Have some good news?

Let’s hear what is going on, especially about the workings of grace in your life.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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

  1. inillotempore says:

    My wife is beig considered for a job that would accomidate sending our children to an orthodox Catholic school (They’ve been accepted).

    I am looking for work and praying via the intercession of St. Joseph.

    Our children both received their First Holy Communion in the EF this year.

    We’re all grateful for our health.

    My brother and his bride-to-be will be married at the end of the month.

  2. kat says:

    My oldest son was asked to serve Low Mass for Bishop Peter Elliott of Melbourne, Australia who was visiting Washington, DC. It was his first time serving all by himself and he did a marvelous job all 3 days. Here is my blog post about it, including a picture. http://nofightingnobiting.blogspot.com/2009/06/serving-god-at-altar.html

  3. Sean Gallagher says:

    At 11:57 p.m. on Trinity Sunday, my wife gave birth to our fourth child (and son), Philip Anthony Gallagher.

  4. Veronica says:

    After a nearly two year long absence/return to the occult, I reconciled with the Church on the feast of Corpus Christi.

  5. mariadevotee says:

    All Saints Convent, an Anglican order in Catonsville MD will be received into the Catholic Church in September. They do beautiful cards. http://www.asspconvent.org/ and
    http://subtuum.blogspot.com/2009/06/all-saints-sisters-doing-it-for.html
    Praise be to God.

  6. Gabriel says:

    my catbird is finally eating the expensive suet.

  7. Fr. Charles says:

    I’m praying for the courage and wisdom to listen to trustworthy spiritual mothers and fathers as I discern where I might go back to school, and trying to pray in grateful awe for the opportunity with which my Order and the Church are entrusting to me.

  8. Mary Ann says:

    Life has been difficult on so many fronts for my husband and I. I recognize that much of time I am playing a large role in exacerbating our problems. This morning, for the first time ever, my husband (at my request) has lead us in prayer. We are asking for the grace for me to change. And he’ll take this before the Blessed Sacrament for us! I am so VERY GRATEFUL and HOPEFUL. Please, many faithful readers here, in your generousity, could you add a brief prayer for us? Thank you.

  9. Phil Onochie says:

    graces working in my life:

    After much procrastination, I am now able to get out of bed in time to make it to daily mass by 6:30am. Because of this, my wife and I are able to have a more beautiful relationship.

  10. Alina ofs says:

    After a period in which I was unable to pray at all, God granted me the grace to pray the laudes, vespers and compline again. And tomorrow I will celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart in an EF parish!

  11. Ohio Annie says:

    Even with all the illnesses and stuff I have a feeling of great peace and contentment.

  12. Julie says:

    At long last, I’m FINALLY, by the Grace of God, (and a lot of help from a lot of people) flying East to visit 2 religious communities. One active, one contemplative. And possibly one or two others this summer. And…my bills at home are going to be paid. God is so good!

  13. olmphoto2 says:

    Discovered this week a new online radio station from MPR (Minnesota Public Radio). It’s called Heartland and the playlist of artists reads like a who’s who of the eclectic guests gathered from every musical genre that have appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Praire Home Companion…AND the artists of the past who we know Garrison would have loved to have on his show. This wonderful online stream is SO much like your secular music on the ZCam, Father. They do also take requests. [I have found nothing for Penjing as yet FrZ. Now, now, FrZ, PLEASE, just because they take requests, do we really need Chinese opera there too? ;) ]
    http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/radio_heartland/

  14. John Murray says:

    Last night I finished my first course, in philosophy, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. A wonderful place–scholarly and orthodox. Looking forward to theology in the fall.

  15. boredoftheworld says:

    Tomorrow, on the feast of the Sacred Heart at the parish church of the Sacred Heart in a Solemn High Mass, two of my daughters will receive first Holy Communion from the hands of their godfather.

    Then I’m gonna go buy an iPhone 3G S.

    Somehow the latter doesn’t quite stack up to the former…

  16. On Monday we heard for the first the beatings of our unborn baby’s tiny heart. This comes after a very stressful and trying time last month of my wife enduring an emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and a 3-day hospital stay all the while trying to wean our 13-month-old son. We have survived by the grace of God…and we await our new little baby in December.

  17. Doug says:

    I’m a fisrt-time uncle!
    Roman Vincent was born in NYC at 4am this morning.
    First reports indicate he’s a healthy 8lb Red Sox hater.
    Thanks be to God!

