I think we could all use some of your good news.
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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 ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Fr Z I agree with MaternalView above. The world situation is shaky and a trip to Poland… next to Ukraine…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “I‘ll assume black goes „upward“ and down left is h8. 1. f5+ forcing gf6 (xf5 e. p.) 2. h5+ forcing…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “Lori announced massive parish closings, along with the suppression of the Latin Mass in diocese. Sure suicide by cutting off…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “I think people have lost confidence in all manner of things, airplane manufacturers, airlines, FAA, government agencies who are supposed…”
- on Wednesday after the 2nd Sunday after Easter – traditional Solemnity of ST. JOSEPH! – Terror of demons, Protector of Holy Church!: “Aw, dear St. Joseph. I love him so much. I was blessed to go to a mass of this feast…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “1. . . . . .. . . . . . . h7-h5+ 2. g5-h6(×h5) . f7-f5+ 3. K-g5 .…”
- 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”
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Our parish is having chanted Vespers and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for nine nights leading up to Christmas. We started last night, and the choir sang very well. Last year was the first time we chanted Vespers, and the choir were all very new to chant and a little hesitant. Now, a year later, they’re comfortable with chant, and sang beautifully!
I received two end-of-year bonuses. I’m going laptop shopping. Any suggestions?
Our annual Advent Penance Service is tonight.
It has been a tremendous success both in making parishioners more aware of the Sacrament and also in bringing folks back to the Church. And our children who are making their First Confession bring their parents, and they bring their friends . . . .
Standing room only, priests volunteer from all over the north side to hear confessions and the lines are out the door. Last year, our retired Archbishop came and brought with him a Cardinal who happened to be visiting . . . .
I received a nice end-of-year bonus, and just figured out a nasty and perplexing programming issue (I’m a software developer) that’s been bugging (pun intended) me for two weeks.
Three of my nine children have now come back to the Faith. My oldest daughter made her first confession in 40 plus years, and as of last week is now attending Mass with me at St. Stephen’s. Another daughter is on the verge; with prayers it will happen. She says the Rosary every day, a great start. I began my crusade a couple of years ago by giving each of my children and their families (except one who is with Calvary Chapel and would not have accepted it -yet) a Rosary with instructions. I belong to the St. Monica Sodality and say the prayers daily for the return of my children, as well as a Novena to the Sacred Heart that Padre Pio said daily. I will persevere. Deo Gratias.
My nine-year old grandson served his third EF Mass today – low Mass in a small rural church. When asked by the senior (~16 year old) server what “sed libera nos a malo” meant, he answered “deliver us from evil, or, deliver us from the evil one.” Can you tell my buttons are popping?
My semester ends in 3 days, and I am seeing the National Symphony Orchestra on Friday.
I managed to figure out an annoying problem with my dvd drive :) and term finnishes on friday
My 18-year-old homeschooled son took his first college-level math final today and appears on track to receive an A grade. Hurrah for winter break!
The Cincinnati Symphony is presenting Handel’s “Messiah” – and I’ll be there!
We have Adoration 5 days a week,12 hours a day. My friend, convert and Catholic blogger Webster Bull took his 4th grade CC class for their first adoration. One comment, “I felt like I did after confession, all fresh.”
lots of end-of-semester stuff, so I’ll add my own – I had my exam today in a bioethics class taught by the inimitable Prof. Janet Smith. A fantastic class, expanding my knowledge immensely in an area I’ve not had much academic background.
Tomorrow, I get to attend a talk on the liturgy given by Archbishop Vigneron to all the chancery employees – part of a larger program of education following the restructuring of the archdiocesan offices.
If I get enough done at work tomorrow, I may well take Friday as a personal day to get my Christmas shopping done, get some good prayer in, and a relaxing start to the weekend.
Our young friar has been offering the EF Mass for two years at off times, Fridays and Sundays each week, and more recently only once a month at our church and once a month at another local parish. In January he is being permitted to offer it at one of our regularly scheduled Sunday morning, jam-packed, Masses. And then at the parish grade school later in the month. The response to the EF Mass added to the December eighth schedule was so positive, the pastor decided to be a little bit more flexible. My husband has been a server or Master of Ceremonies all this time and now we see the potential for real growth in interest and attendance. On a personal note, our youngest will become officially engaged at Christmas and another daughter just e-mailed us a photo of the ultrasound of her and her husband’s first child. God is good!
