Was there a good point in the sermon you heard for your Sunday Mass obligation?
Share it!
Fr. Z’s Podcasts RSS Feed
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
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
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…”
ABORTION PILL RESCUE NETWORK
Everyone, work to get this into your parish bulletins and diocesan papers.
Federated Computer… your safe and private alternative to big biz corporations that hate us while taking our money and mining our data. Have an online presence large or small? Catholic DIOCESE? Cottage industry? See what Federated has to offer. Save money and gain peace of mind.
Polls
Loading ...Use FATHERZ10 at checkout for 10% off
Donate using VENMO
GREAT BEER from Traditional Benedictine Monks in Italy
CLICK and say your daily offerings!
A Daily Prayer for Priests
NEW OPPORTUNITY – 10% off with code: FATHERZ10
Fr. Z’s VOICEMAIL
Nota bene: I do not answer these numbers or this Skype address. You won't get me "live". I check for messages regularly.
WDTPRS
020 8133 4535
651-447-6265
This REALLY helps! And it’s great coffee (and tea)
I use this when I travel both in these USA and abroad. Very useful. Fast enough for Zoom. I connect my DMR (ham radio) through it. If you use my link, they give me more data. A GREAT back up.
This blog has to earn its keep!
PLEASE subscribe via PayPal if it is useful. Zelle and Wise are better, but PayPal is convenient.
A monthly subscription donation means I have steady income I can plan on. I put you my list of benefactors for whom I pray and for whom I often say Holy Mass.
In view of the rapidly changing challenges I now face, I would like to add more $10/month subscribers. Will you please help?
For a one time donation...
To donate monthly I prefer Zelle because it doesn't extract fees. Use
frz AT wdtprs DOT comBe a “Zed-Head”!
PLEASE RESPOND. Pretty pleeeease?
Loading ...This is really useful when travelling… and also when you aren’t and you need backup internet NOW! I use this for my DMR “Zednet” hotspot when I’m mobile. It’s a ham radio thing.
If you travel internationally, this is a super useful gizmo for your mobile internet data. I use one. If you get one through my link, I get data rewards.
WDTPRS POLL
Loading ...Fr. Z’s stuff is everywhere
Help support Fr. Z’s Gospel of Life work at no cost to you. Do you need a Real Estate Agent? Calling these people is the FIRST thing you should do!
They find you a pro-life agent in your area who commits to giving a portion of the fee to a pro-life group!
GREAT causes to support
Help Monks in Wyoming (coffee – UPDATED LINK) and Norcia (beer) and the wonderful "Soap Sisters" of Summit, NJ!
Please follow me on Twitter!
Loading ...
Quoted the Council of Trent, session six (the one on Justification). Canon 18: “If anyone says that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to observe, let him be anathema.” When God said, “Be holy, as I am holy” and “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”, he meant it. Not as a far off unattainable ideal, but something that actually happens, through God’s grace working in you.
Father promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Some of the most important messages of scripture can be lost when we forget to view them in the context of the customs, laws, and language of the times. So “turn the other cheek/go with him for two/give him your cloak as well” are not commands to be tolerant of sin and evil, or to willingly subject ourselves to additional suffering, but to turn sinful and evil things back on themselves and on their own faults. Since, in ancient times, it was permissible to strike an inferior with the back of the hand (but not with the left hand, which is unclean), but ONLY with the back of the hand, “turning the other cheek” left it impractical for the person striking you to do so again effectively without incurring legal punishment himself. Since a Roman soldier could impress on someone to carry his things for a mile, but ONLY for a mile, “going with him for two” would leave the soldier in the embarrassing position of chasing after you to get his things back, and thus avoid incurring penalties himself. And handing over your cloak as well as your coat would leave you naked – causing people to ask who had done such a thing, to put you in a position of indecency in public.
One of the more impressive and meaningful sermons I’ve heard lately, although I’m not sold on the need to bring people to the center (we’re in the round) to act out the “turn the other cheek” lesson.
Father’s sermon focused on “turn the other cheek.” He made an excellent point on this; when we turn the other cheek, it’s to give our enemy the chance to *sin* again, or to walk over us like rag dolls, but rather to give him the chance to choose what’s right and reconcile.
The priest at the Mass I attended made several good points. First, that the “eye for an eye” principle in the Mosaic Law was intended to LIMIT how far one could go in exacting retribution for a wrong — to make sure that it was proportional to the harm done. One could not, for example, kill someone in retaliation for a theft or a non-fatal injury. It was meant to establish a sense of order and justice so that people could live in peace. Second, that Jesus obviously didn’t mean to let the evil run roughshod over the weak or to undermine public safety or order. It is not that we shouldn’t resist injury at all, but the WAY in which we resist injury is important — it has to be done not in a spirit of “getting even” or indulging feelings of resentment or anger, but in a way that holds out the possibility of reconciliation.
http://hancaquam.blogspot.com/2014/02/do-not-pagans-think-say-and-do-same.html
Do we think, speak, and act like our pagan neighbors? Recent surveys show that Catholics think and act almost exactly like their non-Catholic neighbors on the hot-button issues of the day: contraception, abortion, same-sex marriage, and co-habitation before marriage. On hot-button issues internal to the Church – like obligatory clerical celibacy and the impossibility of ordaining women to the priesthood – Catholic attitudes differ very little from non-Catholics. Unfortunately, what this means is that on these issues, Catholics agree with their pagan neighbors. . .
