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“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…”
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- 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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Our Lady of Guadalupe has been helping my vocation in the FSSP, particularly in regards to a related personal intention. Hopefully I’ll be in her seminary in less than a year.
My daughter did her first Reconciliation on the Saturday of the 1st week of Advent. Following in her footsteps, I went for my own Advent confession this past Saturday. The family also had a great time at the potluck lunch at Blue Meadow Farms on Sunday after mass, where some of us practice horseback riding!
I have two sons. One is in college seminary… just down the road a bit from Our Lady of Guadalupe! He is very joyful in his vocation, and we are so very proud of him. He will be home with us for the Christmas holiday soon.
The other son (22) is home from the ARMY, attending college and working part-time. He is saving money for WYD-2011 in Madrid. He spends all of his free time at St. Paul’s Catholic Student parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, participating in everything. He loves to volunteer; he shoveled out a crisis pregnancy building after last weekend’s blizzard. He’s in a men’s Latin Schola choir too.
The best good news a parent can share is that his children are grown up well, living in a state a grace, and ready to evangelize for Christ.
We are close to the closing of the purchase of our first house. My wife is a Third Order Carmelite, we have a 1st class relic of St Theresa of Avila, and we made our offer on her feast day. We also have in our home 1st class relics of five Passionist saints, including one of Paul of the cross (on whose feast day on the old calendar we were married in the old rite), and the offer was accepted on his feast day (on the new calendar). A counter offer was made by the seller’s lenders and accepted by us on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Tomorrow is John of the Cross, and we are thinking that we will hear back that the sale is final then. The only question remaining then will be…on whose feast day will we get the keys?
Got together with a friend I’ve been worried about; I was happy to discover that all is well with her, and she is “doing brave”.
1. Federal judge ruled Obamacare to be unconstitutional this pm.
2. Scientific tests does not disprove authenticity of Guadalupe Image. It even amplifies the mystery behind it and points to the divine source even more: http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/scientific-tests-make-guadalupe-image.html (news to me)
We had a great meeting for our upcoming Day of Evangelization. On March 26, 2011, we will have teams of people visit every home in the parish territory, they will receive a welcome packet with a letter from me, various tracts with info on the Sacraments, Mass schedule and some sacramentals. The teams will invite them to Come Home to the Catholic Church. It will be an awesome day!!!
My good news??? Well- my husband didn’t throttle the liturgical dancers who were swaying with bowls of incense while others were bringing up the gifts (he has bi-ritual faculties for the local Latin-rite- and was substituting at a Spanish-speaking Mass last night)
My husband was also approved as a volunteer priest chaplain for the local police station- they have been requesting a priest chaplain for 18 YEARS- he is very happy about this- he could not do military chaplaincy because the bishop of our eparchy is an ultra-passivist.
Want a job done? Ask a busy person
Baby’s due any day now! Please say a prayer for Mommy and Baby O Bolguidhir!
Recently welcomed our 3rd child, Marcellina into the world. Big brother and sister LOVE her and she is such a good baby!!!
I wish I could reply to the comments-
ipadre- that sounds so great! I’m sure you will have a lot of success- maybe you can find room in the budget for children’s books
On Wednesday a friend of mine was MC for the first Pontifical High Mass at the throne (EF) in his diocese since the 2nd Vatican Council.
Attended a beautiful and prayerful mass yesterday and had an equally beautiful and prayerful day today.
My wife and I celebrated our 13th anniversary today.
I’m working in Japan on as a consultant for a few weeks. Even though I’m in a country with such a tiny Catholic population, finding Sunday Mass was relatively easy. I was even able to attend Mass on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Also, I’ve finished my work a few days ahead of schedule!
My boys choir and girls choir sang for Mass yesterday—-went beautifully, including the Communion Proper from Richard Rice’s Simple Choral Gradual. We’re about to close on a house purchase. My godson will be born in a week or two. Deo gratias!
LAST DAY OF CLASSES!
Seven of Ten semesters now complete!
Last year at this time I prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe about having another child and accepting new life. I soon found out in January I was expecting my fourth child, a daughter, who was born in September. She was baptized yesterday, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, precisely at the moment the bells for the Angelus began to sound. What timing. God is Good!! And she did great. I, on the other hand, cried my eyes out. :)
1. My young niece who has been battling thyroid cancer for two years had a successful surgery two weeks ago. Her doctors are confident all the cancer has been removed and she won’t need further treatment.
2. Two colleges have each offered my son a four year fully-paid scholarship. Now he just has to decide which one to choose.
