Good news for the readers?

Let’s start the week out right.

What is your good news?  Let us know what good things are happening, even if they are disguised blessings.

I, for one, am experiencing a measure of threatening persecution right now, which has been a cause for me to turn more to Our Lady Queen of Priests, Christ the High Priest, and good friends.  A blessing in disguise.

As Card. Ratzinger told me years ago, about how he dealt with the attacks, if I am not being attacked I have to examine my conscience.

My Jesus, mercy.  Mary, Queen of Priests, pray for us.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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56 Comments

  1. Charivari Rob says:

    Birthday today for three near and dear to us – two still with us in this life and one resting in peace.

    Was at a funeral Monday for a friend. Harder than I thought it was going to be, but it was a lovely service.

    WYD in less than 2 weeks.

    Two friends of ours joyfully preparing for wedding (before month’s end) and married life.

    My aunt is coming home stateside for good from her decades of mission work – great comfort to my family, especially my father and their sister.

  2. Phillip says:

    I got back safely from a week-long trip to NYC, taken with my brother. We had a really good time. We ate at Lupa (definitely worth a visit if anyone’s ever in the city) and had a great meal.

    I made chicken stock tonight. And it was good.

    And I just *barely* failed my driving exam. The examiner said I’m not a bad driver, just that I’m sloppy and do all the things everyone can get away with on the road when they’re NOT being tested on it. I expect to have my license by the end of the week, though. Finally. Just gotta remember to signal when going back onto the road after pulling over…even if there’s no traffic whatsoever on either side…

  3. Benedict says:

    First Photos of Newly Vested Dominican Novices for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph
    http://orderofpreachersvocations.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-dominican-novices-for-province-of.html

  4. MARKNTINA641 says:

    Our son goes back this week for his second year in the seminary!

  5. Our sons’ collective birthday party was this past weekend. Lots of family and friends shared the day with us. My older son wants to be a priest, either a canon lawyer or a military chaplain. Pray for him, he is 13.

  6. thickmick says:

    We’re going to Japan on Holiday and I found a Catholic Church which celebrates the Latin Mass, so that should be pretty cool.

    Sorry you have to go through this, big guy. I will renew my daily rosary for you and those close to you. HAng in there and try to see the humor in liberals…they are funny when they’re angry, but please, if they do get you…

    Don’t grow a goatee and buy a black leather Harley Davidson Jacket and start promoting your new website on YouTube…Zulu Warrior Zuhlsdorf…Sorry John, I still love you.

    Good luck Father and thanks for all that you do!

  7. JonPatrick says:

    Fr. I will keep praying for you, I have been including you in my Rosary intentions.

    As for good news, my wife and I got away to Boston on Sunday afternoon and attended a Red Sox – Yankees game at Fenway Park, our first trip there in spite of being longtime fans (my fandom dates to the 1967 Impossible Dream year). A typically dramatic finish with the Red Sox coming from behind and tying the game against the incomparable Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th then going on to win it in the 10th! I have to say with all the talk about the deterioration of public behavior in our society, the people around us were friendly and well mannered, even to the several Yankees fans located in our section.

  8. My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. My eldest brother, a priest, obtained for them a papal blessing when he was last in Rome.

  9. Supertradmum says:

    My son is on the way to the priesthood. He is about to finish his approved pre-formation year, now required in some dioceses in England and Wales. He is going to finish his Philosophy Degree and go into a parish placement at the same time. Thanks be to God. But to what a world he will be ministering . We are on fire here in England.

  10. Jack Hughes says:

    Just before the midday Angelus I confessed my sins before the Alter Christus and received God’s absolution.

    Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever!

  11. benedetta says:

    For us as well Fr. Z, the blessings in disguise are the good news. I notice people’s spontaneous kindness and goodness, recognize God’s love for all humanity, and continue to try to cooperate with the will of God in all things. Attacks when they come are not from the source of goodness, but it is true that in themselves they amount to a recognition, of some sort, of the existence of a loving God even if the choices made contradict that. May what is endured, though it comes not from the loving source of our existence, be offered up in solidarity with His suffering for the salvation of souls and for His glory.

  12. Allan S. says:

    I am having life-saving surgery next week (Aug 17), my sixth major surgery. This qualifies, I think, as a “disguised” blessing.