Fr. Philip Neri, OP
Last week (Septagesima) we learned in the parable of the workers in the vineyard that it is never too late to accept God’s grace. This week (Sexagesima) the readings talk about the various obstacles that will be put in our path once we decide to follow Jesus.
Father started his homily from the line in the EF Introit: “Why dost thou sleep, O Lord?” He then went on to talk about the Dark Night of the Senses vs. Dark Night of the Soul (when Our Lord might appear to be “sleeping” but it’s really Him calling us to step closer to Him) and growing from asceticism to meditation and contemplation and then to spiritual marriage. Also about how there is no “static” with our spiritual life. If we are not growing, we will be falling back. He also talked about how as we grow, Our Lord progressively brings up deeper and deeper things about ourselves that we need to change if we are to choose Him over those things and that He does this progressively so as to not “scare us off” by demanding it all at once.
On the parable of the sower and the seed. We need to be willing to turn over the soil of our hearts, and permit them moisture, from time to time, to allow the seed to take root there.
Yes, attended TLM in Bazil.
One specific idea stuck with me: good zeal vs. bad zeal.
Talking of St Paul’s very harsh/tough words in his letters to Corinthians, Father pointed out that the toughness/rudeness (“rude” in portuguese) of St Paul’s words did not come from bitterness (“azedume”) or bad zeal, rather from good zeal.
You don’t always have to walk on cotton feet when you are talking about Christ’s message.
The sermon was 19 minutes long (so he used Eucharistic Prayer II to save time) and focused on love – how it is not an emotion but a decision and explained why marriage could not be ended because of a reduction of feeling.
Audio Recording: https://soundcloud.com/militans/fr-stan-gibzinskis-sermon-23
Reflection in Newsletter: http://www.southampton-city-catholics.org.uk/images/140223.pdf
I am at a conference at Georgetown University this week. I arrived Sunday afternoon about 5:30 PM from the west coast, and am staying on campus. The hotel clerk said she thought I had missed the last Mass. I said that I didn’t know a lot about Catholic Universities, but I was pretty sure there was always a late Sunday ‘last chance’ Mass for students who played all Saturday night and got up late on Sundays. Voila! I was correct. ADMG!
What an astonishing night at Georgetown! I arrived at the Dahlgren Chapel early, and listened to the choir practice “Ubi Caritas.” The chapel seats about 300, and by the time the 7:30 PM Mass started it was FULL of students. Full! That was a pleasant shock. There were maybe two or three of us over 30. Then the organ began the processional. Organ music! On a college campus! On a JESUIT college campus!
The Celebrant explained that the Chapel had just finished a five-week installation of a new organ two days earlier, and they were pleased by the sound of it. I was thrilled; I really caught them on a good night!
Then after the homily: a loud knock on the door. The priest asks, “who comes here?” and a catechumen answers “A sinner, seeking Christ.” The RCIA Rite of Welcoming followed, as well done as I remember it — and I have been to many. The catechumen was a red-headed male Hoya athlete, and he stood in front of 300 peers and went through it all, including the signing on his eyes, ears, mouth, heart, hands, and feet by his sponsor. I could not have done that at 19.
I remember the excellent music at St Patrick’s Cathedral, but I believe this was better. Violin, piano, a full and superb choir, and the organist laying down a soft bass line with the foot pedals. Okay, there was a bongo drum, too, but still: I was thunderstruck.
And this was not a church full of teens attending with a gun to their temple, placed by firm but loving parents. This was a church full of enthused Catholic youth on a Sunday night! It was 2:1 female, but it was packed.
And it was a good homily, too, about radical conversion to accept the challenges Christ gives in the Gospel on truly loving your enemy. And the collection was for the missions in El Salvador.
I have to admit, I have wondered a bit about the Georgetown that gave us Sandra Fluke. But I have never been to a more devout, spiritual, and orthodox Novus Ordo Mass — youth filled!!! — as tonight. At Georgetown! Who knew?
AMDG. Darn spell checker….
