Sancte Michael, ora pro nobis

O Most glorious Prince, Saint Michael the Archangel, I, thy most humble servant, salute thee through the most beloved Heart of Jesus Christ which I lovingly offer for the increase of thy joy and thy glory. I give thanks to God for the blessedness which He brings to thee and with which He wishes to honor and exalt thee above all the other Angels. I especially commend myself to thy care in life and death. Be with me now and always, especially at the end of my life. Kindly console me, strengthen me, and protect me. Obtain for me an increase in faith, hope, and charity. Do not permit me to stray from the holy faith, nor fall into the snare of desperation, nor to take for granted good works, which I am engaged in through the grace of God. Obtain for me pardon of my sins, humility, patience and the other virtues, true perseverance in goodness, and the final grace that I may give glory to God with thee forever. Amen.

(Latin original from Orate Fratres, P. Gaudentius, 1901, translated by Michael W. Martin, who has half a dozen prayers to St. Michael here).

Pontifical Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

On Saturday, November 3rd at 3pm, a Traditional Solemn Pontifical Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, to honor the fifth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum and the start of the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict.

(More here).

The conversion of bishop-theologian Bruno Forte

Italian journalist Sandro Magister reports that the archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, who had been outspoken in support of the last generation's mistranslation of pro multis, has reconsidered and now supports a return to "for many". Italy continues to have the incorrect translation in its version of the Mass, and this summer a large majority of the Italian bishops voted to keep it that way.

Psalms for the Close of the Day

Psalm 4

¹ Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.

² When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

³ O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

⁴ Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

⁵ Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.

⁶ Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?

⁷ The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.

⁸ By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.

⁹ In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:

¹⁰ For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope

Psalm 30:1-6

¹ Unto the end, a psalm for David, in an ecstasy.

² In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice.

³ Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.

⁴ For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

⁵ Thou wilt bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for thou art my protector.

⁶ Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth

Psalm 90

¹ The praise of a canticle for David. He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.

² He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.

³ For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.

⁴ He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.

⁵ His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.

⁶ Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

⁷ A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸ But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the most High thy refuge.

¹⁰ There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.

¹¹ For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹² In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³ Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.

¹⁴ Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.

¹⁵ He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.

¹⁶ I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.

Psalm 133

¹ Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

² In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.

³ May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.

The Old Testament in Old English Literature

According to Professor Malcolm Godden of Oxford University, "In terms of quantity at least, the Old Testament was the major influence on Old English literature: it was the source for about a third of the extant poetry and for a large part of the prose."   [source]

I wonder why the Old Testament had a greater impact on the literature of the time than the New Testament did? Was it because there are just more stories in the Old Testament to allude to? Was it because they lived in a violent time, and found meaning in the accounts of the wars of ancient Israel?

Basilica of Our Lady in Fribourg, Switzerland

The Most Rev Charles Morerod, bishop of Lausanne-Geneva-Fribourg, has entrusted the Basilica of Notre Dame in Fribourg to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and designated it for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The official installation of the FSSP in the Basilica took place today, with a Mass celebrated by the Superior General of the Fraternity, Fr. John Berg.

The Basilica dates back to the beginning of the 13th Century, and is the oldest church in the city. Fribourg is also the location of the international headquarters of the FSSP.

A Statue for Judas

“The monument to Judas appeared there [Sviyazhsk, Russia, the headquarters of Leon Trotsky] approximately at the same time, in 1918. The Military mobile Fighting Literary train named after Lenin with Leo Trotsky, Vsevolod Vishnevsky, well-known Russian Revolutionary poet Demyan Bedny and little-known Danish writer and journalist Galling Keller on board delivered a sculpture to Sviyazhsk.

“It was a sculpture with a fist up. There were other ideas towards the character, but Lucifer did not share the ideals of communism and the second pretender, Cain, was recognized as a too legendary person. So it was decided in favour of Judas, who was a historical character and was supposed to share ideas requested. Unfortunately, the monument was destroyed already in 1920-s.”

[source]

(Apparently falsely reported at the time as having been erected in Moscow. A second Judas monument may have been erected the following year in Tambov.)

TLM returns to largest Catholic university

From the blog of Societas Ecclesia Dei Sancti Joseph - Una Voce Philippinensis:

"As previously announced, the evening of August 24, 2012 saw the Traditional Latin Mass being celebrated in public in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for the first time since the liturgical reforms [sic] of Paul VI took effect." [more here]

The Mass had good attendance and friendly coverage by the school newspaper.