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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 “They hate the Old Rite because the Enemy has set fear in their hearts.”: “In other words, people are afraid of the Old Rite because Catholics have become spiritually and morally lazy who believe…”
on “They hate the Old Rite because the Enemy has set fear in their hearts.”: “Rigid means following the teachings of the Church. I’ve always believed that’s what is really meant. And yes I also…”
on “They hate the Old Rite because the Enemy has set fear in their hearts.”: “”What is necessary is ‘dual economy’ parishes” Not really certain what is meant by the above, but it reminds me…”
on ROME 22/10 – Day 2: Still getting it together and an ASK FATHER question: “In your second to last photo: our apartment last time we were in Rome is immediately to your right facing…”
on “They hate the Old Rite because the Enemy has set fear in their hearts.”: “This hits the nail on the head. I think when they complain about “rigidity” they are really talking about objective…”
on “They hate the Old Rite because the Enemy has set fear in their hearts.”: “For those who find the old ways,”ridged, sin-obsessed, oppressive and frankly frightening”, They have bigger spiritual problems than their objections…”
on “This has the logo of the Synod (“walking together”) of Bishops. ” Prepare for a rough ride.: “The should have hired Daniel Mitsui.”
on ASK FATHER: 1st Communion at a special Mass rather than at a regular Sunday Mass: “First Communion for myself was in second grade in December, yes December. 1966. My confirmation was third grade . Spring?…”
on ASK FATHER: 1st Communion at a special Mass rather than at a regular Sunday Mass: “We had a very strange practice of having two “First Communions”. Both were within the regular Sunday Mass, and both…”
on ASK FATHER: 1st Communion at a special Mass rather than at a regular Sunday Mass: “I am 56, so I received First Communion in what one priest called “the Silly Seventies.” I received First Communion…”
on ASK FATHER: 1st Communion at a special Mass rather than at a regular Sunday Mass: “Back in the mid-70’s when I received my First Communion, it was held at a special Mass because it was…”
on ROME 22/10 – Day 2: Still getting it together and an ASK FATHER question: “Thanks for the travelogue! Always enjoyable. I like the “phone” photo with the street lights reflecting off of the cobblestones.”
on ASK FATHER: 1st Communion at a special Mass rather than at a regular Sunday Mass: “When I received my First Communion in 1978, there were about 150 of us, and the crowd spilled out into…”
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Yes! The Oxford Oratory will soon (next month) be celebrating its Sunday Solemn Mass (Latin, Ordinary Form) ad orientem.
http://a-tiny-son-of-mary.blogspot.com/2012/01/oxford-orients-itself.html
At the gorgeous TLM in Dublin, the priest giving the homily, which was on the sanctity of marriage, blessed by Christ, as seen in the Wedding Feast at Cana, mentioned that same-sex unions were not marriages. It was so refreshing to hear this from the pulpit. God bless that priest and give him many happy years.
The 50th anniversary of Veterum Sapientia will be celebrated in Rome this February at the Salesian University. Yey! Time to remind ourselves of the important principles taught and mandated by that document. We have to be practical, no?
My second son will be born in 1 month. :)
The largest city in my diocese just went from a bi-weekly E.F. to weekly. Deo Gratias. Brick by Brick.
We welcomed our new pastor and associate pastor to our parish the weekend. They arrived from Spain just a few days prior. Our parish has been without a pastor since last September 1st as we awaited visa approval. In fact we have been without an active priest since then as well. We have had a retired priest in residence and a temporary pastor appointed by the Bishop (Bp. Thomas Olmsted!) It has been a very difficult time for us as parishioners, for the staff of the parish and for my wife and I on a personal level.
gkeuter: Praise God. A new pastor and associate pastor. Your parish must be overjoyed. May your difficult times be behind you.
I had the most peaceful Mass yesterday morning I’ve had in a long time thanks to switching sides.
It’s -36 degrees Celsius outside and my car isn’t plugged in. The good news? I drive a Honda so it will start.
