Fatima
Cell Program for December
Advent: The Liturgical Year opens with the holy Season of Advent. This period of preparation for the great solemnity celebrating the coming of the Son of God among men, represents the long centuries of eager waiting which preceded the appearance of the Redeemer. It is a time of hope, full of the longings and aspirations of the Prophets who announced the promised Messiah. But in particular it is the season of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who awaits the fulfillment, in her own sacred person, of the message brought by the Angel Gabriel. Holy Mother Church wishes us to be filled with the interior dispositions in which the Just among the Chosen People lived before the coming of the Messiah. We shall thus prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ into our souls by faith and Divine charity, as well as for His final Coming, on the Day of Judgment. In union with the Prophets, and especially with Our Lady, we should yield ourselves up to a joyful and fervent preparation of our hearts for Him Who is to come. As St. John the Baptist preached a gospel of repentance to "prepare the way of the Lord," let our hearts be truly humbled and contrite, that the graces of His Nativity may be brought to us in abundance, and Jesus may be truly born anew in our hearts.
Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a lowly Aztec Indian, Juan
Diego, in Mexico in 1531. As a proof of her identity, she caused her image to miraculously
appear on the poor Indian's cloak, or tilma. Although executed on poor material
that should have perished centuries ago, her beautiful image remains intact to this very
day. More important than the picture, however, is the manifestation which Our Lady gave to
us all of Her loving and maternal heart through Her words to Juan Diego: "I
urgently desire a temple to be built here... to bear witness to my love and compassion, my
assistance, and protection. For I am a merciful Mother to all who love me and trust me and
invoke my help. I will hear their weepings and supplications that I may give them
consolation and relief… Am I not here, who am your mother?" Our own beloved
country, America, is dedicated to Our Lady under the glorious title of Her Immaculate
Conception, and when she appeared on this continent, the symbols of Her Immaculate
Conception were included in the apparition. Our Lady of Guadalupe, "She who crushes
the head of the serpent", symbolizes Her triumph over Satan's seduction of Eve and
the resultant original sin, Her triumph over the serpent-god of the pagan Indians, and the
ultimate triumph of Her Immaculate Heart over the legions of Hell and the forces of
Anti-Christ. Let us gather "round Her altar, let us raise Her banner high." Let
us implore the Immaculate Virgin of Guadalupe to protect our homes, our families, and our
country, against the raging tide of Materialism and moral decay, the threatening menace of
the police state and the oppressive slavery of world-wide Socialist or Islamic terror and
domination.
Literature & Media Month:
Our Lady to Lucia: "You must learn to read."
Why do the saints and spiritual writers urge us to do daily
spiritual reading? It is because what we read powerfully affects our outlook and
attitudes. All reading can either uplift our minds and hearts to God, or lead them
away from Him. Does our reading uplift our soul, or does it rather lead us to
worldliness and a secular outlook, or a materialistic attitude? We must be very careful,
also, in our selection of spiritual reading, not to read unapproved materials
which actually threaten our holy Catholic Faith. The modern "catechisms",
unfortunately, undermine the true Faith and devotion of Catholic children. There are also
the terribly destructive influences of pornography, and the current philosophy of
"new morality" and secular materialism, which permeates almost every book
and magazine (including the so-called "Catholic" ones). Television programming
is another powerful instrument being used to destroy the spiritual life and inclinations
of those who daily imbibe both its open and subtle poisons. How severely will God
condemn those parents who do not protect the souls of their children from ruination by
such evil influences! We should do all in our power to counteract these evils by promoting
the true Catholic Faith and Christian values through the written and spoken word,
i.e., by disseminating truly orthodox Catholic books and literature, as well as audio and
videotapes, to all those who show an openness to Our Lady's message at Fatima and the true
Catholic Faith. Help others to see the truth and be converted to the true Catholic Faith!
Who else will spread Our Lady's message if YOU do not?! NOTHING is more important than the
salvation of immortal souls, redeemed by the shedding of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
on the Cross!
