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September, 2011 - Overview for the Month
The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose memorial the Church celebrates on September 15. September falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green.
General: That all teachers may know how to communicate love of the truth and instill authentic moral and spiritual values. Missionary: That the Christian communities of Asia may proclaim the Gospel with fervor, witnessing to its beauty with the joy of faith. (See also www.apostleshipofprayer.net) The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of September are:
The Gospels for the Sundays in September 2011 are taken from Year A, Cycle 1, the Gospel of St. Matthew.
This month the main liturgical feasts are St. Gregory the Great (September 3), The Birth of Mary (September 8), St. Peter Claver (September 9), Holy Name of Mary (September 12), St. John Chrysostom ( September 13), Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14), Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15), Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian (September 16), St. Robert Bellarmine (September 17), St. Andrew Kim and Companions (September 20), St. Matthew (September 21), St. Pio (September 23), Sts. Cosmas and Damian (September 26), St. Vincent de Paul (September 27), Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29) and St. Jerome (September 30).
The September Ember Days were particularly focused on the end of the harvest season and thanksgiving to God for the season. Ember Days were three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set aside by the Church for prayer, fasting and almsgiving at the beginning of each of the four seasons of the year. The ember days fell after December 13, the feast of St. Lucy (winter), after the First Sunday of Lent (spring), after Pentecost Sunday (summer), and after September 14 , the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (fall). These weeks were known as the quattor tempora, the "four seasons." Since the late 5th century, the Ember Days were also the preferred dates for ordination of priests. So during these times the Church had a threefold focus: (1) sanctifying each new season by turning to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving; (2) giving thanks to God for the various harvests of each season; and (3) praying for the newly ordained and for future vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Since the reorganization of the Roman calendar in 1969 after the Second Vatican Council, Ember Days are still retained in principle, but how and when they are to be observed is at the discretion of each country's Episcopal Conference. There is no longer set Mass readings for the Ember Days in the Ordinary Rite. Another harvest feast is September 29, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Before the revision of the calendar, this used to be only the feast of St. Michael. In many countries this day was referred to as "Michaelmas" and is celebrated with traditional foods and customs. By Jennifer Gregory Miller, 2003.  Explanation of Ember Days—Three days set apart for fasting, abstinence, and prayer during each of the four seasons of the year. They were the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after St. Lucy (or Lucia, d. 304) (December 13), the First Sunday of Lent, Pentecost, and the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14). Since the revision of the Roman calendar in 1969, Ember Days are to be observed at the discretion of the National Conference of Bishops. Moreover, their observance may be extended beyond three days and even repeated during the year. Possibly occasioned by the agricultural feasts of ancient Rome, they came to be observed by Christians for the sanctification of the different seasons of the year, and for obtaining God's blessing on the clergy to be ordained during the Embertides. (Etym. Anglo-Saxon oemerge, ashes.) — Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, SJ, Doubleday, 1980.
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 And thy
own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts
may be revealed.
Highlights
This feast commemorates the rescue of the true Cross
of Christ by Emperor Heraclius in a victory over the Persians. Our
Mother the Church sings of the triumph of the Holy Cross, the instrument
of our salvation.
In France, paper-thin sweet
wafers called gaufres were baked by street vendors.
Serve waffles on St. Michael's Day to continue this tradition.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is an
appropriate feastday to thank God for the blessing of Christ dying
on the Cross, which opened the gates of heaven for mankind. Here is
a family project which involves making a homemade cross.
Symbols
The Monogram of the Blessed Virgin.
The letters of the name "Maria" are evident in this ancient symbol. A crown was sometimes placed over the monogram by Medieval artists.
The moneybags refer to the occupation of
St. Matthew before he was called to follow Christ. He was a tax
gatherer known as Levi.
The great work of the Archbishop of Constantinople
to overcome crime, heresy, and corruption was interrupted by avaricious
enemies who effected his exile, which lasted four years, and ended
with his death.
One of the Four Western Fathers, along
with Sts. Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose of Milan and Gregory the
Great. He contributed courage and wisdom in his defense of the
truth. His translation of the Bible into Latin, known as the
Vulgate, is in general, the version authorized in the Roman
Catholic Church.
Happy the heart of the blessed Virgin Mary, which without dying earned
the palm of martyrdom beneath the Cross of our Lord. |
During
September, as in all of Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time
After Pentecost), the Liturgy does not focus on one particular
mystery of Christ, but views the mystery of Christ in all its aspects.
We follow the life of Christ through the Gospels, and focus on the
teachings and parables of Jesus and what it means for us to be a
follower of Christ. During Ordinary Time we can concentrate more
on the saints and imitate their holiness as Christ's followers.
Since man is both a spiritual and physical being, the Church provides
for the needs of man in his everyday life. The Church's liturgy
and feasts in many areas reflect the four seasons of the year (spring,
summer, fall and winter). The months of August, September, October
and November are part of the harvest season, and as Christians we
recall God's constant protection over his people and give thanksgiving
for the year's harvest.
September
14 
