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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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on Hyper-papal maximalists! Pay attention.: “I am no expert on theology or even cheesesteaks :) but it seems to me that papal maximalism is self…”
on Unpleasant but useful reading ALERT!: “A question for Ivereigh: assuming Emeritus Pope Benedict still holds to his views on the legitimacy of Catholics adhering to…”
on 22 January – St. Vincent Pallotti. Wherein Fr. Z reflects on God’s plan.: “Father, regarding Cum Sanctissima, you mention the possibility of using the Latin orations of the subsequent missal: would this always…”
on Unpleasant but useful reading ALERT!: “I was at the Walk for Life West Coast today in San Francisco. As usual, it was a blessed pro-life…”
on Unpleasant but useful reading ALERT!: “And just today I was feeling baffled that the “inviolable conscience” (to use Bergoglio-speak) of those Catholics attached to the…”
on Unpleasant but useful reading ALERT!: “Both articles are excellent reads. Stay informed people. We cannot go back to the 70′ and 80’s or the catacombs!”
on Your Good News: “There may be good news in the case of Fr. Gordon J. MacRae…please God!! https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/predator-police-the-new-hampshire-laurie-list-bombshell”
on ASK FATHER: Can a dying Catholic receive the Apostolic Pardon if there is no priest present?: “One of the promises of the Nine First Fridays is not dying without the Sacraments. My grandma was very faithful…”
on A tale of two Archbishops: “As an aside, I figured out a quick trick to know the difference between the National Catholic Reporter and the…”
on WDTPRS: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany (Novus Ordo: 2nd Ordinary): a “liturgical unicorn”: ““Christians are confident. Christ will give us His peace. He said so. But He won’t force peace on us.” Good…”
on ASK FATHER: Can a dying Catholic receive the Apostolic Pardon if there is no priest present?: “Fr. Z, I know I’ve said this before, but I just hate to think of people missing this. When Catholics…”
on ASK FATHER: Can a dying Catholic receive the Apostolic Pardon if there is no priest present?: “Let’s not make too many assumptions or presumptions. We are all works in progress. However, establishing good habits, real habits,…”
on Hyper-papal maximalists! Pay attention.: “This is so problematic. I was a proud “papist” during the reigns of St John Paul the Great and Benedict…”
on Hyper-papal maximalists! Pay attention.: “I think this “Pope” has surfaced a grave issue in the constitution of the Church: the Church lacks a remotely…”
on A tale of two Archbishops: “Our daughters were confirmed by Archbishop Hebda and his Latin was excellent! If he had just learned the Traditional Roman…”
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Bishop Finn is formally opening the cause for Beatification for Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey this week in Kansas City, with Solemn Vespers at the Cathedral.
[It would be great to attend that!]
I Will be attending a workshop today in preparation for the corrected translastions of the Roman Missal. It seems that it will be focused on music, pastoral practices and liturgical preparation.
From the literature it appears as though they would like to come down to a certain number of mass settings that would eventually be known throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Oh, it is being presented by Fr. Richard Hilgartner, Associate Director of the U.S. Bishop’s Secretariat for Divine Worship. He will become the head of same this year.
The Fraternity of St Genesius was founded 4 years ago this week. Our members commit to prayer and sacrafice for those involved in theatre and cinema. Cultural renewal through prayer. Mass will be celebrated on Foundation Day, in St Mary’s, Drogheda, Ireland on Wednesday at 7.30pm.
To find out more about our mission visit http://www.stgenesius.com
I made my first batch of Mystic Monk coffee yesterday :-)
Everyone in my family got sick over the weekend, in order from youngest to oldest. My husband is the last to have it, but he’s on the mend now. Praise God for good health. :-)
My second son is going to be baptized this Saturday. Plus, his godmother-to-be just announced that she’s expecting #5.
My wife is pregnant again. And I’m going to deploy more bird feeders this afternoon to help feed the hungry hordes.
We had our first real snowfall late last week (I know not everyone’s cup of tea, but try Mystic Monk coffee instead…) . Followed by a great weekend of sliding, nordic skiing, and snowshoeing. On top of that my eight year-old son is “teaching” a twenty something young man how to serve the EF Mass.
My good news is that I have just returned from our Catholic bookshop in town, having purchased a copy of St. John of the Cross’ “The Dark Night of the Soul”.
I had hoped someone would buy it for me for Christmas but I had other nice things instead.
I can hardly wait to start reading it. This evening I am off to a Bible Study Group so it will have to wait a little longer.
Please pray that with St. Johns’ help, I may be enabled to have God delve more deeply into the darker recesses of my soul, and gouge out (ouch) all that is nasty in here. I iknow this will take some years.
Thank you and God Bless you all.
After struggling and failing to do things on my own, He has put a new song in my mouth!
The Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City just got a new complete set of vestments for the EF, black maniple and everything!
[OORAH! When the local ordinary wears them, send me a photo.]
