Hello Everyone,
Just two brief notes of importance today:
1) It is Canada Day today, the birthday of my sovereign Nation. Happy Birthday Canada, and Happy Canada Day to all of us north of the 44, as they say.
2) On a sadder note, Georg Ratzinger, brother of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, has died today and with greatest of hopes, may he be able to join our Lord in Heaven. Requiescat in Pace.
Pax, Julian.
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Wednesday, 1 July 2020
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
When Radicals Misrepresenting Traditionalism (RMTs) Lose Their Minds: COVID-19 Edition
Hello Everyone,
I’m taking time out of my busy schedule (including being an essential Full Time worker!) to have to call out some unfortunate idiocy which is being peddled out by Radicals Misrepresenting Traditonalists (RMTs,) and insults that have been (maybe) indirectly, but more likely directly, via commentary, launched on another blog I won’t name, against my friends in the Latin Mass and I. I refuse to name the blog as it is still a platform featuring Radical Traditonalist authors, and/or are friends/allies to those RMTs that bitterly hate us so.
Now before you accuse me of not thinking it through, I get that in the States (and also in Canada) there is SOME variance, to approaches to the tackling of the COVID-19, as in Canada, health falls under provincial governance, but at least here most provinces are taking cues from the Federal government and its health experts. These experts are monitoring the situation and communicate with each provincial premier. In addition the Federal officer of Health, Dr. Theresa Tam, has become the literal "face" of this crisis in Canada, doing media briefings and public service announcements in various forms of media. In the States, there is even MORE variability in terms of governance as States in general have even more authority/power to act independently of the Federal government under Trump, which may be a good thing as he has been flippantly ignorant and bullying as a world leader in this crisis.
In my province of Ontario, the issuance is that now, no more than 5 people (excluding large families in a single residence) can be present together, to limit the spread of the virus. Break such rules and the law can mettle out stiff penalties to individuals or businesses/owners of properties who defy medical orders or emergency laws. This is virtually zero-tolerance, even going as low as fining a father $880 CDN who let his kids rollerblade in a public park. Now in the States, it is highly possible individual states are varied as to the numerical limit of people that can congregate together. This also makes sense geographically as more rural areas have a decreased chance of spreading the virus, vs densely populated states/cities. Also some states depending on politics and the size or presence of police forces, may be regulating heavily, or willfully ignoring those who defy such laws.
In terms of New Mexico, I found the following briefings and legal orders on the state government's website as follows: 1) As of Mar 16, 2020, (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031620-DOH-PHO-r.pdf) it did limit gatherings to under 100 people. 2) HOWEVER, as of March 24, 2020, this was issued and additional restrictions were imposed (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SignedPHO03-24-2019.pdf) INCLUDING the closing of non-essential businesses, workplaces, etc. Guess what? Religious places of worship DO NOT QUALIFY as an essential service under current civil laws. Now, yes the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2210 does merit civil disobedience when authorities are truly unjust, but, are we in extreme times of persecution as I will give examples further on? NO! If the virus declines in future will our worship spaces open again? Yes. Finally, the Church ALWAYS has Her mind in interpretation of things and approaches to things of finite nature with the most mercy, including human affairs, and when action must be taken, it is only in extreme circumstances were no other moral/ethical possibility exists.
In spite of that, I would say that this bishop is acting imprudent and anyone championing his actions is to the spiritual and medical detriment of others! Further this bishop is encouraging his priests to defy the medical/civil orders of the state of New Mexico. Does he want the Church to be fined further, and possibly, his priests jailed!!!??? Even in a crisis these whitewashed sepulchres of Pharisees can only think about their spiritual needs and their interpretation of the laws! People who are doing such measures without OBJECTIVE, FACT/MEDICAL based evidence or permission, AND its ardent supporters, are ill in spirit, and need serious examination of Conscience (and a confession, for blatant disregard of life, when we can meet in person w/priests in the confessional again!)
Firstly, what kind of message are you sending to the holy Priests in service the Church by lauding this bishop’s actions? You basically are asking priests to risk their lives needlessly to give us the Sacraments/give into YOUR selfish-spiritual needs. Are we in any kind of crisis scenario or persecution akin to Japan in the latter half of the 2nd millennium, for 200+ years having no priests? Or the Christeros war in the early 1900’s in Mexico were all Catholics were under threat of execution? NO! These are not scenarios where martyrdom is a necessity or a calling for the Church. We still have the freedom to practice religion in most countries in the world. What is happening is a necessary, social/medical practice to STOP needless, unnecessary deaths from happening in the community and the Church at large. Now, you will probably accuse me of being spiritually stupid or not taking the spiritual crisis in the Church with seriousness.
Do you think I would be having a blog devoted to the Latin Mass and/or serving in some capacity (and now, thanks to virtual practice, learning how to sing/read Gregorian chant from my good friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir) if I didn't care? Absolutely not! Yes there is a lot going on spiritually and morally that is sick within Her bosom, but not is not the time to act stupidly and put others at risk!
Secondly, do you think that even if a priest limited his house of worship to a handful of people, he and everyone wore at least surgical masks (newsflash: they are not highly effective for AIRBORNE contaminants. "Gold standard" protection belongs to N95 masks which protects against 95% of airborne particles/contaminants 300 microns and under with Coronavirus being 170 nm (0.17 micrometers,)) and stood the required 6 ft/ 2m apart from each other there is NOT the possibility of still getting infected with COVID-19? Your thinking is wrong. The virus is contact/droplet spreadable. All it takes, potentially, is for one to be in the same airspace close to a person who sneezes or coughs, even talks as spit particles a.k.a “droplets” not visible to the naked eye, and you can get the virus via contact, or the droplets going into your un-protected eyes. I can tell you that the Church is NOT supplying N95s and/or face-shields to all its clergy. Single-person doorways, hallways, bathrooms, and small narthexes also come to mind here. Let it be also stated, not everyone is masking themselves, or has access/capability to make homemade masks. Also, humans are prone to touching themselves, even subconsciously. All it takes is father to have touched his contaminated mask surface (or yourself) before taking it off, then touch his/your naked skin or rub your eyes and voila! ILLNESS!
While we are at it, what if a homeless person wanders off the street and in their stupor (because in Ontario, government foolishly let LCBO stores still run for the alcohol addicts,) or disregard, parks himself on one of the pews or goes to other areas of the parish with NO protection, and is ASYMPTOMATIC but carrying COVID-19, yet to break out into fever, sweats, etc.? Unless Fr and his custodial staff disinfect EVERY public area after each Mass thoroughly after all people leave, you are creating a potential ground of illness for Father and his parishioners! Speaking of that homeless person, or asymptomatic carriers, if they touch a surface and leave the virus on them, according to this screen graphic, the virus can still linger on certain surfaces, up to 3 days! (source: https://www.fox17online.com/news/coronavirus/how-long-does-a-coronavirus-live-on-common-surfaces)
![items.[0].image.alt](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a094ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fewscripps.brightspotcdn.com%2F62%2F27%2F809fff574fb1ae593c62fa5384d7%2Fchart-how-long-does-covid-19-live-on-common-surfaces.png)
Most of our parishes, sadly, aren't decorated anymore with materials such as high quality metals, including brass, which is the most viral-repulsive material giving the virus a mere 4 hrs to live before it is inactive or molecularly deteriorates. Common materials persist (with credit to the false "spirit" of Vatican II liturgical "wreck-o-vation"), such as wood, drywall/plaster, concrete, etc, ALL having longer lifespans for the virus over brass. If you look at this chart, the worst offenders are, GASP! PAPER AND WOOD AT 4-5 days! Even if many pews are lacquered, many churches' pews are worn down or NOT lacquered at all. All it takes is for poor Father to run his hands along that surface, itch his nose or breath near his contaminated hand, and potentially that's another one of Christ's Alter Christi DEAD! One less person who can administer the Sacraments.
