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Was there any great point you heard in a Sunday sermon?
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Was there any great point you heard in a Sunday sermon?
‘Gratitude and thanksgiving are attitudes that we should ingrain into the very fabric of our being. Gratitude, a feeling of gratefulness for all that we have received in life. It is important, because it is the greatest vaccine against bitterness and disappointment It innoculates us from being angry at life, because life is imperfect. Gratitude towards God and each other, should be one of the foundational elements of our lives.’
My son came home from serving Mass and told me the sermon in detail because he was so impressed with it. I heard it Sunday and it was very impressive.
Father spoke of mortification and fasting and always being prepared so that death does not catch us off-guard. That when we go before the Lord He will say to us “Well done, good and faithful servant…”.
We celebrated the external solemnity of St. Joachim, and the pastor made a great point in saying that he wasn’t sure if it was harder to chant the geneology in Latin or say it in English!
Let’s see, good news…I should finally have the internet in my new apartment on Wednesdayu. Can’t wait to get back to Z-chat and watching the birds. :-)
Our pastor’s homily yesterday illuminated the integral connection between Mary’s Sorrowful Heart and her Immaculate Heart.
Our oldest seems excited to be preparing for his First Holy Communion (yes, his First Penance will come before he is permitted to Communicate). He also, voluntarily, picked up a copy of Cambridge Latin Press’ Minimus book over the weekend and started reading it to himself. He asked last night before bed if we could include Latin among his subjects this homeschooling year. We were planning to roll it out either this spring or next fall, but we’re reconsidering that timetable. No sense letting the iron cool before striking it.
Business is booming for my employer. Deo gratias!
A semi-retired priest was filling in at a parish I visited this weekend. He looked about 85 and talked like Yoda (which as a Star Wars fan, was FINE by me!). When he started out his homily with, “Nowadays, everyone thinks they’re getting into heaven…”, I knew it was gonna be good…especially since this is a fairly liberal parish! While he reminded us that we serve a merciful and forgiving God, he also called us to remember the gravity of sin and how unwise it would be to put off making an attempt to change our ways. He talked about sin A LOT and how this isn’t a game…it’s SERIOUS. I can’t capture in words the beauty in the truth that this priest relayed, but I was moved to near tears when he was through. (I saw two 50-60 yr old looking “fem-sters” head for the door with their purses when he was finished with his homily…can’t be sure, but did they walk out?) Anyway, I have since found out where this priest is in residence and am hoping he still hears confessions!
At Saint Mary’s in Washington, D.C., Monsignor Wadsworth delivered a beautiful sermon on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commemorated yesterday at Mass. The connection to the Assumption (former octave) and Mary as the gateway (an arch was his illustration) to our Lord was most memorable.
My 4 and 2 year old sat on my lap during my confession Saturday. I needed confession and we had some shuffling to do with our 3 children, so I though maybe it would be ok if they joined me in confession, especially since my confession was going to be without anything a childs ears shouldnt hear. When we got home my 2 year old told mom that “Daddy is Absolbded”
Also, this retired priest gave a great 1 minute expose on the role of our Blessed Mother as we fight to battle sin. Quite refreshing for the confessional and nice to hear a priest who holds our Lady in such high esteem and honor. Outstanding.
funny you should ask Father…. i attend Holy Mass in Detroit (St. Josaphat) and the wonderful priest gave a moving sermon/homily. The gospel of the 10 healed lepers and how only the foreigner returned to give thanks. The priest said that giving thanks to God is not just a polite or nice or just a good thing to do but is part of our salvation to do ALWAYS. God wants us to thank him… and i told Father after Holy Mass how i’m thankful that we have a great priest who says the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite for us… He seemed moved…
It Depends on how one looks at this. The subject was not at all good news but the message conveyed by the pastor certainly was.
The pastor gave a very passionate lecture at the end of mass about the apparent regular profanation of the Most Holy Eucharist. Seems they’ve been finding Him in the pews and in the missals. Fr. even explained that he went to the parking lot and retrieved Him from someone’s pocket. Fr. left no doubt whatsoever how he felt about this. It’s a gross scandal to be sure but one which can easily be solved. Receiving communion in the hand is wholly unnecessary.
92 of Redemptionis Sacramentum “appears” leaves no doubt about the authority a pastor has in cases like this.
There are people donating fine silk vestments to our Pastor. He is very excited.