Even though today is a school holiday, my 15yo daughter got up early to join fellow members of her high school’s pro-life club to construct/paint hundreds of crosses that will be installed on the school lawn to mark the innocents lost to abortion daily as a result of Roe v. Wade.
my kidz mom says:
17 January 2011 at 10:58 am
Even though today is a school holiday, my 15yo daughter got up early to join fellow members of her high school’s pro-life club to construct/paint hundreds of crosses that will be installed on the school lawn to mark the innocents lost to abortion daily as a result of Roe v. Wade.
This is so lovely to see young people caring so deeply.
May God Bless your lovely daughter and all her schoolmates who took part in this charitable and beautiful act.
Was able to watch the dvd, The Privileged Planet last night. Sparked a great conversation in our household. The scientific evidence of the tiny likelihood that all the necessary parameters could come together in exactly the necessary way to support complex life on our planet reminded me of 10th grade biology (public high school) when the teacher calculated on the chalkboard through the necessary permutations establishing the probability, based on genetics alone, for the existence an individual human person…the likelihood that each unique human exists in that way alone is similarly infinitely small! Shows once again that science is on the side of life and even affirms faith.
1. I accidentally met a capuchin Friar today on the subway and am now donating a Franciscan Crown Habit Rosary I have in possession to his Friary (it’s about a century old, but solid).
2. I, too, have ordered some Mystic Monk coffee after saving a bit of coin for the purpose. (FYI – the small of coffee, especially good, fresh beans does an outstanding job of fighting nausea, a side effect plaguing me these days).
3. My daily, private recitation of the Divine Office is really taking hold – and I love it!
Lots of good news today!
3.
On 02.ii.11. at Candlemas/Purification at Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy, NC, there will be a Missa cantata, probably around 6:3opm. Call the church for the exact time. Candles will be blessed.
Fr. Z: Is a procession required by the rubrics for this Mass?
William Thomas, was welcomed through Baptism, into the Church yesterday! He still smells like the beeswax from the oils.
I was able to say the rosary three times yesterday, for many personal intentions. God is answering at least one of my most fervent supplications. I am enjoying St Bonaventure’s Life of St Franics of Assisi. Some may scoff at it as so much fiction, but I think it is truly a work that should be read here and now, if for no ther reason than to affirm the power of faith and the need for many of us, myself included, to increase that faith.
In my front yard in Wellington, Florida, I am growing two large Brandywine Tomato plants in large pots and they are festooned with fruit in various stages of growth.
Planting, staking, watering and fertilising these plants has drawn me much closer to God. Every single day they are a reminder of the Grace of God, and His generosity, and constant governance of all things beautiful, tasty and small.
I’m off from work today, so I slept in and went to Mass at noon for the first time in quite a while. Now enjoying a quiet afternoon at home.
If God didn’t call night owls, he wouldn’t have any musicians.
I attended mass in the Extraordinary Form for the first time this Sunday at a certain Holy Trinity in the diocese immediately to the north. It was a low mass, which was probably best for a first time, though I had hoped for more.
This Saturday the bishop is coming to the university to teach us about the new translation :) Yay!!
My mother, who is 83, went to her first Solemn High Mass since she was a child. She said it was “more reverent” than the NO. I hope she wants to go on a regular basis to the EF.
She has lived most of her adult life since the changes in an area which did not have a regular EF until recently.
After a week of illness we are on the mend. I am grateful for this day off from work to recuperate.
My son, who is a high school senior, has finally decided which university scholarship he’ll accept. He’ll be majoring in Classical Languages: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
He serves Mass at our FSSP parish here in Omaha, but will be going to school about an hour away in Lincoln next fall. He has already mentioned that he needs to introduce himself to the Pastor of the FSSP parish in Lincoln and ask to be put on their altar server schedule! Please pray for him as he feels that after college (or perhaps sooner) he will apply to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary.
Rose, that is so exciting. I will pray for him. I love the Good News posts with all of the pregnancies, vocations, coffee drinking etc. It really does inspire me!
Thank you, Lord. Your are a generous God. A medical test result was great. I will pray for those receiving terrible news today.
The music director who has been in place at our parish for somewhat over 35 years (and who has that 70s vibe about her) is retiring and the new pastor is seeking input from the parishioners. I’m sending the following:
Thanks for seeking out counsel from parishioners regarding the music program! I’ll try not to ramble on too much as you’re likely to get quite a bit of feedback.
Church music is subject both to the adage lex orandi, lex credendi and the saying that is widely, if not definitively, attributed to St. Augustine: “he who sings prays twice”. The words we pray shape what we believe, doubly so when they’re sung. Because sung words have such a strong influence on us – overflowing our memories, haunting our dreams and shaping our attitudes – the words we sing together should always be clear expressions of our faith and inspirations to bring our faith to life in our actions. Too often they range from sentimental nonsense to outright contradictions of basic truth. Probably the worst recurring example is “As A Fire Is Meant For Burning” in which we are asked to sing that the Church exists “not to preach our creed”. The first thing I would ask is that all the texts for congregational singing be clearly adherent to Catholic doctrine and, to the greatest practical extent, the propers of the day.