Finally, do you think that you are safer in the community, or a hospital with a COVID-19 test center? If you guessed the community, you are WRONG! I can vouch for this personally as I work in a health care career. While I will NOT disclose my workplace as I have in past been harassed and/or threatened with lawsuit by one of my enemies (through my then, pastor of my parish at the time,) I will say that I am more safer than the general population. See here, for example, of a grocery store chain where a particular store was hit TWICE with COVID-19 positive workers, resulting in shutdown of the store, and the 2nd time two stores had to be shut down in the area. As for my workplace, we screen everyone, employee or patient, at both entrances, and send them to the COVID-19 assessment centre or nearby emergency room (ER) for ANY noted symptom to get swabs of their sinuses for PCR testing of COVID-19. Other clinics/areas are pre-screening patients and any symptom means self-isolation/re-booking appointments at least 2 weeks later. Also we have access to a supply of at least one mask per employee per day, hand sanitizer, medical gloves, and anti-virus/virucidal sanitization wipes of MEDICAL GRADE. Considering even one of those items is hard to access as the general population and of short supply, how safe do you think you are outside of essential service or medical workplaces?
So, after all that, if one has ANY rational or logical ability to think, is it at all sane or reasonable for a bishop such as +Baldacchino to open their parishes and allow gatherings of even a few select people, and create a potential scenario for disaster, such as our nursing homes? What if in your diocese, your bishop opened the churches before COVID-19 was declared reduced or null, and your self and/or your young childen, and/or your grandparents got sick because they went to Mass, even with the utmost precaution? Any usual person save those with a euthanasia mindset would likely EXPLODE at the bishop and the Catholic Church for allowing your kid/your relative to die and expose them to the Virus. Anyone up for a damages lawsuit akin to those for sexual abuse scandals that would close parishes/dioceses due to financial bankruptcy? Do YOU even care if others die from the Virus?
Oh, and for you young RMTs of 20-40 years old, don't think the virus can NOT kill you at your age. IT CAN! If you are lucky enough to have a pre-disposition in your immune system you don't know about, or it compounds onto a medical condition you didn't know, or you just get "overwhelmed" due to its symptoms and your body shuts down, IT CAN KILL YOU! Youth is NOT a guarantee of survival. This virus discriminates against no-one and doesn't care if you can chant the Dies Irae in perfect tone at Solemn requiem Latin Masses, or blog on the Internet.
Also, should you be fortunate enough to be in "good health," this virus can still place you in an intensive care/inpatient ward in a hospital for MORE THAN 14 DAYS! Here is a young 28 year old male athlete, who was training for the 2020 Olympics as a martial artist in Karate. This 4 minute video gives you just some snapshots what his daily life was like in the hospital after contracting COVID-19. Yes you can say, "He is doing strenuous exercise in the video" but that's not the point! The point is even healthy members of the population can end up in a hospital, and this young man is BLESSED because he is in peak condition physically as an athlete, which helped him not be in worse shape health wise, even allowing him to do some exercise physically. Most men and women are NOT professional athletes in the Church. Should a regular member like yourself of the population get sick, I can say with confidence you would likely NOT be doing any physical activity on the floor of your patient room. You'd likely be a lot worse off than him.
Personally I do keep a watch on those who attack us, and/or my allies, for the sake of monitoring behavior, as well as documentation should things come down to ecclesial/legal matters. Also, their behaviors are the very reason that the Latin Mass has reached stalling points in our Archdiocese of Toronto to grow and proliferate beyond its initial flourish post-Summorum Pontificum in the last decade.
On a local blog, where the main bloggers are involved partially, or are, allies/friends to those who hate and revile St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (SPGC) and I, one of them decided to dig deep into their spiritual hate bin and pull out old gripes about certain behaviours. What did one blogger decide to take a stab at us with? First the listing of clericals and/or main persons in the liturgy including name of the choir in promotional posters or the liturgical booklets printed for Masses. Second, to take a stab at altar servers who pose in front of altars. Not only did they do so, they did it as a comment, not naming any party in particular. Talk about cowardice. They even had the gall to name it part of "liturgical tourism."
Regardless of not naming parties, the Internet IS a public forum in Canada. I have freedom of speech to offer criticism, and so I choose, and to defend my friends and I whose names and character are still attacked by these misguided souls to this day.
On the naming of ministers and the choir, first of all, it is appropriate to indicate whether a Mass is being held by the parish itself/organized by the parish and/or pastor itself, or being done by outside parties. It is only right to credit the right people for organizing these liturgies and all the hard work placed into it. It would be foolish to lead on innocent laity into a false assumption that parish x or Father Y is "Traditional" and responsible for the Mass, only for said Traditionalist to be mistaken and shocked when said parish and choir are regular Novus Ordo. It is appropriate to let people know who is doing what so they know where to go/which Father to go to for their spiritual Latin Mass needs.
Further, do not the clergy, choirs, and even altar servers, who bravely allow the EF to happen in this spiritual climate of anti-Traditonalism/anti-Latin Mass deserve respect and even, gasp, WANT people to come to the EF offerings? It also works both ways. If we cannot name ourselves or our clergy, neither can this blogger's allies/friends whom they support. If we cannot make ourselves known, neither can they. Also, when the Latin Mass loses avenues of promotion, all parties in the Church loses people who would have otherwise grown deeper in their Catholic Faith and maybe been SAVED via the Latin Mass. Funny, I thought Trads, even RMTs, wanted souls to become full blown Traddies attending the EF? Guess I was wrong. While the naming of parties is a small nit picky detail, it does go in-part in promoting the EF.
Oh, and SPGC only stopped because one or more of the blogger's friends/allies/fanboys and/or fangirls harassed the choirmaster by email about it. The blogger might have not "entered the scene" at that time, but regardless SPGC knows who the main culprits are. That means bullying forced them into it, and BULLYING IS A SIN! Do you think they honestly stopped that for anyone’s good or by someone’s logic and reason, secular or spiritually? NO! It was a silencing tactic.
Further, the blogger's logic is faulty, because SPGC does these Masses in diocesan parishes, with the approval of, and in some cases such as St. Mary's Polish Church (Davenport,) the actual participation of, its clergy who DO the Latin Masses, in order to do said offerings of the Mass. While not all these Masses are at their usual time slots, these have been according to the EF calendar of the Latin Rite. They are not "Extra." Further, is it not a general principle that is touted in "Trad-land," that the exemplar of the Latin Mass is the Pontifical Latin Mass, and that whenever possible for MAJOR EF feasts, the highest level of feast is done so as to follow said example?
As a final kicker, this critic is guilty of violating his own words. There is actual photographic evidence on the Internet that they HAVE participated in "Liturgical tourism" at the same parish mentioned above in an "extra" offering. See below:
(Taken from the twitter account of his own blog which I will not name, posted from a Mass for the Ascension done May 10, 2018. Face blackened out, as well as the RMT blog, out of charity)
This offering was a Missa Canata, and did gain the assistance of, and internet promotion by, a lay-led organization, or at least it's president and choirmaster, in order to hold the level of the Missa Cantata. To go to extremes of his logic of avoiding "liturgical tourism," it should have not been held because it wasn't at a normal Mass time, or made at the level of a Missa Lecta. Should music have been done, someone from the parish should have been cantor and organist. There is NOT a soul to the best of my knowledge at that parish who CAN do the EF for such a Mass. I guess the Mass shouldn't have been anything more than a music-less Missa Lecta then or not held at all ... too much grand-standing and liturgical pomp then. Maybe we should just settle for the Novus Ordo too while we are at it ...
