Dear Friends in Christ,
Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday (December 15, 2024) is the Third Sunday of Advent. The liturgy for this Sunday looks ahead with joy to the coming of the Messiah, a theme established in the opening line of the Introit: Gaudéte in Dómino semper (“Rejoice in God always”). Hence, the day has come to be known as Gaudéte Sunday. On this day the Church urges us to gladness in the middle of this time of expectation and penance: the coming of Jesus approaches more and more. St. John, the holy precursor, announces to the Jews the coming of the Saviour. ‘The Saviour,’ he says to them, ‘lives already among us, though unknown. He will soon appear openly.’ Now is the time for fervent prayers and for imploring Jesus to remain with us by His mercy. Let us prepare the way for Him by repentance and penance and by a worthy reception of the Sacraments. All the prayers of this Mass are filled with what the Church wishes our souls to possess at the approach of the Saviour (Roman Missal). The solemn purple vestments of the first two Sundays in Advent are happily replaced on this day by rose.
Calendar of Saints and Special Observances
Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962 or on the liturgical calendar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary.
DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)
Sunday, December 15 – Third Sunday of Advent (I)
Monday, December 16 – St. Eusebius, Bishop and Martyr (III) – Feria of Advent
Tuesday, December 17 – Major Feria of Advent (II)
Wednesday, December 18 – Ember Wednesday of Advent (II)
Thursday, December 19 – Major Feria of Advent (II)
Friday, December 20 – Ember Friday of Advent (II)
Saturday, December 21 – St. Thomas, Apostle (II) – Ember Saturday of Advent
(See Saints and Special Observances below regarding Ember Days.)
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudéte Sunday)
The links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the Proper Prayers for the Third Sunday of Advent with either English or Spanish translation. In addition, we offer a link to Dr. Michael P. Foley’s New Liturgical Movement commentary on this Sunday’s Collect, “The Accommodating Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent.”
Latin Mass Schedule: Third Sunday of Advent (December 15, 2024)
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
11:30 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas
12:30 p.m., Saint Ann (followed by coffee and cookies/doughnuts provided by Saint Ann parish after all Masses on the third Sunday of the month) (**See also traffic alert below**)
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)
9:00 a.m., Our Lady of the Angels (Marion)
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.
Weekday Latin Mass Schedule: Third Week of Advent (December 16-21, 2024)
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
Saint Ann – Ember Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. (See note below)
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
Saint Ann – Ember Friday, 7:00 a.m. (See note below)
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
Our Lady of the Mountains (Highlands) – Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.
Saint John the Baptist (Tryon) – Friday, 8:30 a.m. (See note below)
Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) – Friday, 9:30 a.m. (See note below)
Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses
Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) — Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m.
Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) — Ember Saturday, 6:30 a.m. (Special Rorate Mass replaces regularly scheduled 8:00 a.m. Latin Mass)
Note: The Rorate Mass is an especially beautiful candlelight celebration of the Eucharist held at dawn on a Saturday during Advent, honoring Our Lady and preparing for the coming Light of the World, the Incarnate Word, at Christmas. See “Saints and Special Observances” below.
Ember
Days Note: This Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are the winter Ember
Days in the 1962 calendar, a three-day period ahead of each season
dedicated to fasting and prayer (now voluntary) in thanksgiving for
God’s creation and for fruitfulness in the season ahead. In the 1962
calendar Ember Wednesday and Saturday were days of fasting and partial
abstinence (meat at principle meal) while Ember Friday was a day of
fasting and complete abstinence. These Embertide disciplines are now
voluntary. See "Saints and Special Observances" below.
Advent/Christmastide Latin Mass Schedule (as announced)
The
following schedule lists special Latin Masses and other changes – in
addition to those listed above for the current week – announced to date
for Advent and Christmastide. Additional Masses or changes that may be
announced in the weeks ahead will be posted in future Sunday newsletters
or mid-week bulletins. The full list can also be found on our website
at this link.