I finally found a painting contractor to come and paint my kitchen. I also was able to find exactly the fabric I wanted for new kitchen curtains ON SALE with an additional discount if I ordered a certain amount, which happened to be exactly the amount I need to do the curtains of my dreams.
One son received his promotion to Cadet Senior Airman in the Civil Air Patrol. Daughter made her first delivery for me, downtown and back, on foot.
I turned in my last final, a take home, to the professor today–LAST final for the LAST class for a Masters in Theological Studies–now to polish the draft of my last paper a time or two more and turn it in tomorrow.
I am so excited to have finally completed a masters degree!
I saw my best friend this weekend! And I’m discerning with a new religious community (Benedictines) that take women with health issues, so I’m realllly hoping the third time will be the charm with communities!
The semester is coming to an end
I get to visit family soon
I may get to be subdeacon at a TLM back home…
Obamacare got ruled unconstitutional.
In a White Castle for breakfast. Twelve degrees, blowing snow. An elderly homeless man (at the very moment his pungent presence was beginning to irritate me) picked up a plate of uneaten food off a table, limped outside and scattered it for hungry birds.
The “Arkansas Catholic” reports that there will be a “latin mass” in at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Tontitown, AR, starting in January. I think this means a TLM, but details are still forthcoming. This is good news for many in NW Arkansas who have waited and prayed a long time for a traditional mass.
We will be, hopefully, having EF Matins before our Midnight Mass on Christmas! Also, semester is almost over.
My nephew and his wife just had a healthy baby boy (now if I could just get him back into the Catholic Church, and to bring his wife and baby with him!).
I had a good telephone interview and a good in-person interview (two different positions) last week, so I hope that my year of unemployment may be coming to a close.
Michael Val
My eight-year old son came to our home office this morning to receive his blessing before going off to public school, and I noticed he was wearing his Cross of St. Benedict around his neck. First time he has worn it to school. Later today he gave another occasion for adiration and gratitude: he was awarded his black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
today is my patroness’s feast day!
in her honor i made some lussekatter. yep… ground the saffron, and separated the eggs without breaking the yolks on the first go.
i just can’t stop looking at these beautiful yellow buns and i don’t know if i’m actually going to bare to eat them. God is so good!
Due to family illness/travel needs/communication hiccup, we had no priest for Sunday Mass. Fortunately, the priest who was scheduled for the second Mass arrived an hour early.
Not only did he oblige us by stepping into the breach, we heard a very good homily, as well.
To top it all off – as he was giving that good homily, making some particular point about Jesus’ actions and words, the little toddler girl (~14 months) in the pew opposite us laughed out loud, a great joyous giggle, as if to say Of course Jesus did such-and-such! At last one of you strange tall “adults” recognized it. Good work, Father!
Bishop Fellay comes to my city in Australia this week to give Confirmation. He will give a conference (I presume including Vatican-SSPX relations) and we will have a chance to meet him over a light lunch.
On January 13th at 7:30pm our FSSP parish (Seattle) will be celebrating a Solemn High Mass. The choir will be the Sacred Choir of the University of Notre Dame. Good things are happening!
1. Our Jesse Tree, the first I’ve ever done (not a crafty mom here) is amazing. Handmade ornaments: Bic Ink drawings by our family on circles cut from manila folders with purple ribbon for hanging. It sort of makes me teary-eyed to look at it!
2. Was going to thrift a collection of tall skinny Santa statues we have- instead we had the idea to paint and transform them into St. Nicholas statues… now to be honest: they don’t look superb up close (see the no craft zone mentioned above) but if you stand back and its dim :) you can tell it’s St Nicholas. The point wasn’t the paint job anyway.
3. My 13 year old son has heard this before, but tonight must have been different. After we read from 1Kings about Elijah’s prayer and God sending fire from heaven to burn the altar, he said in a hushed sort of way: “Wow. God is awesome.”
Indeed.
A priest of the FSSP has just been appointed non-resident curate of the church of Saints John and Stephen “aux Minimes” here in Brussels. Extraordinary-form Mass is now offered three times a week. It is an astounding development – inconceivable just a few years ago. God is good. Souls are being saved. “Brick by brick.”
In our local FSSP parish, St Anne’s, we just sang Palistrina’s Missa Brevis for the first time for a 5:30 a.m., candlelight Rorate Mass for Our Lady. Yowser that was early! We were warming up and practicing at 4:30 a.m. We will sing it also for Midnight Mass.
My two-years of unemployment came to an end on November 2nd as I began what I hope is a long employment with a Catholic marketing company. Deo gratias!
Capchoirgirl: Can you share the name of the Benedictines? I’m in a similar situation. God bless.