Based on my arguments above, I dare the blogger to call his close friends' efforts and those priests who have been assisting SPGC and other efforts and parishes, MUTUALLY, be it in past or in present, guilty of such sins of “liturgical tourism” and let me know their replies in writing.
Now to address their second insult. As for the altar servers posing in front of altars for a photo? That hasn’t happened in years! Long before this critic discovered the Latin Mass, I recall when +Boissineau was homilist at a Solemn Mass of approx 500 People was held on Canada Day 2011, organized by SPGC, a picture was taken of the choir and other servers who have been in the “scene” longer than I, (back before when everyone helped each other in the Archdiocese no matter who organized the EF,) who are likely some of this blogger’s current allies/friends, or were at this time, and did so. Despite that a number of the servers from that Mass have reduced or no no longer serve the EF, a picture was taken of the combined clergy, choir members, and servers for that Mass.
However, it is also possible this blogger is more likely pointing the finger at me, or including me anyways. My profile pic on Google+/Blogger is me in front of the altar at St Patrick’s Toronto in 2011, after my first EF Mass, when I was a torchbearer and the servers were plentiful. It was a memory for myself and I did it alone outside of anyone else involved in that Mass:
I haven’t taken a photo in front of a parish altar in years to my best recollection. In addition, the critic has a personal beef with me, since I criticized them a few years ago in a reflection piece on my blog, as symptomatic of a new threat to the EF: Young people with a Radical Traditionalist (read: anti-Novus ordo Church and anti-Francis) mentality, who were NOT the ages of their friends/allies who experienced spiritual/liturgical wreck-o-vation or a truly harmful experience at the hand of a leader in the institutional church, laity or clergy.
So I am not surprised I am being at least indirectly insulted with “word daggers” despite my name not mentioned but lumped with SPGC, or at its worst being directly stabbed with a “literary broadsword” over a simple picture. A truly sad use of one's time in this social/spiritual isolation.
- these RMTs have blatant disregard for your physical well-being to the extent of their OWN personal spiritual “well-being” (if it can be said to be such, in the most “charitable” terms,) as well as that of our clergy, most of whom are the primary targets by age and overall health for the COVID-19 virus. They abandon all forethought, logic, and scientific/biological evidence or downplay it cause they want their Masses and Sacraments now!
- In RMT world, no one is immune from the least senior altar server to clergy for perceived spiritual/liturgical violations. If you aren’t doing the EF to their standards you are unfit to even be a Traditonalist, which is implied even if not written or spoken directly to you.
- WHY, STILL, the Latin Mass is NOT thriving in dioceses, and/or why clergy including bishops want NOTHING to do with the EF, as these people are the most vindictive souls in the Church. Who needs cliche “angry Protestants” when your own Brother and/or Sister in Christ commits vile sins against you and has no respect for the priestly class unless those priests sing their tune and think like them?
- How even in the stupidest of times, or the most awful of times, they still will find time to snipe at you personally or their chosen target of angst when spiritually, they are experiencing the closest thing they will ever experience to monastery life, or a time un-distracted by the outside world to deepen their spiritual lives in prayer and reading. They shirk developing real holiness and charity and opt for sinning via sins of the mind and word, be it written or otherwise. And they still cannot forgive you for your transgressions, or to even once maybe, consider we are a Communal Body of Christ and abandon the “US vs the New World Order and them, the “Novus Ordo Church,” mentality.
I shouldn’t have to make posts like this but staying silent is being an accessory to the sin of defending the ill will done via silence. And maybe, just maybe, a few minds and hearts will be moved to FINALLY see what is right in all this, and for once promote the EF Liturgy and the Church in a good light, than trying to tear it down from within and it’s people for what .... bragging rights? Knowing you are right and others are wrong?
Since when does being right constitute the Summum Bonum, the Greatest Good, which is God, who came down to us for our Salvation as the Word Made Flesh for our salvation, which we commemorated (albeit virtually for almost all laity,) most recently in the Holy Triduum?
Priorities people, priorities. Perhaps a rosary for everything going on may remind you of the One True Focus ... and if you want to direct it against me like a non-Catholic Christian when they say with emptiness "I'll pray for you," don’t bother praying for me at all. Or, pray with deep meaning in your Heart that one day, as Christ wished, your enemy (me,) and you, may be “United as one” here on Earth and in Heaven.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
I’m taking time out of my busy schedule (including being an essential Full Time worker!) to have to call out some unfortunate idiocy which is being peddled out by Radicals Misrepresenting Traditonalists (RMTs,) and insults that have been (maybe) indirectly, but more likely directly, via commentary, launched on another blog I won’t name, against my friends in the Latin Mass and I. I refuse to name the blog as it is still a platform featuring Radical Traditonalist authors, and/or are friends/allies to those RMTs that bitterly hate us so.
Lauding a bishop that opened his churches in his diocese to public Mass? Now? When COVID-19 has NOT DECLINED WORLDWIDE!
My first, partial disappointment is due to a Facebook post on my feed from an acquaintance, whom is cheering on a bishop in the United States in the diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Bishop Baldacchino, (not a Catholic liturgy joke!) who is allowing the Mass to be held once again and opening his parishes' doors. My acquaintance, is showering this bishop with much praise for his actions. This person is not one of my close friends, however they are heavily involved in the Latin Mass community close to where they live. The very fact they are promoting this shows a lemming-like following to the RMT party line, where spiritual selfishness and Novus Ordo Church bashing (via its hierarchy) is de rigeur.Now before you accuse me of not thinking it through, I get that in the States (and also in Canada) there is SOME variance, to approaches to the tackling of the COVID-19, as in Canada, health falls under provincial governance, but at least here most provinces are taking cues from the Federal government and its health experts. These experts are monitoring the situation and communicate with each provincial premier. In addition the Federal officer of Health, Dr. Theresa Tam, has become the literal "face" of this crisis in Canada, doing media briefings and public service announcements in various forms of media. In the States, there is even MORE variability in terms of governance as States in general have even more authority/power to act independently of the Federal government under Trump, which may be a good thing as he has been flippantly ignorant and bullying as a world leader in this crisis.
In my province of Ontario, the issuance is that now, no more than 5 people (excluding large families in a single residence) can be present together, to limit the spread of the virus. Break such rules and the law can mettle out stiff penalties to individuals or businesses/owners of properties who defy medical orders or emergency laws. This is virtually zero-tolerance, even going as low as fining a father $880 CDN who let his kids rollerblade in a public park. Now in the States, it is highly possible individual states are varied as to the numerical limit of people that can congregate together. This also makes sense geographically as more rural areas have a decreased chance of spreading the virus, vs densely populated states/cities. Also some states depending on politics and the size or presence of police forces, may be regulating heavily, or willfully ignoring those who defy such laws.
