O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and Patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David. Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord. As we have hoped in thee. O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto thee. Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen

-- Jaime Esquierva (nobis_peccatoribus@yahoo.com), November 20, 2003

Answers

August Queen of Heaven, sovereign Mistress of the Angels, who didst receive from the beginning the mission and the power to crush the serpent’s head, we beseech thee to send thy holy angels, that under thy command and by thy power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter them on every side, resist their bold attacks, and drive them hence into the abyss of woe.

Most holy Mother, send thy angels to defend us and to drive the cruel enemy from us.

All ye holy angels and archangel, help and defend us. Amen.

O good and tender Mother! Thou shalt ever be our Love and our Hope.

Holy Angels and Archangels, keep and defend us. Amen

-- Jaime Esquierva (nobis_peccatoribus@yahoo.com), November 20, 2003.

Prayer for the Return of the Traditional Latin Mass

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that through the intercession of St. Joseph, the peace order and beauty of the Tridentine Latin Mass may be restored to our churches.

Amen.

-- Jaime Esquierva (nobis_peccatoribus@yahoo.com), November 20, 2003.

The peace, order, and beauty of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a perpetual element of the worship of Holy Catholic Church. The restoration of a former Rite is not going to happen, and your personal preference for one rite over another is not a reasonable basis for prayer on behalf of the Church, the overwhelming majority of whom are fully satisfied with the peace, order, and beauty of the current Rite. The sooner you come to grips with this, the sooner you can return to full participation in the Church.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), November 20, 2003.

Prayer of release for Freemasons and their Descendants

Here. Scroll down, select "Catholic Deliverance from Freemasonry" on left.

"If you were once a Mason or are a descendant of a Mason, we recommend that you pray through the following prayer from your heart. Don't be like the Masons who are given their obligations and oaths one line at a time and without prior knowledge of the requirements. Please read it through first so you know what is involved. It is best to pray this aloud with a Christian witness or counsellor present. We suggest a brief pause following each paragraph to allow the Holy Spirit to show any additional issues which may require attention."

-- Jaime Esquierva (nobis_peccatoribus@yahoo.com), November 20, 2003.

Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana — Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas

(Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison).

[Initial letters found on Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict]

-- Jaime Esquierva (nobis_peccatoribus@yahoo.com), November 20, 2003.

Paul,

The restoration of a former Rite is not going to happen,

Out of curiosity, what would you do if it was?

Also, what if Chrarismatic prayer was denounced, what would you do?

Just curious.

-- Isabel (joejoe1REMOVE@msn.com), November 20, 2003.

I can answer that Isabel,

If the old rite was restored, he'd use it. If charismatic prayer was deemed unusable he wouldn't use it. To be a Catholic is to be obedient.

I can give you the Lefebvrite schismatic answer too. One of you guys would say "go ahead and do what you want, it's O.K."

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), November 20, 2003.

A good read on the efficacy of Holy Water, and...

...some other related stuff.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), November 20, 2003.

Thomas Aquinas on the subject of obedience (yet one more thing not yet read by those who believe to be in the know):

Whether subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things?

Objection 1. It seems that subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things. For the Apostle says (Col. 3:20): "Children, obey your parents in all things," and farther on (Col. 3:22): "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh." Therefore in like manner other subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things.

Objection 2. Further, superiors stand between God and their subjects, according to Dt. 5:5, "I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you at that time, to show you His words." Now there is no going from extreme to extreme, except through that which stands between. Therefore the commands of a superior must be esteemed the commands of God, wherefore the Apostle says (Gal. 4:14): "You . . . received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus" and (1 Thess. 2:13): "When you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it, not as the word of men, but, as it is indeed, the word of God." Therefore as man is bound to obey God in all things, so is he bound to obey his superiors.

Objection 3. Further, just as religious in making their profession take vows of chastity and poverty, so do they also vow obedience. Now a religious is bound to observe chastity and poverty in all things. Therefore he is also bound to obey in all things.

On the contrary, It is written (Acts 5:29): "We ought to obey God rather than men." Now sometimes the things commanded by a superior are against God. Therefore superiors are not to be obeyed in all things.

