The Institute's 2014 Calendar will take you around the world on a journey which is just as colorful and instructive, as it is spiritually edifying! This full-size wall calendar contains the feasts of the Church's Liturgical Year according to class in the 1962 Roman Missal. On fourth class ferias days mention is also made of the saints who are honored in certain places throughout the Catholic world. Each month has an inspirational quote from the Rule of St. Benedict, one of the patrons of the Institute. Monthly reminders help you to join in the monthly Novena in honor of Christ the Infant King, whose prayer is printed on the back calendar cover.
The calendar will also help you to learn more about the universality of the Catholic Church. It includes many color photos of the worldwide apostolates of the Institute family in Europe and Africa, as well as in the United States. Scenes from Seminary life and from the Sisters Adorers are depicted, as well as views of the schools and youth camps of the Institute. A complete listing of the Institute houses and churches is also included.
This calendar is ready for pre-order and will ship by the end of November! Order yours today so that you can be a part of this spiritual journey around the Catholic world!
Calendar Feature: St. Benedict, Patron of Liturgy and Community Life
Having featured the Institute's patrons St. Francis de Sales and St. Thomas Aquinas in the calendars of previous years, the 2014 calendar focuses on St. Benedict of Nursia (480-543), the Patron of Liturgy and Community Life. Living in the upheaval of the 6th century Roman world of institutions which were crumbling under the weight of decadent morals and political unrest, the young Benedict was in search of that stability of life which is necessary for peace and good order. He founded monasteries in which the brethren would come together many times each day for the Liturgical prayer of Holy Mass and Hours of the Divine Office sung together in common. Outside of the chapel, the monks were to dedicate themselves to work both manual and intellectual, as well as to the service of their brethren, especially toward the elderly, the sick, and to the young.
St. Benedict outlined the principles and details of this daily rhythm of "Ora et Labora," or "Prayer and Work", in his famous Rule, which has inspired centuries of religious and lay faithful alike. Across Europe and the world Benedictine monasteries became centers of prayer and learning which promote Faith and the culture of the good, the true, and the beautiful in every aspect of human life. Indeed, this culture expresses the divine truths believed by Faith in a practical way, such as for example, in art, music, literature, and architecture. Flowing from Faith, culture also assists this Faith to be ever more deeply rooted in the human heart.
According to its Constitutions which have been approved by the Holy See in 2008, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life in which the clerical members live in community in the tradition of Canons Secular. The priests and oblates form a spiritual family of fathers and brothers who pray the Divine Office together morning, noon, and evening. The Canons also administer to the pastoral needs of the lay faithful by the celebration of Holy Mass and Offices of the Liturgy according to the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, the conferral of the Sacraments, the giving of spiritual direction and retreats in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, as well as the formation of youth in schools and formation programs.
Just as the Liturgy is the center and source of the Benedictine life, so is the Liturgy to hold the primary place in the life of the priories, oratories, shrines, parishes, schools, and missions of the Institute. By promoting Catholic culture as well as Faith in accordance with Benedictine principles, the Institute seeks to establish the Reign of Christ our King in every aspect of human life.