Final Day of the Novena for the Holy Souls
Plus a Novena for the Elections and a Blessed All Saints Day!
“The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.”
— Leon Bloy
Day 9
My God! How was it possible that I, for so many years, have borne tranquilly the separation from Thee and Thy holy grace! O infinite Goodness, how long-suffering hast Thou shown Thyself to me! Henceforth, I shall love Thee above all things. I am deeply sorry for having offended Thee; I promise rather to die than to again offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and do not permit that I should ever again fall into sin. Have compassion on the holy souls in Purgatory. I pray Thee, moderate their sufferings; shorten the time of their misery; call them soon unto Thee in heaven, that they may behold Thee face to face, and forever love Thee. Mary, Mother of Mercy, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession, and pray for us also who are still in danger of eternal damnation.
Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and
The Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, through the bloody sweat which Thou didst suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on these Blessed Souls. Have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel scourging, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most painful crowning with thorns, have mercy on them. R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in carrying Thy cross to Calvary, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel Crucifixion, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most bitter agony on the Cross, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
O most sweet Jesus, through the immense pain which Thou didst suffer in breathing forth Thy Blessed Soul, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
(Recommend yourself to the Souls in Purgatory and mention your intentions here).
Blessed Souls, I have prayed for thee; I entreat thee, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing Him, to pray for me a miserable sinner, who is in danger of being damned, and of losing God forever.
Amen.
Join us in prayer in the lead-up to Election Day on November 5, 2024.
For the Social Reign of Christ the King, especially in our public life and by our earthly authorities and rulers.
For the election of leaders who uphold the Social Reign of Christ the King.
For Pro-Life victories in all state ballot elections.
For the conversion of all leaders to the One True Catholic Church, and for all governments to recognize Christ as King and conform their laws to His teachings.
O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge Thee to be the King of the Universe; all that has been made is created for Thee. Exercise over me all Thy sovereign rights. I hereby renew the promises of my baptism, renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps, and I engage myself to lead henceforth a truly Christian life. And in a special manner do I undertake to bring about the triumph of the rights of God and Thy Church, so far as in me lies. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my poor actions to obtain the acknowledgement by every heart of Thy sacred kingly power. In such wise may the kingdom of Thy peace be firmly established throughout all the earth. +Amen+
~from The Raccolta
Apocalypse 19:15-16:
And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged sword, that with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God the Almighty. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The Feast of the Kingship of Christ was instituted by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI on December 11, 1925 via his encyclical, Quas Primas.1
Christus vincit,
Christus regnat,
Christus imperat.
The Feast of All Saints
1. Today's feast should inspire in us a burning desire to become holy. Men long for many things in this world, things which are often useless and even sinful. They desire riches, pleasure, honours, success and material comfort. These things may be lawful, but they cannot satisfy the human heart which is made for God. Whenever we achieve any of our ambitions in this world, are we in fact happy or even perfectly satisfied? The truth is that we are not, because the soul is greater than the objects which surround us. God alone can fill and satisfy it.
Sanctity should be our principal ambition. We should yearn to be more closely united to God so that His Divinity may be reflected in our thoughts and in our actions. If we enjoy God's friendship, we shall become more like God and shall be lifted up above petty mundane considerations. Perhaps we doubt our ability to reach such a high spiritual level? Even so, we should nevertheless desire to reach it, and not just, in a passing and indifferent manner, but constantly and actively. We should keep our desire alive by repeating it to ourselves and by continually praying for God's grace to fulfil it. "I intend to become holy," said little Dominic Savio, and he kept the promise which he had made to God. Many people have formed the same resolution, both desert hermits and University professors, both humble workmen and rulers of nations. Since we ought to have the same intention, what is there to prevent us? Let us make this resolution now and put it into effect with the help of God.
2. God addressed the same command to all of us. “You shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44; Peter 1:16) “You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt. 5:48)
We are all obliged to strive to become holy, to work hard towards this end, and to ask for the grace to sustain us in our efforts. We should not say that sanctity is impossible for us, because everything is possible with God's help. Let us imagine that we are in Heaven and can behold the innumerable choirs of the Blessed enjoying the unlimited and unending happiness of God's company. Nevertheless, they were once people like ourselves, with the same passions, failings, and temptations. They fought valiantly, supported by the grace of God; they conquered and were awarded the palm of victory. Now they enjoy everlasting happiness. Let us remember the words of St. Augustine: "If others, why not I?" If they succeeded in becoming holy, why cannot I do likewise?
3. In these days when the Church is so anxious to foster devotion to the Saints, let us fervently invoke their patronage. They arc our brothers and they reach out lovingly to assist us, because they desire us to share in their glory.