[Name redacted] has been a very diligent worker and she has a terrific network of instrumentalists on whom she calls. As a result, the instrumental music is always tuneful, even though rhythmical devices like triplets and dotted notes are sometimes rather sloppy. In my decade in the parish, there have been relatively few willing vocalists, so we end up with occasional pitch problems and some persistent unpleasant tonality (i.e. screeching) from a few regular singers. While it can be difficult to coach volunteers into improvement without offending them, I’ve seen it done. Experience in getting good sound from ordinary singers – and in recruiting parishioners to sing – would be a big plus.
In my pre-Catholic days, I was involved in music in large and small Lutheran and Episcopalian congregations. I was raised on Bach, so my preference is for more traditional music. I know it’s unrealistic to hope that I could be part of a chant schola this Holy Week or a Mozart Requiem for All Souls’ Day, but there’s a great deal of music out there that’s vastly better than Marty Haugen’s both theologically and musically that is still accessible to the average family in the pew, even if it may have been written decades or even centuries ago. The Holy Father has repeatedly mentioned the importance of maintaining a Hermeneutic of Continuity in theology, rather than viewing Vatican II as some sort of complete reboot of the Church. It’s no stretch to bring that same perspective to the musical component of our corporate worship so that we can all benefit from the Church’s treasures both old and new. We should never avoid a good piece of music just because it pre-dates the baby boomers’ entry into adolescence.
Having asked so much, it’s only right that I offer my glad assistance to the search in any way you see fit, even if that ends up being nothing other than privately praying about it. My day job involves high levels of confidentiality and negotiation of topics that can be complex and contentious. Those skills might be useful in addition to my strong interest and the knowledge that my role would be consultative, not ultimately decisive. At the same time, I realize my perspective is probably pretty far from that of the rest of the parish, so I understand if you decide that my participation might not be productive.
Thanks for bringing Jesus to us in the Sacraments, in your insightful homilies and in the example you provide to the parish.
We suffered a loss last week with the sudden and tragic and death of a friend – which was met by the faith, forthrightness, graciousness, and courage of his family and our priests in discussing his life and death (and life after death) at the wake and funeral at the end of the week. This included a powerful homily at the funeral Mass and a moving episcopal testimony.
We then started the week with another blow – news that a musician who frequently works with our choir will be unavailable to us for a while due to criminal charges of a serious nature. We rallied, though – particularly because one of the group (the musician’s substitute) stood in front of us and spoke & prayed powerfully about our friend and colleague being in God’s hands no matter what the truth or eventual disposition of the charges and how there was no better place to be.
Two fresh examples in as many days of how there is no challenge that the Lord sets in front of us where He doesn’t also aid, comfort, and fortify us.
Enjoyed the education, meditation, restoration of spirit and Adoration at the St Louis Marian Conference this weekend, along with my oldest daughter (15) and dearest friend. The Fathers of Mercy were there- they are awesome!
Arrived home to an ordered house, and five other happy, healthy, children who missed me but who allowed their Dad to survive the weekend without incident.
Several things:
1. After sending out a “spiritual 911 (9 memorares, 1 rosary, 1 chaplet of divine mercy)” Thursday night (it was a really rough week for me), God answered in a most unusual way, which leads to
2. Friday afternoon I slipped on some ice going from one building to another in front of a car stopped for me to cross,and then I was pushed a good foot or so
3. I was helped by some very nice gentlemen, and I met 2 cops and 2 medics as a result, also very professional and compassionate.
4. I emerged from the accident with only a sore knee and bruises from head to toe, praise God! It could’ve been a heck of a lot worse. My backpack saved me from worse injuries. It looks like it’s been through a war!
5. This week, hopefully, after a little while of not going to Mass and partaking (since before Christmas) I will be reconciled with the Church.
6. I restarted after a little while of not doing the Liturgy of the Hours this week, and God (and Jesus) are speaking to me in a very profound but also very personal way.
Well, first, we baptized, confirmed, etc. a Soldier here on FOB Salerno, Afghanistan this Sunday. I was blessed to be asked to lead in the chanting of the Litany of Saints, having chanted the Christmas and Epiphany proclamations, both of which were thoroughly humbling experiences for me. As Fr. Hannon put it, he is our 1 Billion and 1st Catholic. Second, my cousin, Fr. Paul Nord, OSB, in Rome (Biblicum) will be saying a Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis during Holy Week, and I will be there on R&R, “God Willing and the Tiber doesn’t rise.” Third, Indianapolis is getting an Auxiliary Bishop, Christopher Coyne of Boston. Quite a backstory on Bishop-Designate Coyne. According to Fr. Paul, he has a Doctorate in Liturgy from Pontifical Institute of Liturgy at Sant’ Anselmo.
Is thankful that he can call Mary his mother
The Lord continues to sustain me and my family through an extremely difficult, nightmarish situation.
“The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector, and the horn of my salvation, and my support. Praising, I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.”
I went to confession on Saturday. Oorah!!
I gave my first semester exam as a teacher to my Church History students. Overall they did well (B+ average). Hopefully they’ll walk away learning a few things about the Church.
For the past month, I’ve been attending 2 Sunday Masses (one I cantor, one I lector). Though it gets to be tedious driving to the two parishes, I am now seeing the graces in my life received from those “extra” Masses.