I have finally found, with the extraordinary help of God’s grace, two wonderful family physicians. Men who are Christian. Doctors who do their own research and reading. One was first a nutritionist then microbiologist before he became an MD. So, finally, after three years of feeling I alone had to be the expert … Of finding doctors who only wanted to push pharmaceuticals and the typical western care. I now have partners I can trust in my families wellness care. Most especially partners in continuing to heal (one of) my son’s who is affected by Autism.
After we didn’t make it out of the house yesterday (our anniversary) in time for the EF Mass at the parish where we got married, we got the family to the Melkite Rite Divine Liturgy, where a former roommate and his new wife received a marriage blessing on their new marriage. Oh happy “coincidence”!
Today marks 15 years of service for me at my job. In this economy, I feel I am most blessed to be able to say that.
My Godson and his family are just the best people on the planet – Good Catholics, good kids, good parents, good grandparents. I love them like my own family.
We belong to the most wonderful parish with good holy priests who GET IT.
My husband is my hope for heaven — if anyone will get me there, it will be him. May God bless and keep him always.
I could keep going, but I don’t want to gush — but dang, life is good. God bless God!
Having an ultrasound of Baby #6 this morning :^)
The Giants beat the almost-undefeated Packers! Manning looks better every week. Hurray!
As of Saturday evening, I’m engaged to be married!! We’ve spent the whole weekend driving around the city, sharing the news with relatives and friends. Can’t wait to begin my vocation as a wife and mother! [Excellent! Kudos!]
I have a job interview next week. God willing, it could be a big upgrade.
Because I currently work most Sunday evenings, I rarely get a 3-day weekend, but this is one of them. And I’ve gotten 2 solid nights of sleep where that hasn’t generally been happening here of late. Prayers answered!
Yesterday the organist at our little TLM chapel gave me a small bag with some of her recent ‘The Remnant’ papers, which she always passes down to me. She told me when I got the bag, ‘There’s a card in there, too.’ So later on, when I parked in the lot of a well-known bookstore, I opened the envelope, and found a ‘support’ card from her, and twenty bucks! She wrote on a sticky, ‘Treat yourself to lunch!’ So I did-and used the rest for dinner on the way home!
Last week I was kind of upset about some family troubles, and I ‘vented’ while sitting in the back seat of her car. So this was her way of trying to keep my spirits up!
Next Sunday our ‘tiny choir’ might be singing for Benediction!
Next month, on the 18th, there is going to be a talk on ‘The Spirituality of Joan of Arc’ at the Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, NY-I want to go and hear it, especially because this year marks the 600th anniversary of St. Joan’s birth, and the fact that one of the North American Martyrs (St. Isaac Jogues) was born in the city of Orleans, France! Hopefully the weather (and my finances) will hold out!
And I also rejoice with tealady24 regarding the NY Giants’ win yesterday over Green Bay! Go Big Blue! All the way to the Super Bowl!
I learned to make my own mozzarella cheese this week. This in no way compares to new babies, engagements or EF Masses, but it’s my own little victory. Also, I believe several prayers were answered this week on both a personal and professional level.
Philangelus, awesome good news! I would like to make a go of that as well!
My good news, in the same minor vein, less dramatic but significant here, is that our little bonsai plant that dropped all its leaves suddenly appears to be on the verge of blooming anew.
A friend had a baby last week who had been given a dire, likely fatal prognosis mid-pregnancy. Baby’s condition, while not picture perfect, is quite mild, might (?) require a surgery in a few months to fix or might repair on it’s own, and should go on to lead a perfectly fine and normal life.
There were an awful lot of people praying for that little fellow… Thank you, Lord, Your generosity never fails to astound me.
I was visiting a friend in NYC over the weekend and went to Mass at Notre Dame in Morningside. After spending the holidays in Atlanta, I was given a much needed reminder of what the OF Mass is capable of. It was the first time I’d gotten chills at a Mass since I lived in England.
