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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 ASK FATHER: Holding hands and then raising them up during the Traditional Latin Mass: “Let us be a little careful with people when they come for the first time. Not everyone is ready for…”
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on ASK FATHER: Can priests refuse to hear confessions face to face?: “And please Fathers… Be on time for scheduled confessions. I realize stuff happens which could alter your day, but it…”
on ASK FATHER: Holding hands and then raising them up during the Traditional Latin Mass: “MKrzem: That was tactful, there’s something to be said for that. But it’s also important to remember that of the…”
on ASK FATHER: Can priests refuse to hear confessions face to face?: “Josephus, A penitent is fully within his rights to expect , under normal circumstances, to make an anonymous confession, so…”
on ASK FATHER: Can priests refuse to hear confessions face to face?: “What about the hearing impaired who read lips?”
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There’s another new regular Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form in our diocese (Lancaster, UK). It is at Our Lady and St Wilfrid, Warwick Bridge, on the first Sunday of the month.
I met personally with Archbishop Jose Gomez, and he said that he will teach the Gregorian Mass in the seminary in the Archdiocese of LA, among many other wonderful things, Deo gratias!
I spent the afternoon learning a bunch of family recipes from my grandmother, and then I went to evening Mass at the church down the road where my mother got baptized, my parents got married, and my father’s funeral Mass was held. It was a very good day.
Deo gratias!
My spiritual director seems to be getting better; and after 5 1/2 nerve wracking weeks I will be able to speak to him tommorow.
I’m going to be a dad! October 5th…my wife and I will finally be parents.
I began reading Papa Benedetto’s 2nd volume Jesus of Nazareth. A fine mixture of the scholar and a man of very deep prayer and love for Our Savior. This book is a must for any Christian who is on the Journey to God.
I’m teaching two week-long workshops at the Catholic Writers Conference Online, one about writing query letters and the other a short story critique group. It looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone, and I’m looking forward to the other presentations. :-)
Inspired by Father Z’s post about not removing holy water from the fonts during Lent, I wrote to our pastor and explained why that was a no-no. He left a message this past Saturday that he wanted to talk to me after Mass on Sunday. During our conversation, he told me he had no idea that it wasn’t allowed, but basically took a “Roma locuta est” approach. The holy water will remain missing this year (to avoid confusion among the faithful), but next year it will not be removed.
Then he asked me to be on the parish council. :)
Catholic87:
THAT is S T U P E N D O U S L Y GREAT news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for posting this most encouraging news!!!
Over 600 people in attendance at Kitchener, Ontario (one hour west of Toronto) for dinner on Saturday night past with Michael Voris; celebrating a Real Catholic Man (St. Joseph) and hearing a great to be Catholic pep-talk by a real Catholic man!
For me, Lent started out bad starting at 6:30am on Ash Wednesday. It went downhill from there. Saturday, I went to confession, there was no line, so the priest had time to give me (good) spiritual direction.
Thank you Jesus, for giving us priests to hear our confession.
I went to Mass at one of those 5pm last chance kinda Masses, the church was very plain (and run by an order not known for good liturgy), and was surprised by the restraint, dignity, and quality of the liturgy and sermon. It’s nice to have your prejudices torn away.
My good news is that the day after St. Paddy’s Parade Day, I’m actually at the office…and coherent!
There is bigger good news, though: my nephew, Alex, was christened yesterday. Love & hugs, kid.
We have holy water, and not sand, in our fonts this year for the first time in 10 years! Brick by brick!
After two and one half years of bureacracy and social work scrutiny we have been chosen to adopt a baby! The last time the nice social worker lady was in our home she kept trying to get my kids to be realistic about getting a baby. (It’s so hard to adopt in the U.S. and especially to get a baby, but also “people don’t like large families.” Interestingly the birthmom chose us partly because we had a large family.) I smiled indulgently at the poor lady because I knew there was still hope and was confident that someday we would get a baby. She has no idea how many people had prayed for this. Anyway, sweet baby girl is due in June and while it looks to be a very strong situation for us, I wouldn’t mind a prayer or two that it all goes through. Thanks, and you are all in my prayers as well. Congrats to all on your good news.
As of last Friday, my brother is engaged to his girlfriend of over three years. He also lives in Japan and has been unaffected by the earthquake. Deo gratias x2.
My son is working on the the written plan for his Eagle Scout project.
I received, in the mail, from my spiritual director in Rome (canon lawyer in one of the Dicastries) 5 papal blessing parchments, beautifully hand-inscribed from the Penitentary, for my RCIA candidates and catechumens as an extra special blessing for them as they join us at the Easter Vigil. They don’t know (my pastor did ask who I knew in Rome to be able to swing them…:)), and will be called up at the end of the Mass as part of their reception.
I’ve received multiple blessings from them this year, as we do every year, so…much as they think we’re giving them in terms of good, solid Catholic catechesis, we receive abundant graces in return.
After a short period of unemployment, I was offered a job this morning!
Also, my wife’s pregnancy is progressing nicely and god willing we will get to meet our new son or daughter sometime in the beginning of September (it’s too early to set the day of the c-section).
A very good frind of mine died last Friday at 3:25 after a long and painful illness a peaceful death fortified with the sacraments. Deo gratias. RIP
I was extra careful with my spending this month, so I had enough to afford to drive in to Calgary yesterday to go to an EF Mass. Although, now I wish we had some FSSP priests in Saskatchewan, so there could be more EF Masses in more cities.
