St Barbara, Ora pro nobis!

Sorry about the formatting being so wonky, but here is a beautiful meditation from Dom Guerrangère's The Liturgical Year for today's feast of St Barbara. Happy advent to all! Don't forget to plant your wheat for the crèche today!

SAINT BARBARA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

ALTHOUGH, in the Roman liturgy, St. Barbara is merely commemorated in the Office of St. Peter Chrysologus, yet the Church has approved an entire Office for the use of those Churches which honour
the memory of this illustrious virgin in a special manner. The legend which follows, although of considerable weight, has not, consequently, the authority of those which are promulgated for the use of the whole Church, in the Roman breviary. Let us not, on this account, be less fervent in honouring this glorious martyr, so celebrated in the east, and whose feast has been for so many ages admitted, with more or less solemnity, into the Roman Church. The acts of her martyrdom, though not of the highest antiquity, contain nothing in them but what redounds to the glory of God and the honour of the saint. We have already shown the liturgical importance which attaches to St. Barbara in this season of Advent. Let us admire the constancy wherewith this virgin waited for her Lord, who came at the appointed hour, and was for her, as the Scripture speaks, a Spouse of blood, because He put the strength of her love of Him to the severest of all tests.

Barbara, a virgin of Nieo·
media, the daughter of Dios·
coru~, a nobleman but a
superstitious pagan, came
readily, by the assistance of
divine grace, from the con·
templation of the visible
things of creation to the
knowledge of the invisible.
Wherefore, she devoted her·
self to God alone and to the
things of God. Her father,
desirous to preserve her from
all danger of insult, to which
he feared her great beauty
might expose her, shut her
up in a tower. There the
pious virgin passed her days
in meditation and prayer,
studying to please God
alone, whom she had chosen
as her Spouse. She cour·
ageously rejected several
offers of marriage, which
were made to her, through
her father, by rich nobles.
But her father hoped that,
by separating himself by a
long absence from his child,
her intentions would easily
change. Ile first ordered
that a bath should be built
for her in the tower, 80 that
she might want for nothing;
and then he set out on a
journey into distant coun·
tries.
During her father's abo
sence, 'Barbara ordered that
to the two windows already
in the tower a third should
be added, in honour of the
blessed Trinity; and that
on the edge of the bath the
sign of the most holy cross
should be drawn. When
Dioscorus returned home,
and saw these changes, and
was told their meaning, he
became so incensed against
his daughter, that he wont in
search of her with a naked
sword in his hand, and, but
for the protection of God,
he would have cruelly murdered
her. Barbara had
taken to Hight: an immense
rock opened before her, and
she found a path by which
she reached the top of a
mountain, and there she hid
herself in a cave. Not long
after, however, she was discovered
by her unnatural
father, who savagely kicked
and struck her, and dragging
her by the hair over the
sharp rocks, and rugged
ways, he handed her over to
the governor Marcian, that
he might punish her. He,
therefore, having used evcry
means to shake her constancy,
and finding that all
was in vain, gave ordcrs
for her to be stripped and
scourged with thongs, to
have her wounds scraped with
potsherds, and then to bo
dragged to prison. There
Christ, surrounded by an
immense light, appearing to
her, strengthened her in a
divine manner for the sufferings
she was yet to endure.
A matron, named Juliana.,
who witnessed this, was converted
to the faith, and
became her companion in
martyrdom.
At length Barbara had her
body torn with iron hooks,
her sides burnt with torches,
and her head bruised with
mallets. During these tor·
tures she consoled her com·
panion, and exhorted her to
fight manfully to the last.
Both of them had their
breasts cut off, were dragged
naked through the streets,
and beheaded. Tho head of
Barbara was out off by her
own father, who in his exces·
sive wickedness had hardened
his heart thus far. But his
ferocious cruelty was not
long left unpunished, for
instantly, and on the very
spot, he was struck dead by
lightning. The emperor
Justinus had the body of
this most holy virgin trans·
lated from Nioomedia to
Constantinople. It was after·
wards obtained by the Vene·
tians from the emperors
Constantine and Basil; and
having been translated from
Constantinople to Venice,
was deposited with great so·
lemnity in the basilica of St.
Mark. Lastly, at the earnest
request of the bishop of
Toreello and his sister, who
was abbess, it was translated
in the year of grace 1009, to
the nuns' church of St.
John the Evangelist, in the
diocese of Toreello ; where it
was placed in 0. worthy se·
pulchre. and from that time
has never ceased to be the
object of most fervent vene·
ration.
Such is the account of the life and martyrdom of
the courageous virgin of Nicomedia. She is invoked
in the Church against lightning, on account of the
punishment inflicted by divine justice on her execrable
father. This same incident of the saint's history has
suggested several Catholic cuswms: thus her name
is sometimes given w the hold of men-of war where
the ammunition is stowed; she is the patroness of
artillery men, miners, etc. ; and she is invoked by the
faithful against the danger of a sudden death.
Of the liturgical pieces, used in our western Churches
in honour of St. Barbara, we will content ourselves
with the following beautiful antiphon, composed in
the days of chivalry.