I got engaged last night.
I asked after an evening mass. My fiancee and I always say night prayer together, so I told her I had to get the book from my car so we could pray, and when we knelt to pray I had tied the ring to the ribbon in my Liturgy of the Hours book. She never saw it coming, and it made a trying day for her so much better.
[WOW! Congratulations! I am sure the other readers here share my hope and prayers for you both.]
My 10 year old daughter got in a spot of trouble (nothing serious really) and after a few days, out of nowhere, she came to me and said “Mom, I think I should probably go to confession.” Well, if Fr. Z’s frequent reminders to “Just Go” don’t get you there, a 10 year old might! I told my daughter that was a good idea and that I could probably use it as well. So we went together. It was very good for us both. Thanks be to God for our children, who sometimes are our teachers.
I really enjoy these entries and reading that good things are going on.
i had my general confession heard by a good and holy priest of God on Saturday. see ya later, 10 years worth of demons! i cried my little eyes out, then left, and cried my little eyes out some more from relief and happiness and gratitude. Truly, God is good.
Awesome news from everybody here. God is good indeed!
My good news is that our pastor decided to start an “Open Forum” every Wednesday for questions about the Catholic faith and anything to do with the practices, tradition, or simply questions about why we believe what we believe. We started last week and, considering we are a small parish in the South consisting of about 60 families, when 18 people showed up for the first meeting it was wonderful. Our pastor was thrilled, the questions ranged from the purpose of prayer to lots of questions about the last things. We spent two hours asking questions and in open discussion. Father was flawless in his reponses, he didn’t shy away from any question and this made people very comfortable and encouraged them to ask difficult questions. Most importantly, his answers were solidly rooted in the Cathechism, no liberal junk was to be found in any of his responses.
Then yesterday he took one of the questions regarding Purgatory and shared it with the rest of the assembly during the homily. It was so good to hear a good homily about that subject! God help the previous pastors that delivered bad homilies in the past at our parish! They are in my prayers, but boy, we are so glad that our new pastor Fr. Michael is so concerned about a good, solid Catholic teaching. I have heard homilies about the need for going to confession (some people actually believed it was abolished after Vatican II), pro-life issues, Eucharistic adoration but yesterday’s homily on the Prgatory was the best so far. I might get him a Brick by Brick mug!
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Houston has EF Mass daily.
I got permission from my school to apply to a PO position that just came open and will start before the semester ends. Because I’m currently doing an PO internship I didn’t think I could abandon my internship mid semester to go work at another office for money.
I had the great pleasure of visiting the Pontifical College Josephinum as a guest speaker and met seminarians from around the country who are living their vocation with great devotion and good humor. You will be happy to know that the liturgy there is beautiful, and cassock-wearers abound!
My Brother had A great Retreat Last Weekend! In Fact,I and My Parents went to the retreat house to pick him up. Deo Gratias!
I had very exciting news on Saturday and didn’t know how I could share it! Thanks Fr. Z, for giving a forum.
My Godson is 11 years old, and his life can be extremely challenging, as his parents are preoccupied by new partners, periodically. We enrolled he and his brother in CCD again this year, and although he was not initially interested, he attended the invitation for a talk on altar servers and is now saying YES to serving! Thank you Jesus. I may fall under the pew on first viewing of him in his robe.
On a lesser note I am enjoying my first reading of the biography of Sister Faustina and her diary. All I can say is…my goodness.
It snowed here tonight. I tried to sing Charlie Brown’s “Christmastime is Here” but the dog’s eyes begged me to stop.
I met Supertradmum at Church! that was very exciting, especially after a great homily and Victoria’s Missa Quarti Toni.
I played 2 songs of mine at a local coffeehouse Saturday night, which was also my birthday! And there was cake!
I played 2 songs of mine at a local coffeehouse Saturday night Jan 15th, which was also my birthday! And there was cake!