"Everyone that shall acknowledge Me
before men, I also will acknowledge him before My Father Who is in Heaven. But he that
shall deny Me before men, I also will
deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven." (Matt. 10:32-33)
| OPENING PRAYERS: | * Come Holy Ghost * The Rosary with meditation on each mystery * Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel * Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loretto * Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe * Hymn: Macula non est in Te |
| MEDITATION: | * from The Imitation of Christ or The Glories of Mary on the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady |
| STUDY & DISCUSS: | * Officers' reports;
Cell Memos; reading of the Salve Maria Regina (a portion should be read at each meeting with a brief discussion if appropriate). |
First Meeting:
| 1. | THE
LITURGICAL YEAR: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
Discuss a truly Christian observance of Advent and Christmas, and the practical means of applying these Catholic principles to your home and family; the Catholic traditions of the Advent wreath, Jesse trees, and preparing a family crêche for the Baby Jesus; offering special prayers and sacrifices to prepare our hearts for our Divine Infant King on the Feast of His Nativity. |
Reference: Advent Sermons by Bishop Francis Konrad Maria. (The Cell member giving this report should listen to the sermon tapes and take reference notes as material for their report); Pastoral Letter on the Season of Advent; Advent Community Observances; The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy by Liguori. |
||
| 2. | MARY
IN DOCTRINE & DEVOTION: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - discuss this wonderful prerogative of our Immaculate Queen, especially the power which she thus exercises over Satan and the legions of Hell as the "Woman who crushes the head of the Serpent"; discuss the solemn definition of the dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854, and the affirmation given by Our Lady herself at Lourdes to St. Bernadette. Discuss briefly also the Translation of the Holy House of Loretto (Dec. 10) |
Reference: The Glories of Mary; Sermon on the Immaculate Conception by Bishop Francis Konrad Maria. (The Cell member giving this report should listen to the sermon tapes and take reference notes as material for their report) Pastoral Letter on the Immaculate Conception; Article: The Holy House of Loretto. |
||
| 3. | THE
POPE SPEAKS: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
Begin the Encyclical of Pope Gregory XVI on Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism. Review his lamentation of the treasonable storms of evil and toil which assailed the Holy Father at the beginning of his Pontificate, resulted in the necessity of using violent means to subdue insolent and factious men agitating the Papal dominions. Observe that his "considerable indulgence" with them seemed only to aggravate their obstinacy, until he had recourse "to the rod". Discuss also his concern for the Catholic Faith in these difficult times, in which the "powers of darkness winnow the elect like wheat. Review individually (from para. 5) his inventory of the present evils which assail the True Church, and identify these cancers in present day society, including the Vatican II religion and the pseudo-traditionalist sects. |
| Reference: Pope St. Gregory XVI’s Encyclical Mirari Vos, on Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism, para. 1-5 | ||
Second Meeting:
| 4. | STRIVING
FOR SANCTITY: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
"Without Prayer it is Impossible To Resist Temptations and To Keep the Commandments." According to St. Thomas Aquinas and the other Doctors of theChurch he who fails to avail himself of prayer is lost. They do not hesitate to declare that the reason for Adam’s sin was that he did not recommend himself to God when he was tempted. Even the fallen angels could have been saved if they had sought the grace of God to overcome their pride. Discuss the blasphemous position of Luther who declared that man incapable of observing God’s holy law, which is contradicted by St. Augustine’s famous axiom: "God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding He expects you to do what you can, and then to ask for His Divine assistance to do what is beyond your strength; and He helps you, that you may be able." Especially in temptations against purity, the fathers teach that "prayer is the bulwark of chastity". Draw practical applications from these fundamental truths and make resolutions that will lead you to be ever faithful to a live of constant prayer. |
Reference: Article "Prayer: The Chief Duty of the Christian – Without Prayer it is Impossible To Resist Temptations and To Keep the Commandments." |
||