I’m sorry if this doesn’t sound good right away, but my eldest son attempted suicide – without any warning signs – last week. The good is that we have gotten through the week, and he is OK so far. God has been profoundly close to me through this, showing me without question that He is guiding my life. I know that I don’t posess the strength I have had in this last week.
While we have all suffered through this, there has also been a miraculous peace. The peace has come from God through prayer.
The good is that the Lord is faithful to His promise, that He is our shepherd and our strength, and we need not fear, because He will lift us and carry us when we need it. I know this now because I have been carried.
I have no doubt.. I have great joy in experiencing God’s presence. I hope that anyone reading will take their every trouble to our Lord for He is waiting with open arms. Don’t judge your circumstance by the world’s dreadful standards, but look at suffering as a good reason to draw ever more on God’s endless mercy.
Bottom line (figuratively speaking): the world is a hard place, but I know that if the worst happens, and the son whom I adore beyond words takes his life (I know I can’t stop him) that my God is waiting to carry me with strength beyond measure, and that I will know peace and joy in the end.
This is good news.
Attended an Advent retreat with Sister Joseph Andrew, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. There were at least 50 girls in attendance. I’m sure there will be future vocations to the religious life out of that group.
I finally started to listen to the PodCazt. Don Camillo is great. Since I am in a mixed marriage, I have downloaded all of them to a mp3 player for the 10 year old. So now she gets taught good stuff and enjoys it. Please keep it up FR Z. She loves your voice. And she wants to know if I need to buy more don Camillo books for you. I need to send $$$$
God’s still King of kings.
5 weeks to go until my wife gives birth to our second child and first son.
Last night our newly ordained (last summer) Parochial Vicar led a session on The Liturgy of the Hours and concluded with Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. People commented that they hadn’t heard those prayers in DECADES! And the vestments he chose were probably that old too. All was reverent and graceful. It was WONDERFUL!
PS: We are in the SF Bay Area, so this is incredible news!
I get to go to Texas right after Christmas on frequent flyer miles. Yaaay warmth!! Yaay “free” flight!!!
mrsmontoya,
This happened in the SF Bay Area? That’s amazing. Where did this happen?
As of today, in Toronto diocese the archbishop has lifted the restriction on receiving Communion on the tongue.
Just got back from a Christmas Novena at our Carmelite Monastery. It is SUCH a peaceful way to spend before the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. They have a procession of children dressed as angels, Benediction, beautiful hymns, prayers….although it is a task to do it every night until Christmas (it started tonight) I LOVE IT!!!!
My sister went to Lourdes in September to bathe in the waters, because after three years of marriage, she has been unable to conceive. While there, her husband (who stayed at home), received a call from a friend in a different state who was looking for a family to adopt a baby that was not yet born – to a young 19-year-old girl who didn’t want to have a second abortion. Many obstacles and much prayer later, my sister and brother-in-law should arrive home within the next week or so, newborn babe in arms, whom they have been taking care of since the day she was born, November 29th. Praise God for prayers answered for this faithful and loving couple!
Our daughter is expecting their second child. God is good!!
I’ve started to feel the baby kicking. Such a tiny little miracle… :)
After tomorrow’s oral I will be finished with my fifth semester in seminary and HALF WAY to (God willing) ordination! Also, I will be out of school for three weeks. ALWAYS good news. :)
Our absolutely perfect 4th child (3rd girl) was born on the 4th of this month.
Great mommy news: my 2-year-old used the potty all by himself today…progress!
My son’s first birthday is on the 19th. And he began walking today, going back and forth between his mother and me. May God bless us with many more.
More people than ever are praying for our little baby Thomas, that he be able to come home from the hospital by the new year. Will you join us in prayer, too? That would be even better news: http://www.doubtnolonger.com/
I am almost done with exams and I have 150 days until my ordination to the priesthood. God is good.
Mine is pretty simple. Stopped at the Cathedral for a few moments of prayer this afternoon.
My son just got accepted to his first-choice college. Not a Catholic school, but one with a strong Newman Center on campus. Praise God!
My elder son (21) is home after two years with the ARMY. He guarded and grew in his faith while he was at training.
My younger (19) returns tomorrow, after his first semester in college seminary.
These two young men are wonderful sons — obedient, energetic, in love with Our Lord and Our Lady. And they love each other very much — our holiday home will be filled with the laughter of holy young men!
Hey… and they’ll be singing together at with a Combined Choir + Seminarians Schola at a local public mall on Saturday!
It is helpful to hear good news.
Much good news to report:
Husband is back to Sunday Mass.
Scored 93% on my final.