My mother is currently in RCIA will be received into the church at the Easter vigil at the parish near her home and has asked me to be her sponsor. That’s good news. The bad news is I’ll miss out on the vigil in the extraordinary form this year.
Over the weekend, I successfully participated in a 3-mile walk to raise funds and awareness for Myasthenia Gravis (MG) research over the weekend. Thanks be to God for my continual improvement of health!
SAY THE BLACK, DO THE RED, WEAR THE PURPLE!
Lent is always a good meditative time for me. There is no extra noodling to be done on the organ – accompany the singing, and then stand down! Not that I cannot concentrate on the Mass while playing the organ. It’s just one less thing to multitask during Lent.
Our pastor let me paint the words to Panis Angelicus (in Latin & English) above our (not behind the altar) tabernacle! Hopefully next “good news” post, I can say he has also agreed to inter the remains of several poor parishioners whose urns are currently in the hutch in the hallway :o/
My cousin will be Confirmed in May! I’m excited to get to go. Being a convert, I felt a little bad that I had “skipped ahead” of her for Confirmation last Easter, as she is one of only 4 of my Catholic relatives. Also, our priest added extra time to Saturday confessions, as well as throwing in Friday evening confessions before Stations of the Cross. I am glad he did that, I just hope people take advantage.
We had more people than usual at our TLM this weekend, with 4 seminarians sitting in choir to boot! We had more than enough people to pray the rosary before Mass, and had 13 stay for our little Vespers group. Deo Gratias!
Also, I am going to hear Bach’s B Minor Mass on Friday!
I’ve just come back from retreat.
I was concerned that the moment I walked back into the Office, I would feel like I hadn’t been on retreat. However, resolution number one has succeeded with most of what I wanted to do (or not do) being achieved on day one.
Thirty days to make / break a habit ? ——- 29 more to go !
Found our first house, but will be finding out today if we can afford it when we learn about our school loans. Hoping Father is going to help us pay them from the parish budget each year we are here so we can afford to meet a basic standard of living.
Discovered that, as irritating as some things may or may not be, that I am not so far gone as to be unable to avail myself of the mysteriously always offered grace available in the sacrament of confession. Also, for those who love winter, it’s been snowing and the college hockey season for some just keeps going.
At our beautiful TLM yesterday(“the most beautiful thing this side of heaven”) our pastor referenced the Seattle U scandal, cafeteria Catholics, the relativism infecting so much of Catholic life– with the Transfiguration and what Christ expects of His Church in living an authentic Catholic witness. It was terrific–our Pastor feeds us so well!!
I was able to rescue my daughter’s laptop from what I thought was a total system failure, even finding the drivers to reinstall (thought the new install had deleted them)…also, son, who just had a stomach virus, is recovering nicely…I was worried it was an e coli infection similar to the one that almost did in my other son 9 years ago…
My youngest brother is getting married in August to a great girl. :)
I will be starting my application to the seminary within a week. will be much greater news if and when I am accepted.
Baby Joseph will finally be able to go home!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/21/baby-joseph-undergoes-surgery-portable-breathing-tube-hospital/
Received our daughter’s monthly letter and she reports that she is very happy in Carmel. She also says that between now and 1 May, they will have 4 women enter the postulancy! That will bring the house up to 19! Deo Gratias!
In your charity, please pray for all young women discerning a vocation to the religious life.
I am enjoying my new job. Tomorrow is 1 month that I’ve been working after the 8 months off work. Noticing more people are going to confession and neighboring parishes are offering plenty off options for the sacrament during Lent. Was able to take advantage of the sacrament on Saturday. Looking forward to reading Benedict XVI’s new Jesus of Nazareth book when my new glasses come in this week.
I got off the train this morning to be greeted by a beautiful spring day. After weeks of rain and cold weather, the sun and blue sky were a welcomed sight! Now, if only I can figure out a way to tell someone special that I love him – life is sometimes very complicated.
EWTN rocks, maybe do something sacrificial for your beloved?
My autistic daughter, age 15, has of late begun to show interest in 1) learning how to sew (so she can mend her clothes when they are damaged, and make costumes like the kids in the “Narnia” movies), 2) learning how to cook (pizza, cakes and cookies) and 3) reading more advanced books (e.g. “The Hobbit,” “Watership Down”) than she has been accustomed to. She has been stuck at about a second grade reading level for several years and I am so pleased to see her trying more challenging things!
Jenny bag of donuts – thank you, excellent suggestion!
This hasn’t received a mention on WDPTRS yet, but did anyone happen to see the story on Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York on 60 Minutes, Sunday Night?
I was favourably impressed with him, and have to say he is riotously funny.
With an American church that is very demoralised over the clerical sex abuse scandal, I do believe, as the story seems to indicate, Dolan is the right kind of medicine the Church needs right now, which may explain his election to the presidency of the US Bishops Conference.
I have been telling people after viewing the show, that the lesson this man teaches us is that when the Church has to say tough things, or pronounce on elements that go against the popular grain, we don’t have to do this, with a sour face, or wearing the mask of a curmudgeon.
There is so much that is beautifully positive about our Catholic faith, we should be so inviting to others about its riches, particularly as the archbishop of New York says, one of the largest religious identities in the world now are ex-Catholics.
I have now gotten 25 people signed up to attend my Lenten Eucharistic retreat. Hoping many more sign up in the next couple of weeks. http://www.dominusest.us/