| 5. | MARY IN DOCTRINE & DEVOTION: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Madonna of the Americas (Dec. 12); review the beautiful story of the apparitions, read the words of her consoling message, and discuss their practical significance for each of us as her consecrated slaves and apostles in the midst of today's universal apostasy. Refer to the previous topic on the necessity of prayer, and discuss the absolute folly of neglecting to take advantage of the power spiritual assistance so loving proffered by the Immaculate Mother of God herself. |
| Reference: Issue no. 2 of The Catholic Voice; Salve Maria Regina cover article on Our Lady of Guadalupe. Sermons on Our Lady of Guadalupe by Bishop Francis Konrad Maria. | ||
| 6. | FORCES OF ERROR: (20 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
While Our Lady of Fatima warned specifically that Russia would spread her errors, she also warned of persecutions against the Church in general. Today we see fundamentalist Islam joinIng Atheistic Communism as the primary threats to the Church and world peace. Discuss part two of the article "The New Peril Facing the World: Enter Mohammed". |
| Reference: Article – "The New Peril Facing the World", part two: "Enter Mohammed". | ||
Third Meeting:
| 7. | THE
POPE SPEAKS: (20 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
Continue the Holy Father’s encyclical "Mirari Vos", calling upon the solicitude and care of the Bishops to courageously tend to their. Consider the axiom that "the universal Church is affected by any and every novelty", and that the audacity of the enemies of the Church should be countered by the Catholic faithful a zealous confidence in the Papacy and sincere veneration for it. However, while it is true that the government and administration of the whole Church rests with the true Roman Pontiff to whom "the full power of nourishing, ruling, and governing the universal Church was given by Christ the Lord", and it is the solemn duty of individual bishops to cling to the See of Peter faithfully, to guard the Faith piously and religiously, individual priests must be subject to the bishops, whom "they are to look upon as the parents of their souls," as St. Jerome admonishes. Nor may the priests ever forget that they are forbidden by ancient canons to undertake ministry and to assume the tasks of teaching and preaching "without the permission of their Bishop to whom the people have been entrusted; an accounting for the souls of the people will be demanded from the Bishop." Identify the condemnation of independent pseudo-traditionalist "priests" in the following words of the Holy Father: "Finally let them understand that all those who struggle against this established order disturb the position of the Church." There is no situation in the Church or the See of Peter which could ever deprive the Mystical Body of Her Divine Authority to guide men to eternal salvation through the successors of the Apostles. |
Reference: Pope St. Gregory XVI’s Encyclical Mirari Vos, on Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism, para. 6-9 |
||
| 8. | THE JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM: (15 min. report; 10 min. discussion) |
The Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Dec. 18) helps us to prepare for the Nativity of Our Divine Lord in the best possible way—in union with Mary. Discuss a truly Christian observance of this glorious Feast throughout the entire Christmas-Epiphany Season which is celebrated for a full forty days, a distinct liturgical season like Lent or Eastertide. |
| Reference: Article on "Jesus Living in Mary" (Current Salve Maria Regina Bulletin); The Glories of Mary and The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy by Liguori; selected sermons on the festival of Christmas by Bishop Francis Konrad Maria. | ||
| 9. | COURT OF THE QUEEN: (Choose two or three of the Saints listed for a 10 min. report & reflection; discuss briefly the lessons learned and virtues taught by their lives, and how to practically apply these virtues in our own daily lives.) |
We cannot hope to dwell one day in the Heavenly Court of Our Immaculate Queen unless we strive diligently in the pursuit of holiness. The blessed who already dwell in Her Heavenly Court are inspirations for us in this pursuit of that life of holiness to which Jesus calls us. Among them: St. Francis Xavier; St. Barbara, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers; St. Nicholas of Myra; St. Ambrose; Venerable Juan Diego; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. John the Evangelist; and St. Thomas Becket. |
Reference: booklet, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Apostle of the Sacred Heart; Martyrology |
||
| CLOSING PRAYERS: | * Advent Psalms and Prayers * Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel or O Come Divine Messiah * Fatima Prayers |
| LEAFLET OF THE MONTH: | * "Peace be to You" (.15; 30 for 4.00) * "And His Own Received Him Not" (.20; 30 for 5.00) |
Cell Plan of Apostolic Action for December
* To promote the Message of Fatima * Sanctification of self, family, neighbor* Conversion of sinners, salvation of souls * Adoration, reparation, total consecration