    And Father, you are correct. When I was a police officer, the surest indicator of a lazy officer who didn’t do anything was one who could boast that they never had any complaints against them.

    Your persecution is simply evidence of effectiveness. You are worth persecuting, as it were. Your friend Ed Peters has been down this road recently. Perhaps he may have some advice for taking the high road…?

  13. benedetta says:

    Also one blessing in disguise has been that in the circumstances we now find ourselves in we have been able to get a lot of great reading in that we might have overlooked otherwise.

    And I just wanted to say that I am thankful for the Gospel reading of today and this feast day.

  14. Andy Milam says:

    His Excellency followed through. Praise God.

  15. jilly4ski says:

    We get to move out of my in-laws house into an apartment on Friday!!!!
    I love my in-laws, but it will be good to have our own place again.

  16. RCOkie says:

    I get to go to daily Mass. What better news could there be?

  17. APX says:

    Next week is my last week of work forever at my job which I loathe. I will do everything in my power to avoid having to return to a minimum wage job. After that I will be moving, and starting an internship and hopefully have a career at the end of it.

    I scored one of those Kitchen Aid porcelain-coated cast iron dutch ovens for 70% off last week. I can’t stop thinking about all the wonderful things I’ll be cooking in it.

    Finally, I was driving downtown last week past a bridal store when I almost rear-ended the car in front of me because I was in so much shock at what I saw in the window…gowns with sleeves and high necklines!!!! Modesty!!! It’s coming back!!! I guess some good came out of all that excessive coverage of Will and Kate’s wedding. Let’s hope more of Kate’s good fashion sense will spill over to the common folk rather than the current spilling over of muffin tops and other not so pleasant things caused by people’s poor fashion choices.

  18. oledocfarmer says:

    Father, I will ask Our Lady of Peace to accompany you.

  19. Making wonderful and gradual progress in discerning a vocation to the religious life. :-D

  20. Discerning a vocation to the religious life!!

  21. MyBrokenFiat says:

    {Hugs} to you, Father. Then Cardinal Ratzinger’s advice is spot on. And you, my good Father, are looking at this trial in a blessed way. This persecution is turning your heart ever more towards Our Lady, who in return draws you closer to her Son through her most loving of hearts. May you feel the kiss of the Holy Spirit for your patience, effort and obedience to His Will.

    As for some adorable, uplifting news, I was in a bind the other night. I wanted to take part in Confession, but my sitter had cancelled on me last minute. Stuck without a sitter, I was forced to take Vincent (my 22 month old son) with me. Our wonderful (visiting) monastic priest was beyond thrilled to see him and gave me the most blessed spiritual direction I could have hoped for. Vincent, too, made out like a bandit with a wonderful blessing and an early example of the importance of Confession.

  22. Jon says:

    Persecuted? I’m not surprised. You have a great target painted on your back. On any given day Father, you’re probably the single most widely read Catholic on the planet. We all know the work you’ve done to make the Novus Ordo even a little more palatable, and so do “they.” And “they” are not about to go gently into that good night.

    Since Summorum Pontificum, and, it seems, especially since Universae Ecclesiae, hell has been unleashed. From personal experience, I can tell you about traditional (many of whom are diocesan) priests that are in the throes of persecution. After years of a TLM friendly bishop here in my own diocese, we now have a new one who, if not actually hostile, is willfully unsympathetic to both the reform of the reform and tradition.

    There’s an evident delaying and obfuscating tactic afoot. I believe “they” are waiting for the pope to die, and are praying for a liberal replacement. We must counter their intention. I suggest first we all make it a habit to not merely pray for Pope Benedict occasionally, but daily. Several times a day, in fact. Pray that he lives to out-do his predecessor Leo XIII in years. Then pray specifically that a man like Cardinal Burke or Cardinal Ranjith succeed him. Don’t be afraid to petition the Lord with a name. He won’t think you presumptuous. As improbable as it might seem, I know of a cleric recently in Rome, involved in the Curia, who has said that H.E. Burke is now serious papabile. Pray. Every Office, every Rosary, every Mass, every mortification, every act of mercy or kindness, every single time, offer in part for this intention.

    The gates of hell will not prevail.