  18. Padre Steve says:

    I am excited about the Year for Priests beginning tomorrow! Pope Benedict is on target regarding the needs of the Church and I know this year for priests will be a great blessing: http://salesianity.blogspot.com/2009/06/year-of-priests-begins.html

  19. M.F. Bingham says:

    My brother made it safely to Europe, where he will be doing his final year of studies before priestly ordination next June. My 5 month-old daughter is such a happy, smiling baby who lights up at everyone who looks at her, but especially at her two sisters who adore her. Finally, I just received a nice raise at work that will continue to let my wife and I save money for a house purchase in the next year or two.

    Overall, God has blessed my family and me so much. I am remiss in thanking Him for His ceaseless generosity, which is so definitely far beyond what I deserve.

  20. Sarah L says:

    workings of grace: After a long search for his email address, I was finally able to sent a thank-you letter to the priest whose advice in Confession inspired me to do a volunteer year. It was great to hear that he hadn’t forgotten about me and appreciated my news.

    In my volunteer work, I was recently able to help a family get internet set up so the father can work from home. They’ve been through a lot, including having their car stolen and wrecked, but they keep on working to support their 2 young sons. I think our services are a good encouragement for them!

  21. Cristero says:

    The Latin Mass Community of San Juan Bautista in California had a Procession around the Plaza for the External Feast of Corpus Christi this past Sunday.

    http://monterey-tlm.blogspot.com/2009/06/procession-for-external-feast-of-corpus.html

  22. olmphoto2 says:

    EWTN will broadcast the Holy Father’s Mass live from the Shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo with coverage beginning at 4:15 a.m. Eastern this Sunday, rebroadcast at noon.
    http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=96058

  23. Mary says:

    I paid off all my student loans and now am free to enter the Sisters of Life on September 5th!

  24. sacerdos in germania says:

    The priest of the neihboring parish has asked me to offer mass(TLM)on the feast of the Sacred Heart in a 15th century Gothic chapel connected to his parish. It’s the first traditional mass that will be offered in this chapel in over forty years. The chapel seats about eighty, we expect it to be filled to capacity. Deo Gratias!

  25. sacerdos in germania says:

    sorry, I meant “neighboring”…

  26. FHC says:

    I receive Mass cards for being a volunteer and one is for Jan. 31st at 5 PM which will match almost exactly the moment 40 years ago when my husband and I got married. I view it as God’s gift for our 40th.

  27. Bob says:

    I’m a 65-year-old retired childless bachelor, spending a lot of my time rehabbing my house to the original 1932 decor (or trying to, anyway), and helping my block club so the little community has the same kind of closeness I felt when I was a kid in the late 40s and early 50s. Despite the aches and pains of middle age, and being cvomparatively poor, I feel pretty good, and I’m just grateful for everything. God writes straight with crokked lines, and there is nothing on earth that can match our Catholic faith.

  28. Mike says:

    despite my family’s low income, I was accepted into a music school with a great teacher. Also, two organ jobs to help pay for this school fell right into my lap. Deo Gratias

  29. ChristopherY says:

    Today, June 18 is my daughter’s first birthday.

  30. JaneB says:

    My husband and I were married in the Church in January after 25 years of marriage outside the Church. Since then, our relationship has turned 180 degrees to the better, with my husband’s sincere conversion back to the one true faith. I learn something new from him every day!

  31. Cathy says:

    I had insomnia last night and my usual habit is to read a children’s book to help me get back to sleep, so I read “The Kitchen Madonna” by Rumer Godden. I learned more about Marian devotion from this book than any I’ve read over the past 15 years since my conversion to Catholicism. Thank God for insomnia. What a grace!

  32. a catechist says:

    It’s the 15th anniversary of our marriage! Deo Gratias! And may God bless Fr. Leo P.,OP, who did a super job of preparing us.

    And my kids have started kissing their little brother goodnight every night–‘though his birth isn’t until the fall. They want to press their hands to my tummy to feel the kicks every day, too.

  33. ckdexterhaven says:

    Last night, went to a presentation by our priest and architect of our new church. The new church is “old school” YAY! The priest made a point to say he wanted it to be cruciform. Said our architecture needed to get away from the bad architecture of the 60’s and 70’s. He mentioned by name, “Ugly As Sin: Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to Meeting Spaces and How We Can Change Them Back Again” by Michael Rose.

    ckdexterhaven suspects the new church will have an altar rail, but our priest may not want to show all his cards! Go Father Tighe!!!!

  34. Evelyn says:

    Back in college I had a friend who was Catholic, and my Evangelical friends were always after me to convert her. I couldn’t figure out how, but she was Catholic *and* Christian. Her life defied everything I had ever been taught about Catholics. Well, I became a Catholic a couple years ago, and always wondered what became of her. Last weekend I went to a conference, and out of the blue, there she was! So I had a chance to thank her in person for planting a seed that took sixteen years to sprout.

