VICTORY OVER THE TURKS — 1480AD

On this day in 1659, the feast of S Pantaleon, was achieved a great victory over the naval forces of the Turks by Cardinal Grand Master Pierre d'Ambusson. The day is traditionally commemorated in the Order as a first class Feast, with the following prayers added to the Mass.

DIE XXVII JULII.

Festum duplex Iæ. Classis

OB INSIGNEM VICTORIAM PER

EMIN. DOMINUM PETRUM D’AMBUSSON

Cardinalem &c. Magnum Magistrum Rhodiorum : contra Turcas obtentam. 

As quod Officium Innocentius Octavus Pont. 

ORATIO

Deus in te sperántium fortitudo, adesto precibus nostris : quas tibi cum gratiarum offerimus actione : pro Victoria Magistro nostro, ac ejus exercitui, contra hostes Fidei Christanæ Turcos, per te mitabiliter Rhodi concessa : supliciter deprecantes: ut solitá tuæ pietatis clementiá muniti, dextráque tuæ potentiæ defensi : ab hostium infidiis, omníque adversitate protegámur.  Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Filium tuum. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

SECRETA

Hostias tibi Domine placationis et laudis offerimus, suppliciter exorantes : ut qui nos de Fidei tuæ hostibus triumphare fecisti : clementer ab inimicorum infidiis, et omni periculo salves et munias.  Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Filium tuum. Qui vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

POSTCOMMUNIO

Sumptis redemptionis nostræ muneribus, quæsumus Omnipotens Deus : eorum celebratione tuæ protectionis auxilium : et famuli tui N. Hospitalis Hiersolomitani Magistrum, cum suo Exercitu, gratias de Triumphis Turcarum hostium fidei, nomini tuo sancto referentem : ab omni inimicorum incursu, cunctisque adversitatibus liberes semper et protegas.  Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Filium tuum. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

Ex Officia Propria Sanctorum Ordinis S. Joannis Hierosolimitani Melitensis in usum Domus Coloniensis SS. Joannis et Cordulæ.  Typis Antonii Metternich MDCLIX.

For those who wish to add the commemoration to the recitation of the daily Office, the antiphons of  the Common Confessoris non Pontifex may be used, the commemoration being only at Lauds.

AD BENED. ANT. Euge, serve bone * et fidelis, quia in pauca fuisti fidelis, supra multum te constituam, intra in gaudium Domini tui.

V. Iustum deduxit Dominus per vias rectas.

R. Et ostendit illi regnum Dei.

ORATIO

Deus in te sperántium fortitudo, adesto precibus nostris : quas tibi cum gratiarum offerimus actione : pro Victoria Magistro nostro, ac ejus exercitui, contra hostes Fidei Christanæ Turcos, per te mitabiliter Rhodi concessa : supliciter deprecantes: ut solitá tuæ pietatis clementiá muniti, dextráque tuæ potentiæ defensi : ab hostium infidiis, omníque adversitate protegámur.  Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Filium tuum. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.

TRUTH AND THE LAW - HOMILY FOR BL DAVID GUNSON

How apt are the words, in the light of the posts with which this blog has recently been concerned, preached by Father Edmund Montgomery on the Feast of our glorious martyr Blessed David Gunson.  Fr Montgomery highlights for us the contradiction between the Laws of Parliament, which bring death, and continue to do so in our own time, and the Law of Truth, which leads us to everlasting life.

We are grateful to him for journeying to London to say Mass for us on the vigil of the Feast, 12th July, and for his inspiring words, which are reproduced below.  Fr Montgomery is Administrator of Shrewsbury Cathedral, and a Magistral Chaplain of our Order.

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF BLESSED DAVID GUNSON

Precious Blood Borough, Wednesday 11 July 2018

I entered seminary in 2005, some thirteen years ago. Before I studied Law and I loved it! I had grown up a studious child, in my large family, often escaping from my siblings to enjoying reading history, politics, the constitution, heraldry. It was a good preparation for the Law!

