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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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I’m in sales and I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately. I listened to an FSSP homily about The Infant of Prague and learned about how devotion to Him has brought provision to many people in need. I started my devotion and the third day I got a small deal from a man in Prague, OK.
Coincidence?
Joining Passionist Nuns in exactly one week! Can’t wait!
I’m going out to dinner tonight with some good friends – a group of mostly young men, some of whom are potential vocations. We’ll be talking theology, canon law, ecclesiastical politics and philosophy. In many ways, these gatherings bring back happy memories of Tuesday nights at St. Agnes 20+ years ago. The Church is young, healthy, and increasingly more orthodox! Hallelujah!
I’m driving out to the Memphis, TN, area (Collierville, to be specific) next week to give a parish retreat on the Mass (and the upcoming new English translation). I’m pretty thrilled about it, and would greatly appreciate your prayers.
I just finished (like an hour ago) the first draft of my new novel. Now I need to let it sit for a while and then I can begin editing it. I’m very excited about it, though. :-)
We have great news! After living in an apartment where the pot smoke from the neighbors apartment comes through the walls (sending my daughter who is two and allergic to the ER… the sheriff’s department says they can do nothing…) today we are finally able to begin moving (we’ll be finished by the 31st!). This is what our family has been praying for for the past several months and we’re so grateful to be someplace safer!
My best friend celebrated his Silver Jubilee yesterday! He was ordained right on the Feast of the Holy Innocents. He did not want much fanfare. During the Mass he celebrated, he focused on the Feast. I wrote a tribute to him on my blog! He is perhaps the best priest in our diocese.
The Extraordinary Form is picking up steam in Des Moines. It is taking a lot of hard work from a lot of people to make it work, but with the support of Monsignor Chiodo and the support of the faithful, it is growing!!!!
Our 5 year old has joined in the nightly chanting of Compline.
He and our 3 year old love singing the Salve Regina in Mode 5. They also beg to pray the Angelus several times a day.
They still don’t sit still at Mass, but they are getting better.
Our 7 year old continues to prepare for his First Communion and is asking very good questions.
Business is good for my employer, so it looks like we’ll have a good year in 2011.
Deo gratias.
am scheduled to talk to Fr. Daniel Mary of Jesus Crucified M.Carm of the mystic monks on Monday about the possibility of becoming a mystic monk- still not sure how I’m gonna get rid of $30,000 of collage loans
My son, Benedict Michael, was baptized in the Traditional Form on Monday! We were so blessed to find a priest in a neighboring diocese to come over and do it. After the baptism, the priest was kind enough to have a Mass– the godmother cantored the Missa Cantata, and I served, and though there were only 20 people present, both were a beautiful witness to the Faith, which in this diocese is all but being crushed. What a wonderful day!
As an aside, please pray for this diocese, as they are allowed polka Masses and lifeteen Masses and who knows what else, but there is a fear among many locals here of even asking the Bishop to have a traditional Mass established somewhere, that perhaps they would get shunned out of the parish where they are at because of it. There is newly ordained priest of the diocese who knows the usus antiquior, and I fear he is going to have a large cross to bear when he gets placed somewhere (he’s finishing up in Rome). I have been to several different Masses with several priests this past week, and the situation is grim. Many prayers for rural dioceses such as this are needed!
Grateful that my friend’s fine yellow Lab (and the father of my youngest Lab) survived a close encounter with a whitetail buck!
Joined with fellow Catholics for our gathering song at our weekly liturgy in a rousing rendition of the “Wah-hoo Do-ray” chorus (by the Whos Down in Whoville), followed by various contemporary works of Haugen, the oldie but a goodie by Mister Rogers, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” as well as the festive and seasonally liturgical, “Feliz Navidad” (Interpretation of Elmo). It was fun to sing in Spanish though I live quite a ways from the Mexican border.
Well I am only partly joking. My good news that is I am joyfully participating in the local Catholic diaspora.
Our son was accepted to the University of Chicago. He wants to study the Classics, ie, Greek and Latin…yes!
This is a week late, but it’s my piece of ‘good news’:
I had to find an alternate plan for Christmas dinner. The family I had spent Thanksgiving with was going to be eating at their in-laws for Christmas (luckily I was informed the Sunday before!), so they’re weren’t going to be home. (I’m not on seeing-or speaking-terms with my two sisters right now)
I went to one of the big hotels in town last Thursday, and discovered that there would be a brunch between 11 am and 3 pm. The price was a little steep-$34.99 for adults-but the girl I spoke with said she’d try and work out something with her manager. So I gave her my cell phone number.
