Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine)

Could God not supply the world with any other remedy than that of the death of his Son?… Most certainly. And he was able to redeem us by a thousand other means than the death of his Son. But he did not wish to because what was sufficient for our salvation was not so for satisfying his love. And to show us how much he loved us this divine Son died from the most harsh and ignominious of deaths as that of the cross. What remains, then, and what consequence can we draw from this if not that, since he died for love of us, we too should die for love of him, or, if we are unable to die for love, at least we should not live otherwise than for him?… This is what the great Saint Augustine lamented about: “Lord,” he said, “is it possible someone should know you died for their sake and not live for you?” And that great lover, Saint Francis, used to say with sobs: “Ah, you died for love and no one loves you in return!”… There is no other redemption but by this cross. O my God, how useful and what profit it is for us to contemplate the cross and Passion! Is it possible to contemplate this humility of our Savior without becoming humble and loving humiliations? Can anyone see his obedience without being obedient? No indeed, none has ever looked at our crucified Savior and remained dead or sick. And on the other hand, all those who die do so because they refuse to look at him, like those among the children of Israel who did not wish to look at the serpent Moses caused to be set up on the pillar.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

Mount Sinai is symbolic of Mount Zion (…) Note well how the two testaments mirror one another and with what accord the feast of Pentecost is celebrated by each of them (…) On the same day, and in a very similar manner, the Lord came down on Mount Zion just as he did on Mount Sinai (…) Luke wrote: “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them” (Acts 2:2-3) (…) Yes, a loud noise was heard from every direction and fire was seen. On Sinai there was a thick cloud, but on Mount Zion the shining of a brilliant light. In the former case it was a question of “a copy and shadow” (Heb 8:5), but in the second of perfect reality. Formerly thunder was to be heard, now the voice of the apostles was perceived. On the one hand flashes of lightening, on the other wonders shone out in every place (…). “All left the camp to meet God at the foot of the mountain” (cf. Ex 19:17). And in the Acts of the Apostles we read that: “At the sound the people gathered in a large crowd” (…) People from the whole of Jerusalem gathered together at the foot of the mountain of Zion, in other words, in the place where Zion, prefiguration of holy Church, began to be built up and to lay its foundations (…). “Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire” (v. 18) (…) How could those set alight by the great fire of the Holy Spirit not burn? As smoke indicates the presence of fire, so the fire of the Holy Spirit manifested its presence in the apostles’ hearts by the conviction with which they spoke and by their different languages. How happy the hearts that are filled with this fire! How happy those who burn with this heat! “The whole mountain trembled violently. The trumpet blast grew louder and louder” (vv. 18-19) (…) Even so, the voice and preaching of the apostles became ever stronger; they made themselves heard further and further away until “through all the earth their voice resounded, and to the ends of the world their message” (Ps 19[18]:5).

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

We are nothing of ourselves but we are a great deal with the Holy Spirit. The human person is all earthly, wholly animal, only the Holy Spirit can raise the soul and elevate it on high. Like those kinds of spectacles which magnify things, the Holy Spirit makes us see both the good and the bad enlarged. With the Holy Spirit one sees everything enlarged: the greatness of the least action done for God and the greatness of the least fault. As a clockmaker can distinguish with his spectacles the smallest parts of a watch so, with the light of the Holy Spirit, we can see every detail of our poor lives. Everything is cold without the Holy Spirit and so, whenever we feel our fervor fading, we should make a novena to the Holy Spirit to ask for faith and love!

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

When seven weeks had passed since the resurrection, on the fiftieth day, “when the disciples were gathered in one place with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a violent wind blowing,” (Acts 1:14, 2:1-2). Then the Spirit descended upon the group of a hundred and twenty persons and appeared in the form of tongues of fire to give speech to the mouth, light to the intellect and ardor to the affection. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the prompting of the Holy Spirit dictated, who taught them all truth and inflamed them with all love and strengthened them in every virtue. For aided by his grace, illumined by his teaching and strengthened by his power, although they were few and simple, “they planted the Church with their own blood” (Roman Breviary) throughout the world, partly by their fiery words, partly by their perfect example, partly by their astonishing miracles. Purified, illumined and perfected by the power of the same Holy Spirit, the Church became loveable to her Spouse and his attendants for being exceedingly beautiful and adorned with a wonderful variety; but to Satan and his angels she became “awe-inspiring like an army in battle array” (Sg 6:10).

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team

In the beginning, according to God’s plan, God’s Spirit filled the world, “reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and governing all things sweetly.” (Wis 8:1) But where the Spirit’s work of sanctification is concerned, it was on the day of Pentecost that “the Spirit of the Lord filled the world.” (Wis 1:7) For it is today that this Spirit of sweetness is sent by the Father and the Son to sanctify every creature according to a new plan, in a new way, a new manifestation of the Spirit’s power and strength. Before this, “the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (Jn 7:39) (…) Today, the Spirit, coming from his heavenly abode, is given with all his richness, all his fruitfulness to the souls of mortals. Thus this divine dew, with its diversity and its spiritual gifts, is spread out over all the earth. And it is true that the fullness of the Spirit’s richness flowed down for us from the highest heaven, since a few days previously, through our earth’s generosity, heaven had received a marvelously sweet fruit (…) Christ’s humanity is all of earth’s grace; Christ’s Spirit is all of heaven’s sweetness. Thus, a very salvific exchange was brought about: Christ’s humanity went up from earth to heaven; and today, the Spirit of Christ descended from heaven to us (…) The Holy Spirit is active everywhere; the Spirit speaks everywhere. Of course, before the Ascension the Lord’s Spirit was given to the disciples when the Lord said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23) But before Pentecost, the voice of the Holy Spirit was not heard, his shining power was not seen. And knowledge of him had not been given to Christ’s disciples, who had not been confirmed in courage since fear still made them hide in a locked room. But starting on that day, “the voice of the Lord is over the waters; (…)it lashes forth flames of fire (…) and all say, ‘Glory!’” (Ps 29:3-9)

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team