I answer that, As stated above (A1,4), he who obeys is moved at the bidding of the person who commands him, by a certain necessity of justice, even as a natural thing is moved through the power of its mover by a natural necessity. That a natural thing be not moved by its mover, may happen in two ways. First, on account of a hindrance arising from the stronger power of some other mover; thus wood is not burnt by fire if a stronger force of water intervene. Secondly, through lack of order in the movable with regard to its mover, since, though it is subject to the latter's action in one respect, yet it is not subject thereto in every respect. Thus, a humor is sometimes subject to the action of heat, as regards being heated, but not as regards being dried up or consumed. On like manner there are two reasons, for which a subject may not be bound to obey his superior in all things. First on account of the command of a higher power. For as a gloss says on Rm. 13:2, "They that resist [Vulg.: 'He that resisteth'] the power, resist the ordinance of God" (cf. St. Augustine, De Verb. Dom. viii). "If a commissioner issue an order, are you to comply, if it is contrary to the bidding of the proconsul? Again if the proconsul command one thing, and the emperor another, will you hesitate, to disregard the former and serve the latter? Therefore if the emperor commands one thing and God another, you must disregard the former and obey God." Secondly, a subject is not bound to obey his superior if the latter command him to do something wherein he is not subject to him. For Seneca says (De Beneficiis iii): "It is wrong to suppose that slavery falls upon the whole man: for the better part of him is excepted." His body is subjected and assigned to his master but his soul is his own. Consequently in matters touching the internal movement of the will man is not bound to obey his fellow-man, but God alone.

Nevertheless man is bound to obey his fellow-man in things that have to be done externally by means of the body: and yet, since by nature all men are equal, he is not bound to obey another man in matters touching the nature of the body, for instance in those relating to the support of his body or the begetting of his children. Wherefore servants are not bound to obey their masters, nor children their parents, in the question of contracting marriage or of remaining in the state of virginity or the like. But in matters concerning the disposal of actions and human affairs, a subject is bound to obey his superior within the sphere of his authority; for instance a soldier must obey his general in matters relating to war, a servant his master in matters touching the execution of the duties of his service, a son his father in matters relating to the conduct of his life and the care of the household; and so forth.

Reply to Objection 1. When the Apostle says "in all things," he refers to matters within the sphere of a father's or master's authority.

Reply to Objection 2. Man is subject to God simply as regards all things, both internal and external, wherefore he is bound to obey Him in all things. On the other hand, inferiors are not subject to their superiors in all things, but only in certain things and in a particular way, in respect of which the superior stands between God and his subjects, whereas in respect of other matters the subject is immediately under God, by Whom he is taught either by the natural or by the written law.

Reply to Objection 3. Religious profess obedience as to the regular mode of life, in respect of which they are subject to their superiors: wherefore they are bound to obey in those matters only which may belong to the regular mode of life, and this obedience suffices for salvation. If they be willing to obey even in other matters, this will belong to the superabundance of perfection; provided, however, such things be not contrary to God or to the rule they profess, for obedience in this case would be unlawful.

Accordingly we may distinguish a threefold obedience; one, sufficient for salvation, and consisting in obeying when one is bound to obey: secondly, perfect obedience, which obeys in all things lawful: thirdly, indiscreet obedience, which obeys even in matters unlawful.

________________

The opinion that traditionalist Catholics are, on the whole and by that very fact, schismatics or heretics has it's roots in a willfull and vincible ignorance and lack of knowledge, lack of due diligence, lack of place and authority to determine such matters, lack of charity, and a lukewarm mentality that lets slip on the sacred aims of Holy Mother Church.

Learn things before passing judgment.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), November 20, 2003.

More spam, Emerald? Are you having a bad day?

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), November 20, 2003.

Hey, Emerald, remember that St. Thomas wasn't using Plato as a handmaiden to the faith at that point... And since he has an article in the Summa about it, it is obviously a matter open to discussion. Right?

-- Catherine Ann (catfishbird@yahoo.ca), November 20, 2003.

"More spam, Emerald? Are you having a bad day?"

Actually, not really. Why do you ask?

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), November 20, 2003.

"Why do you ask? "

Because it is such bad netiquette, that usually people spam when they are frustrated. It's not much different from the ALL CAPS method of posting, where the caps are a substitute for screaming.

AMDG,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), November 20, 2003.

I understand. I could even concede.

There's a brick wall between your thoughts and my thoughts.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), November 21, 2003.