December 1-3 - Traditional Indulgence of the day!

We are evaluating old indulgences that have been approve on todays date of: 

December

1, 2, & 3

List of Traditional materials we will be looking at today, and the current/withstanding grants that they satisfy (directly or indirectly).

• 728. An Invocation - Put upon me, O Lord, the new man

  • partial indulgence… General Grant 1

• 457. O glorious Saint John

  • partial indulgence… Grant 21

• 735. A Prayer before reciting the Divine Office

  • partial indulgence… Grant 15

• 737. A Prayer after reciting the Divine Office

  • partial indulgence… Grant 15

NOTE:

• Every prayer may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under Grant 15.

• Every invocation may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under ‘General Grant ’ 1 

• Every practice may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if it is applied correctly, under one of the ‘General Grant’s 2, 3, or 4

• Some spelling errors may be present.

• Abbreviations that are found at the end of an indulgence prayer/practice (like S. P. Ap., and S. C. Ind.,) are, in essence, a specific ecclesiastical approval for a particular indulgence.

• Traditional indulgences are ordered by their last date of approval.

CHAPTER IX. “FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS” – PART II. “IN FAVOR OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PERSONS” – II.Prayers to be used by all clerics and others who aspire to the sacred ministry

728. An Invocation - Put upon me, O Lord, the new man who is created according to God in justice and the holiness of truth. Amen. All those who are being trained in Seminaries, Colleges, and Monasteries for the priesthood, as well as clerics of every rank and order, as often as they make the sign of the cross and recite the above invocation while vesting themselves with a surplice, may gain: An indulgence of 300 days (S. C. Ind., Dec. 1, 1907).

This invocation, under the new conditions, does not need to be said exclusively by those studying to be priests (even though it is the most appropriate). Every invocation may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under ‘General Grant’ 1. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while carrying out their duties and enduring the hardships of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.

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CHAPTER VII. “THE SAINTS” - Art. I. “IN HONOR OF SAINT JOIN THE BAPTIST” - II. Prayers

457. I. O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman (Luke 7, 28), although thou wast sanctified in thy mother's womb and didst lead a most innocent life, nevertheless it was thy will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and penance; obtain for us of thy Lord the grace to be wholly detached, at least in our hearts, from earthly goods, and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, etc.

II. O most zealous Apostle, who, without working any miracle on others, but solely by the example of thy life of penance and the power of thy word, didst draw after thee the multitudes, in order to dispose them to receive the Messias worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine; grant that it may be given unto us, by means of the example of a holy life and the exercise of every good work, to bring many souls to God, but above all those souls that are enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance and are led astray by vice. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

III. O Martyr invincible, who, for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, didst with firmness and constancy withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of thine own life, and didst rebuke him openly for his wicked and dissolute life; by thy prayers obtain for us a heart, brave and generous, in order that we may overcome all human respect and openly profess our faith in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ, our divine Master. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

V. Pray for us, Saint John the Baptist,

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, who hast made this day to be honorable in our eyes by the Nativity (or commemoration) of blessed John, grant unto Thy people the grace of spiritual joy, and direct the minds of all Thy faithful into the way of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

An indulgence of 3 years. An indulgence of 5 years once a day, if the prayers are said with the intention of completing a triduum. A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, at the close of the triduum (Pius X, Rescript in his own hand, Jan 9. 1904, exhib. Jan. 11, 1904; S. P. Ap., Nov. 15, 1927 and Dec. 2, 1933).

Approved prayers may be said on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar, according to Grant 21. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar recite in that saint’s honor the prayer taken from the Missal or another one approved by legitimate authority.

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CHAPTER IX. “FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS” – PART II. “IN FAVOR OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PERSONS” – III. PRAYERS TO BE SAID BY CLERICS IN HOLY ORDERS AND BY PRIESTS - (B) FOR THE DUE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR SACRED DUITES

735. A Prayer before reciting the Divine Office – O Lord, open Thou my mouth to bless Thy holy Name; cleanse my heart also from all vain, evil and wandering thoughts; enlighten my understanding, kindle my affections, that I may be able to recite this Office worthily, attentively and devoutly, and may deserve to be heard in the presence of Thy divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord, in union with that divine intention, wherewith Thou Thyself didst praise God whilst Thou wast on earth, I offer these Hours (or this Hour) unto Thee (Raman Breviary).

An indulgence of 3 years (S. P. Ap., Nov. 17, 1933). The same indulgence may be gained by the faithful, who recite this prayer devoutly before saying the divine Office, when it is recited for any reason (S. P. Ap., Dec. 3, 1949).

Every prayer may be eligible for a partial indulgence, under Grant 15. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who for their personal edification devoutly spend time in mental prayer.

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CHAPTER IX. “FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS” – PART II. “IN FAVOR OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PERSONS” – III. PRAYERS TO BE SAID BY CLERICS IN HOLY ORDERS AND BY PRIESTS - (B) FOR THE DUE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR SACRED DUITES

737. A Prayer after reciting the Divine Office - To the most Holy and undivided Trinity to the Manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified, to the fruitful Virginity of the most blessed and most glorious Mary ever Virgin, and to the congregation of all the Saints be ascribed everlasting praise, and to us be granted granted the forgiveness of all our sins, world without end. Amen.

V. Blessed be the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.

R. And blessed be the breasts which gave suck to Christ our Lord (Roman Breviary).

Our Father and Hail Mary.

An indulgence of 3 years (S. P. Ap., Dec. 1, 1933). The same indulgence is granted to the faithful, who devoutly recite this prayer after saying the divine Office, for whatever reason it has been recited (S. P. Ap., Dec. 3, 1949).

Refer to the above (# 375) for the specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' regarding mental prayer.

This concludes the Traditional Indulgences

Every prayer/practice that we evaluated today is taken from the last approved publication of the Raccolta. The Raccolta was once the official book/document/list of approved Indulgences. In its last publication there were 780+ individualized prayers/practices that were approved for gaining indulgences.

In 1967 indulgence practices were revised so that indulgences are now, today, granted more in the style of “category” of prayers/practices rather than individually. This leaves me with the question: how do the indulgenced prayers/practices from the Raccolta (traditional indulgence) line up with the indulgences of today? That question is what this “study” seeks to answer.