Sunday December 22
12:30 p.m., Saint Ann annual traditional blessing of religious objects immediately after Latin Mass.
Wednesday December 25
12:00 a.m., Saint Ann, The Nativity of Our Lord: First Mass at Midnight
12:00 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas, The Nativity of Our Lord: First Mass at Midnight
12:00 a.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock), The Nativity of Our Lord: First Mass at Midnight
12:00 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon), The Nativity of Our Lord: First Mass at Midnight
11:00 a.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)
1:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)
Thursday December 26
7:00 p.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas Latin Mass canceled
11:00 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon), High Mass
Friday, December 27
8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon) Latin Mass canceled
9:30 a.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) Latin Mass canceled
Saturday, December 28
8:00 a.m., Saint Ann 4th Saturday Respect Life Mass canceled
Wednesday January 1 (Octave-Day of the Nativity/Feast of the Circumcision)
12:00 a.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro), at Midnight
12:00 a.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock), at Midnight
9:00 a.m., Saint Ann, (Confessions to follow until 11:30 a.m.)
6:00 p.m., Saint Ann, Latin Mass canceled
6:30 p.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)
6:30 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)
Sunday January 5
12:30 p.m., Saint Ann, Annual Epiphany blessing of water, chalk and salt will occur immediately after regularly scheduled Sunday Mass
Monday January 6 (Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord)
7:00 a.m., Saint Ann
6:00 p.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock)
6:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)
6:30 p.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon), (Epiphany blessing will occur prior to Mass at 6:00 p.m.)
6:30 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC), (Including blessing of salt, oils, and water)
Note: It is customary to bless water, chalk, and salt on or around the Vigil of the Epiphany. If more blessings are announced they will be added to the above list.
Pray for Our Priests
The “Pray for Our Priests” campaign launched during the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress came to its scheduled conclusion on November 30th, the last day of the liturgical year. As we all know, spiritual warfare between angels and demons rages continually and will go on until the end of the world. It is our duty as Christians to help bring about the final triumph of our Triune God, and prayer is a powerful weapon at our disposal in the battle. Thanks to all those who offered their prayers on behalf of our priests: our indispensable foot-soldiers in the spiritual warfare that engulfs our world.
Announcements
**Traffic Alert for Sunday's 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass** - On Sunday at 1:00 p.m. there will be a major sporting event at Bank of America Stadium in uptown (Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys). Historically this annual game causes long backups and delays in both directions of I-77 beforehand. Travelers to Saint Ann's Latin Mass may want to leave additional time to get to Mass.
3rd Sunday Doughnuts at Saint Ann – Saint Ann parish will be sponsoring doughnuts and coffee after all Masses this Sunday, including the 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass.
Sunday December 22: Annual Blessing of Religious Objects after the 12:30 p.m. Saint Ann Latin Mass – Please save the date for Sunday December 22 for the annual traditional blessing of religious objects after the 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass at Saint Ann parish. Before the 12:30 p.m. Mass on December 22, please place religious items on the tables in the north cry room (chapel side) where Father will bless the objects immediately after Mass. The table should be set up between 12 and 12:15 p.m. Please avoid placing items on the table after Mass as Father will already have begun the blessing. The blessing may take up to 20-30 minutes, after which one may pick up the blessed objects.
Note: Saint Ann will also sponsor a blessing of Epiphany water, chalk and salt on Sunday January 5, after the 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass.
“Sister Parish” Relief Program – The Diocese of Charlotte is sponsoring a program to assist in the recovery of parishes in the western part of the state affected by Hurricane Helene. The program will partner parishes that escaped the wrath of the storm with those that sustained substantial impacts. Fr. Reid has announced that St. Ann has committed to serve as a sister parish to Saint Lucien in Spruce Pine, providing financial assistance to help cover recovery costs and to make up for the loss of collection revenue resulting from the displacement of parishioners. Initial funds for the effort were derived from second collections at the Masses celebrated on November 16th and 17th. Future collections are scheduled for December 14-15, January 4-5, February 1-2, March 1-2 and April 5-6.