I remember my first lecture of Public Law which covered our constitution: the Crown, Parliament - the Lords and Commons, the judiciary, how a law is made and so on. I distinctly remember our lecturer impressing on us the foundation of the British Constitution: ‘There is no law that Parliament may not make.’

This evening, as we honour the sacrifice Blessed David Gunson I want to reflect on how Parliament has been the cause of so much of our past hurts and invariably the cause of our stormy present. Let us review some of the Acts of Parliament which brought our forebears such suffering: In 1531 an Act of Parliament gave Henry Tudor the title of ‘Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England’; an Act of Parliament suppressed our Order in England in 1540; in 1541 an Act of Parliament attained Blessed David Gunson with treason; when our last Catholic king, James II, sought to grant toleration, an Act of Parliament deposed him and Parliament invited his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange to invade and usurp King James’ Crown; when Queen Anne died without issue in 1714, Parliament had already ensured a Protestant succession by the Act of Settlement, absolutely excluding Catholics or those married to Catholics from inheriting the Throne.

A tyrannical monarch is an easier narrative, but what this realm has long suffered from is tyrannical Parliaments. Our monarchs know their limits, their constitutional role: to be consulted, to encourage and to warn. Parliament knows no limit to its authority. We can call to mind of Acts of Parliament in our own time which have subverted the Law of God and continue the work of the destruction begun under the Tudors: in 1967, an Act of Parliament opened the door to eight million abortions; the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act of 1990 that permitted the beginning of in vitro fertilisation; in 2014, an Act of Parliament redefined marriage to enable same-sex unions.

Our constitution is founded on the principle that there is no law that Parliament may not make. We reply: No. Parliament may not make any laws contrary to the natural law, contrary the law of God, or any contrary to human reason. So much of our suffering over the centuries has been due to a Parliament that knows no limit to its power, a Parliament that may legislate and has legislated contrary to the natural law, contrary to the law of God, contrary to human reason.

CONTRAST AND PRAY

The last 24 hours have brought two bits of news.

FIRSTLY this article in the Evening Standard, reporting apparent public 'outrage' at a pro-Life stall at a fair in South London. Indeed in the same park where a week earlier Members and Companions of our Order and been celebrating the Martyrdom of Blessed David Gunson, who was hanged drawn and quartered there, at St Thomas Waterings, now Burgess Park, in July 1541.  Clearly the spirit of his executioners is alive and well! Both hate the Church.

It might have been thought that small children liked playing with dolls, yet it would seem that dolls of babies from the day of birth are fine, but dolls of the same babies from the days and weeks before are not. Thank goodness the article describes them correctly as dolls of "unborn babies", and not with some pseudo-medical euphemism! 

SECONDLY this report in Aleteia that the very same image, of an unborn baby curled up in his mother's womb, which has been placed upon the 25 Kuna coin of Croatia. (H/T Fr.Z, here). Legal tender for all to see, carry and use.

What does this tell us about the formation of the population of these two countries, as members of families, as members of society, as members of the human race? 

Pray for Britain, and for all of Western Europe, so confused and drifting in a sea of ignorance and insanity. Pray for the Church, that She may guide us though the dark waters. Pray for our bishops, that they will have the strength to carry out the responsibility which is theirs to teach, in an age which is changing faster than they sometime can follow.

Our Lady of Philermo, pray for us and for families

St John the Baptist, pray for us and for families

Bl David Gunson, pray for us and for families

Holy Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all the wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

FIGHT THE SCOURGE OF ABORTION

You help, financial help, is asked for a fund to fight the criminalisation of prayer vigils and support outside Abortion Clinics.

See link HERE to DONATE.

Ealing Council has made it a criminal offence to offer help to women outside of the Marie Stopes Abortion Centre on Mattock Lane. 

The council has put in place a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that prevents “engaging in any act of approval/disapproval” by “any means” – specifically including prayer and counselling. 

Please help!

Our Lady of Philermo, pray for all mothers and children.

St John the Baptist, pray for all marriages.

Blessed Gerard, pray for all the weak and poor.