Well, Father started off with “In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche accuses past philosophers of lacking critical sense and blindly accepting dogmatic premises in their consideration of morality. Specifically, he accuses them of founding grand metaphysical systems upon the faith that the good man is the opposite of the evil man, rather than just a different expression of the same basic impulses that find more direct expression in the evil man. The work moves into the realm “beyond good and evil” in the sense of leaving behind the traditional morality which Nietzsche subjects to a destructive critique in favour of what he regards as an affirmative approach that fearlessly confronts the perspectival nature of knowledge and the perilous condition of the modern individual.” ( Wikipedia.) After stating that many have great difficulty with the Sermon on the Mount, he said that loving one’s enemy is the breaking point for many, as it was for Nietzsche. He laid at Nietzsche’s feet the foundations of Freud’s pleasure principle, as well as that Nietzsche promoted the ‘superman’ and that the Gospel forms a weak race, that indulges in every soft, unworthy emotion of humanity. This soullessness is to be seen as the source for abortion, euthanasia, and now the euthanasia of children. There was also a thorough explanation of how the holy sacrifice of the Mass gives Christians the ability to resist these unworthy aspects of culture, since it is the re-presentation of Calvary before our eyes. There was a lot more (!) but, since I did not ever hear him speak before, I was not ready and didn’t have my notebook out. And though he offered the Mass in the OF, he did it in the manner of the EF. At the end I wondered, who was that masked man? that came in and rescued us from banality and demanded of us a deep-thinking spirituality. Sorry for the length, but it was too incredible and wonderful to try to summarize it. I would have mangled it.
His name is Rev. Thomas Shepanzyk, a priest of the diocese of Brooklyn. I’ll try to hear him again, if I can find where he speaks. This is his ordination to the transitional diaconate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5fOQSO-lM
I would not know if the dear, young, visiting priest who celebrated a very reverent TLM at my parish on Sunday made any good points in his sermon as apparently Roman Catholic seminaries feel oratory, public speaking and vocal lessons are unimportant for the seminarians. He was deep in his text, head down and even with a microphone to aid him, he had no breath control or support to push his voice.
He is NOT an aberration sadly. Too many priests need serious coaching on the art of public speaking. As a professional actress, I think it sad seminaries don’t invest the time and engage talented professionals to work with the seminarians on making their “good points” heard and understood by parishioners not sitting in the first 2 pews.
High Mass at St. Joan of Arc in coeur d’alene, idaho. FSSP Parish, It was beyond words, The Mass was so Beautiful as was the Scola that sang it. (Misse Orbis Factor)…Fathers sermon was one wonderful…..he spoke about Sanctifying GRACE…a subject I have not heard in N.O. Parishes in YEARS…..as I prayed and Followed in my missal…..all that came to mind is what has been lost in the Mass of Paul VI. I do thank GOD that I was able to attend Mass in an E.F. Parish.
Praise be Jesus Christ! Now and Forever, and again Thank YOU Pope Benedict XVI
Bishop John Noonan of Orlando, FL celebrated Mass on Sunday. This week in our diocese they are holding FOCUS 11, days of information about vocations to priesthood and Religious Life. Focus 11 concentrates on 11 year olds and those in 11th grade.
Currently we have about 24 men in seminary, we were introduced to 3 young men who have been accepted to seminary and expect about 6 more to accept the invitation.
We will see the Bishop again next sunday when he Confirms approximately 150 of our young people. Can’t wait to hear what he says then.
Excellent homily.
Hell: It’s real; people do choose to go there–real people like you and me–and God respects their choices; and I can go too, if I choose.
One of the most bracing sermons I’ve ever heard.
NO Mass with one of my favorite Priests.
He said that we have sin because of Adam and Eve, therefore we have illness. Illness is not from God, but rather from our sinful nature. We have the cross to show this. We WILL suffer but unlike the Angels, we have God’s mercy. When the Angels denied God, they fell quickly, with no second thought. We sin over and over yet God is merciful to us. In those churches that talk about what one can “get” from God (Prosperity Gospel, or healing ministries) can fill a room because they have taken the cross out of the mix. They teach that sin stops the “goodies” or if you don’t pray enough God won’t heal you. They have taken out the Cross, they have taken out Mercy.
Sin has a face. Even if the sin we commit is done in private, it affects others thus putting a face to it. The same is with grace. The works we do affect someone, even if not directly.
I agree with AvantiBev about the need for priests to be trained in public speaking. How can one “worthily and fittingly proclaim His holy Gospel” if their speaking style does not engage the listener?
Thankfully, our FSSP pastor is a gifted preacher and spoke about the need for penance. He said there is less talk about penance, including the watering down of the Lenten regulations, but we still needed to do it. For those who didn’t know better, he reminded us that giving up a sinful behavior is not a penance. He gave several example of penances a person might do, such as either giving up some pleasure or doing additional prayers, Bible reading, etc.
one of the parish priests at parish had a beautiful homily on persevering in virtue and on proper ( with God’s love ) and improper ( pride ) interpretation of holy scripture.
God bless