The Particular Feast of Saint Stephen in Hungary on August 20th was kept even during the Soviet occupation it, but under different names – Feast of  Constitutions,  Feast of New Bread. However, there were no processions with the sacred relic of the almsgiving right hand of Saint Stephen.

Because the people did not let its memory die in their hearts, the procession honouring it, when freedom was regained, the ancient name of the Feast and the procession is back,

just as the wider re-emergence of celebration of the Tridentine Mass,

because people did not stop caring and praying.

May God in His infinite mercy grant us the grace  of persevering in our efforts to preserve the good and the noble AMDG

.. on the splendid  Feast of her assumption to heaven

I humbly offer a double salutation to my Mother, the Queen Of heaven

with a Brigittine Heart

Saint Birgitta was instructed by Our Lord to plant a new vineyard in which His Mother is honoured.

This is why we begin each our Hour of the Divine Office with the invocation:

Dignare me laudare te Virgo Sacrata  – Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos

Deign to permit me to praise thee, Sacred Virgin – Give me virtuous  strength against thy  enemies!

With a Hungarian  heart

Hungary , also titled Regnum Marianum,  was the first country formally offered up to Our Lady- in the 11^th century by our King, Saint Stephan.

May I be given the graces too express  I the love of Our Lady, as beautifully, as  did Saint  Maximillian Kolbe, taken to heaven on the vigil of this Feast!

Let us  pray for graces to go up the mountain to see the sanctifying light shining from Jesus!

We sing this verse of the hymn at ad Laudes:

Quam lætus est, quem vísitas!
Consors Paternæ déxteræ,
Tu dulce lumen pátriæ,
Carnis negatum sénsibus.

Joyous is he, with whom,
God’s Word, thou dost abide;
Sweet light of our eternal home,
To fleshly sense denied

This feast has a history. It was placed on the Roman  Calendar by Pope Callixtus III to celebrate a victory of Christian crusaders against Turkish Muslims  in 1456. Here is a link to a short video:

….my heart is too full with wonder and adoration to  express myself well.  Let me therefore quote the   great Saint Bonaventura, as he puts something appropriate in a portion of the 9^th Lesson in today’s ad Matutinum.

(Source: http://divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/horas/officium.pl)

Ad hoc enim perforátum est latus tuum, ut nobis páteat intróitus. Ad hoc vulnerátum est Cor tuum, ut in illo ab exterióribus turbatiónibus absolúti habitáre possímus. Nihilóminus et proptérea vulnerátum est, ut per vulnus visíbile, vulnus amóris invisíbile videámus. Quómodo hic ardor mélius posset osténdi, nisi quod non solum corpus, verum étiam ipsum Cor láncea vulnerári permísit? Carnále ergo vulnus, vulnus spirituále osténdit. Quis illud Cor tam vulnerátum non díligat? quis tam amántem non rédamet? quis tam castum non amplectátur? Nos ígitur adhuc in carne manéntes, quantum póssumus, amántem redamémus, amplectámur vulnerátum nostrum…

Translation (slightly modified) For to this end was Thy side pierced, that an entry be opened unto us. To this end was Thy Heart wounded, that in it we might be able to dwell secure from alarms from without. And it was wounded none the less on this account that, because of the visible wound, we may perceive the wound of love which is invisible. How could this fire of love better shine forth than for Him to permit that not only his body, but that even His Heart, should be wounded with the spear? Who would not love that Heart so wounded? Who would not, in return, love one who is so loving? Who would not embrace one so chaste? Wherefore let us who are in the flesh love in return, as much as we can, Him who so loveth, embrace our wounded one …

Oh  Jesus we adore Thee… Dear Lord help us  us do this in all the days of our life!

We gather flowers for a carpet to honour the One

Who is always among us, in the Blessed Sacrament. who  in spite of our shortcomings never leaves us because of our shortcomings.

O Jesus, we adore Thee,
Come, live in us, we pray,
That all our thoughts and actions
Be Thine alone today.

AMDG

Through your intercession, our prayers were heard. thanks to your help, something wonderful is in store for the Brigittine Servitores  in August,

For the prayers, please see the “Prayer to Saint Rita of Cascia” under the tab “Devotions”

– by reflecting  on the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost for which we prayed the novena before the Feast of  Pentecost

In the beautiful illustrated 1912 edition of this novena by the Holy Spirit Fathers there is a side bar, with quotations a  out each gift. Let us reflect on these gifts  during the Octave of Pentecost!

