors of the Church, declaring that the “Seraphic Doctor” equaled in stature the “Angelic Doctor,” Saint Thomas Aquinas. Sadly, his shrine was desecrated by Huguenots five years later, and the urn containing his remains was torched in the public square.
In addition to his voluminous commentaries on The Sentences of Peter Lombard and The Gospel of Saint Luke, Saint Bonaventure wrote numerous shorter works of enduring influence, including The Mind’s Road to God, The Tree of Life and The Triple Way. Concerning the Perfection of Life was written for the Poor Clares of the monastery founded at Longchamps by Isabelle of France, the sister of King Louis IX. Among his notable later works are the Lectures on the Six Days of Creation.
The life of this great philosopher-saint of the Catholic Church is celebrated on July 14th in accordance with the traditional Roman Calendar.
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This week also marks the first universal celebration of the recently canonized Martyrs of Compiègne - the 16 Carmelite nuns who were martyred for the faith during the French Revolution and helped bring an end to the Reign of Terror in July 1794.
They were beatified by Pope Saint Pius X in 1906, and in December 2024, Pope Francis declared them canonized and extended their cult (and feast) to the universal Church. Their feast day is July 17, the anniversary of their martyrdom.
Saint Theresa of Saint Augustine and the Martyrs of Compiègne, pray for us!
Closing Commentary
In closing, we offer commentary on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost excerpted from The Liturgical Year of Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, followed by a link to the full text.
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
By rejecting the Gospel, the Jewish people have refused the light. Whilst the Sun of Justice, hailed with delight by the Gentiles, is lighting up, in all splendor, the land, that was once in the shadow of death,—a black night is covering the heretofore blessed country of the Patriarchs, and darkness is every hour thickening in Jerusalem. By the blindness which is leading her to destruction, the synagogue is verifying our Lord’s words: He that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth.
False Prophets and false christs abound in Israel, ever since the true Messiah, whom the Prophets foretold, has been ignored, and treated by his own people as the Prophets themselves had been. His witnesses, the Apostles, have vainly tried to induce Juda to retract the fatal denial made in the pretorium. And yet, Juda knows better than all the world beside, that the times are accomplished; for, has not the scepter fallen from his hands? And Juda, who disdainfully disowns the spiritual royalty of the Savior of men, is going on with his ceaseless expectation and search of the christ of his own imagining,—a messiah who will restore to him the power he has lost. The Jewish doctors have not as yet invented the sentence of Talmud, whereby they hoped to stifle the unpleasant prophecies which give them the lie: “Cursed be he, that calculates the times of the coming of Messiah!” What, then, must be the feelings of a people, which has for ages been living in the expectation of an event the most important that could be,—now that it sees the time specified by prophecy to be fast expiring! so that they are compelled, either to disavow the past, or acknowledge, at the foot of the Cross which it has set up, its most sinful error.
A strange anxiety has seized on the nation of deicides. The spirit of madness governs her determinations. In the scare of her feverish excitement, which is the very opposite of the calm and resigned expectation of her ancient Patriarchs,—she takes every rebel for a Christ. She, that would not have the Son of David, hails every upstart as her Messiah, and follows every adventurer that sets up the cry of war against Rome, or that cheats her with the promise of making her country independent. With such materials, Judea is soon turned into a kingdom of anarchy and confusion. The very sanctuary of the Temple is made the scene of party-quarrels and bloodshed. The Daughter of Sion follows her false-christs into the desert; there organizes riot; and returns to the holy City, filling it with highway-men, or with assassins imported from the wilderness. Long before these events, Ezechiel had thus spoken: Wo to the foolish prophets that see nothing! Thy prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts! And Isaias thus prophesied: Therefore, the Lord shall have no joy in their young men; neither shall he have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for every one is a hypocrite and wicked, and every mouth hath spoken folly.
The time is close at hand: the hour is come, when they that are in Judea must flee to the mountains,
as our Lord had said. The Christians of Jerusalem will, as history
records, soon be leaving the doomed City, under the guidance of Simeon,
their Bishop. With them, departs Sion’s last hope; God is about to
avenge his Christ. Already has the signal of destruction been heard,—the whistle, as the Prophet Isaias had foretold, has been heard from beyond the seas; and, as Balaam had seen it in vision, they are coming in galleys from Italy, to lay waste to the Hebrews. The Leader, announced by Daniel, is approaching towards the once Land of Promise; the appointed desolation and ruin shall remain there even after the end of the war.
[Seventh Sunday after Pentecost]