ANTIPHON
o divinre bonitatis immensa
clementia, qure Barbaram
illustravit vero claritatis
lumine, ut tcrrenre
dignitatis contempto splendore,
divinitatis conscia effici
mereretur: hrec vdut
lilium inter spinis enituit,
et lux in tenebris eluxit.
Alleluia.

o immeasurable mercy of
divine goodness, which did
enlighten Barbara with the
brightness of the true light,
making her worthy, by her
contempt for what was daz·
zling in earthly grandeur, to
be admitted to a. union with
God! As the lily among
thorns, as light in darkness,
80 shone Barbara. Alleluia.
The Greek Church is profuse in its praises of St.
Barbara. We will take from the Memea a few out of
the many strophes which are sung in honour of the
holy martyr:

HYMN OF THE GREEK CHURCH
When welcome death carne
before thee, 0 venerable martyr
Barbara! joyously and
nimbly didst thou run thy
course, and being immolated
by the wicked hands of an
impious parent, thou wast
offered a victim to God.
Now, therefore, art thou in
the choir of the truly wise
virgins, and contemplatest
the beauty of thy Spouse.

This lamb of thine, 0
Jesus, cries to thee with a.
loud voice: Thee, 0 my
Spouse, do I desire, thee do
I seek by my combat; I am
immolated and buried in thy
baptism; I suffer for thee,
that I ma.y reign with thee;
I die for thee, that I may live
in thee; receive me, therefore,
as a.n unreserved sacrifice
lovingly sacrificed to
thee. Save our souls, 0 merciful
Jesus, by her prayers.
Glorious Barbara I most
sacred rose grown out of a
thorny stem, sweetly perfuming
the Church, and ruddy
by the blood of thy battle!
we this day most fervently
proclaim thee blessed.
Neither the sweetness of
luxury, nor the flower of
beauty, nor riches, nor the
pleasures of youth, could rob
thee of thy energy, 0 glorious
Barbara, most fair virgin,
espoused to Christ.
All stood in amazement at
witnessing thy combat; for
thou didst endure the tortures,
and chains, and cruelties,
of thy persecutors, 0
Barbara, of wide-world fame!
Therefore, did God give thee
the crown thou didst covet;
thou didst run thy course
with courage, and he healed
thee.
Full of love for Jesus thy
Spouse, thy bright lamp was
well trimmed, and thy virtucs
shed forth their splendour,
0 virgin worthy of
praise!

Happy feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!!

Why not take today to start making a habit out of praying the rosary?



From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 


971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "The Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God', to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs...This special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.

2678 Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours. In the East, the litany called the Akathistos and the Paraclesis remained closer to the choral office in the Byzantine churches, while the Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac traditions preferred popular hymns of St. Ephrem or St Gregory of Narek, the tradition of prayer is basically the same.

2708 Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to mediate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.