  35. An apologist, Steve Ray, is giving a seminar about The Year of St. Paul as a fundraiser for Relevant Radio at my parish this evening and my boyfriend and I have tickets to attend. I am very excited! I have not had any experience with Dr. Ray’s work, but my friends speak highly of him.

  36. mrsmontoya says:

    Pretty neat dream: I dreamed that I was a kid in a Church I was given a large ornate bowl made from pure gold, so pure I could bend and mold it, and I said looked up from it and said “Hey, look! It’s the vessel of the Holy Spirit!”

  37. pelerin says:

    Tomorrow, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, will be the 44th anniversary of my reception into the Holy Catholic Church. And this year I will be able to attend a TLM for the feast. As it is the beginning of the Year of Priests I will remember in particular the wonderful Priest who instructed and baptised me all those years ago. May his soul rest in peace.

  38. Will says:

    The Year of Priests starts tomorrow!
    Also, I am applying for seminary in the Diocese of Austin as soon as the new Vocations Director starts this summer.

  39. Edward Martin says:

    On Monday morning I prayed at Mass for God’s help in moving me towards my dream of an important career change. Upon exiting morning Mass I checked emails on my Iphone and, low and behold, an email providing a small step in the right direction. God is amazing.

  40. Robert says:

    Daily prayer, especially the Angelus at lunchtime, has made a marked difference in me as a husband and father. And I found a great prayer resource, Companion Prayer, from the Companions of St. Anthony, at my local EF Mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.

  41. Jef says:

    I have just seen Pictures of my Bishop celebrating a low mass for Transalpine Redemptorists on Papa Stronsay. This is the first time I have seen or heard of him celebrating Mass in the EF since Summorum Pontificum.

  42. Paul Stokell says:

    Tomorrow my 41st birthday coincides with the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Virtual steaks for everybody! Next year it coincides with (U.S.) Father’s Day.

  43. Kaneohe says:

    Doug: I’m a first-time uncle!
    Roman Vincent was born in NYC at 4am this morning.
    First reports indicate he’s a healthy 8lb Red Sox hater.
    Thanks be to God!

    Well, I’m an uncle to four and a great-uncle to another five.
    The latest arrival (04 June 09) being William Stanley.
    His stats: 10 pounds, 23 inches, and he came complete with red soxs. LOL!

    Boston born this kid will certainly woop a scrawny Yankee fan.

    Oh, did I mention his cousins all study Latin?

    Deo gratias.

  44. Jayna says:

    Word is we’re getting a bell tower at my parish. It has something to do with a Verizon cell tower, so I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with that. I’m hoping it turns out that we’re allowing them to build a cell tower on the church premises (we have a lot of land that is just sitting there with nothing on it) and that’s how we’ll finance putting a real tower on the church itself. No telling, though. My parish does a lot of odd things.

    My friend’s pregnancy is going well, which is good because the last one ended in a miscarriage. I am currently trying to talk them into getting the baby baptized when he/she is born (her husband is Catholic, she’s not really anything), but it hasn’t worked thus far. I have until January to accomplish that goal, though.

  45. Hans says:

    This last Monday was our 24th wedding anniversary, and the week before I completed all but one of the steps (a medical checkup — I couldn’t get an appointment until July) in the first stage of applying for deacon formation. I see that the archdiocese takes 1 Timothy 3:10 seriously.

  46. FranzJosf says:

    Doug: Congrats on the Red Sox Hater. LOL. Ad multos annos.

    Tomorrow I’m going to my first ever Solemn Pontifical Mass, sung by Bishop Rifan, at St. Jean Baptiste, NYC, for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Can’t wait.

  47. FranzJosf says:

    Doug: Congrats on the Red Sox Hater. LOL. Ad multos annos.

    Tomorrow, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, I’m going to my first Solemn Pontifical Mass, celebrated by Bishop Rifan, at St. Jean Baptiste in NYC. Can’t wait.

  48. Gloria says:

    On Friday, June 18, the Feast of the Sacred Heart will be celebrated at St. Stephen the First Martyr in Sacramento. After all three Masses, 7am, 12:15pm and 6:30pm, the Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be recited. The external solemnity of the feast will be observed on Sunday as well.

  49. Precentrix says:

    St. John of the Cross, Dark Night, book 2 ch XVI §7

    I have no idea what is going on with my life, but have started to figure out that it doesn’t matter. If all else fails, I have a tent, so Compostella it is!