  23. suzanka says:

    Father – Praying for your intentions daily.
    Our Seminarian son finished his summer assignment which was extremely beneficial; daughter in Spain, going to WYD; other daughter starting her senior year at a Catholic High School; oldest son still at home, where he needs to be, so we can continue to encourage him to return to the Sacraments.

  24. GirlCanChant says:

    I’m in the Archdiocesan Choir in Philadelphia. I got back from an (awesome) 6-day silent retreat to find out that we are going to Rome next summer to sing for the Pallium Mass!

    I believe I was whooping. My neighbors probably thought I was watching a sporting event.

  25. wchoag says:

    I have received the approval of the pastors of 3 parishes to use the parishes in a study that I am doing on the implementation of Summorum Pontificum in my diocese. This study will form the major project (equivalent of disseration) for my Doctor of Ministry degree.

    Only one hurdle remains before this project is fully ahead! I hope to begin my field study of the parishes by Epiphanytide.

  26. MarkJ says:

    Our two daughters are participating this week in a Gregorian Chant Camp at our FSSP parish (St. Anne’s San Diego) with 70 other kids! The week will culminate with the children providing the chants for a special TLM on Friday. Pretty cool…

  27. Gregory DiPippo says:

    ???????? ????? ? ?????????????, ???? ??????? ??? ??????.

    Optimis comitaris sociis; quid melius tibi nuntiari queat?

  28. DavidJ says:

    My son, who has had many health problems and continuing developmental problems, is finally back on the weight chart for his age. He hasn’t even been on the chart since he was eight months old. He’s not anywhere near normal, but this is an improvement!

  29. Gregory DiPippo says:

    Sorry, [Fr.] Z., tried to give you a quote from S. Ignatius of Antioch, I didn’t realize your combox doesn’t do Greek. “Christianity is of greatness when it is hated by the world.”

    [You can post Greek, but run it through a Unicode thing first. Here. Very handy!]

  30. QMJ says:

    My wife and I are spending the week down in California visiting family.

  31. Got to Mass for the Feast of the Transfiguration. Pretty good crowd for a summer First Saturday, too. Signed up when I got another chance to give blood at work — on Sept 14, which I figured counts as a Nudge from Above!

    I’m learning a lot from studying St. Beatus of Liebana’s commentary on Revelation, and his sources. I’m currently up to the huge chunky section on the Quattuor Animalia, which is very rich in stuff about the Evangelists (as you’d expect). It’s amazing how much you can learn, even with lousy Latin skills like mine.

  32. APX says:

    I have just learned of some more good news about two minutes ago. My city’s small Latin Mass Society is having another visit from the FSSP next weekend. We had a visit from the same priest during Sprinter in March, but I was away at school. He’ll be visiting August 13-15 saying Mass (including on the Feast of the Assumption) and hearing Confessions. I will be there! Most likely for all three, not to mention I am past-due for Confession.

  33. ASD says:

    Kindle search functions make it pretty easy to jump around when studying scripture. Example here.

    The funny thing: Electronic books often feel like scrolls. Scrolls were replaced by codices in part because it’s easier to jump around in codices. Now, codices can be replaced by electronic scrolls that have computerized search & instant dictionary software.

    Is that historical dialectic? Dialectical virtualism?

  34. tealady24 says:

    Just finished my final root canal, ever, I think! They don’t hurt; just are uncomfortable to your jaw, and all the equipment they tie around your mouth is harrowing. After this it’s smooth sailing!

    Prayers to the UK and the USA; could be we are paying for our sins.

  35. Captain Peabody says:

    Just got back from a family trip to Strasbourg, France. It really is great to be home again, and I’m thankful God brought us back safely through all the travel-related hassle.

    While there, it was a real privilege to be able to attend Mass at the Strasbourg Cathedral, a truly beautiful and heavenly setting (google it if you doubt). The Masses there were all OF, but the celebration was reverent, the incense smelled lovely, there were no Extraordinary Ministers, and Sunday Mass featured utterly beautiful Latin Gregorian chant. Daily Mass in one of the side chapels was also enlightening, and the ability for Eucharistic adoration at any time of the day was very helpful; and all in all I feel truly blessed by the privilege of being able to come into contact in a more physical way with the ancient patrimony of the Church and her universality.

    The Cathedral in such places, visible from afar on almost every side, is truly a permanent and ever-present reminder of the presence of God and the depth of Tradition, and I thank God I was privileged to experience it.