Somewhere on Earth Mass was offered Ad Orientem, with Father wearing Roman Vestments, a crossed stole and completely by the rubrics
Joe, that someplace was St Margaret’s in Waterbury, CT at 10:30. Fr Villa gave a very good sermon about the 10 lepers. He accurately described how we are so quick to pray when we are in dire straights, but so often fail to give thanks to God when all is well. Despite everything going on in the world, we have much to be thankful for. I am thankful for priests like Fr. Villa. He is a gift to those who love the Extraordinary Form.
At 10:30AM Mass yesterday…our last 2 candidates from last year’s RCIA group were finally (after resolving irregular marriage and annulment questions) fully received into the Church with their reception of the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion, and reaffirmation of their acceptance of the Faith. And it was especially fitting that they did so on the Diocesean feast of the Queenship of Mary, under whose patronage the Diocese of Metuchen was founded.
Deo Gratias. And I understand that we have 6 more starting this September…
Always a joy to witness. God is moving mightily to change hearts of stone.
Tom A, I was actually referring to the Mass I went to this morning in the OF, however, awesome notes on Fr Villa’s homily
My parish in Texas has a new pastor. Our old pastor celebrated the TLM about twice a month and was going to start every week until he was transferred. The new pastor has no objection to having it continue, but doesn’t know how to celebrate, and since he is now by himself — both our previous pastor and the associate were tranferred, with no replacement for the associate for the time being — he simply doesn’t have time to learn it and take on yet another Mass on his own. This is understandable, if regrettable, and we are looking for another celebrant. But I digress.
At Mass this weekend (NO), the new pastor gave a sermon about the danger of making up your own rules, how *not* everyone is going to go to heaven just because they think they will, and how so many people create God in their own image and mistakenly think they will be saved if they make up their rules and follow them. He prefaced it with a humorous story about he and a group of friends once climbed over a fence into a soccer field — essentially deciding that the “keep out” sign didn’t apply to them and making up their own rules — and were kicked out because they were trespassing and didn’t belong. He told it humorously, but it led into his point about how people can’t just think that God’s rules don’t apply to them and think they can make up their own rules and do what they want to.I haven’t heard anything quite so direct in a long time. Especially his willingness to say that *not* everyone will be saved just because they think they will.
PS — At a different parish in the same city, the pastor always celebrates (NO) Mass ad Orientem.
Unfortunately, this Sunday the priest told us that the Gospel reading meant that we would all get into heaven as long as we didn’t try to go through the front gate, and that furthermore all religions lead equally to salvation. He went on to say that Catholicism is our path, but we must respect that Atheism or Hinduism might be someone else’s path, but all paths are essentially the same. I’ve only just moved to this parish, and I’m not quite sure what if anything I should do – if I ought to have a word with the pastor (the priest who gave this sermon is the second-in-command). Advice?
I am normally a daily Communicant, but I missed this Sunday’s Mass probably for the first time since I became a Catholic. My good news though is that I had successful open heart surgery to fix a congenital heart defect (I am 47 and only found out about it at age 40) last Monday (The Feast of St. Roch, patron of surgeons!). I am now home and all things considered I am feeling quite well and look forward to getting back on my feet. My local parish and extended community have been great, keeping me regularly in their prayers. I have been feeling very blessed.
Yesterday was the 16th anniversary of my consecration to Mary.
Yesterday I heard that there is no life so fulfilling, so joyous, so life-giving, as one dedicated to the knowledge and love and service of God and of one’s neighbour. That to follow Christ as poor, chaste, and obedient in the Church was a narrow gate that leads to the infinite riches of God.
Then Artur, Edmund, Ivon, John, and Santiago pronounced their vows as Jesuits.
And 4 men moved into the novitiate to begin their first probation.
It was a good day indeed!
Yesterday I heard that there is no life so fulfilling, so joyous, so life-giving, as one dedicated to the knowledge and love and service of God and of one’s neighbour. That to follow Christ as poor, chaste, and obedient in the Church was a narrow path that leads to the infinite riches of God.
Then Artur, Edmund, Ivon, John, and Santiago pronounced their vows as Jesuits.
And 4 men moved into the novitiate to begin their first probation.
It was a good day indeed!
sorry, my computer is too slow and I didn’t realize it had loaded it. Father, can you delete one?
I got a massive spike in my blog stats because I got a link from a certain blogging priest…
;-)
I headed out on the trolley to the Boston suburbs to go to the 12 noon Solemn High Mass in the extraordinary form. After the long sweaty walk from the station, I came in the church to discover that Communion was about to begin! They had recently changed the Mass from noon to 10:30am! So I was out of luck.
