MARY RISING UP (Luke.1.39.)

AVE MARIA!

Fraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Circular Letter For February
Year of Our Lord 2009
Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary


Beloved Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Penance, God give you peace!

It is a time of great joy as we live through a historical time in the life of our holy Mother Church. We have lived through the incredible storm of the Vatican Council II, and the effects of the dramatic changes for the worst which have been its fruits. We have seen the measures which the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre would, of necessity, be forced to make to ensure that the life of Tradition would continue. That is the consecration of four bishops, consecrated to make holy priests who would transmit the ancient doctrine of the Catholic Church and offer the true Mass of all time, the Mass of St. Pius V. Bishops, consecrated also to give the Sacrament of Confirmation to souls.

“By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them.” Matt. 7.16.

Many have questioned the prudence of making bishops without a papal mandate. Many would today be without priests and the Mass of all time if these bishops were not made. Time unfolds the magnificent truth, that the little Society of St. Pius X and its bishops, priests, religious, laity and all those who are affiliated with them, have had the special protection of Heaven, and Heaven’s Queen, the Holy Virgin Mary.

The Holy Father Benedict XVI, as you have heard dear brethren, has told the world that these bishops are not excommunicated. Although we know and have always believed that these excommunications have been false, and had never taken effect due to the canon law of the Church and the very apparent necessity of traditional Catholic bishops and priests, it is a great joy to hear about this great news coming from the Pope. It is an even greater joy, an immeasurably greater joy, to see the amazing and speedy intercession and unstoppable power of our Mother the Holy Virgin Mary and Her Rosary!

“And Mary Rising Up In Those Days, Went Into The Hill Country With Haste.” St. Luke. 1.39.

Bishop Bernard Fellay, upon calling for another Rosary Crusade, this time for the lifting of the “excommunications”, has the answer from the Pope in a matter of a couple of months. Insurmountable obstacles have been raised after years of struggle, and upon calling out to the Virgin with Her beloved Psalter, the impossible becomes possible. Who can fail to see the work of Mary on our behalf, the care and love of Mary for us?

It is a marvel, this Rosary, so pleasing to the Virgin, and so it seems we would do well to take a look at the Franciscan Crown or Seraphic Rosary which has been in use in the Three Orders of St. Francis for many centuries.

“It is by the Crown of the Seven Joys that I have obtained all the graces which Heaven has heaped upon me.” St. Bernardine of Sienna.(1)

“About the year 1420, a young man, deeply devoted to our Lady, took the habit of St. Francis. Before joining the Order he had, among other practices, been accustomed daily to make a chaplet of flowers, and with it to crown a statue of the Blessed Virgin. Having, in his novitiate, no longer an opportunity of making this crown for his beloved Queen, he, in his simplicity, thought that she would withdraw her affection from him; this temptation from the devil disturbed his vocation, and he resolved to abandon the cloister. The merciful mother appeared to him, and gently rebuking him, strengthened his vocation by telling him to offer her, instead of a chaplet of flowers, a crown much more pleasing to her, composed of seventy- two Ave Marias with a Pater after each decade of Ave Marias, and to meditate at each decade upon the seven joys she had experienced during her exile upon the earth. The novice immediately commenced reciting the new crown or rosary, and derived therefrom many spiritual and temporal graces. This pious practice quickly spread through the whole Order and even throughout the world; the Roman Pontiffs granted divers indulgences to those who recited this crown, in addition to the plenary indulgence which was for the Franciscans only.”(2)

Is it not a magnificent thought dear Brothers and Sisters that we can give to Jesus Christ, the Divine Mary and the Saints an accidental joy, though She is in paradise now, just by reciting the Franciscan Crown or Holy Rosary? Which one of us would not thrill with an exceedingly great joy, if they could, for such a small price, see the Blessed Virgin smile? Do you doubt that if you say your Rosary with devotion that your Mother will smile because of your little effort? Hear this by St. Louis de Montfort: “Now, the Holy Rosary, recited together with meditation on the sacred mysteries is a sacrifice of praise to God to thank Him for the great grace of our redemption. It is also a holy reminder of the sufferings, death and glory of Jesus Christ. It is therefore true that the Rosary gives glory, gives and accidental joy to Our Lord, to Our Lady and to all the blessed because they cannot desire anything greater or more contributive to our eternal happiness than to see us engaged in a practice which is so glorious for Our Lord and so salutary for ourselves.” (3)

“Give Me An Army Saying The Rosary And I Will Conquer The World.” Pope Pius IX

The Holy Rosary, its body is but a string of beads! A little chain, or some rope, little knots or small beads for the counting, who could imagine that this little object could be something which is fearful to an army of fallen Angels? A few prayers on the lips of a Catholic and a chain of poor beads passing through his fingers, the Devil, the unbeliever or heretic while observing him, could think that this is a devotion of pious foolishness. Not so! Not so dear Catholics! Believe in the power of the Regina Angelorum and Her Psalter! Scripture affirms that: "the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that He may confound the strong. And the base things of the world, and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen, and things that are not, that He might bring to nought things that are!" (Corn.1.27-28).

Of course we as mere men are relatively useless, but with the grace of God and the Holy Virgin by our side see how the sea of obstacles, of Demons and of snares, folds before us like the Red Sea parted at the Will of the Most High. The little Catholic, with his set of beads, reciting the Holy Rosary or Franciscan Crown, truly may he sing in a spirit of confidence and joy with the Psalmist: “Blessed be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war!" (Ps.143.1.) It is God who has given us the Holy Rosary and its prayers. It is God who has taught us through His Saints and His own Mother, how to use our hands and fingers to war and conquer the Demons with the Holy Rosary. It is God, indeed, it is God who has Willed that the Immaculate Heart of Mary is glorified in our times, in these days of darkness! He has Willed that all evil is put under the beautiful foot of Mary and that we, her little children should be in Her arms as She crushes the head of the serpent! It is easy, simple even, to serve the good God with joy as long as we stay safely in the arms of Mary.

Let us dear Brothers and Sisters of Penance, renew our devotion and love of the Blessed Virgin Mary this month by saying the Holy Rosary and the Franciscan Crown with much devotion and love. Whenever we have the opportunity, let us weave a little crown of roses for our Divine Mother with our Aves, and give, through Her a fragrant lily to Our Father in Heaven with the devout recitation of the Pater noster. Only in Heaven will we see with amazement perhaps, that we have aided in the restoration of Holy Mother Church, washed away our own sins, helped in the conversion of sinners and plucked souls from Purgatory with the prayers of the Holy Rosary, the Franciscan Crown and the intercession of the Queen of Heaven, Mary ever Virgin!


I beg for your prayers to the Divine Mother, and remain with interior sentiments of union and charity, your little servant,


Fra Pio-Francis. T.O.S.F. Rector.


Circular Approved By the Rev. Fr. Freddy Mery S.S.P.X..


(1) Tertiary Manual By Rev. Fr. Emidius 1869 pg. 307.
(2) Tertiary Manual By Rev. Fr. Emidius 1869 pg. 305.
(3) The Secret of the Rosary Pg. 58.


Picture above used with permission from The Web Gallery of Art at:

http://www.wga.hu/index1.html