Holy Face Pilgrimage, November 14-25, 2025 – Fr. Lawrence Carney, the Holy Face priest, and local author Patrick O'Hearn will be leading a Holy Face Pilgrimage next November to Malta, Sicily, and Italy, which will include a visit to Rome for the Jubilee Year. The Traditional Latin Mass will be offered and both organizers will offer talks on the Holy Face devotion. For more information click on this link.
Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary – Fr. Chad Ripperger, a native of Casper, Wyoming, was a member of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter before leaving to establish a society of exorcists, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother (Doloran Fathers). His Consecration of the Election to the Blessed Virgin Mary was featured in past issues of this newsletter. He has now composed a new prayer, Consecration of those Governing to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which may be found at the end of this update or downloaded via this link.
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, 5:30 p.m.
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. (NEW)
Holy Spirit (Denver) – Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (following the 9:15 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. John the Baptist (Tryon) - First Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (after 8:30 a.m Latin Mass)
“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
The Conglorified Life-Maker is the latest liturgical commentary by Dr. Michael P. Foley in his Lost in Translation series published by New Liturgical Movement. [The Conglorified Life-Maker]
Another Look Inside the Restored Notre-Dame de Paris is a recent article by Greg DiPippo for New Liturgical Movement offering his analysis of the restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral as reported by 60 Minutes which had an exclusive look at the refurbished crown jewel of Paris. [Another Look Inside the Restored Notre-Dame de Parish]
Rorate Masses at Wigratzbad is a photopost of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter’s (FSSP) beautiful Rorate Mass held at their seminary in Wigratzbad, Germany. [Rorate Masses at Wigratzbad]
The Oblate Vocation, a weekly video series published by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP), explains the Oblate vocation within their community. The ICKSP, a religious order that offers/follows the Traditional Latin Mass, has three vocational states: Canons (priests), Clerical Oblates (who serve as assistants to priests), and Sisters (Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus). This new video series provides excellent background on the oblates and ICKSP. [The Oblate Vocation]
‘Tis the Season of…Penance? Advent Isn’t Advent Without It is a column by Matthew McDonald of the National Catholic Register looking into the penitential nature of Advent and some of the history and past disciplines of this liturgical season. [‘Tis the Season of…Penance?]
When Was Jesus Born? Italian Researcher Puts Christ’s Birth in December, 1 BC, is a 2020 National Catholic Register article by Edward Pentin interviewing Dr. Liberato de Caro about how biblical clues, historical research and astronomy can help answer the question "When was Jesus born?". [When Was Jesus Born?]
Keeping a Long Christmas, is a review by historian and author Charles Coulombe in Crisis Magazine about rediscovering the ancient and current Catholic customs of Christmastide in order to both enjoy them and to help reverse the secularization of the culture. [Keeping a Long Christmas]
The Power of Prepositions, another recent contribution to Dr. Michael P. Foley’s Lost in Translation series published by New Liturgical Movement, examines the way in which certain prepositions in the Nicene Creed deepen the theological meaning of the words found in the Latin text. [The Power of Prepositions]
Saints and Special Observances
Ember Days are the days set aside by the Church at the beginning of each of the four natural seasons of the year as days of fasting and abstinence. Ember is said to be a corruption of the Latin term Quatuor Tempora (“four times”) which is rendered Quatember in German. They were formally established by Pope Gregory VII in the eleventh century as the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13) near the beginning of winter; the same days of the week following Ash Wednesday (or, more properly, the first Sunday in Lent) around the beginning of spring; the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following Pentecost prior to the onset of summer; and the same days of the week following the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14) at the beginning of autumn. (See, however, Gregory DiPippo’s article reprinted in New Liturgical Movement on the calculation of the September Ember Days linked below).