I was at least able to be there for the end of the Mass, which was absolutely magnificent. And since I made a good faith effort to go, I received Communion (which took a while because the church was stuffed to the gills, with people kneeling on the floor in the side aisles).
Later, back in downtown Boston, I went to a Novus Ordo at a mall chapel. I was pleasantly surprised to see a fine homily about the “narrow gate,” and the priest was not afraid to mention the unmentionables (birth control, homosexuality).
I was stewing a bit about the bad music and the priest’s Mr. Popular style of celebration (the contrast was sharper for me, having just come from the extraordinary form), but the homily calmed me down and helped me to thank Jesus for this priest, whatever the problems I had with the Mass.
I talked about the new translation and tied it into the Gospel “for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”. Preparation has begun to receive this beautiful gift from our Holy Mother Church!
I really liked today’s (Monday’s) Gospel.
The Lord’s words are timeless.
Fr. Parkerson spoke of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the rosary, Miraculous Medal as well as the First Saturday Mass – and indulgences available.
It may seem cliche, but I actually am positively thrilled about it:
Missale Romanum Editio Typica Tertia coming to a parish near you First Sunday of Advent 2011!
Short and very sweet: I’m pregnant with our second!
I heard two great talks this weekend.
On Saturday, I heard a detailed talk about confession at our Padre Pio Prayer Group. In addition to his good advice, Father recommended everyone read “Pardon and Peace” by Alfred Wilson, written in 1947.
On Sunday, we had a wonderful hard-hitting sermon which included the “unmentionables” talked about by Childermass above. One comment sure to distress some people was that we should bring back the tradition of chaperones for young people who are courting. That should slow down teen promiscuity, don’tcha think? He also said every parent has the right to approve or disapprove of any acquaintances their children hang around with.
I can hear the wailing now.
I read a cool book – Fatherless – more than 500 pages of entertaining entertainment!
Back to sem in 1 week… I’m starting to go through cassock with-drawl so it’ll be nice to put it back on… DAILY
On Saturday there was a nuptial Missa Cantata celebrated in the EF at Sts Peter and Paul in Chattanooga.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=2023184&id=180200255
This is very probably the first EF at Sts P&P since the OF was introduced after V-II.
Good news from Santiago, Chile: yesterday, contact was made with miners having been out of reach since August 5 in a mine in the north of the country. All 33 are alive, news that was growing less and less expected as the days went by.
On Saturday, over ten thousand young people and their group leaders participated in the March of Solidarity (Caminata de la Solidaridad) through Santiago to the shrine of Saint Alberto Hurtado, whose feast day was last Wednesday, August 18.
Father (a retired visiting priest) had an excellent sermon on the necessity of striving for salvation. Christ was asked the question “Will only a few be saved?”. Father drilled into and explained his response. Not too fiery, but still an excellent reminder that just because we go to Church, wear a cross, and call ourselves Christian, we’re not necessarily going to heaven. We must “strain every fiber of our being.”
I also start seminary at the end of the week.
I’m also thrilled that the new translations will be here (more or less) soon!
Our terrific young associate pastor discussed his view that one of the greatest pastoral problems is peoples’ tendency to postpone repentance until a later day, often a too late day. He told us that he had anointed probably a couple hundred folks on the death bed, and maybe only a dozen were conscious. He encouraged us to be sure we and our elderly loved ones had their medical directives include the calling of a priest before they go into palliative care. Then he encouraged us to make frequent confessions.
The only way he could have improved on his sermon would have been to announce that he would be in the confessional immediately following Mass. I mentioned that to him afterward. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do that sometime soon.
Where I’m at, the homily was largely about how we can still sin in pride and against charity (“are few going to be saved?” is awfully close to “we’re going to be saved while most people aren’t, right?”) even if we’re right. I would have liked to hear more about striving to enter that narrow gate, but I can see the point being relevant: you can still get stuck in there with the size of your sins against charity even if you’re right about which gate where to be going in through. Of course, the solution isn’t to forget that you gotta go through that narrow gate and not just any one; the answer is, rather, to ask forgiveness for those sins and seek to live charity instead, while still holding to the truth and the way.
Thought I’d share that, since so often we hear admonitions of charity mixed with the bogus notion that truth doesn’t matter.