In terms of New Mexico, I found the following briefings and legal orders on the state government's website as follows: 1) As of Mar 16, 2020, (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031620-DOH-PHO-r.pdf) it did limit gatherings to under 100 people. 2) HOWEVER, as of March 24, 2020, this was issued and additional restrictions were imposed (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SignedPHO03-24-2019.pdf) INCLUDING the closing of non-essential businesses, workplaces, etc. Guess what? Religious places of worship DO NOT QUALIFY as an essential service under current civil laws. Now, yes the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2210 does merit civil disobedience when authorities are truly unjust, but, are we in extreme times of persecution as I will give examples further on? NO! If the virus declines in future will our worship spaces open again? Yes. Finally, the Church ALWAYS has Her mind in interpretation of things and approaches to things of finite nature with the most mercy, including human affairs, and when action must be taken, it is only in extreme circumstances were no other moral/ethical possibility exists.
In spite of that, I would say that this bishop is acting imprudent and anyone championing his actions is to the spiritual and medical detriment of others! Further this bishop is encouraging his priests to defy the medical/civil orders of the state of New Mexico. Does he want the Church to be fined further, and possibly, his priests jailed!!!??? Even in a crisis these whitewashed sepulchres of Pharisees can only think about their spiritual needs and their interpretation of the laws! People who are doing such measures without OBJECTIVE, FACT/MEDICAL based evidence or permission, AND its ardent supporters, are ill in spirit, and need serious examination of Conscience (and a confession, for blatant disregard of life, when we can meet in person w/priests in the confessional again!)
Firstly, what kind of message are you sending to the holy Priests in service the Church by lauding this bishop’s actions? You basically are asking priests to risk their lives needlessly to give us the Sacraments/give into YOUR selfish-spiritual needs. Are we in any kind of crisis scenario or persecution akin to Japan in the latter half of the 2nd millennium, for 200+ years having no priests? Or the Christeros war in the early 1900’s in Mexico were all Catholics were under threat of execution? NO! These are not scenarios where martyrdom is a necessity or a calling for the Church. We still have the freedom to practice religion in most countries in the world. What is happening is a necessary, social/medical practice to STOP needless, unnecessary deaths from happening in the community and the Church at large. Now, you will probably accuse me of being spiritually stupid or not taking the spiritual crisis in the Church with seriousness.
Do you think I would be having a blog devoted to the Latin Mass and/or serving in some capacity (and now, thanks to virtual practice, learning how to sing/read Gregorian chant from my good friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir) if I didn't care? Absolutely not! Yes there is a lot going on spiritually and morally that is sick within Her bosom, but not is not the time to act stupidly and put others at risk!
Secondly, do you think that even if a priest limited his house of worship to a handful of people, he and everyone wore at least surgical masks (newsflash: they are not highly effective for AIRBORNE contaminants. "Gold standard" protection belongs to N95 masks which protects against 95% of airborne particles/contaminants 300 microns and under with Coronavirus being 170 nm (0.17 micrometers,)) and stood the required 6 ft/ 2m apart from each other there is NOT the possibility of still getting infected with COVID-19? Your thinking is wrong. The virus is contact/droplet spreadable. All it takes, potentially, is for one to be in the same airspace close to a person who sneezes or coughs, even talks as spit particles a.k.a “droplets” not visible to the naked eye, and you can get the virus via contact, or the droplets going into your un-protected eyes. I can tell you that the Church is NOT supplying N95s and/or face-shields to all its clergy. Single-person doorways, hallways, bathrooms, and small narthexes also come to mind here. Let it be also stated, not everyone is masking themselves, or has access/capability to make homemade masks. Also, humans are prone to touching themselves, even subconsciously. All it takes is father to have touched his contaminated mask surface (or yourself) before taking it off, then touch his/your naked skin or rub your eyes and voila! ILLNESS!
While we are at it, what if a homeless person wanders off the street and in their stupor (because in Ontario, government foolishly let LCBO stores still run for the alcohol addicts,) or disregard, parks himself on one of the pews or goes to other areas of the parish with NO protection, and is ASYMPTOMATIC but carrying COVID-19, yet to break out into fever, sweats, etc.? Unless Fr and his custodial staff disinfect EVERY public area after each Mass thoroughly after all people leave, you are creating a potential ground of illness for Father and his parishioners! Speaking of that homeless person, or asymptomatic carriers, if they touch a surface and leave the virus on them, according to this screen graphic, the virus can still linger on certain surfaces, up to 3 days! (source: https://www.fox17online.com/news/coronavirus/how-long-does-a-coronavirus-live-on-common-surfaces)
Most of our parishes, sadly, aren't decorated anymore with materials such as high quality metals, including brass, which is the most viral-repulsive material giving the virus a mere 4 hrs to live before it is inactive or molecularly deteriorates. Common materials persist (with credit to the false "spirit" of Vatican II liturgical "wreck-o-vation"), such as wood, drywall/plaster, concrete, etc, ALL having longer lifespans for the virus over brass. If you look at this chart, the worst offenders are, GASP! PAPER AND WOOD AT 4-5 days! Even if many pews are lacquered, many churches' pews are worn down or NOT lacquered at all. All it takes is for poor Father to run his hands along that surface, itch his nose or breath near his contaminated hand, and potentially that's another one of Christ's Alter Christi DEAD! One less person who can administer the Sacraments.
Finally, do you think that you are safer in the community, or a hospital with a COVID-19 test center? If you guessed the community, you are WRONG! I can vouch for this personally as I work in a health care career. While I will NOT disclose my workplace as I have in past been harassed and/or threatened with lawsuit by one of my enemies (through my then, pastor of my parish at the time,) I will say that I am more safer than the general population. See here, for example, of a grocery store chain where a particular store was hit TWICE with COVID-19 positive workers, resulting in shutdown of the store, and the 2nd time two stores had to be shut down in the area. As for my workplace, we screen everyone, employee or patient, at both entrances, and send them to the COVID-19 assessment centre or nearby emergency room (ER) for ANY noted symptom to get swabs of their sinuses for PCR testing of COVID-19. Other clinics/areas are pre-screening patients and any symptom means self-isolation/re-booking appointments at least 2 weeks later. Also we have access to a supply of at least one mask per employee per day, hand sanitizer, medical gloves, and anti-virus/virucidal sanitization wipes of MEDICAL GRADE. Considering even one of those items is hard to access as the general population and of short supply, how safe do you think you are outside of essential service or medical workplaces?
So, after all that, if one has ANY rational or logical ability to think, is it at all sane or reasonable for a bishop such as +Baldacchino to open their parishes and allow gatherings of even a few select people, and create a potential scenario for disaster, such as our nursing homes? What if in your diocese, your bishop opened the churches before COVID-19 was declared reduced or null, and your self and/or your young childen, and/or your grandparents got sick because they went to Mass, even with the utmost precaution? Any usual person save those with a euthanasia mindset would likely EXPLODE at the bishop and the Catholic Church for allowing your kid/your relative to die and expose them to the Virus. Anyone up for a damages lawsuit akin to those for sexual abuse scandals that would close parishes/dioceses due to financial bankruptcy? Do YOU even care if others die from the Virus?
Oh, and for you young RMTs of 20-40 years old, don't think the virus can NOT kill you at your age. IT CAN! If you are lucky enough to have a pre-disposition in your immune system you don't know about, or it compounds onto a medical condition you didn't know, or you just get "overwhelmed" due to its symptoms and your body shuts down, IT CAN KILL YOU! Youth is NOT a guarantee of survival. This virus discriminates against no-one and doesn't care if you can chant the Dies Irae in perfect tone at Solemn requiem Latin Masses, or blog on the Internet.