  36. Jbuntin says:

    After being in a spritual rutt, I have been reading the book The Sinners Guide, by Venerable Louis of Granada. Just finished the first chapter and already have found a problem with my outlook on prayer! God really does love me.
    Praying for you Father

  37. Jack Hughes says:

    Even though I am struggling with this Dark Night (type of) experience God has been granting me so many graces, just this afternoon I was reading Exodus 3 and was lead to know that God is existence itself, that God is the one who sustains us in existence.

  38. Theodore says:

    Fr Z., My grandmother used to say that “The lead dog gets bit on the butt.” [LOL!] I will keep you in my prayers.

    My good news, the Rosary I ordered while in Oahu from the oldest Cathedral in the US in continuous use arrived. I wasn’t sure if it had been blessed so I dropped it off at my Parish. I received a call this morning that it was ready for pick up. I’m giving it to a friend who needs a lift.

  39. Joseph-Mary says:

    Just got a beautiful dog yesterday.

    Took our wonderful holy young priest to visit the nursing home today and there were many sacraments administered.

    Ave Maria!

  40. Steven says:

    Served Mass for His Eminence Cardinal Burke today, at the Canon Law Conference at the Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse, WI. I leave in 3 days for WYD in Madrid, after which I return for my second year of seminary.

    stevenjohnbosco.blogspot.com

  41. Be calm, only witches need to fear witch-hunts.

  42. Jim in VT says:

    Our little guy (that arrived after years of prayer) turns four today.

  43. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    Here are some good news.

    1) The seminarians in the Diocese of Oakland will be learning the Extraordinary Form.
    2) Solemn High Nuptial Mass recently included a diocesan priest. I sang and played the organ.
    3) First Extraordinary Form Mass in Livermore (California) in 40+ years was a Requiem for the one member of the congregation who had untiringly pushed for it. Father called it his first miracle. Hodgepodge choir assembled at last minute sang as if we had been singing together for many years.
    4) My ongoing prayers to the Infant of Prague are, I believe, being answered.
    5) 3-months and counting until the end of the 1970 Missal.
    6) Recently celebrated 20 years of marriage to my wonderful wife.
    7) We appear to have a feud in our house: one of the boys insists he wishes to enter the FSSP seminary when he is old enough, while a brother insists he would enter the ICKSP seminary.

    God bless,

    Chris

  44. Aeroharp says:

    Well, in the months of July/Augsut alone, I have had plenty of good news disguised as bad…
    I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in this my 10th pregnancy. It is tedious being so careful with food, but I feel so much better now that my sugars –and weight gain– are under control. Baby #10 is due in only 5 weeks!
    Our van’s tie rods snapped in a gas station parking lot on Sunday, costing us $2000 in repairs today. But, we weren’t driving on the highway and I don’t even want to think about what the hospital/funeral bills for an 11-person family would have been….
    My tooth has been hurting so much that I have been told I need a root canal. We don’t have good dental insurance. But, it looks like maybe it’s only a temperamental cavity, and I won’t have to pay so much to fix it.
    Lastly (for now), an ugly, ugly extended family situation has arisen. It has caused us severe stress. But now that it cannot be ignored anymore, at least maybe new, healthier boundaries and conversations can be had, and a healing may granted, and be a huge relief to us all. It has forced me to grow up in ways I heartily preferred not to. Someday, I will be grateful! God bless you, Fr. Z!

  45. Liz says:

    Last night we were able to host a priest and some seminarians for dinner. We had a lovely time and enjoyed getting to know them a bit. At the end we asked father for a blessing which we received, but the best thing was that the priest told us that he would say a mass for our intentions today! That’s quite a bargain, if you ask me! God is so good!

  46. plzl says:

    congratulations MARKNTINA641; u must be sooo proud….

  47. Emilio III says:

    Not exactly good news, but it helps to keep things in perspective: the Victor in vinculis blog, with an unfortunately hideous URL, shortened to http://bit.ly/oyhttD

    Highly recommended to Spanish readers, it is somewhat similar to the Civil War “150 years ago today” diaries, but telling of events “75 years ago today” in Spain. There are three entries for today:

    2am at the cemetery of Barbastro: Blessed Florentino Asensio Barroso becomes the fourth bishop to be executed, telling the firing squad “What a beautiful night this is for me!”