Pentecost Sunday  – FIRST GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  FEAR OF THE LORD

The fear of God prepares a prepares a place for love. But once love has begun to dwell in our hearts, the fear that prepared a place for it is driven out. . . . In sewing, the needle introduces the thread into the cloth. The needle goes in, but the thread cannot follow unless the needle comes out first.  In the same way, the fear of God first occupies our minds, but it does not remain there, because it enters only in order to introduce love. –St. Augustine

Monday in the Octave of Pentecost   – SECOND GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  PIETY

The reason for loving God is God Himself; the measure of loving God is to love Him beyond measure. –St. Bernard of Clairvaux

What is the mark of a love for God?  To keep His commandments for the sake of His glory. –St. Basil the Great

Tuesday in the  Octave of Pentecost  – THIRD GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  FORTITUDE

The woman who stayed behind at the tomb to seek Christ was the only one who saw Him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the Voice of truth tells us:  “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

–Pope St. Gregory the Great

We ought to make some progress, however little, every day, and show some increase of fervour. We ought to act as if we were at war–as, indeed, we are– and never relax until we have won the victory.—St. Teresa of Avila

Wednesday  in the  Octave of Pentecost– FOURTH GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:KNOWLEDGE

If you desire to know . . . ask grace, not instruction; desire, not understanding; the groaning of prayer, not diligent reading; the Spouse, not the teacher; God, not man; darkness, not clarity; not light, but the fire that totally inflames and carries us into God by ecstatic unctions and burning affections. – St. Bonaventure

 Thursday in the  Octave of Pentecost – FIFTH GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  UNDERSTANDING

 No one is so foolish as not to believe that the things of the physical world are subject to someone’s government, providence, and disposition, seeing that they are regulated according to a certain order and time.  Thus we see the sun, the moon, and the stars and other parts of the physical world all holding a certain course, which would not happen if they were the sport of chance.  For that reason, a man would be a fool not to believe in God. –St. Thomas Aquinas

Friday  in the  Octave of  Pentecost – SIXTH GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  COUNSEL

What am I without You, Lord, but a guide to my own downfall? –St. Augustine

Let each one remember that he will make progress in all spiritual things only insofar as he rids himself of self-love, self-will, and self-interest. –ST. Ignatius Loyola

Saturday  in the  Octave of  Pentecost  – SEVENTH GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  WISDOM

What a sacred ignorance it is that loses sight of the wisdom and prudence of this age in order to learn the science and wisdom of the saints in the school of the Holy Spirit! –St. Paul of the Cross

Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy. –St. Thomas Aquinas

For the rubrics of the Divine Office of this season, please see” Notes  on the Breviary” page!

This line from the hymn at ad Matutinum defines what this is Feast is about, addressing Jesus Christ, Our Lord:

Ascendis orbes siderum,  (Thou hast ascended the orbits of the stars)

May we be given the graces by the mercy of God to follow Him there after our pilgrimage on this Earth is over!

Let us therefore start the novena to the Holy Ghost tomorrow to help us on the way!

For the text of the novena, go to  the ”Devotions “ page and look for “12. Holy Ghost Novena”

For the seasonal notes on the Breviary, go to the “Notes on the Breviary” page!

…Our Lady appeared to three children in Fatima.

 15 years ago, the first step leading towards the Brigittine path was taken when the forerunner of the Brigittini Servitores Sanctissimi Salvatoris Institute, the Servitores Reginae Apostolorum Institute was offered and gladly accepted priestly participation in its work   which in turn led us on the Brigittine path.

A simple coincidence of dates? Not really, for what are the Brigittines about? The Brigittines came into being at Our Lord’s request to Saint Birgitta to plant a new vineyard by establishing an order which His Mother would be honoured.

… the Brigittine collect for the Easter Season expresses well the essence of the Paschal mystery,   urging us to contemplate thankfully and prayerfully the mysteries of this holy  Season.

 Brigittine collect

Prosit nobis semper omnipotens Pater et praecipue inter haec Paschalia Filii tui solemnia continuata Dei Genetricis et Virginis Mariae memoria quae et astitit vulnerata caritate in Cruce pendenti et astat nunc a dexteris Regina in coelo regnanti eidem Domino nostro Jesu Christo Filio tuo.  Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus.  Amen.

Translation

O Almighty  Father, it always benefits us, especially at the time of the Easter solemnities, commemorating the resurrection of Thy Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ,,  the continuous remembrance of the Blessed Virgin  Mary, Mother of God, who, wounded by love, stood at the side of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, hanging on the  cross and now stands at the right hand side of the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Thy Son. Who lives and reigns with Thee in union with the Holy Ghost.

For the rubrics of the Divine Office this season, please see” Notes  on the Breviary” page!