Also, should you be fortunate enough to be in "good health," this virus can still place you in an intensive care/inpatient ward in a hospital for MORE THAN 14 DAYS! Here is a young 28 year old male athlete, who was training for the 2020 Olympics as a martial artist in Karate. This 4 minute video gives you just some snapshots what his daily life was like in the hospital after contracting COVID-19. Yes you can say, "He is doing strenuous exercise in the video" but that's not the point! The point is even healthy members of the population can end up in a hospital, and this young man is BLESSED because he is in peak condition physically as an athlete, which helped him not be in worse shape health wise, even allowing him to do some exercise physically. Most men and women are NOT professional athletes in the Church. Should a regular member like yourself of the population get sick, I can say with confidence you would likely NOT be doing any physical activity on the floor of your patient room. You'd likely be a lot worse off than him.
Detraction/Slander of My friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir and likely, I again ....
As for my second point of contention, it is truly sad that even in this time of crisis, armchair theologians/RMTs with keyboards seem to still want to personally attack, or detract from the characters of my allies and I in the Latin Mass community, with smug superiority in their hearts. Those people should follow the maxim, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all."Personally I do keep a watch on those who attack us, and/or my allies, for the sake of monitoring behavior, as well as documentation should things come down to ecclesial/legal matters. Also, their behaviors are the very reason that the Latin Mass has reached stalling points in our Archdiocese of Toronto to grow and proliferate beyond its initial flourish post-Summorum Pontificum in the last decade.
On a local blog, where the main bloggers are involved partially, or are, allies/friends to those who hate and revile St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (SPGC) and I, one of them decided to dig deep into their spiritual hate bin and pull out old gripes about certain behaviours. What did one blogger decide to take a stab at us with? First the listing of clericals and/or main persons in the liturgy including name of the choir in promotional posters or the liturgical booklets printed for Masses. Second, to take a stab at altar servers who pose in front of altars. Not only did they do so, they did it as a comment, not naming any party in particular. Talk about cowardice. They even had the gall to name it part of "liturgical tourism."
Regardless of not naming parties, the Internet IS a public forum in Canada. I have freedom of speech to offer criticism, and so I choose, and to defend my friends and I whose names and character are still attacked by these misguided souls to this day.
On the naming of ministers and the choir, first of all, it is appropriate to indicate whether a Mass is being held by the parish itself/organized by the parish and/or pastor itself, or being done by outside parties. It is only right to credit the right people for organizing these liturgies and all the hard work placed into it. It would be foolish to lead on innocent laity into a false assumption that parish x or Father Y is "Traditional" and responsible for the Mass, only for said Traditionalist to be mistaken and shocked when said parish and choir are regular Novus Ordo. It is appropriate to let people know who is doing what so they know where to go/which Father to go to for their spiritual Latin Mass needs.
Further, do not the clergy, choirs, and even altar servers, who bravely allow the EF to happen in this spiritual climate of anti-Traditonalism/anti-Latin Mass deserve respect and even, gasp, WANT people to come to the EF offerings? It also works both ways. If we cannot name ourselves or our clergy, neither can this blogger's allies/friends whom they support. If we cannot make ourselves known, neither can they. Also, when the Latin Mass loses avenues of promotion, all parties in the Church loses people who would have otherwise grown deeper in their Catholic Faith and maybe been SAVED via the Latin Mass. Funny, I thought Trads, even RMTs, wanted souls to become full blown Traddies attending the EF? Guess I was wrong. While the naming of parties is a small nit picky detail, it does go in-part in promoting the EF.
Oh, and SPGC only stopped because one or more of the blogger's friends/allies/fanboys and/or fangirls harassed the choirmaster by email about it. The blogger might have not "entered the scene" at that time, but regardless SPGC knows who the main culprits are. That means bullying forced them into it, and BULLYING IS A SIN! Do you think they honestly stopped that for anyone’s good or by someone’s logic and reason, secular or spiritually? NO! It was a silencing tactic.
Further, the blogger's logic is faulty, because SPGC does these Masses in diocesan parishes, with the approval of, and in some cases such as St. Mary's Polish Church (Davenport,) the actual participation of, its clergy who DO the Latin Masses, in order to do said offerings of the Mass. While not all these Masses are at their usual time slots, these have been according to the EF calendar of the Latin Rite. They are not "Extra." Further, is it not a general principle that is touted in "Trad-land," that the exemplar of the Latin Mass is the Pontifical Latin Mass, and that whenever possible for MAJOR EF feasts, the highest level of feast is done so as to follow said example?
As a final kicker, this critic is guilty of violating his own words. There is actual photographic evidence on the Internet that they HAVE participated in "Liturgical tourism" at the same parish mentioned above in an "extra" offering. See below:
(Taken from the twitter account of his own blog which I will not name, posted from a Mass for the Ascension done May 10, 2018. Face blackened out, as well as the RMT blog, out of charity)
This offering was a Missa Canata, and did gain the assistance of, and internet promotion by, a lay-led organization, or at least it's president and choirmaster, in order to hold the level of the Missa Cantata. To go to extremes of his logic of avoiding "liturgical tourism," it should have not been held because it wasn't at a normal Mass time, or made at the level of a Missa Lecta. Should music have been done, someone from the parish should have been cantor and organist. There is NOT a soul to the best of my knowledge at that parish who CAN do the EF for such a Mass. I guess the Mass shouldn't have been anything more than a music-less Missa Lecta then or not held at all ... too much grand-standing and liturgical pomp then. Maybe we should just settle for the Novus Ordo too while we are at it ...
Based on my arguments above, I dare the blogger to call his close friends' efforts and those priests who have been assisting SPGC and other efforts and parishes, MUTUALLY, be it in past or in present, guilty of such sins of “liturgical tourism” and let me know their replies in writing.
Now to address their second insult. As for the altar servers posing in front of altars for a photo? That hasn’t happened in years! Long before this critic discovered the Latin Mass, I recall when +Boissineau was homilist at a Solemn Mass of approx 500 People was held on Canada Day 2011, organized by SPGC, a picture was taken of the choir and other servers who have been in the “scene” longer than I, (back before when everyone helped each other in the Archdiocese no matter who organized the EF,) who are likely some of this blogger’s current allies/friends, or were at this time, and did so. Despite that a number of the servers from that Mass have reduced or no no longer serve the EF, a picture was taken of the combined clergy, choir members, and servers for that Mass.
However, it is also possible this blogger is more likely pointing the finger at me, or including me anyways. My profile pic on Google+/Blogger is me in front of the altar at St Patrick’s Toronto in 2011, after my first EF Mass, when I was a torchbearer and the servers were plentiful. It was a memory for myself and I did it alone outside of anyone else involved in that Mass:
Yep, that's me, the "Liturgical tourist" ha ha ha!
I haven’t taken a photo in front of a parish altar in years to my best recollection. In addition, the critic has a personal beef with me, since I criticized them a few years ago in a reflection piece on my blog, as symptomatic of a new threat to the EF: Young people with a Radical Traditionalist (read: anti-Novus ordo Church and anti-Francis) mentality, who were NOT the ages of their friends/allies who experienced spiritual/liturgical wreck-o-vation or a truly harmful experience at the hand of a leader in the institutional church, laity or clergy.
So I am not surprised I am being at least indirectly insulted with “word daggers” despite my name not mentioned but lumped with SPGC, or at its worst being directly stabbed with a “literary broadsword” over a simple picture. A truly sad use of one's time in this social/spiritual isolation.
Summary
What both examples of behaviour demonstrates is the following:- these RMTs have blatant disregard for your physical well-being to the extent of their OWN personal spiritual “well-being” (if it can be said to be such, in the most “charitable” terms,) as well as that of our clergy, most of whom are the primary targets by age and overall health for the COVID-19 virus. They abandon all forethought, logic, and scientific/biological evidence or downplay it cause they want their Masses and Sacraments now!