About half an hour-more or less-later, I feel the vibration of my phone ringing in my purse while driving. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road (with my luck, I would have had a cop on my tail if I drove with the phone to my ear!) and answered. It was the girl from the hotel: they would ‘chop down’ the price by ten bucks….and get this….IT WAS ALREADY PAID FOR!
I had to go back to the hotel next day just to make sure I heard it right; and it was true! Some kind lady did it for me! I was asked if I wanted to know who it was, and I answered, ‘No-but God knows it.’
So I had a nice Christmas brunch after Mass, and saw a friend of mine with his mother and two others eating near me. So I stuck around afterwards and talked with them till the restaurant closed up.
Isn’t God good?
My kitten, who was lost for three entire months when we moved, was found near our old house. A kind couple has adopted him. Where I live now, I can only have one cat, so his adoption is an answer to prayer-and yes, I have become old enough to pray for animals.
More importantly, a friend of mine’s daughter has finally, after one year, made an appointment to have her little girl baptized. Praise God. Grandma will take her to church and raise her Catholic. Pray for the mother, please, and her sister, who also has a one-year-old, but wants her “to decide for herself” when she gets older. Duh. More prayers will lead to more good news.
James, Irishgirl, God is very good.
I too have been in a slump of about 11 months caused by many factors but now I may have a new spiritual director and my cradle Catholic friends have been helping me with this redemptive suffering stuff which I am learning as I am going. I think this is what they call “Catholic on the job training.”
And I am currently experiencing “the miracle of Celebrex.” Hooray.
And I am learning to be patient and trust Jesus, even when I can’t sleep and things are all scary and lonely.
My three year old son (who was born premature and very sick but is strong & healthy now) TALKS! This is huge for my family because he had a major language delay and the “experts” kept trying to push an autism diagnosis on us despite the fact that he had no other symptoms besides the speech delay. Well a few months ago he started talking & now he talks a lot! On Saturday he said, “Merry Christmas” and hearing those words from him filled my heart with joy.
That’s my good news. :)
My oldest son, after several years of not attending Mass, surprised me Christmas Eve by attending Mass with me! What a great Christmas present that was to a worried, praying mother!
He and I both found this (Novus Ordo) Christmas Mass to be very moving and beautiful, and he wants to continue attending weekly Mass again. May God be praised!
And I beg the prayers of anyone who reads this, that my son John will continue in this good direction, and that soon my youngest son Pete will follow him and return to Faith and Church.
this is a bit old, but the best news in my life in awhile
during my reversion which began on the feast of St. Phillip in 2007, i surrendered to Jesus all the things that i did not understand about Catholicism and could not grasp intellectually. i basically said, i don’t understand, and they don’t seem right, but i just trust that the Church is true. principal among these was the Immaculate Conception. especially since i was attending EO Liturgies, i constantly heard things like “convenient that this Romish dogma would be confirmed via a miracle” “you know St. Thomas didn’t buy it’ “what of St. Catherine’s OWN private revelation” etc.
on dec. 8 i wanted to goto an EF Mass, but could find no one to go with. so i had to make the decision of whether to go and be alone and possibly not receive Communion [due to my disability] or go to an NO and have community but possibly feel less… fulfilled shall we say but at least get to receive the Eucharist. Well i went to the NO. And somewhere during the Offertory i was praying and… i just can’t describe it… all of a sudden i believed in the Immaculate Conception. “MARY IS THE NEW EVE” was just thundering through my head with the most unimaginable and beautiful clarity. Of course i wept like a baby for the rest of Mass. and the parish? Our Lady of Lourdes. God is so good, so very very good to those who trust in him.
jaybird,
as one who also carries this particular burden, i will absolutely pray for your family!
I am so grateful that the Lord has led me into the Catholic church(confirmed Dec. 12 after 25 yrs as an Anglican/Episcopalian) and that in the process I am so fortunate to be able to worship daily in a large parish led by a very reverent relatively young Priest. It seems that I have been blessed to experience the very best expression of Vatican II. I was led to this place after attending a series of talks last June on St. Ignatius’ Rules for Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OVM. He brought the insights of St. Ignatius to life in a way that led me to KNOW that I wanted and needed to be where that depth of understanding in the spiritual life was best lived out…I thank God for his Grace and His Church with all its human foibles…the gates of Hades will not prevail against her…He has promised us that…
One of my sons, who was in London for the fall semester, after having his flight canceled and spending some time at Heathrow, finally made it home for Christmas! And my oldest son, who was brought into the Catholic Church on Nov 27th, came home last night. So for a few days, I have ALL my seven children home under one roof!
