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About this blog…
“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “Dear Masked Chicken, thank you for pointing me to your post of 22 March, which which I largely agree. My…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Yes. Let all the poisons come out! After seeing it on TV many years ago and reading the two volumes,…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Perhaps world events are making some nervous international travelers. Personally, I would have loved to go to Poland on a…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “The bit about Claudius thinking that a return to the republic was likely or even possible may take its inspiration…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Pray for Derek Jacobi! Such a talented actor, but sadly, an irregular life.”
- on 15 April 2019 – Notre-Dame de Paris: “I was wrong. It’s not a Cramnerian table. It’s a……. Ikea coffee table made to resemble a half Easter egg,…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “The BBC “radio play” of I,Claudius is also rather good. https://share.libbyapp.com/title/505092”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “To MB: THE BEST TIME was a long time ago before Paul VI and Bergoglio and their hand-chosen sycophants decided…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “I don’t know where MB lives, but it’s objectively false to assert that the FSSP “now have a virtual monopoly…”
- on 15 April 2019 – Notre-Dame de Paris: “Looking at the pictures, one can be grateful that the artist at least didn’t use this as an opportunity to…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “@MB “When a man feels like he has something no one else can give, something essential, and no one to…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “There was a time when if you wanted to know the miracles of the Church, the great teachings, the stories…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “Out of my wife and my siblings & spouses, half are not RC anymore but are probably still on the…”
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bad news – my furnace broke down last Spring, necessitating a replacement.
good news – my neighbor had to replace her furnace this summer as well, and the contractor she used is willing to do mine, giving her a kickback for the referral, and giving me a cost estimate that is 50% less than the estimate I had from another contractor.
I get heat this winter, I have the money to afford the furnace, and it goes in next week – woo hoo! God is good!
I’m buying a copy of the summa theologica, bk 3 of summa contra gentiles and a copy of the 1962 missal next week.
Realised that there is a Chapel in Bristol that offers the EF EVERY DAY !!!!!
Deo Gratias
PS As readers of damien thompsons blog will already know, a gang of tradies has taken over the Tablet’s facebook page.
I know this is small, but…
One of my neck chains broke on me Monday, and I thought I had lost an irreplaceable medal of St. Bernadette that I got on my last trip to Lourdes in 1993. Well, the next day [after a prayer to St. Anthony the night before], I found it on the shelf where I sign in at our local Adoration Chapel! Woo hoo! God is good!
And then today I got an email from a lady in Orleans, France whom I met in April at the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY. She is a descendant of the family of St. Joan of Arc, and she sent me two photos of her mother, who portrayed St. Joan at the 1929 Festival of Jeanne d’Arc! Looking her mother’s 19-year-old face, you could swear that she looked like her illustrious and saintly ancestor, St. Joan herself!
From the 13th to the 17th of July I was privileged to take part in a silent Ignatian Retreat, given by Father James Buckley, FSSP. It was at Christ the King Retreat Center in Sac. I’m still trying to absorb everything and need to refer to my copious notes. We used “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius” by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. Most of us were from St. Stephen’s in Sacramento, but we had people from other area parishes and some all the way from Chicago participating. Father covered the main points of all four weeks and did it magnificently. A general confession of devotion was part of the exercise early on. How humbling is that? The examinations of conscience, the preparatory prayers, the meditations, daily Gregorian Mass, etc., every day was intense. Father is a master in reaching the depths of the exercitant’s soul, believe me. We were indeed in tears as he described Christ’s suffering for us. He is no youngster and I marveled at his stamina. He must be exhausted after these retreats. Trying to follow up in daily life with what we should do is a challenge. However, it is an experience I will cherish and never forget.
At the moment, I am enjoying the Solemnity of St. Ignatius (or rather, the feast which Jesuits may celebrate as a solemnity) with fellow Jesuits at a location that God through the generosity of our benefactors has allowed us to have for our relaxation.
I have finished another week of work, and am counting down the days until i head back to CUA. I also found out recently that unless something changes, I will be able to attend the EF mass the Sunday after I move in.
It was a clear sunny day in London today. After lunch, we were walking past Westminster Cathedral and the West Doors were invitingly open, so weaving our way through crowds of young people having alfresco lunches on the Cathedral steps, we entered and walked past the beautifully austere chapels on the North Side, illuminated by the clear daylight, and up to the glittering Lady Chapel. After a short prayer in front of the bronze relief of Our Lady of Ostra Brama which commemorates Polish WWII pilots, we were making our way back and there, outside the confessionals, bumped into Father Tim Finigan, looking smiling and relaxed after Tuesday’s Jubilee! Serendipity? Coincidence? Joyful Providence?
Friday. Beer. In hand.