- In RMT world, no one is immune from the least senior altar server to clergy for perceived spiritual/liturgical violations. If you aren’t doing the EF to their standards you are unfit to even be a Traditonalist, which is implied even if not written or spoken directly to you.
- WHY, STILL, the Latin Mass is NOT thriving in dioceses, and/or why clergy including bishops want NOTHING to do with the EF, as these people are the most vindictive souls in the Church. Who needs cliche “angry Protestants” when your own Brother and/or Sister in Christ commits vile sins against you and has no respect for the priestly class unless those priests sing their tune and think like them?
- How even in the stupidest of times, or the most awful of times, they still will find time to snipe at you personally or their chosen target of angst when spiritually, they are experiencing the closest thing they will ever experience to monastery life, or a time un-distracted by the outside world to deepen their spiritual lives in prayer and reading. They shirk developing real holiness and charity and opt for sinning via sins of the mind and word, be it written or otherwise. And they still cannot forgive you for your transgressions, or to even once maybe, consider we are a Communal Body of Christ and abandon the “US vs the New World Order and them, the “Novus Ordo Church,” mentality.
I shouldn’t have to make posts like this but staying silent is being an accessory to the sin of defending the ill will done via silence. And maybe, just maybe, a few minds and hearts will be moved to FINALLY see what is right in all this, and for once promote the EF Liturgy and the Church in a good light, than trying to tear it down from within and it’s people for what .... bragging rights? Knowing you are right and others are wrong?
Since when does being right constitute the Summum Bonum, the Greatest Good, which is God, who came down to us for our Salvation as the Word Made Flesh for our salvation, which we commemorated (albeit virtually for almost all laity,) most recently in the Holy Triduum?
Priorities people, priorities. Perhaps a rosary for everything going on may remind you of the One True Focus ... and if you want to direct it against me like a non-Catholic Christian when they say with emptiness "I'll pray for you," don’t bother praying for me at all. Or, pray with deep meaning in your Heart that one day, as Christ wished, your enemy (me,) and you, may be “United as one” here on Earth and in Heaven.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
Friday, 10 April 2020
COOL ONLINE EF VESPERS FOR HOLY SAT! COURTESY OF SPGC AND I!
EXTRAORDINARY FORM VESPERS!!! TO BE CHANTED THIS SATURDAY, APR 11 @ 6PM on FACEBOOK OF ST. PATRICK'S GREGORIAN CHOIR
Hello everyone,
A special opportunity is being presented to the faithful of the Church online, via my good friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir.
St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (SPGC), normally chants the Gregorian Chants/Propers for the Saturday 5pm Novus Ordo Masses of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Toronto, run by the Redemptorist Fathers, located downtown Toronto @ 131 McCaul St (Closest subway is St. Patrick's on TTC, intersection is University and Dundas St. W.)
However, due to the public gathering ban in Ontario, which limits gatherings to 5 people, as well as orders from ++ Collins that all churches in the Archdiocese of Toronto are closed to the public (w/exception to privately arranged confession via appointment, for those parishes willing to do so,) Surinder Mundra, SPGC choirmaster, has moved choir practice online!
The choir is active via its Facebook page doing live-streaming, and is providing a unique opportunity for everyone, (including myself, who normally altar serves and does NOT do the choir side of things,) to participate in their practices !!! The Facebook link is below.
Facebook for SPGC: https://www.facebook.com/saintpatricksgregorianchoir/
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IF THEY GET 1000 SUBSCRIBERS THEY WILL BE GRANTED FREE ACCESS TO LIVESTREAM ON THAT PLATFORM!!!!
The usual time for their online streaming is 6:30PM EST on Saturdays for regular practices, on the Facebook page above. However, extra occasional opportunities may be streamed at different times than usual, and other days ... and one is presenting itself.
This opporunity (of which I was personally asked to assist in helping put together,) is that the SPGC will be doing EXTRAORDINARY FORM/LATIN MASS VESPERS FOR HOLY SATURDAY!
The practice for the EF Vespers will be live-streamed on the SPGC Facebook page today, Friday Apr 10, 2020 @ 7pm, and the actual vespers will be chanted Tomorrow, Saturday, Apr 11, 2020 @ 6pm. The event page for the Vespers is below:
The chant pages have been uploaded to the Facebook event for the Vespers above. Because FB won't allow for word doc attachment directly, they are attached as screen captures in .jpeg format.
I hope you will enjoy and be uplifted by this extra opportunity being provided by the choir, and that this will be a great consolation and spiritual food in this time of COVID-19.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
Some Internet EF/Chant Resources to Help You During These Times for Holy Week (and after)
(Source: St. Andrew's Good Friday Missal, from https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/good-friday-from-the-traditional-latin-liturgy/)
Hello to all of you,
I chime in today, after a long hiatus between my FT day job and managing a 2 year old and a household, to provide you with a much needed posting.
These days are much for those of us in the Catholic Church. With our parishes closed and priests forced under state/provincial guidelines to NOT allow gatherings above X number of people (in Ontario, that is 5 people,) only the very few will have the blessing of the Eucharist (reserved over from Holy Thursday Liturgy) and or the Triduum services, and the Holy Mass after this weekend on Sundays.
I can only imagine to my brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese of Toronto who prefer the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this is particularly devastating (as well as those in other Ontario dioceses,) as availability to the EF is already limited in the everyday life of the Church, even during normal times.
Here in this post, I will place a few links of services, including those in the regular Church Mass/Ordinary Form, out of loyalty and service to our Shepherd Cardinal Thomas Collins, that one can partake in during these times. While one can search for EF livestreams from the FSSP or the ICKSP online, this blog IS of service, and based out of, the Archdiocese of Toronto. Hence I prefer to promote local efforts.
Ordinary Form Liturgy/Gregorian Chant
1. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we are thankful that our Arcbishop and Shepherd, Thomas Cardinal Collins, has gracefully allowed live-streaming of Masses and services during Holy Week from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael's in Toronto. Let me remind the viewers that His Eminence is favourable to the Latin Mass, so much so that in 2016, A Solemn (High) Latin Mass was allowed by his Eminence, with himself as homilist, to be graciously done at St. Michael's, organized by St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir.
I say the above in as much as for minds who may be saying "hey it's not the EF/Latin Mass" to support His Eminence, and that for weekday Masses, it is worth one's while to tune in via the Archdiocese of Toronto Facebook Page for the livestreams/recordings, as most Masses are celebrated and preached at by His Eminence. He does not preach fluff and rainbows! (with maybe, exception of those in the Book of Genesis.) St. Michael's also is one of the few live-streams for Daily Mass.
The Facebook for the Archdiocese of Toronto is: https://www.facebook.com/archtoronto/.
While their normal weekday livestream is 7:30am, their Livestreams for the Triduum are as follows:
- GOOD FRIDAY @ 3PM EST
- HOLY SATURDAY VIGIL @ 7PM
- EASTER SUNDAY @ 10PM
Speaking of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir, Choirmaster Surinder Mundra, in light of St. Patrick's Toronto being closed, has decided to continue with practices chanting what would be the Gregorian Chants/Propers for their Saturday 5pm Novus Ordo Masses of the upcoming weeks.
Hence, the choir is active and is providing a unique opportunity for everyone, (including myself, who normally altar serves and does NOT do the choir side of things,) to participate in their practices !!! Their practices are being live-streamed onto their Facebook page!