On Sunday the second of my two sons married his lovely fiancee. His brother was best man, our two granddaughters were bridesmaids (the brides sister was maid of honor) and myour grandson was ring bearer.
The ceremony was beautiful. I did the second reading. They are now on honeymoon in Tobago (no passports needed, as it is the other island of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, where we live!).
I’m still feeling somewhat emotional (my baby [37 year-old baby!!] has left the nest. But I have gained another beautiful daughter through marriage.
I’ve been working part-time for 6 months (because nothing else was available) and will start a full-time job after New Year’s! Deo Gratias! And thank you, St. Cosmas & Damian!
J: Sure, they’re the Benedictines of Jesus Crucified, in Conneticut, but they are an international order. The motherhouse is in France.
And we sing the Palestrina at my parish, too!
I would like to give all praise and glory to God, and thanks to the saints: St. Anthony, St. Padre Pio, St. Peregrine, and St. Raphael for the GREAT news that my husband’s tumor, which was found in his colon, was safely removed and no signs of cancer cells were anywhere else. He had a CAT scan, Xrays, a bone scan, and lymph nodes were removed during surgery to check. All came back negative! We got the tumor early. It was half between a benign polyp and partially malignant, as it was starting to convert. Thanks be to God, it didn’t go beyond the walls of the tumor, so the doctors removed it all. My husband is not Catholic, but was touched by all the prayers of my church family and I’ve even started to pray a few Catholic prayers with him. He liked St. Anthony’s prayer for a spouse. God is so very good! He is becoming more open to Catholic things and I’ve been blessing him with Epiphany Holy Water. The day he becomes Catholic will be another occasion of good news! :-)
My beautiful wife surprised me with some Mystic Monk coffee…and a Mystic Monk hoodie! Some of the coffee will be a gift for our parish priests, but some we are selfishly keeping for our own consumption. I endorse “Hermit’s Bold Blend”, which is the first one we sampled.
Springfield, Illinois, now has two regularly celebrated EF Masses – the original one, on Saturday mornings at Blessed Sacrament, and now one on Thursday mornings at St. Aloysius parish. Deo Gratias!
Apparently a man in Belgium has been cured of HIV using stem cell therapy, derived from stem cells from an adult and not from a destroyed embryo. So that’s a win for life in every way, I think!
http://www.aidsmap.com/page/1577949/
*Berlin, not Belgium
As my health has deteriorated I have had to miss more and more things, such as our Dominican parish’s Advent Sunday vespers which I look forward to every year and I have missed them all this time.
But I have made progress in understanding that I can help the Poor Souls, among other people, by using this suffering for good. I am still not very good at it, as I am a convert and redemptive suffering is foreign to most Protestants, who have a prosperity gospel mindset. The Church has the opposite of that and I am grateful for it. I imagine people just flying out of purgatory yelling, Hooray, banjo pickin’ girl offered it for me, hooray!
PS for others in this position, here are some helpful resources:
Abandonment to Divine Providence, by Caussad (sp?)
the Imitation of Christ (Catholic Book Publishers has a very easy to read version that I use by Claire Fitzpatrick)
St. Faustina’s diary
Come Be My Light (about Mother Theresa’s period of darkness)
Providence, by Garrigou-LaGrange
The Soul of the Apostolate
Banjo-Pickin Girl:
Whatever else you may think of Terence Cardinal Cook (known to his friends as Cookie) He hid his terminal leukemia AND the grueling treatments from 1975 to 1983 with unimaginable courage and continued to perform all his duties for his beloved New York City and his flock.
“The gift of life, God’s special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps, loneliness or old age. Indeed, at these times, human life gains extra splendor as it requires our special care, concern and reverence. It is in and through the weakest of human vessels that the Lord continues to reveal the power of His love.”
-Terence Cardinal Cooke
Our TLM chapel’s ‘tiny choir’ (the organist, myself and two young girls) is doing very well in rehearsing for Christmas Day Mass and the Mass for December 26!
And now we have Mass every Sunday-woo hoo! It used to be that we didn’t have Mass on the second Sunday of the month.
And I will be going to Christmas dinner at the same house I went to on Thanksgiving–the host of one of a family of dentists. He and his daughter (one of the choir members) sit next to me at Mass.
digdigby, Thank you so much. I don’t know anything about Cardinal Cook other than what Fr. Groeschel says about him on his TV program but what I have read of his quotations has been very helpful to me.
Suffering hits everyone equally, regardless of our faith level or sin level or anything. The challenge is to see that God knows how to turn it to the good and to just trust. I am not a trusting individual, am very “self-sufficient” but recently I figured out that that very self-sufficiency is itself an indicator of a strong reliance on God, who knows and runs everything.