This post always makes me happy. My good news, my six year old asked to go to Church so he could confess his sins. And asked why more people don’t talk about Jesus. He wants to make signs about Jesus and put them all over town.
Fantastic news from British Forces Germany!
My TLM today was served by one of my soldiers for his first time (he’s an infanteer due to go to Afghanistan in April 2011, please remember him in your prayers). He did really well and the Latin is coming on nicely – not easy for him since his native language is Fijian. He’s so enthused that he has asked to do it again tomorrow and Friday. Deo Gratias!
My soon-to-expire contract position turned into a permanent, full-time post just before Christmas. Te Deum laudamus!
I am in the process of packing to head off to Chicago where I’ll be studying for my MA in Theological Studies at Loyola. I might also add that my apartment is about a mile away from St. John Cantius.
Our sixth son, baby Sebastian Ephraim, will be baptised, receive First Eucharist, and receive the Sacrament of Chrismation this Saturday, January 1st. (It’s ok, we’re Eastern Rite!) Way to start out the New Year with a bright, shiny, clean soul! :)
I’m PREGNANT!!!!! WHOOOP!
Anyway, prayers that we hold onto the pregnancy would be a great blessing to us!
After offering Mass in the Extraordinary Form at our parish on Christmas, I was told that this was probably the first Christmas Mass using the 1962 missal at this parish since the introduction of the Novus Ordo. It’s exciting to be helping to bring it back! I’m hoping to be able to do it on more Holy Days of Obligation.
And despite the snow storm that slammed the region, I was able to make it home to spend some time with my parents right after Christmas – for the first time in many years.
Congratulations Kas.
You have my prayers.
This gets tucked away in my personal “brick by brick” file. We can never be sure (especially as sacred musicians) if the work we do is having any effect. Sometimes it’s easy to believe it’s having the opposite effect.
Some will know of my struggles at my former parish in Minnesota, and how members of the staff, music program and congregation regularly, sometimes daily, agitated against the orthodox philosophies I was working to advance. It didn’t end well, and I was basically hounded out of my position at that parish.
Imagine my surprise when I received an email from a former member of the choir (who also happily played keyboards and sang in the “contemporary ensemble”) informing me that he had moved his family to a much more conservative parish in St. Louis Park, MN, and is singing in the choir. He wrote:
We just never know how the work we do influences people, or how those influences will eventually bear fruit.
Receiving this email was a great source of consolation, reflecting back on a time of great desolation.
Benedicamus Domino!
As I said a few days ago I have seen the perminant Deacon at a not very traditional parish recieve Our Lord kneeling and on the tounge – maybe becuse of my example at previous Masses but I don’t know for sure
I’ve been doing really well in tips at work lately. The more tips I get the more I can give to worthy causes.
1. The Christmas Eve Mass in the gym (overflow from church) was done well and people actually appeared to be paying attention this year. My sister in law joined me, although other family did not think it was important to attend.
2. My brother fixed my broken computer for me with all the bells and whistles in one evening.
3. Friends helped me replace my laptop (It’s scary when both computers are kaput at the same time!)
4. I had a very nice Christmas with less anxiety than usual!
With humble gratitude, I offer some joy. Our family attended a beautiful Solemn High (EF) Midnight Christmas Mass at a nearby parish, then attended a beautiful and reverent OF Mass at our own parish on Christmas Day. We live in a diocese where the EF is offered in several parishes and there is an abundance of solid, inspired, and motivated priests. Our pastor is courageous and devoted. My kids play CYO basketball, are in a parish-based Boy Scout Troop, think it normal to pray a rosary with other families, and live in a Catholic Culture. With five kids, we are considered a small family.
Thank you for reminding me of the good things in this life.
Black Friars in Oxford having fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytei-0tMjC0
We learned on Christmas Eve, that beginning in February 2011, the Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community will have a fulltime chaplain assigned and we will have daily Mass.
becket1-the video is actually from Dublin, Ireland. There was a rare heavy snowfall, and so the novices decided to go outside and pelt one another with snowballs.
But it’s fun to watch, no matter where it took place…..
Love the ‘camoflague’ (sp?) of their white habits in the snow!
My life is getting better after a long period of suffering.