True Witnesses of Jesus Christ's Resurrection: "Disciples of Christ Despise Death... Instead of Fearing it"
Has the Covid hysteria proven that there are very few bishops who are "disciples of Christ" in the Catholic Church?
I know for a fact that there are still a few priests and bishops who are "disciples of Christ" who are the true witnesses of Jesus Christ's resurrection.
They are the true witnesses of Easter and Jesus Christ's resurrection in
that they "despise death" as St. Athanasius despised it.
Athanasius tells us the meaning of Easter in his great book "On the Incarnation":
"All the disciples of Christ despise death; they take the offensive
against it and, instead of fearing it, by the sign of the cross and by
faith in Christ trample on it as on something dead... all those who
believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die
rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when
they die they do not perish, but live indeed, and become incorruptible
through the resurrection... There is proof of this too; for men who,
before they believe in Christ, think death horrible and are afraid of
it, once they are converted despise it so completely that they go
eagerly to meet it, and themselves become witnesses of the Saviour's
resurrection from it. Even children hasten thus to die."
Yesterday's All Souls' Day Mass was all about "despise death":
ALL SOULS' DAY
COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE
FAITHFUL DEPARTED
COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE
FAITHFUL DEPARTED
"Unto Your faithful, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away."
The shared divine life that makes all the faithful one Mystical Body of Christ is not broken by death. Those who are born into eternal life remain our brothers and sisters in Christ. They have a debt of punishment to pay for sin, and God permits us to help them pay it. By personal sacrifices, by any personal prayer, by indulgenced prayers and good works, and especially by having Mass offered, everyone can help shorten Purgatory for relatives and friends, for unmourned derelicts, and for the persecuted of all nations who must die without the Sacraments.
FIRST MASS
INTROIT Ps. 64:2-3
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Ps. It is fitting to praise You in Sion, O God, and to fulfill our vow to You in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer: all flesh must come to You. Grant them . . .
COLLECT
O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant the souls of Your departed servants forgiveness of all their sins. May our devout prayers obtain for them the pardon that they have always desired; who lives and rules with God, . . .
LESSON I Cor. 15: 51-57
Brethren: Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality. And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
GRADUAL IV Esdr. 2:34
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Ps. 111:7. The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance; he shall not fear an evil report.
TRACT
Release the souls of all the faithful departed from every bond of sin, O Lord.
V. Enable them by the help of Your grace to escape the avenging judgment.
V. That they may enjoy the happiness of eternal light.
SEQUENCE
That day of wrath, that dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
Both David and the Sibyl say.
What terror then to us shall fall
When lo, the Judge's steps appall,
About to weigh the deeds of all.
The mighty trumpet's dolorous tone
Shall pierce through each sepulchral stone
And summon men before the throne.
Now death and nature in amaze
Behold the Lord His creatures raise
To meet the Judge's awful gaze.
The book is opened, that the dead
May hear their doom from what is read,
The record of our conscience dread.
The Lord of judgment on His throne
Shall every secret thing make known,
No sin escapes that once was sown.
Ah, how shall I that day endure?
What patron's aid can make secure,
When scarce the just themselves are sure?
O King of dreadful majesty
Who grants us grace and mercy free
Grant mercy now and grace to me.
Good Lord, who for my sinful sake
Man's suffering flesh Yourself did take,
Please do not now my soul forsake.
In weariness my soul was sought;
Upon the cross its life was bought;
Alas, if all in vain were wrought.
O just avenging Judge, I pray
Have pity, take my sins away
Before the great accounting day.
I groan beneath crimes' guilty pain;
My flush of shame reveals the stain
Of, sins, my God, that still remain.
All Mary's sins You did unbind,
And mercy for the robber find;
Now fill with hope my anxious mind.
My feeble prayers can make no claim;
Yet, gracious Lord, for Your great Name
Redeem me from the quenchless flame.
At Your right hand, give me a place,
Among Your sheep, a child of grace
Far from the goats' accursed race.
And when Your justly kindled ire
Lets sinners fall to ceaseless fire
Oh, call me to Your chosen choir.
In suppliant prayer I humbly bend,
My contrite heart like ashes rend;
Regard, O Lord, my final end.
Oh, on that day, that tearful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Do You the sinner's sentence stay
O spare him, God, we humbly pray.
And grant to all, O Saviour blest,
Who die in You, the saints' sweet rest. Amen.
GOSPEL St. John 5:25-29That day of wrath, that dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
Both David and the Sibyl say.
What terror then to us shall fall
When lo, the Judge's steps appall,
About to weigh the deeds of all.
The mighty trumpet's dolorous tone
Shall pierce through each sepulchral stone
And summon men before the throne.
Now death and nature in amaze
Behold the Lord His creatures raise
To meet the Judge's awful gaze.
The book is opened, that the dead
May hear their doom from what is read,
The record of our conscience dread.
The Lord of judgment on His throne
Shall every secret thing make known,
No sin escapes that once was sown.
Ah, how shall I that day endure?
What patron's aid can make secure,
When scarce the just themselves are sure?
O King of dreadful majesty
Who grants us grace and mercy free
Grant mercy now and grace to me.
Good Lord, who for my sinful sake
Man's suffering flesh Yourself did take,
Please do not now my soul forsake.
In weariness my soul was sought;
Upon the cross its life was bought;
Alas, if all in vain were wrought.
O just avenging Judge, I pray
Have pity, take my sins away
Before the great accounting day.
I groan beneath crimes' guilty pain;
My flush of shame reveals the stain
Of, sins, my God, that still remain.
All Mary's sins You did unbind,
And mercy for the robber find;
Now fill with hope my anxious mind.
My feeble prayers can make no claim;
Yet, gracious Lord, for Your great Name
Redeem me from the quenchless flame.
At Your right hand, give me a place,
Among Your sheep, a child of grace
Far from the goats' accursed race.
And when Your justly kindled ire
Lets sinners fall to ceaseless fire
Oh, call me to Your chosen choir.
In suppliant prayer I humbly bend,
My contrite heart like ashes rend;
Regard, O Lord, my final end.
Oh, on that day, that tearful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Do You the sinner's sentence stay
O spare him, God, we humbly pray.
And grant to all, O Saviour blest,
Who die in You, the saints' sweet rest. Amen.
At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews:"Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son also to have life in himself. And he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man. Wonder not at this: for the hour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
O Lord, Jesus Christ, glorious King, spare the souls of the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit; free them from the jaws of the lion, and let them not descend into hell to be swallowed up in darkness. May Saint Michael, Your standard
Image via WikipediaSECRET
O Lord, look with favor upon the gifts we offer You in behalf of the souls of Your faithful departed. Grant them the reward of Christian faith, just as You bestowed upon them the merit of their belief. Through Our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON IV Esdr 2:35, 34
May eternal light shine upon them, O Lord, with Your saints forever, for You are merciful. V. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, with Your saints forever, for You are merciful.
POSTCOMMUNION
May the prayers of Your suppliant people help the souls of Your servants, O Lord. Free them of all their sins and grant that they may share in the redemption You won for all men, who lives and rules with God . . . [https://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/2021/11/all-souls-day-commemoration-of-all.html]
Pray an Our Father now for reparation for the sins committed because of Francis's Amoris Laetitia.