RECITATION OF THE HOLY ROSARY
MEDITATION OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Pontifical Shrine of Pompeii
Sunday, October 19, 2008

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear men and women religious,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Before entering the Shrine to recite the Holy Rosary with you, I paused briefly before the tomb of Bl. Bartolo Longo and, praying, I asked myself: "Where did this great apostle of Mary find the energy and perseverance he needed to bring such an impressive work, now known across the world, to completion? Was it not in the Rosary, which he accepted as a true gift from Our Lady's Heart?" Yes, that truly was how it happened! The experience of the Saints bears witness to it: this popular Marian prayer is a precious spiritual means to grow in intimacy with Jesus, and to learn at the school of the Blessed Virgin always to fulfil the divine will. It is contemplation of the mysteries of Christ in spiritual union with Mary as the Servant of God Paul VI stressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus (n. 46) and as my venerable Predecessor John Paul II abundantly illustrated in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae that today I once again present in spirit to the Community of Pompeii and to each one of you. You who live and work here in Pompeii, especially you, dear priests, men and women religious and lay people involved in this unique portion of the Church, are all called to make Bl. Bartolo Longo's charism your own and to become, to the extent and in the way that God grants to each one, authentic apostles of the Rosary.

To be apostles of the Rosary, however, it is necessary to experience personally the beauty and depth of this prayer which is simple and accessible to everyone. It is first of all necessary to let the Blessed Virgin take one by the hand to contemplate the Face of Christ: a joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious Face. Those who, like Mary and with her, cherish and ponder the mysteries of Jesus assiduously, increasingly assimilate his sentiments and are conformed to him. In this regard, I would like to quote a beautiful thought of Bl. Bartolo Longo: "Just as two friends, frequently in each other's company, tend to develop similar habits", he wrote, "so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection" (I Quindici Sabati del Santissimo Rosario, 27th edition, Pompeii, 1916, p. 27: cited in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 15).

The Rosary is a school of contemplation and silence. At first glance, it could seem a prayer that accumulates words, therefore difficult to reconcile with the silence that is rightly recommended for meditation and contemplation. In fact, this cadent repetition of the Hail Mary does not disturb inner silence but indeed both demands and nourishes it. Similarly to what happens for the Psalms when one prays the Liturgy of the Hours, the silence surfaces through the words and sentences, not as emptiness, but rather as the presence of an ultimate meaning that transcends the words themselves and through them speaks to the heart. Thus, in reciting the Hail Mary, we must be careful that our voices do not "cover" the voice of God who always speaks through the silence like the "still small voice" of a gentle breeze (1 Kgs 19: 12). Then how important it is to foster this silence full of God, both in one's personal recitation and in its recitation with the community! Even when the Rosary is prayed, as today, by great assemblies, and as you do in this Shrine every day, it must be perceived as a contemplative prayer. And this cannot happen without an atmosphere of inner silence.

I would like to add a further reflection concerning the Word of God in the Rosary, particularly appropriate in this period in which the Synod of Bishops is taking place on the theme: "The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church". If Christian contemplation cannot leave the Word of God out of consideration, if it is to be a contemplative prayer, the Rosary must always emerge from the silence of the heart as a response to the Word, after the model of Mary's prayer. Seen clearly, the Rosary is completely interwoven with scriptural elements. First of all there is the enunciation of the mystery, preferably made, as it has been today, with words taken from the Bible. The Our Father follows; by giving the prayer a "vertical" orientation, the soul of who recites the rosary is opened to the correct filial attitude in accordance with the Lord's invitation: "When you pray say: Father..." (Lk 11: 2). The first part of the Hail Mary, also taken from the Gospel, lets us listen again each time to the words that God addressed to the Virgin through the Angel and to the words of her cousin Elizabeth's blessing. The second part of the Hail Mary resounds like the answer of children who, in addressing supplications to their Mother, do nothing other than express their own adherence to the saving plan revealed by God. Thus the thought of those who pray remains ever anchored to Scripture and to the mysteries presented in it.

Lastly, remembering that today we are celebrating World Mission Sunday, I wish to recall the apostolic dimension of the Rosary, a dimension that Blessed Bartolo Longo lived intensely, drawing inspiration from it to carry out on this earth so many charitable initiatives and works of human and social promotion. Furthermore, he wanted this Shrine to be open to the whole world as a centre of outreach of the prayer of the Rosary and as a place of intercession for peace among peoples. Dear friends, I would like to reinforce both of these aims: the apostolate of charity and prayer for peace, and I wish to confirm and entrust them once again to your spiritual and pastoral commitment. Following the example and with the support of the venerable Founder, never tire of working with enthusiasm in this part of the Lord's vineyard for which Our Lady has shown a special fondness.