Facebook for SPGC: https://www.facebook.com/saintpatricksgregorianchoir/
The usual time for their online streaming is 6:30PM Est on Saturdays for regular practices, though extra occasional opportunities may be streamed at different times than usual, and other days.
And like the Oratorians, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IF THEY GET 1000 SUBSCRIBERS THEY WILL BE GRANTED FREE ACCESS TO LIVESTREAM ON THAT PLATFORM!!!!
For those local residents, and or/those who can travel, if you like what you see on their livestreams, and think it would be great to do it when the parishes open again, contact the choir and/or Surinder and come in person to chant!
Extraordinary Form Liturgy/Vespers
For those who are CRAVING the Latin Mass/EF, and insist on it for the Triduum and Sundays, There are two parishes I would like to bring to light who ARE doing livestreams of their Extraordinary Form Masses, though one is in another diocese.
1. Oratorians of St. Phillip Neri - Holy Family Parish
As has been featured a number of times on this blog, in Toronto the Oratorians of S.P.N. are a religious fraternity that offers traditional formation for pre-Seminary but also partakes in BOTH forms of the Roman Rite and even boasts its own Gregorian Chant Schola. They operate the parishes of Holy Family, and St. Vincent de Paul in the Parkdale areas of Toronto. Other links are as follows:
While I cannot confirm via the Internet if parts of the Triduum will be live-streamed, This parish IS live-streaming on Facebook and recording Masses for both the OF and EF, 10am and 1130am EST respectively.
IN ADDITION I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IF THEY GET 1000 SUBSCRIBERS THEY WILL BE GRANTED FREE ACCESS TO LIVESTREAM ON THAT PLATFORM!!!! So please do so.
2. Mater Dei Latin Mass Community - Sudbury Ontario
This Extraordinary Form community is not in the Archdiocese of Toronto, but is based in Sudbury, Ontario, and has been live-streaming their daily masses on their website here:
http://www.materdeiparish.ca/video-streams. One can also see them on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxouc_mdpmYKLbzzqljeerg.
This community WILL be livestreaming, via its pastor, Good Friday Liturgy, albeit as a Low Mass without the assistance of servers/Acolytes and other clergy. The EF Good friday Liturgy will be at the traditional hour that is for Good Friday liturgy, at 3pm EST.
The pastor is also doing daily livestreams of his EF Low Masses during the week. Highly recommended for those who must absolutely partake in the EF at this time of COVID-19.
3. Vepsers???
While it is possible that perhaps one of the EF fraternities such as the FSSP, ICKSP, or a monastery, might be broadcasting such, there is something special going on for Toronto, courtesy of the St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (with a little help from yours truly ....)
What? HOLY SATURDAY VESPERS IN THE EF, THIS SATURDAY APR 11? SEE HERE!
Pax, Julian.
Wednesday, 25 December 2019
HAPPY NATIVITY OF OUR LORD! MERRY CHRISTMAS! PUER NATUS EST!
From the Mass of the Nativity of our Lord, During the Day (3rd Mass):
In lingua Latinam (John 1: 1-14:)
"In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil quod factum est: in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominem: et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Ioannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est et mundus eum non cognovit. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine eius: qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. (Here all kneel) ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis."
Translation in English:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was made nothing that was made: in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men; and the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the Light, be he was to testify concerning the Light. That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him to them He gave power to become sons of God, to them that believe in His Name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.(Here all kneel)
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us: and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
May you and your family have a blessed and Merry Christmas/Nativity of our Lord in Anno Domini 2019. Iesum Christum natus est!
Pax tibi Christi, Julian Barkin
In lingua Latinam (John 1: 1-14:)
"In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil quod factum est: in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominem: et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Ioannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est et mundus eum non cognovit. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine eius: qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. (Here all kneel) ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis."
Translation in English:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was made nothing that was made: in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men; and the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through Him. He was not the Light, be he was to testify concerning the Light. That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him to them He gave power to become sons of God, to them that believe in His Name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.(Here all kneel)
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us: and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
May you and your family have a blessed and Merry Christmas/Nativity of our Lord in Anno Domini 2019. Iesum Christum natus est!
Pax tibi Christi, Julian Barkin
Brief Post for Christmastide Listings in the EF in the Archdiocese of Toronto and Ontario 2019 ... Sorry ....
Hello everyone,
Unfortunately, due to my full time working hours and parenting a young soon-to-be 2 year old son with my wife daily (NOT EASY!) I am unable to make a detailed listing of the offerings of the EF for the major obligatory holidays, and period of Christmastide as in past.
Therefore, I will refer you to the last offering post I created last year to give you examples of what was available in past, and my Latin Mass listing page, and hopefully you will be able to discern where the EF will be held. As in past, for major periods in the Church's liturgical calendar of Christmastide and the Holy Triduum, I make exception and go outside of Toronto, as people travel over the Holidays.
In addition, not EVERY available listing can be gleaned from the links I've provided. There may be some additional offerings in the Archdiocese of Toronto that will be held, albeit those offerings are NOT being advertised via official media in the Archdiocese (e.g. official calendar, website of Arch.Tor. and/or its parishes,) but by unofficial media such as individual/a group's/an organization's blogs or on other social media platforms. You will need to search the Internet for these other offerings.
Regardless if you choose to attend Mass in the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form, or the Novus Ordo/Ordinary Form, wherever you may be ... may you be spiritually filled with joy at the commemoration of Our Lord's birth, His nativity, into our world so many years ago, re-presented in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin
Unfortunately, due to my full time working hours and parenting a young soon-to-be 2 year old son with my wife daily (NOT EASY!) I am unable to make a detailed listing of the offerings of the EF for the major obligatory holidays, and period of Christmastide as in past.
Therefore, I will refer you to the last offering post I created last year to give you examples of what was available in past, and my Latin Mass listing page, and hopefully you will be able to discern where the EF will be held. As in past, for major periods in the Church's liturgical calendar of Christmastide and the Holy Triduum, I make exception and go outside of Toronto, as people travel over the Holidays.
In addition, not EVERY available listing can be gleaned from the links I've provided. There may be some additional offerings in the Archdiocese of Toronto that will be held, albeit those offerings are NOT being advertised via official media in the Archdiocese (e.g. official calendar, website of Arch.Tor. and/or its parishes,) but by unofficial media such as individual/a group's/an organization's blogs or on other social media platforms. You will need to search the Internet for these other offerings.
Regardless if you choose to attend Mass in the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form, or the Novus Ordo/Ordinary Form, wherever you may be ... may you be spiritually filled with joy at the commemoration of Our Lord's birth, His nativity, into our world so many years ago, re-presented in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin
Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Special Offering of Rorate Caeli Mass in Advent in the Archdiocese of Toronto Saturday December 14, 2019
After a long absence, I come back to announce special offerings of the Extraordinary Form in our Archdiocese of Toronto, for a special kind of Latin Mass liturgy.
We now come upon the Liturgical season of Advent, anticipating the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. In the Latin Rite, a particular tradition of beauty in the Latin Mass (occasionally celebrated in today's Catholic church in some variation,) is the celebration of the Rorate Caeli Mass. I turn your attention to this simple explanation from the Fraternity of the Society of St. Peter, here. In addition, I attended one held at an Archdiocese of Toronto parish, last Advent season. See here for my report.
Of the most poignant notes that deserves repeating, is that this Mass is held early in the morning, in candlelight with no electricity on in the body of the Church. The basic symbolism is: the ushering in of the daylight as the Mass proceeds, corresponds to the rise of the Light of our Faith, that of Christ being born on Earth via the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is our journey through the season of Advent.