The connection of Ember Days to the seasons of the year was intended to give thanks to God for the gifts of nature and to urge men to make wise use of them for the good of all. Rooted in the pre-Christian rituals of agricultural societies, like so much else, seasonal days of prayer and fasting were sanctified by the Church for its own purposes. There is evidence that certain days were set aside for special thanksgiving and intercessory prayer – seeking good weather, abundant harvests, and protection against storms and natural disasters – as early as apostolic times. The Church in Rome held fasts three times a year in June, September and December on days announced by the priests; the spring observances were added at an unknown date not later than the fifth century. Pope Gelasius (492-496) mentioned all four and also permitted the ordination of priests and deacons on ember Saturdays. After his time the observance of ember days spread throughout the western world.
No longer included in the General Roman Calendar, the observance of Ember Days is left to the discretion of individual episcopal conferences. There has been a movement to renew their use among Catholics who worship according to the 1962 Roman Missal, but they remain an unknown quantity for most Catholics.
[The Calculation of the September Ember Days (Reprint)]
The Rorate Caeli Mass is a votive Mass typically celebrated in Advent to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. The name is taken from the opening words of the Introit which begins, Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem (“Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior” (Isaiah 45:8)). Thus, from the beginning, the Rorate Mass invokes the image of Mary as the God-bearer who will bring forth the Savior to be born at Christmas. Celebration of this special Mass during the season of expectancy is further enhanced by setting it in the hour just before dawn. Lit only by candles, the church represents the world waiting in darkness for the coming of Christ, the Light of the World. The second part of the Introit anticipates the arrival of the One sent to save His people: Benedixisti, Domine, terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob (“Lord, thou hast blessed thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob” (Psalm 84:2)).
Originating in the Middle Ages as one of numerous Advent devotions honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rorate Mass was typically celebrated on each of the Saturdays during the season preceding the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. Its popularity was such that it was often offered on other days during Advent as well. Beginning in the darkness before the sun comes up, as the Mass progresses the church is gradually brightened by the arrival of daylight. The priests shine forth vested in white rather than the violet vestments usually worn in Advent: The penitential aspect of the season is set aside for an hour to savor the joy of knowing that the Savior who will conquer sin is about to be born. The prayers and readings of the Rorate Caeli Mass remind us of the prophecies of the coming of Christ and underscore Mary’s role in bringing the Savior into the world.
Closing Commentary
In closing, we share a commentary extracted from The Liturgical Year of Dom Prosper Guéranger on “The Third Sunday of Advent.” A link to the full text of the great liturgist’s commentary is included below.
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Today, again, the Church is full of joy, and the joy is greater than it was. It is true that her Lord has not come; but she feels that He is nearer than before, and therefore she thinks it just to lessen some what the austerity of this penitential season by the innocent cheerfulness of her sacred rites. And first, this Sunday has had the name of Gaudete given to it, from the first word of the Introit; it also is honoured with those impressive exceptions which belong to the fourth Sunday of Lent, called Laetare. The organ is played at the Mass; the vestments are rose-colour; the deacon resumes the dalmatic, and the subdeacon the tunic; and in cathedral churches the bishop assists with the precious mitre. How touching are all these usages, and how admirable this condescension of the Church, wherewith she so beautifully blends together the unalterable strictness of the dogmas of faith and the graceful poetry of the formulae of her liturgy. Let us enter into her spirit, and be glad on this third Sunday of her Advent, because our Lord is now so near unto us. Tomorrow we will resume our attitude of servants mourning for the absence of their Lord and waiting for Him; for every delay, however short, is painful and makes love sad.