Dear brothers and sisters, the time has come to take my leave of you and of this beautiful Shrine. I thank you for your warm welcome and especially for your prayers. I thank the Archbishop Prelate and Pontifical Delegate, his collaborators and those who worked to prepare my Visit in the best possible way. I must leave you, but my heart remains close to this region and to this community. I entrust you all to the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary and I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing to each one.

© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Bible Review-CSS Study Bible

Gail Buckley, Founder and Executive Director of Catholic Scripture Study International, the world’s fastest-growing Catholic Bible study program, sent me a copy of her CSS Study Bible to review and pass around to the girls in the St Gianna Vocation to Motherhood Group at my house on Tuesday mornings so they can check it out. Before I say anything else, let me just say that talking to Gail was an absolute pleasure... she has a tangible love for God's Word that shines through her personality, and as I was trying to book her to speak at my Catholic Women's group here in Fayetteville with very few resources, she was more than accomodating and helpful. I am truly encouraged by her attitude, her kindness, and her completely amazing work. She's an inspiration!

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the COMPLETE Scott Hahn Study Bible, and getting discouraged with the wait. I looked around to see if there were any other attempts at creating an orthodox study bible for Roman Catholics that made understanding Scripture more accessible, and randomly found this little gem in my favorite Bible publishing house, no less..... St Benedict Press/Tan Books.

I was intregued! Though I hadn't heard much about it in Catholic Bible blogs (why not? Anybody know??), here was a bible that promised to combine my two favorite elements: Orthodox, Catholic Commentary from a reputable source and the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition of the Bible. I was ecstatic to check it out, and I am still elated even though it's about two months later (the Bible arrived just before my vacation and I wasn't able to do the review while I was gone.)  Of course, I read it every day on my vacation, used it to back up a point I was making in a dialogue with a French priest we had over, and have since passed it around to the girls in my Bible Study, who all seemed excited to check it out themselves. So as promised, here is my review of the St Benedict Press / Catholic Scripture Study International Bible.

First, the Cover and Design: 

I absolutely LOVE the Look of this bible. It is an exact replica of the St Benedict Press LARGE Print RSV with a redesigned cover. I was sad to see my St Benedict cross go on the cover, but at the same time, I love the CSS Logo and there's just something so incredibly AWESOME about having a Bible that says "tradition/scripture/magisterium" right on the cover. It has the thick, heavy look of lots of protestant study Bibles out there which appeals to me (I dig the black leather look. Some do not. ) It also has three different colored ribbons, which make it marvelous to use because you definitely NEED about three ribbons to do any kind of "studying" in a Bible (ie, flipping between passages, etc.) The leather on the cover is thinner and less substantial than the leather on the plain edition of the RSV sold through Benedict Press, but it is certainly nice and will stand up to a lot of wear.

Another thing I like is the size. It's BIG, which I wanted, but not so big that you need two hands to read it all the time, which means I can still read it in bed. Like! I also think St Benedict Press does such an amazing job with the bookbinding and all that. It lays pretty flat and is super flexible, which I LOVE in a Bible (can't stand stiff Bibles, which is why I am sad about the Baronius Press Douay Rheims.) On the other hand, it's not so flexible that you worry it's going to fall apart within a week of heavy use. This is a "lifetime" Bible investment. Some of us will wear it out in a few years, but you know what I mean. It is very good quality. Don't mind the wavy bits in the pictures here, I forgot to take out all the "add in" sheets I carry around everywhere when I took the pictures, and the wavy pages are actually not part of this Bible. 

Next, the features: 

As I said before, this bible is an exact replica of the St Benedict Press Large Print RSV-CE, with the addition of a series of glossy inserts on various topics ranging from apologetics to lenten traditions. These inserts are very informative, orthodox, and helpful. I used to carry around a two page printout I call the Apologetics Cheat Sheet on which I had printed all the scripture references for the various Catholic doctrines we must always defend.... it's amazingly brilliant that this bible includes that (FOR ONCE  a Bible that is as thorough as it SHOULD be in my eyes!) and I can now stop carrying around my nasty old laminated sheet. Yay! 