1. The oak altar rails are finally in and they match wonderfully the new/old oak altar which was saved from becoming part of the bar in a trendy Dublin pub. I’m glad I got rid of the *plywood* ’70s altar first. The newly installed reredos is a fitting place for Our Lord in the tabernacle, too. A tall brass crucifix has been on the mensa between priest and people for some time now and folk are beginning to understand why it’s there.
2. I am being moved next month and my successor is more than happy with the sanctuary arrangement.
3. I am going to a parish (with altar rails already re-installed!) where I can offer the EF once a month (for starters). There is significant scope to increase this when the time for changes is right.
It’s the centennial of the Knights of St. Peter Claver and I’m in New Orleans with my brother Knights at our national convention.
As someone else said to you, “Happy Year of the Priest!”
My daughter is coming home this Sunday from six months of teaching English in China. It will be very good to see her home safe and sound.
My wife and I recently re-inaugurated the evening reading program that we used to enjoy so many years ago with our children. Now that we are empty nesters, we can read some adult level material together. The idea is to do a bit a secular reading, some theological reading, and then a life of a saint over the course of an hour or hour and a half or so.
For secular reading we are doing a philosopher a night from a book called 100 Philosophers. Tonight,a page about Avicenna. OK, it’s not deep, but I wanted a survey.
For theology now we are reading, “The Mystery of Mary” by R. Bernard, O.P. To me this an astounding book. From tonight’s reading: “Wonder of wonders, it was Mary who even taught Him to bend His knees “to the Father…from who all fatherhood in heaven and on earth takes its name.” Can we be surprised that this young Rabbi was the image of his mother…? Is it surprising to discover Mary’s manner and bearing in Jesus and to note that humanly speaking he had His mother’s turn of mind and sensitivity of heart…” Actually, it’s much deeper theologically than this passage would indicate, and it is very eye opening. Even we Catholics have only a very thin idea of her on the whole, IMHO.
And for a life of a saint, “To Heaven Through a Window” by John Carr CSSR, a 300 pp life of St. Gerard Magella. From tonight’s reading: Fasting is a tried and efficient weapon, and Gerard used it well. “He had mortification of the palate greatly at heart,” Tannoia tells us “and practiced it rigorously to the end of his life. ‘The love of God,” he would say, “does not enter the soul if the body is full.'”
This is not a concept one trips across in the food pages of the daily paper!
Well, we’ve only been at this about three weeks, but this reading together makes my day- every day.
My wife and I just celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Our son graduated high school last month.
I purchased a small reliquary crucifix at an antique show for $6. When I brought the crucifix to the booth owner, he laughed and said he had just put it up for sale that morning and it had been hanging in his car for months. I didn’t open it before I bought it because I assumed nothing was in it. Imagine my surprise when I opened it later and discovered three first class relics of St. Paul of the Cross (my favorite saint), St. Gabriel Possenti, and St. Vincent Strambi. I couldn’t believe it. The only relic of a saint I have ever wanted is St. Paul of the Cross. The crucifix now occupies a prominent place in my home shrine.
I was invited to go on a medical mission to Panama City, Panama in November. Already I’m stressing about where I can attend Mass if I decide to go. The brown lace mantilla I ordered from eBay arrived and it’s perfect – soft lace that falls nicely and stays put, accompanied by a nice little booklet on veiling.
Had insomnia last night, turned on EWTN and what should be on but the program “Catholic Lives” with Fr. Finigan being interviewed for the half hour! “Episode #4 [from 2008] Father Timothy Finigan is a parish priest of Blackfen in Kent. Formerly editor of FAITH magazine, he runs a popular Blog on the Internet attracting some 500 readers daily.” Father Z, I’m grateful to have learned more about “The Hermeneutic of Continuity” this early am and this great faith filled servant of God! ;) So glad your London trip worked out.
We–and especially the kids (ironically enough)–are revelling in our 9th day of Operation AM Rosary (to implement our pastor’s advice [to me] to arise at the same time every morning and switch our family rosary to the morning instead of the evening). The kids immediately developed their own creative system of rewards & punishments to assist in adjusting to this new habit and it’s working splendidly!
Each willingly (and consciously, now) leads a mystery and they have even been known to start without me–the boys(!) taking the lead! A host of other good results have also blossomed in our ordinary daily living as well.
On the days we can’t go to Mass, we join ourselves to it through that rosary (balm for my heart). On the days we go, the rosary just fits the drive to the church.
Laus et jubilate!
Our family took a little vacation this last week. One of our stops was the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI. As we were making our way down the hill from the church, Archbishop Raymond Burke was making his way up the hill. We were able to speak with him for a few minutes and he gave us a blessing. He was so very kind.
We are starting our parish Village of the Immaculata August 15.