—
O
holy Roman Church, city of our strength! behold us thy children
assembled within thy walls, around the tomb of the fisherman, the prince
of the apostles, whose sacred relics protect thee from their earthly
shrine, and whose unchanging teaching enlightens thee from heaven. Yet, O
city of strength: it is by the Saviour, who is coming, that thou art strong. He is thy wall, for it is He that encircles, with His tender mercy, all thy children; He is thy bulwark,
for it is by Him that thou art invincible, and that all the powers of
hell are powerless to prevail against thee. Open wide thy gates, that
all nations may enter thee for thou art mistress of holiness and the
guardian of truth. May the old error, which sets itself against
the faith, soon disappear, and peace reign over the whole fold! O holy
Roman Church! thou hast for ever put thy trust in the Lord; and He,
faithful to His promise, has humbled before thee the haughty ones that
defied thee, and the proud cities that were against thee. Where now are
the Caesars, who boasted that they had drowned thee in thine own blood?
where the emperors, who would ravish the inviolate virginity of thy
faith? where the heretics, who, during the past centuries of thine
existence, have assailed every article of thy teaching, and denied what
they listed? where the ungrateful princes, who would fain make a slave
of thee, who hadst made them what they were? where that empire of
Mahomet, which has so many times raged against thee, for that thou, the
defenceless State, didst arrest the pride of its conquests? where the
reformers, who were bent on giving the world a Christianity, in which
thou wast to have no part? where the more modern sophists, in whose
philosophy thou wast set down as a system that had been tried, and was a
failure, and is now a ruin? and those kings who are acting the tyrant
over thee, and those people that will have liberty independently and at
the risk of truth, where will they be in another hundred years? Gone and
forgotten as the noisy anger of a torrent; whilst thou, O holy Church
of Rome, built on the immovable rock, wilt be as calm, as young, as
unwrinkled as ever. Thy path through all the ages of this world’s
duration, will be right as that of the just man; thou wilt ever be the
same unchanging Church, as thou hast been during the eighteen hundred
years past, whilst everything else under the sun has been but change.
Whence this thy stability, but from Him who is very truth and justice?
Glory be to Him in thee! Each year, He visits thee; each year, He brings
thee new gifts, wherewith thou mayst go happily through thy pilgrimage;
and to the end of time, He will visit thee, and renew thee, not only
with the power of that look wherewith Peter was renewed, but by filling
thee with Himself, as He did the ever glorious Virgin, who is the object
of thy most tender love, after that which thou bearest to Jesus
Himself. We pray with thee, O Church, our mother, and here is our
prayer: ‘Come, Lord Jesus! Thy name and Thy remembrance are the desire
of our souls: they have desired Thee in the night, yea, and early in the
morning have they watched for Thee.’
~
CONSECRATION OF THOSE GOVERNING TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Mary Immaculate, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the eternal Wisdom lies hidden to be adored and served by angels and men, Queen of heaven and of earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are lower than God, Patroness of the United States of America, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the sins of our nation, we come to thee, our refuge and hope.
Immaculate Mary, Patroness of the United States of America, Queen of Heaven and of Earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are lower than God, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the sins of our nation, we come to thee, our refuge and hope.
Knowing that our country cannot be saved by our own works and mindful of how much our nation has departed from the ways of thy Son, we humbly ask that thou wouldst turn thine eyes upon our country to bring about its conversion.
We consecrate to thee (the peaceful transition of power) and all of those governing our republic, so that what is spiritually and morally best for the citizens of our nation may be accomplished, and that they would govern according to the spiritual and moral principles which will bring our nation into conformity with the teachings of thy Son. Bind any forces, spiritual or human, that would seek to inflict harm or evil on our country or those who do good for our nation by their governance.
Give grace to the citizens of this land so that they may merit leaders who will govern according to the Sacred Heart of thy Son, that His glory may be made manifest, lest we be given the leaders we deserve. Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and thy maternal care, we have perfect confidence that thou wilt take care of us and wilt not leave us forsaken.
O Mary Immaculate, pray for us. Amen.
Composed by Fr. Chad Ripperger
To download a PDF copy of this prayer please visit this link.