Banjo pickin girl:
“I imagine people just flying out of purgatory yelling, Hooray, banjo pickin’ girl offered it for me, hooray!”
That’s awesome. Don’t know why, but it’s really got me teary eyed! God bless you!
jmoran, Thank you. That image is sometimes the only thing left that gives me hope. But it should be more than sufficient, right?
It also occurred to me recently that since I am going through all this alone all those people from purgatory will be waiting for me when/if I get to heaven some day and they will be my family forever.
1. My best friend got to send a Christmas card with a short letter to me on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. She entered the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist in late August. She gets to send one letter to friends each month, but none in Advent or Lent, so this was a complete surprise. I’m not sure yet how I’ll get through Lent, but God got me through Advent. He is good.
2. A friend’s husband is having surgery today to remove a very large, apparently benign (hence the good news) tumor in his chest. He’s in his mid-twenties, and they just got married a few months ago. Thanks be to God it is benign!
Choir practice this evening for the Christmas Midnight High EF!
St. Joseph, St. Therese, and St. Thomas have showered me and those around me with numerous favors and blessings — too many to count! Some are as of yet unfolding. God is good!
ok i lied. just ate one… dunked in my midnight vigil Mystic Monk coffee. now truly i am in heaven
Received a promotion recently at work. Our company is growing. 2010 proved profitable so I received a small Christmas bonus from the owners. This enabled my wife and I to support a worthy cause that we otherwise did not have the means to support as well as to defray part of the cost of a new refrigerator.
And our oldest is getting very excited (and very prepared) to make his First Communion early next year.
Our youngest now has 4 teeth and a fifth coming in. All the kids in the middle are healthy and growing as they ought.
Deo gratias!
Traditional Liturgy is gaining a toehold in Winnipeg, of all places. Solemn Vespers sung according to the 1961 Breviary were offered for the The Commemoration of All Souls and for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception by Fr. Gary, our tiny 5-voice schola and a small but growing group of Winnipeg and St. Boniface Catholics of all ages. Next event will be Solemn Vespers for the Epiphany of our Lord, January 6. Watch this space: http://ssgii.blogspot.com/.
EF Mass expected soon; sung High Mass soon after, God willing.
I will be starting at Loyola Chicago next semester to get a Masters in Theological Studies (it’ll be my second Masters). A stepping stone to – hopefully – the PhD in Sacramental Theology. In addition, the apartment I’ll be living in is but a stone’s throw from St. John Cantius.
After the issue was in question, we found out we have a healthy baby girl on the way. Second ultrasound showed no problems.
Today, the ENTIRE congregation received on the tongue. It was beautiful to behold! Praise be to God!
We had an overnight silent retreat for 13 girls ages 12-18 …the first one we have had by some sisters for the girls in our parish. It included all night adoration, confessions, Mass–and the girls had nothing but good things to say after wards. I was thinking some wouldn’t last (through the silence) but the good sisters led them on with great talks, morning prayer and vespers for a day and a half. A lot of work and organization, but such a blessing for the girls who have limited contact with women religious.
I just gave the final exam to my Intro to Theology class and one young woman thanked me and told me that she had been an atheist before taking the class, but now has come back to God!
Finished my law school finals and welcomed our second child, William Thomas into the world at 10:30 pm Dec 13th after a very short, though painful, labor. We are all healthy and doing well.
We welcomed our sixth beautiful son, Sebastian Ephraim, into this world on December 7th! :)
At one of the local parishes which is NOT traditional in thier view of the litrugy I have seen several women wearing mantillas and recieving on the tounge (although not kneeling) and this morning at the Cathedral we had a wonderful (and I think newly ordained) priest give a wonderful and ethusiastic talk on St John of the Cross – if this is the direction in which my diocese is going then there may be hope for it yet.
I got my grades back from my finals and I got A’s in all of my classes.
I will be ordained a priest in 5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 12 hours, 31 minutes, and 15 seconds…
I’m losing my job and have to think really, really hard about what to do next.
The Truth About Mary and Scripture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA
This is good news for me because I send it everywhere.
Even to non Catholics. ;-D
After 20 years of weekly observance, the diocese is now advertising the weekly EF Mass. 2010 has seen monthly sung Mass (EF) proposed and realised. My PP agreed to weekly adoration and vespers (OF) during Advent. My daughter received the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion this year and attended an EF Mass the following week with no complaint. The teenager has not shared her misgivings about the EF with her younger siblings. God is good!
Today my Parish Priest celebrated the OF Ad Orientam
After being unemployed for 5 months, my husband started a new job! Thank you, Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, for answering our prayers.