In addition, we are blessed in most of the world to have running electric power. However, what we gain in sight, we tend to lose in the stillness and calm of the darkness. The beauty of a candlelight Mass is that the overall atmosphere is one of calm and beauty, one that doesn't assault our senses of sight and sound, the way a fully lit body of a church with lights and full acoustic sound systems do. That makes it more conductive to prayer, including that taking place at the altar.
Normally, the Rorate Caeli is to be celebrated on a Saturday in the Season of Advent, whereby it is a Feria, which in layman's language, means "no one or nothing special is being celebrated at Mass today." A feria does exist this liturgical year, and so it can be allowed to be said. That date is Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Thankfully, once again St. Mary's Polish Catholic Church will be offering the Rorate Caeli Mass, in the Archdiocese of Toronto on Saturday December 14th. The details are as follows:
- 7 AM starting time
- Low Mass with Music
- Celebrant is likely the pastor, Fr. Kasimirez, or his replacement if he is still on sabbatical.
I encourage you to attend the St. Mary`s offering, and be prepared to be amazed and swept away in a sea of serenity as you worship the Lord in candlelight darkness. Bring your family and friends.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
P.S. While I am aware there is a second offering that will be in Mississauga as a Missa Cantata, I cannot promote this offering on my blog, as 1) This offering is NOT being promoted officially through the Archdiocese of Toronto social media or a parish within the Archdiocese of Toronto (e.g. websites, blogs ...), and (2) Knowing where it is, and the offerings in past at the location, this offering is highly likely to involve Radically Traditionalist leadership in the offering of this liturgy. Some of those ``known`` leaders have attacked my closest friends and allies in the Latin Mass and I, directly and indirectly in past, from both sides of the laity and the clergy. Some supporters/members of this group also run social media on Internet/blog/other platforms that are anti-Francis and anti-Novus Ordo/regular Catholic Church. I cannot in good conscience and in keeping to my blog goals (see No. 2,) disclose the details and will say to look elsewhere on the internet for details.
P.S. While I am aware there is a second offering that will be in Mississauga as a Missa Cantata, I cannot promote this offering on my blog, as 1) This offering is NOT being promoted officially through the Archdiocese of Toronto social media or a parish within the Archdiocese of Toronto (e.g. websites, blogs ...), and (2) Knowing where it is, and the offerings in past at the location, this offering is highly likely to involve Radically Traditionalist leadership in the offering of this liturgy. Some of those ``known`` leaders have attacked my closest friends and allies in the Latin Mass and I, directly and indirectly in past, from both sides of the laity and the clergy. Some supporters/members of this group also run social media on Internet/blog/other platforms that are anti-Francis and anti-Novus Ordo/regular Catholic Church. I cannot in good conscience and in keeping to my blog goals (see No. 2,) disclose the details and will say to look elsewhere on the internet for details.
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Special Offerings of the Latin Mass for Thursday, August 15, 2019: The Feast of the Assumption of Mary Into Heaven
Hello everyone, I realize I have been away for a long while, but my family duties take first priority right now in my life alongside my full-time work. It doesn’t leave you much time for other pursuits unfortunately including the spiritual realm.
However, allow me to take this brief opportunity to announce some special offerings of the Latin mass in the archdiocese of Toronto this coming Thursday, August 15, for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
Normal offerings of the Latin mass of the Archdiocese of Toronto parishes can be found, at the tab at the top of this web page called “Known Latin Mass Listings in the Archdiocese of Toronto and External Dioceses in Ontario”
As for the special offerings, there are two offerings being held at diocesan parishes this Thursday evening.
The first offering, with credit due to Mr Paul Alexander Griffiths on Facebook for informing me, is as follows, At one of the normal parishes who hold daily Latin Mass:
1) Holy family Catholic Church, (1372 King St. W., Toronto Ontario.)
- Mass start time is 6 PM,
- Confessions starting at least 5:45 PM, maybe earlier (NB, if long lineups persist, the Oratorians do not shy from doing confession in the first part of the Mass if needed!)
- The Mass is advertised as a Solemn High Mass aka Missa Solemnis in the parish bulletin.
The second offering, is at a parish known to the Latin Mass and polish communities, one I endorse for being open to all parties looking for assistance/worship space for holding Latin Masses, in addition to holding their own weekly offering Saturday 9am, and on special feast days. The details are as follows:
2) St. Mary’s Polish Catholic Church, (1996 Davenport Rd., Toronto Ontario.)
- Mass start time is 7 PM.
- Unknown if the priest will be available for confessions. There might only be one priest around, the one carrying out the sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
- This mass will be a Missa Canatata, as I've been informed a choirmaster from a lay organization will be assisting to provide Gregorian Chant
I hope you will pass on word to your family/friends and attend one of these offerings. I especially encourage you to attend and support these parishes that hold the Latin Mass as in the current situation in our Archdiocese, it is these parishes whom are taking leadership for holding the bulk of Latin Mass offerings outside of normal scheduled times.
Should I not have family or other important duties, I will likely attend the Holy Family offering with a close friend of mine, as it would allow me an hour earlier to get home to my wife and 17 month year old son, especially after waking up at 430am to begin the day and travel to my work.
So hopefully I will see you there, but don’t let my choice discourage you attending St Mary’s. The pastors and community there are excellent and have the correct approach to the Latin Mass in terms of charity and navigating the current political and liturgical climate in the Church.
Regardless, support your closest community, or any holding these special offerings, and may the sacred liturgy that fed the Saints these past few centuries, feed your soul too and inspire you to be better disciples of Christ.
Pax, Julian.
Sunday, 24 March 2019
Special offering of Latin Mass for Feast of the Annunciation
Hello everyone,
Sorry for the short notice, but there will be one special Extraordinary Form/Latin Mass offering for the Feast of the Annunciation tomorrow.
The offering will be at St. Mary`s Polish Catholic Church, on Monday, March 25, 2019 at 7pm EST. This offering is publicly announced on St. Mary's website via the bulletin. I cannot confirm the level of the offering, but based on the other public media that has been released on other blogs I will not promote on Servimus, the level will likely be a Missa Cantata. Also, this week's offering is in addition to their Saturday Missa Lecta at 9am at the parish.
Please come out and support the Latin Mass, but in addition, Fr. Kazimirez, and his parish community, whom have been nothing but gracious in allowing for the continuation of offerings of the TLM at higher levels, outside of St. Lawrence the Martyr and Holy Family, in the core of the Archdiocese of Toronto. They have allowed with open doors, all lay organizations/choirs/independent parties to have offerings there, despite any politics or conflict.
Pax, Julian.
Sorry for the short notice, but there will be one special Extraordinary Form/Latin Mass offering for the Feast of the Annunciation tomorrow.
The offering will be at St. Mary`s Polish Catholic Church, on Monday, March 25, 2019 at 7pm EST. This offering is publicly announced on St. Mary's website via the bulletin. I cannot confirm the level of the offering, but based on the other public media that has been released on other blogs I will not promote on Servimus, the level will likely be a Missa Cantata. Also, this week's offering is in addition to their Saturday Missa Lecta at 9am at the parish.
Please come out and support the Latin Mass, but in addition, Fr. Kazimirez, and his parish community, whom have been nothing but gracious in allowing for the continuation of offerings of the TLM at higher levels, outside of St. Lawrence the Martyr and Holy Family, in the core of the Archdiocese of Toronto. They have allowed with open doors, all lay organizations/choirs/independent parties to have offerings there, despite any politics or conflict.
Pax, Julian.
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