Today is Shrovetide Tuesday otherwise known as Fat Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday (i.e as in our after Mass Church pancake breakfast was this past weekend)

Many small ‘t” Catholic traditions commence prior to the start of our Sacred Traditions large “T” part of the Word of God

Mardi Gras and Carnivale is the opposite and a pagan festival of the flesh to which we are striving to suppress the culture of from surrounding and strangling us

A famous painting  depiction from the 1500s, within it are the two floats competing from Christian procession and pagan procession in the town square as well as other activities

Further descriptive(s) and seasonal recipes found here

http://www.fisheaters.com/customsseptuagesima2.html

Some of the additional pancake recipes, as they are acceptable for both dinner and dessert today in various forms………found here

http://metro.co.uk/2015/02/17/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-pancakes-on-pancake-day-5065092/

In England a famous Shrovetide football game takes place where the goals are three miles apart and across a stream ravine, as thousands participate in the game getting the ball to hit the goal (building mill) and festivities that follow prior to the start of Lent – The eccentricities vary from country to country but once the Liturgical season begins there is meant to universal conformity

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-31487823

The normative is a stripping of excessive flowers and colors

The Traditional Rite is already in purple linen and vestments from the Septuagesima pre-lent that began several weeks ago when Epiphany season ended

The new Rite strangely went from Epiphany season briefly back to some week in the teens 16th or 17th week in Ordinary time and then tonight becomes Lent

Anyone who felt that is was weird to see so much green and green vestments in a Papal Consistory days before the start of Lent should not feel alone – thousands of us felt it just as strange as we watched it

Why are four distinct seasons with vigils and octaves that mark our lives and our Liturgical seasons exactly mirroring that of the former abrogated  Old Covenant so difficult to fathom and so desperately needing to break away from by progressivist  understanding of the new Christianity

Let us remember the proper rubrics of Lent for restoration Here are some reminders for greater devotion for our families

Abstinence from meat for all Christians attempting to live out the devout life is meant to be year round-  Christians don’t meat on Fridays full stop Exceptions are only for the elderly and the infirm

During Lent Friday’s move to a one meal fast through the full 40 days with the exception of Sundays – Christians don’t fast on Sundays

Wednesday’s always take on the additional abstinence from meat for the forty days of Lent

If unable to execute either then one is called to double the amount of normal devotions and or prayers and read the Mass readings for the day in whatever your respective Rite is

For Ash Wednesday and Good Friday – the whole day is one meal – Many skip eating all together on Good Friday with the exception of mineral water and or broth and the time that would have been dinner time

Shroud all statues and images in the Church in purple cloth prior to Passion Sunday

Appropriate attire is black and or dark purple – Most area traditional Chapels and Churches sell beautiful mantillas -some custom lace and lavender for the occasions

Stations of the Cross are restored to Fridays in Lent at close to 25% of Catholic parishes with lenten meditations to be read by Priests, 2nd Order, and those of us among the 3rd orders and Confraternities

If the Parish nearest you does not do stations of the Cross on Fridays in Lent call them and as for details as to why they do not and write down the name of the Pastor for latter reference and or submission to the Dicastry

Seek out Traditional stations of the Cross on Fridays This will be conducted at any Parish that is either a bi-Rite Parish, an Ecclesia Dei Chapel or Monastery or Convent – It’s where the Priest is dressed in full vestments with torch bearers and Crucifix brigade and followed by the people through the isles from Station to Station accompanied by Choir in Latin or in the Vernacular

In Old Polish Parishes it’s done even better than the Traditional Rite

Outdoor stations of the Cross at the Pope John Paull II Cultural Center in Doylestown (Chetochowa) PA and at Mater Ecclesia in Berlin, NJ and also on Good Friday over the Brooklyn Bridge, ( the latter one of my wife’s favorite devotions)

One aspect of the new Rite than can help bring restoration to the Old Rite Mass is the 1962 Missal suppresses the prayers over the people after Mass during Lent

this was restored in the New Rite and the Old Rite should follow suit

Reference Father Z in Dr. Jungman bibliography reference to the doctor of the Liturgical Sciences for the propers

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/03/wdtprs-laetare-sunday-prayer-over-the-people-walking-in-the-shadow-of-death-2/

Tonight’s regional Traditional Mass and ferial/ votive /option is a Mass of the Holy Face of Jesus the night before Lent starts by venerating Saint Veronica and Veronica’s veil and or the Face of the Holy Shroud of Turin and the Holy Face Medals

This Mass is also a pre-1962 Missal tradition as even in the early 1960s the liberalisms and suppressions (some but not many) had already begun

http://offerimustibidomine.blogspot.com/2015/02/mass-for-holy-face-of-jesus.html

Courtesy of Sister Marie of Saint Peter

http://www.holyface.org.uk/content/veronicasveil.htm

Also a good time to catch up on Holy Shroud research or visit their Research Center in Colorado http://www.shroudofturin.com/index.html and or read a book by Dr. John Jackson’s research or the more than several Benedictine Monks at Holy Face Monastery in Clifton NJ who have all written books on the ongoing supernatural facts and occurrences of the Holy Shroud

One such new book (from last year) is by resident Benedictine Monk in Clifton NJ by the name of Fr. Louis-Marie Navaratine O.S.B.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Shroud-Why-Believe/dp/0991043405

It’s a text book on the subject that most of us have a signed copy of from the Monastery

Make sure to visit parents and or grandparents a the Cemetery prior to Holy Week and although the new Rite now prohibits The Mass over the Tomb at local Catholic cemeteries (which there are Propers extant for)

If your family is buried in a non-Catholic cemetery and if you have a Priest willing to say the Mass for the usual stipend and to decree the Plenary Indulgences than I would proceed

Offerimus Tibi Domine

If not brave enough than at the very least bring the LOTH Office of the Dead to recite at the Grave

Even if you do not have immediate relatives at the Cemetery the Office can be offered for the Purgatorial victims and can reduce their sentence in the Purgatorial flames by your offerings brought to them from the Lenten High Altar

Mary Mediatrix of All Graces bring us repentance to the feet of Jesus