As we know, the Church is threefold. There is the Church militant, to which we belong; there is the Church suffering, which consists of the souls in Purgatory; and there is the Church triumphant, which is made up of the Blessed in Heaven. The bond of charity unites all three divisions. We who are still on earth have brothers and sisters in eternal glory who love us and intercede for us. Let us pray to them fervently and constantly. Above all, let us seek to imitate the sanctity which won such glory for them.
— Antonio Cardinal Bacci
Customs
As to special foods for this feast, in Austria and Bavaria, Germany, a sweet yeast bread called Allerheiligenstriezel -- "striezel" for short -- is given by godparents to their godchildren on this day.
Striezel
1 packet of dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm milk, divided
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs room temperature
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raisins
2 tablespoons rum
For the top, before baking:
1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
Sliced almonds
Coarse sugar
Dissolve yeast in a small bowl with 1/3 c. of the milk and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 10 minutes 'til foamy.
Combine the remaining 2/3 c. milk with the melted butter, then add the eggs and whisk together. Separately, in a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed, combine the milk mixture with the yeast mixture and half of the flour mixture. Once the flour is incorporated, add the rest of the flour mixture one tablespoon at a time, continually kneading on low speed, until all of the flour is incorporated. Turn dough onto work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. If the dough sticks to hands and work surface too much, knead in 1-2 handfuls of flour.
Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, knead it and let it rise again.>
In the meantime, soak the raisins in the rum. After the second rise, knead the raisins into the dough. Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll pieces into equally long strands (about 16-17 inches). Braid the strands together, brush with egg-milk mixture and sprinkle with sliced almonds and coarse sugar. Preheat oven to 350F, and let bread sit while the oven's heating. Bake for 30 minutes.
In Tuscany, a bread called Pane Coi Santi is eaten -- but it must be prepared starting two days before, including a day for the bread to rest and "ripen," so be warned!
Pane Coi Santi (Pan Co' Santi)
For the starter, two nights before All Saints Day:
1 1/2 c. bread flour
3/4 c. water, divided
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
The morning of the day before All Saints:
1 1/2 c. raisins, packed
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 c. walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. + 1 tsp. lukewarm water
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. red wine
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten
The night before you plan to bake the bread, stir together half of the water, the sugar, and the yeast and let it stand until creamy and froth, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and the rest of the water and mix with a whisk until roughly combined. Cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature overnight or for 8 to 12 hours. By morning, it should be bubbly and doubled in size.
The next morning, soak the raisins in a bowl of water for 15 minutes or so, then drain.
Heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the drained raisins, the walnuts, and the sugar. Warm up so the oil takes on the flavor of the raisins and nuts, then take off the heat and cool.
In a small bowl, stir together the water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the yeast and let it stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the starter made the night before, the flour, and the activated yeast, along with the nuts and raisins. Knead on low speed, adding the wine a little at a time, until the dough is well combined. It should be smooth to the touch and come away easily from your hands. Lastly, add the salt and pepper and knead for another minute.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled pastry board. Form a round ball of dough, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for about 2 hours, until doubled in size. When the dough has doubled in size, knead it again, then divide and form 2 round bread loaves. Arrange the loaves, well-spaced, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut a cross into the tops of each with a knife and let rise again until doubled in size, covered with a damp towel. Preheat oven to 3500F. Brush the bread loaves with a beaten egg yolk, transfer to the oven, and bake for about 50 minutes until dark brown and glossy. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool thoroughly. Wait at least one day before consuming.
From Naples via Sicily come chocolatey-spicy, cake-like cookies called Rame di Napoli, or "Neopolitan Coppers," They're often given to children as gifts "from" their ancestors and relatives who've died:
Rame di Napoli (Coppers of Naples)
1 3/4 cups flour (00 flour if you can get it)
3 1/2 tbsp butter melted
1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
zest from 1/2 orange, finely grated
2 tsp baking powder
For the topping:
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
4 tbsp + 1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp orange marmalade
2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios
Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Place the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder in a large bowl and stir to combine. Then sift the cocoa powder over the top, add the orange zest, and mix to combine.
Add the honey and melted butter and stir until the mixture is just about combined.
Sift half the flour on top and pour in half the milk and mix until just about combined.
Sift the remaining flour and add the remaining milk and stir until everything is well combined and the mixture glossy and still quite wet.
Then, using about 2 TBSP for each cookie, shape into balls and place on the cookie sheets with room in between for the cookies to spread a bit. Bake for 10-15 mins (they will rise), depending on your oven and the size of the cookies. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking tray and then transfer to a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate and butter together, in a double-boiler or in a microwave, and mix together well. Warm the marmalade so it's spreadable, then brush onto the top of each cookie. Dip each cookie in the chocolate to coat the top, then dip the wet tops in the pistachios. Let them harden before serving.2
https://fisheaters.com/quasprimas.html
https://fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost12.html