    7:30pm 9km outside Toledo: Blessed William Plaza Hernandez, diocesan priest, asks to kiss the hands of those about to kill him, as a sign of forgiveness and thanks. Petition was denied.

    Near midnight at the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona, the Colombian consul was finally taken to see the seven Brothers of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God who had been given permission to board a ship at Barcelona that would take them home. He was shown a pile of 120 mutilated corpses, which he had to go through to identify the first seven Colombians to be beatified.

    At least things are not that bad yet, even if the same bastards are in charge.

  48. Mark Pavlak says:

    I have my interview on Friday with the admissions board at the seminary. If all goes as planned, I’ll start this fall in pre-Theology. Prayers, please!
    Fr. Z., your words of encouragement on this blog to men thinking about the priesthood definitely helped me along the way. Thank you!

  49. Amy Giglio says:

    Our 4th child, a girl, was baptized this past Sunday!

  50. Elizabeth D says:

    We might get a new Doctor of the Church during World Youth Day, St John of Avila. I am reading his book “Audi, Filia” which is pretty good, and seems like still suitable spiritual reading for young people. If he is really declared a Doctor though it is going to take some explaining that he is not the same person as John of the Cross though they were contemporaries (Avila was an influence on Juan de la Cruz and on St Teresa). Especially since most people who aren’t native Spanish speakers probably hardly know who John of the Cross is and haven’t heard of John of Avila at all.

  51. thesheepcat says:

    This past weekend Mrs Sheepcat and I had the privilege of attending a wonderful, grace-filled Courage/EnCourage conference, which was dedicated to the memory of Fr John Harvey, OSFS. There were many beautiful recollections of Fr Harvey’s compassion towards people dealing with same-sex attraction. We were told that recently the bishops of El Salvador unanimously endorsed the Courage Apostolate. Bishops Olmsted and Paprocki were among the bishops supporting us by their presence and preaching, and Cardinal Burke himself gave the keynote address.

  52. mrose says:

    Doing the final preparations for entering Holy Matrimony on Saturday!! Deo Gratias!

    And found a TLM for the Feast of the Assumption while on our Honeymoon.

    Prayers for you, Father Z.

  53. tioedong says:

    our barangay (neighborhood) held the fiesta for our patron saint San Lorenzo…(here there is the parish church of the city with several chapels for locals to attend). Quite a few at the fiesta, which started with Mass and then a parade for the little ones.
    Unlike the US, most folks here still have kids.

  54. CMRose says:

    My entire family is praying for you, Fr. Z!

    As for good news:
    ~College starts back up next week. I’m a sophomore.
    ~My godson turned 3 months yesterday.
    ~The Bible I bought my godson came in…it is really pretty.

  55. pattif says:

    I’m in Rome at the moment, doing all the fun things you can’t do by staying at home: attending the Mass of the Feast of the Dedication of the Dedication of Santa Maria Maggiore (and collecting a handful of the white rose petals released from the ceiling to commemorate the miraculous fall of snow), attending the Mass of the Patronal Feast of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, and following in procession a lifesized statue of the saint and his gridiron (the instrument of his martyrdom) through the streets (traffic stooped in all directions), praying, singing hymns and having readings from Scripture and the Sermons of St Augustine. I also had the privilege of attending the General Audience with Il Papa (Viva il Papa!) yesterday at Castel Gandolfo.

    I have a very, very large prayer intention at the moment, for which I have been making a Novena during the nine days between the Feast of the Dedication of SMM until the Vigil of the Assumption, the fun part of this one is trying to say the Rosary in a different church dedicated to Our Lady on each of the nine days.

    All of which is a very roundabout way of saying that, having read the “Waiting for Zagano” post and not being able to see any means of posting a comment there, I will pray for you, Father, at the tomb of St Peter tomorrow morning.

  56. Luke Whittaker says:

    After years of struggling with debilitating back pain I am “all healed up” from an anterior-posterior lumbo-pelvic fusion from L3. My spine surgeon told me yesterday that all of my problems are behind me (no pun intended). I am delighted to be able to say that I haven’t felt this strong or carefree in years. It has taken me one and half years from the day of surgery to get to this place of rehabilitation. Being human can be back-breaking in itself. And because of that I am happy to get some reprieves along the way.

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