Here is some good news from today! U.S. court rules against Obama’s stem cell policy
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67M4HA20100823?type=politicsNews
In my Sunday homily I followed the line mentioned above about not everyone going to heaven and the need to take our faith seriously, and referred to the Church’s teaching on “extra Ecclesiam nulla salus”, etc. A few people coughed significantly when I mentioned hell, and several other people thanked me, so the good news is that a) people were listening and b) the message was clear enough to stir up a reaction, positive or negative (quidquid recipitur, ad modum recipientis recipitur…).
In other good news, I have found a confessor/spiritual director who reads me like a book and has been a great help – and I’ve only known him for a week. Deo gratias!
The associate at the Cathedral emphasized that rushing to say that the deceased was in heaven was presumption, “a temptation of the devil”, and that the Catholic instinct should be immediately to pray for the dead. It’s always refreshing to hear the plain truth preached, and the evil one called to the carpet from the pulpit.
I registered just to answer this question, Fr. Z. Thanks for asking! :-) Yesterday’s homily was the best homily I’ve heard in a while. Father mentioned “sin” (gasp), “hell” (double gasp), and actually paying attention to Christ in the Eucharist after Communion instead of rushing out the doors before Mass is even over. It was wonderful! (Seriously, I had tears in my eyes for the remainder of the Mass. I’m not kidding.)
It didn’t happen this past weekend, but a relative of mine joined the Church on his deathbed; he died on August 4th. This was a great consolation. Please pray for the repose of his soul. Thank you!
At our parish, Father related the gospel to a retreat he’d attended on the vocation of marriage. It was nice to hear a homily specifically about marriage as a vocation, as a sacrament. He discussed how we could help our spouse “through the narrow gate”.
We have a new parish priest (pastor) who unfortunately due to unfamiliarity with the set-up had the mike turned down too low so we in the choir loft could barely hear (wish they’d go back to using the glorious old pulpit which needed no mike!). Anyway, some people know him and the good news is that he’s 100% orthodox. Which in Ireland has to be good news these days.
Personal good news is that things have improved workwise so I’ll be able to get away on a break late September… it hadn’t been looking good at all this year. So plans are to do another stage of the Camino de Santiago.
The sermon had a twist I hadn’t heard before. Not to ask if someone is ‘saved’ but how did they ‘spend’ their life’s resources.
The good news: Our eldest son has been accepted to St. Gregory’s Academy (Deo gratias!) and he and I are on the plane as I write!
I was so overcome with the emotion of his last minutes at home that I was only able to think about Our Lady’s thoughts on Holy Thursday evening as she saw her Son preparing for His next phase of Activity.
q7swallows:
I’ll be dropping my oldest off at St. Gregory’s Thursday afternoon.
Hope to see you there as well as The Digital MC.
NobisQuoQue: I presume he died, as used to be printed on all the memorial cards with which my mother’s old Missal is replete, “fortified by the rites of Holy Mother Church”? What a lovely death. Now that is good news! Prayers for his soul.
Our homily was from a transitional deacon. As you might think, it was a little unpolished and it ran on a bit, but was overall quite good, and full of the kind of enthusiasm you would find from someone who is roughly 9 months away from becoming a priest.
The new thing I learned from the new deacon was that the greek word used which is translated as “strive” (as in, strive to enter the narrow gate), is the same word used in Ancient Greece to describe an Olympian training before an athletic contest. There are great parallels between us as Christians facing trials in order to become stronger, and an athlete suffering while training to become stronger.
Our bishop (Anthony Fisher)gave the homily at our parish last Sunday. He reminded us of the existence of hell. It’s better to hear about it, than to end up there!
Two or three people above have mentioned their Pastor or Bishop talking about hell in their homily. My own Pastor told us that on one occasion when he mentioned hell in his homily, two parishioners told him they were now going to attend another parish due to his comments. If they had been in ‘Jane’s’ parish presumably they would have felt the need to go to a different diocese!
Fr. Rodrigues writes: ”I sincerely hope and pray that all El Paso Catholics will take to heart the precious and infallible teachings of Holy Mother Church Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions”
I hate to burst any pious bubbles here, but, in the Roman Catholic Church there are NO infallibly defined moral doctrines. No Ecumenical Council nor Pope has ever defined a specifially moral doctrine, only Dogmas of the Faith. The HOly Ghost seems to want to have it that way. There are only a few absolute universal moral principles (not dogmas), such as, it is always wrong to take an innocent human life.