I also used to carry around various sheets with reference to the Church's teachings on specific topics, and they are ALL present here in this Bible, which is wonderful and very freeing for me. For once I feel like the people who designed this Bible are people who have the same concerns that I do: understanding the Faith, defending the faith, and hearing from God for my personal life. In that order. And they aren't afraid to make some enemies.... (hooray!) the inserts contain topics that address hell, the myth of overpopulation and the culture of death, and the errors of protestant biblical interpretation.

The last several pages are actually an amazing reference tool similar to the concordances we are used to seeing in Protestant Bibles. They contain an alphabetical list of subjects and their corresponding locations in scripture. The topics are practical in nature and applicable in daily life. It is a GIFT to Catholics everywhere, especially Catholics who are poorly catechized or don't really KNOW their Bibles, to be able to have such an easy reference table without having to make it oneself. I love this feature.

And lastly, the page design itself: 

Large print, beautiful typeface, very readable. I admit, I really want to have the footnotes in the text, but they aren't-- they are in the back of each testament. And they are sparse. Which is fine, as long as they are in there, but since the notes are just the regular RSV notes with nothing added, which was kind of a bummer. I had hoped the guys at CSS would have included additional notes to help us add meaning to the text bit by bit. At the same time, I find that since the RSV doesn't have footnotes, I'm not tempted to READ them instead of the text, which means that A) I read more scripture and B) I'm not as influenced by the notes in my reading since they aren't in my face. So even though it's less esthetically pleasing -- to me-- to have JUST the text without any breaks for notes, it's actually more profitable for my bible reading time.

The pages are thin.... I include some of the pages on which I have made notes so you can see that pen bleeds through pretty good. I don't personally care about that but many of you bible snobs out there (tee hee) will likely have a fit if you buy a bible that has pages this thin. Personally, I actually LIKE that it shows through... helps me to feel like I'm accomplishing some work in my daily Bible study. :D

A few notes on the translation: 

Many people wonder why we might read an RSV instead of the NAB, which is the version of the Bible selected and promoted by the United States Catholic Bishops for American Catholics. That alone might make people shy away from the RSV-CE, but let me reassure you: the Vatican ONLY uses the RSV-CE when publishing scripture quotations in English.

The RSV-CE is NOT the 2nd Edition revision of the RSV-CE. Therefore the text retains SOME of the thees and thous without overdoing it and rendering it unreadable to the average modern reader. However, it also retains some of it's eceumenical nature which has been weeded out in the RSVCE SECOND Edition. 

I absolutely love the RSV, which I think is more readable than the Douay Rheims but far closer to the DR's "perfect" translation than the absolutely frustrating New American Bible, which contains notes using the historical-critical method that absolutely boggle the Orthodox Catholic mind.  (and not in a good way.) I also love that the RSV retains much of the original style we have come to love... in psalm 23, for example, we don't "dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come" as we did in the New American Bible. We dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER. As it was written. (why the NAB does this is beyond me. I've lost enough sleep over it and am not even going to bother ranting... but do know that -- praise God-- the NAB seems to be doing a little better with the release of the NABRE (revised NAB) in which we, for example, now "dwell in the house of the Lord for endless days.")

Anyways, all this to say that like any translation, the RSV has it's bad points, but to me the good outweighs the bad... if only they would get some more thorough footnotes going it would be hands down the ideal Bible Version.

So that's it.... the CSS Study Bible is incredible, as perfect a Catholic Study Bible is going to get until we are able to have some textual notes that don't make us cringe and that actually contain the Old Testament, which is, you know, half the story. I am so thankful for CSS putting this Bible together and I will be passing it around to everyone I know and making it my every day Bible. Go ahead and pick yourself up a copy. You will be so glad! 

Those of you who are local will probably get to hear all about how it came to be this year when we finally get Gail to come out and speak. I know you're going to love it. 

If you have any questions about this Bible, please feel free to comment below. I don't make taking additional pictures and what not if you need them. Thanks!