Had a nice Christmas party with my CCD folks.
God is good! Congratulations to all of you!
My GI Bill benefits finally got approved.
And, as a “convert in progress,” I feel like this is really my first Christmas (previous 51 were, ahem, rather secular). What a joyful and amazing difference! I feel like a little kid in a candy store.
I was accepted to the la cordon blue culinary institute
I finished my semester today. I must admit it was a bad semester for me, but I feel like perhaps God is pulling the best out of that, too.
After a year long application process I have been informed by my Bishop that I have been accepted to the Permanent Diaconate Formation program! There are 22 aspirants in the diocese of Honolulu and we start next month.
My wife had an endoscopy Monday: doctor could only find one polyp to biopsy this time so the carcinoid treatment drug she take once a month looks to be working still. I don’t think they’ll want to cut part of her stomach out for just one.
The Diocese of Owensboro got a new Bishop.
This past Sunday I prayed the Mass for my son who is out of work and was expecting his fourth child this month. I asked that he be given joy that day. At 11:49 p.m. his baby daughter was born into his arms in his front yard (they obviously didn’t make it to the hospital). Mom and baby are doing great and Dad is full of joy! Thank you God!
I just bought this Christmas’s lutfisk!
Yesterday our new Archbishop celebrated an all-school Mass at the parish where I work. He gave a good homily about drawing people to Christ by how we act as Catholics.
Our daughter is finishing up her first semester of college and is doing really well.
My son takes organ lessons at our Cathedral and we heard from his teacher that another organ is being donated to the Cathedral (they have 4 already, but they have many students who will benefit from having an extra practice organ).
And I get two weeks off for Christmas break!
Our oldest daughter Clare married a wonderful man,Brian,last Saturday on the feast of Our lady Of Guadalupe.For their honeymoon they travelled to Mexico City to Our Lady’s shrine.We got to spend time with out of town grandbabies and relatives.Such a wonderfull weekend.May God Bless them with a fruitful marriage.BTW this is our 3rd child to be married and only 8 to go but who’s counting.Hehehe
Finished Christmas shopping yesterday, have done most of the wrapping, and start making Christmas cookies today!
My parish is installing new stained-glass windows in the Church, including windows for each of the 12 Apostles, St. Paul, St. John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary.
These windows are replacing weird abstract-art stained glass windows that were installed by a former pastor back in the 1970’s. The old windows have no liturgical significance and did nothing to beautify the Church or to help people reflect on the faith. Good riddance…
This completes a beautification process in my parish where a lot of 1960’s-1970’s style wood was replaced with marble; the tabernacle was moved to a prominent platform in the sanctuary; and a beautiful Italian mosaic of the Holy Trinity was installed on the back wall of the sanctuary (where previously there had just been a barren wall).
My mom finally gets to go home today after surgery on her spine. She seems to be improving for the first time in a very long time. Yay!
It it so heartening to read about people returning to the Faith, getting married on beautiful Marian feasts, and all of the other wonderful news.
Will pray for little Thomas too.
Thank you all for sharing. It really does help. I think I will have my children do the same thing today.
Advent perpetual adoration, 4-6AM twice a week….awesome
Oldest son (13) has been asking our Pastor about how to discern a vocation.
My 5 year old twin boys are telling me how much they LOVE going to Mass. OF so far but I am going to give the EF a shot with them this Sunday.
As often happens before Christmas, it seemed like the choir would never manage all the music needed. But as often happens, it all came together well last night at practice.
Thank you, God, and thanks for the intercession, St. Cecilia!
Melenia: In Palo Alto! The actual event was at St. Albert the Great Church. The parish is St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, we have 3 churches: St. Thomas, Our Lady of the Rosary, and St. Albert the Great.
mrsmontoya,
Thank you for the response. Palo Alto is not too far away.
My good news:
My father, whom we thought was dying, continues to do much better. He is eating and sleeping well. He is off of pain medication except Tylenol. He is able to tolerate sitting in a chair for about 10-15 minutes. He is able to enjoy his news programs and is looking forward to Christmas.
We continue to be blessed with all the support we’ve received from friends, relatives, caregivers and Hospice.
I went to several music events this Advent: two Lessons and Carols services [at a Episcopal church and at a local college chapel], a performance of Mendelssohn’s oratorio ‘Elijah’ [same college as the second L & C service], and a Christmas concert by an ‘all centuries’ ensemble of local singers. This Sunday I hope to go to a ‘Messiah Sing’ [where the audience is the choir!], right after rehearsal of our ‘tiny choir’ in the TLM chapel I attend.