  50. InkStained says:

    Sunday will be my second daughter’s first birthday. On Tuesday, we may learn the sex of our third child (due Nov. 8, 2009). I’m still employed, married, and my children are happy and healthy. I have more than I deserve, as usual.

  51. Girgadis says:

    Nearly every month for the past two years I’ve privately offered a novena
    to St Therese called “Joy in Suffering” which is published by Tan Books. I
    have offered it for priests, for the sick and suffering and also for those who
    just seem to thrive on making life miserable for others. This powerful
    prayer, placed in the hands of one very powerful little Saint, has resulted
    in a 180 turnaround in at least 3 people. When a co-worked commented on the
    remarkable changes in one individual, it gave me the opportunity to share the
    novena with her and of course, give all the credit to God thru Therese. I
    won’t be going on any lavish vacations or acquiring any of the kinds of
    expensive toys that some of my colleagues are, but I do have the power and
    riches of prayer at my fingertips. His grace is indeed sufficient for me.

  52. Mark G. says:

    Father, I received a call from the parish DRE today saying that there was still some grant money available from the diocese to pay for my Franciscan U. coursework. Now, we both thought all the money had been used up, & I had put my classes on hold due to having to take a pay cut.

    Money from heaven! Yay!

  53. Lee says:

    When my daughter entered the Carmelites, they told us that they consider all the nuns’ parents to be their parents, so for all of them we are Mom and Dad Gilbert.

    Saturday my daughter makes simple profession, and the following day, Sunday, is Father’s Day. There is no other place on earth that I would rather be that day than with all my holy daughters, including one who is 20 yrs my senior :) WHAT a grace is this relationship. In giving Stephanie up, we received an immediate downpayment of 33% against the 100 daughters coming our way :) This is so glorious.

    From this vantage point it seems very shortsighted not to pray for a vocation for one’s children to priestly or religious life. Nothing is lost- nothing, nothing, nothing. Rather it is stored up in Heaven. And from there grace comes down in floods, seeping into every area of life, changing and vivifying everything, surging up again in thanksgiving and praise. Glory, O glory, O glory!

    We were grateful at the first whisper of this vocation, and have had reason to be ever more grateful as time has passed, and so far we are only at the end of her second year in the convent. Thanks be to God for this grace!

  54. Mark G. says:

    Veronica: Congratulations & welcome home!
    Julie: That’s wonderful! God be with you in your discernment.
    Mary: Congratulations & best wishes!
    Will: Thank you & God bless you.

  55. Maureen says:

    Lee — that’s beautiful. You and Chester Nimitz, both happy to have a passel of new nun-daughters…. :)

  56. ETMC says:

    This Saturday, we will attend a Mass of Thanksgiving at our parish offered by one of the newly ordained priests in our diocese. The next day, another of the new priests will offer the same!

  57. Lori Ehrman says:

    My good news is that when I decided to pick up my son early from work today I got to hear “Father Z’s” voice for the first time ever on Kresta talking about lots of acronyms, CDF, CDW, etc…but most importantly the importance of the Liturgy. I was shocked that he didn’t sound like Jim Belushi which is how I imagined his voice.

  58. Jake says:

    I’ve recently switched over to another team at my office, doing work that I expected to be doing when I was first hired last year. My management is approachable and very personable. I also picked up a second job to help cover some bills, and much like my primary job, I have a lot of flexibility in my hours, which allows me to spend more time at home.

    Also, my primary job is moving me to a new work location in the near future, and I will finally be able to refinance the mortgage on our to a more reasonable payment. Plus, the wife is amiable to doing some much needed improvements to said condo, which was the site of a rather unfortunate event some years ago, necessitating our leaving and living elsewhere. I understand it’s tough for my wife, as the event affected her very deeply, but as the good husband I try to be, I will do my best to support her as we transition.

    Plus side, we’ll be able to go back to the parish we were attending before we left. Fairly orthodox priest and execution of the Novus Ordo. Maybe I can restart my campaign to get a EF Mass at the parish. :-)

  59. Jim McCullough says:

    Very good: this snippet from Spengler today on First Things:

    As Sir Jonathan Sacks, England’s Chief Rabbi, says in his introduction to a new Hebrew-English edition of the Koren Siddur, go to the prayer book if you want to understand Jewish theology.

    The whole column is excellent.

  60. Eric says:

    I haven’t killed anyone.
    Considering the week I’m having, only God’s Grace can be the answer.

  61. Fr. Brian says:

    I’m making the 30-day retreat from June 26th through July 26th.