ADDITION: In an email this morning, Gail pointed out a few things that I thought should be included. First, she explained that she thinks of this bible as a reference Bible and not a Study Bible, and upon reflection I can definitely see that calling it a reference Bible is the optimal explanation.... it contains all of the bits and pieces many of us carry around in our bibles, but doesn't contain all of the notes that would be required to dig into the actual text line by line.
She also mentioned the origin of the illustrations, which I forgot to mention. They are beautiful!! They came from a monk in Europe who loves to take pictures of stained glass windows. It is so refreshing to own a bible that doesn't have pictures of Jesus that look like they walked off the walls of some 1970s CCD class. These are pictures of stained glass windows that are uplifting, beautiful, and calming. Soul-stirring. and the rest of the design of the Bible (borders, etc) on the notes pages go along with the illustrations perfectly.
Enjoy this Bible..... from my discussions with her and just from having used the thing myself for a couple of months now, I can see what a beautiful labor of love it really is.

Story of a revert.

Found this video this morning through the CLAA forums.... this man's family is schooling their children using the CLAA and he was featured on EWTN recently.
I initally watched it out if interest based on my interactions with his wife on the forums, but really enjoyed hearing about his conversion experiences and loved the insights. Thought you might like it too.

On How to Hear Women's Confessions (for priests)

Confessions of Women. 

A dangerous rock which the priest encounters in the stormy sea of the world is the hearing of women’s confessions. The knowledge of this fact and a sense of dread are his best safeguard. He must persevere in a state of indifference and insensibility towards female penitents; he must keep his heart hermetically sealed against human sentiments of affection and avoid every sign of familiarity, though cherishing a holy respect and reverence for the sex of our mothers. 

Woman needs the sacraments more frequently than man. Her good influence in the home-circle is of the highest value for the faith and morality of those who come in daily contact with her. Her presence should spread about her the perfume of Christian devotion and charity. It is the duty of a confessor to cultivate the virtues of humility and purity in the queenly heart of the Catholic woman and to fit her for the exalted position which Mary, the Mother of Jesus, won for her in the Church of her Son. 

Guard your eyes: Averte oculos tuos, ne videant canitatem. The eyes are the windows of the soul; close them to keep sensuality aloof. Do not look at a female penitent either before, during, or after confession. It would he injurious to you and others for several reasons. Non permittas illas ante confessionale accedere, ut tibi loquantur, et multo minus, ut manus deosculentur. In actu confessionis non ostendat, se eas agnoscere (St. Alph.). Guard your tongue; never use expressions of friendship and familiarity; put the fewest possible questions. 

With young women observe the advice of St. Augustine: Sermo brevis et rigidus cum his mulieribus habendus est; nec tamen quia sanctiores, ideo minus cavendae; quo enim sanctiores sunt, eo magis alliciant. St. Liguori says: Cum junioribus in confessionariosis potius rigidus quam suavis. Speak to a woman in the confessional as if you were addressing her spirit, separated from the body and standing before the judgment-seat of God. Be kind and respectful to old women, especially if they are afflicted with deafness or some infirmity peculiar to their age. Obsecra anus ut matres (1 Tim. v. 2). 

Do not permit them to tell more than their sins, and check garrulity. Piarum praecipue muliercularum garrulitatem graviter ac moderate coerceat (Conc. Balt. IT. 281). Be not deceived by tears: they may be sincere, but women’s tears are always cheap and handy. Frequently raise your heart to Mary Immaculate that it may not be moved by human sentiment. St. Alphonsus gives another important advice: Abstineant Confessarii a munusculis recipiendis, et praecipue ad illarum domus non accedant. 

Rev. William Stang, D.D., Pastoral Theology (Second, Revised and Enlarged Edition) (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1897), 178-180. 

NOTE
Born in Germany, William Stang (1854-1907) taught theology and was a parish priest before he came to the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. The book cited above was meant to be a practical guide for future priests. In 1904 he was named the first Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts. He died following surgery in 1907. Bishop Stang High School was founded at North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in 1959. The school is coeducational and sponsors weekly reconciliation services.

Want to understand purgatory?

A friend of mine found this video, and it nearly made me cry it was so beautiful. In it, you will begin to grasp why Catholics DO what we do, and believe what we believe. Come, Holy Spirit. Enlighten our minds that we might know God more each day.