And on Christmas Day after Mass, I will be going to the house of a member of the TLM chapel congregation for dinner-he extended an invitation to me a couple of weeks ago. Isn’t that nice of him?
Love reading all the good news postings!
After many years of part time school, our youngest now joins his siblings as a college graduate!
This next one may sound silly, but I ask the Lord and His precious Mother to guide everything. We needed a “new” car and wanted a certain model. I asked for it to be a car that would give us many trouble free years and that it be a “royal” color, in honor of Mother Mary – silver or gold. We found exactly that!
PS Prayers and MANY, MANY blessings to you, Father, for this holy season!
Adopted a male kitten from Humane Shelter a few days ago. Since the Holy Father is a great cat lover, I’ve named that cat after him (calling him Benny for short).
Another piece of good news is that a friend of mine is recovering very well from open heart surgery on Dec. 8th. Thanks be to God!
My pastor has restored the use of the communion rail.
I am eleven weeks along and this pregnancy hasn’t been nearly as miserable as the others. I only get sick once or twice a week instead of once or twice a day!
Our engagement party on Saturday had almost 50 friends and family together for food and fun. We feel blessed to have so many people who love us come together to celebrate. We are getting ready to see my family in Kentucky for three weeks to work on some wedding planning, celebrate Christ’s birth and attend a friend’s wedding.
According to the bulletin this last Sunday our pastor is going to do something a little different with confessions for this advent season. Instead of a larger communal service with individual confessions on a single night, he and the newly ordained assistant pastor and the 80 year old retired priest who does our noon daily masses will be available for confession for 2 hours each evening all this week and next leading up to Christmas.
This from a pastor who not too many years ago used to knock out advent and lent confessions with a giant general absolution service.
Praise the Lord.
I wish I had some.
I lost my job. They are strangling our Latin Mass community. I feel like Joseph on Christmas Eve, except his faith was stronger than mine.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/79554267.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DU2EPaL_V_9E7ODiUiacyKUUr
$5 million pledged for Catholic elementary schools in the Twin Cities.
The Mater Dei Latin Mass community in Dallas last Sunday moved into their newly acquired church property in Irving, Texas, just a few miles away from the Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph and the Holy Infant of Prague where FSSP priests had been celebrating Sunday Masses for many years. We are in the process of being accorded parish status (Mater Dei Catholic Church) in the Dallas diocese. In some ways it was a bit sad to be leaving the monastery chapel where one could frequently hear the sisters singing just beyond the screen before the beginning of the Mass. And I have been told that the sisters miss us as well–especially the children (of whom there are many). But it will be very good for us to be formed into a regular parish. The Carmelite chapel was tiny, and simply could not accommodate the numbers wanting to attend. Last Sunday the Mass was celebrated in what will become the parish hall (the church is being renovated). I would guess the space was at least three times the size of the chapel, and it was full. Father Longua says we’ll have a third Sunday Mass if necessary.
I was surprised with a plane ticket to the ordination of a friend.
Please pray for the priest-to-be and the generous friend who sent me the ticket.
Strange to say that a Funeral would be good news, but the Priest, Schola, and Servers of Mission San Juan Bautista were able to say and assist at a Requiem Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite in another church in our Diocese. The lady in question wished that her Funeral Mass be a Requiem. We were even able to have a Black Funeral Pall made just in time for the occasion. The Schola added to the prayerful atmosphere. Thank you Lord for a blessed Advent and Ember Week.
Am enjoying Christmas already (sans stuff!): visiting our dear friends–their 6 kids and our 7 all under one roof!–and attending the TLM with them *E* *V* *E* *R* *Y* day! It’s absolutely heavenly. Who cares if it’s -14 degrees?!
xsosdid: I am praying specifically for your son and you and your family these next days. In fact, you all will be the special intention of our combined family rosaries and Masses for the coming days. The prayers of little children–and those who become like little children–are strong upon the Heart of God….
I passed all my finals.
I’ve also been inspired to use some of my savings and try to make a bargain trip to Rome next Lent, when my college does Spring Break. I found a convent boarding house practically on the Holy Father’s back steps that costs $100 per night (including breakfast) and airfare of $900 round trip.
Anyone interested in joining me? My plan is to spend a quiet week in Rome, going to mass every morning in the square and touring the city.
I’ve just realised that from the new year I’ll be able to attend the old Mass every Sunday!!!!
Deo Gratias