  62. Nick Howard says:

    Last Saturday I graduated from college (for the second time); this afternoon I received a call for an interview for a job I have really wanted for over a year; and next Friday I will be married before God and the Church to the love of my life and my best friend.

  63. Bookworm says:

    For several weeks I have not been able to receive Communion due to an unconfessed sin. I finally made it to confession today, and received some very helpful advice from the priest concerning my prayer life. Tomorrow, if all goes well, my daughter and I plan on attending a morning Mass before she goes to summer camp and I go to work :-). It will be nice to be able to receive Our Lord again. I don’t want to wait until Sunday if I don’t have to!

    Also, I recently recieved a sum of money from an insurance policy purchased by my father almost 70 years ago when he was still a teenager! He died recently at the age of 85. These funds will help me pay off some lingering debts and provide some additional financial security, which is nice, since it is likely my salary is going to be reduced soon due to state budget cuts.

    I feel that this is a last gift from my dad, who always looked out for everyone else before himself. I hope I can use it well, and maybe help out some other less fortunate people with it. I made sure to say some extra prayers for him today. He and my mom would have been married 54 years today.

  64. Willebrord says:

    Just got back from Quo Vadis Days, and am thinking about my vocation more seriously now!

  65. G says:

    I have some good news, I am absolutely LIVING some good news right now.

    The Chant Intensive at Loyola under the auspices of the CMAA, and conducted by Scott Turkington ,with the organizational wizardry of Arlene Oost-Zinner has been beyond wonderful.
    (The Mass tomorrow morning should be remarkable)

    I don\’t know haw many times, how many different ways I can say this, but again — if you have a stake in improving the liturgical life of the Church and you can get to one of these, you MUST.

    This is most emphatically NOT only for the expert, (if it were, believe me, I could not be back for a second time.)

    And I think the…. diversity of the people availing themselves of this year\’s Intensive would be very encouraging to all those who, as I said, feel they\’ve a stake in improving the liturgical life of the Church. People from around the world, tilting nicely toward the un-fossil-like, (says this fossil,) the youngest chanter is two months old, or so…;o)

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World!)

  66. Mary G says:

    We have a new bishop! After eighteen months of being “sheep without a shepherd” Benedict XVI has appointed a bishop to lead a diocese in need of some reform. May the Holy Spirit give him the strength and the will to lead the flock.

  67. lozeerose says:

    My wife has seemed to, somewhat, accept that I have returned to the Church.

  68. Maggie says:

    This week I took six students to Door County, WI on a Catholic Youth Expedition with 50+ other teens and a great staff. We had lots of outdoor fun, but also the teens had great formation from witness talks, great man’s and woman’s times, and most importantly, time with the Lord in Adoration, Mass, and daily Liturgy of the Hours. The day after we returned, three of those students came to daily Mass at the parish, and are interested in starting a group of young adults to pray the Hours every day. Deo gratias!

  69. Julianna says:

    I was able to get a nice practice organ for my house last week for $225 from a Flea Market! Now I can practice much more and get better at pedals. I’m going to give “The Church’s One Foundation” with pedals a whirl this weekend. Considering that last night I went through it about 50 times, I’m hoping I can get through it. Also, I’m definitely pumped about the CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium I get to attend with my organ teacher next week.

  70. Springfield reader says:

    Twelve new deacons in the Diocese of Springfield, IL today at the hands of Archbishop-elect George Lucas.

  71. michigancatholic says:

    We had an enormous storm at 4am Friday morning. We lost 2 trees and a big old lilac. One of the trees was about 40 feet tall and ended up squeezed at an angle just between the deck and the light pole in the back yard (touching both!). The angels must’ve guided that one down. I was sleeping in the bedroom a scant 20 feet or so east of the base of the tree! I’m fine. Thanks be to God.

    I can look out my kitchen window in the woods at the end of the yard and see 8 more broken down. And two more giant ones with the tops twisted right off like a giant did it. There is tree carnage everywhere–branches of all sizes and leaves.

    It was amazing for about 10 minutes here early Friday morning in the dark! And I’m ok. PS, I just got power back about an hour ago!!

  72. Nan says:

    Today I donated small amounts of money to support three worthy causes. I’m happy that my finances are in a sufficiently stable phase that I was able to do so.

  73. Vicky says:

    I just spent the whole day with some wonderful Bishops! We were blessed to have our own Bp. Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Bp. Vasa of Baker, OR and Bp. Jackels of Wichita, KS with us in person, and had a pre-recorded interview with Bp. Olmstead of Phoenix, AZ. It was an Evangelization Conference with our “Apostles” on the Apostleship of St. Paul to close the Year of St. Paul. What a wonderful blessing!

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