Do you have some good news to share?
My “good news” is that my laptop won’t get through to the Internet right now (error 324) and I am not overly concerned.
Pesky but…
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About this blog…
“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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YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
- on ROME 24/4– Day 34 (-7): The burial place of… PLATO?!?: “My baptismal anniversary. I’m mostly Scottish/Irish Catholic, birthed and educated by the Mercy Sisters during the height of the Troubles.…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 35 (-6): adventures in symmetry: “Father, it was perfect symmetry for two people. One cup handle facing one way and the other the other way.”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 35 (-6): adventures in symmetry: “From a reader: “What are in the frames between the vestments?” Those are the priest’s vesting prayers. I’ll show more…”
- on WDTPRS: 4th Sunday of Easter (Novus Ordo) – Mighty humble Shepherd, humble mighty flock: “Fr Z you are an inspiration in your knowledge about and love for the things of God and the church.…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 32 (-9): Happy Birthday Rome!: “Holy cow that pasta. I wish we had smell-o-vision and taste-o-vision.”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “The German grind continues. It is in their nature.”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Scary about the women. What I mean is this: it would be disheartening enough just to find out that a…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “I wonder what’s going on with these women. Don’t they know that the greatest example of womanhood is Our Blessed…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Fr.Z sez: It is really sad that some people still push this rock up the hill. Reminds one of Sisyphus,…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Alas, those men pushing for ordaining women. STILL trying to get women to do all the work. My mother warned…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Dear Dcn PB, I don’t see how the reality can be described differently than by saying that the one sacrament…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Most people, whether pro or con, misunderstand the history and practice of the female diaconate. The deaconess was a separate…”
- on Your Sunday Sermon Notes: 3rd Sunday after Easter (N.O. 4th of Easter) 2024: “I remember only the joke at the beginning of the homily: Priests get four weeks of vacation per year. Some…”
- on “you must not remember your forefathers…” Wherein Fr. Z rants.: “My children at one of the solid Chesterton Academies have been taught science and theology by an amazing young Catholic…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “What is it that changed about the Catholic Herald? Interesting interview by George Farmer. (If only the faithful could be…”
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I googled error 324, and found this suggestion on geekstogo.com (long and no fun):
Go to
Start and then to Run
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter …It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot…click Y
If the window doesn’t shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually. On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f
Note… there are 5 stages…
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for a hour or more or even back up and go over the same area…this is normal…
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.
When completed it will boot the system back into windows.
Go Start and then to Run (“Start Search” in Vista),
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK (Enter in Vista).
Have Windows CD/DVD handy.
If System File Checker (sfc) finds any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD.
If sfc does not find any errors in Windows XP, it will simply quit, without any message.
In Vista you will receive the following message: “Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations”.
For Vista users ONLY: Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. You’ll see CBS.log file.
Usually, it’s pretty big file, so upload it to Flyupload, and post download link.
If you don’t have Windows CD….
This applies mostly to Windows XP, since Vista rarely requires use of its DVD while running “sfc”
Note This method will not necessarily work as well, as when using Windows CD, because not always ALL system files are backed up on your hard drive. Also, backed up files may be corrupted as well.
Go Start and then Run
type in regedit and click OK
Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
You will see various entries Values on the right hand side.
The one we want is called: SourcePath
It probably has an entry pointing to your CD-ROM drive, usually D and that is why it is asking for the XP CD.
All we need to do is change it to: C:
Now, double click the SourcePatch setting and a new box will pop up.
Change the drive letter from your CD drive to your root drive, usually C:
Close Registry Editor.
Now restart your computer and try sfc /scannow again!
My good news: if all goes according to plan, I think I’ve worked my last Sunday.
I helped out on a teen Confirmation retreat this past weekend. Many teens hit Confession, and there was plenty of Eucharistic Adoration. I overheard some of the teens saying they thought the retreat would, ahem, be a sub-par experience, but they ended up loving it.
Fr. Z., if the suggestion to run chkdsk /r is indeed a fix for the problem, please understand that theree is substantial cause for concern, as the integrity of your hard drive is in question. I should have added that note in my earlier reply, sorry.
Eek, w meyer. Internet connection has been troublesome for the past couple of weeks, and I wonder …
Sometimes, I click on the the little icon on the bottom bar for the connect info, and click connect again.
Sometimes, I shut off the computer and router for a minute, then start up again.
Once and originally, it went to DOS, so the cable people sonnected me to the OS people who sent me to the start menu while they did something from somewhere in the world.
Not fun and not such “good news”. Agree, there are other things over which to be overly concerned.
By the way, after the orig. fix-it phone call , the internet returned with no toolbars at the top, ie the file, edit, etc. buttons and also the favorites bar (which I found on the bottom in links) but the rest of saved favorites are gone with the button to click.
After day 1 (yesterday) of the Novena of Grace (in honor of St. Francis Xavier) I received what I needed most. In typical fashion, Jesus Christ just couldn’t wait to show how generous He is, I suppose. Thank you, Lord.
Other good news: pilgrimages, pilgrimages, pilgrimages.
I’ve confirmed and booked for a week long pilgrimage to EWTN in April and very much looking forward to it. Also, I’m planning a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the North American Jesuit Martyrs in Auriesville, New York sometime this Summer.
Furthermore, I’ve discovered that the United States of America has its very own “Lourdes”–a pilgrimage destination for healing–at El Santuario de Chimayo in Chimayo, New Mexico. Who knew? Instead of healing waters, this place is known for its healing “dirt”, dug from a site where a miraculous crucifix was discovered (the image being known as ‘Our Lord of Esquipulas’):
http://www.holypilgrim.us/Santuario.html#
Hopefully I can manage a visit this year.
It’s my birthday today!
In keeping with the topic of the post, I will refrain from mentioning my age :)
I was able to attend a Danielle Rose concert this weekend…simply beautiful! I’m convinced she doesn’t actually give concerts…she prays, and invites you into that prayer of music. And she gave me a hug!
Plus! Holy Hour for Vocations in La Crosse, WI tonight! It will be a beautiful time of prayer adoring our Lord!
My good news is… in my weakness God has given me peace.
My moderately autistic 9 year old son, Nicholas, took an older brother by the hand, led him to our beat-up old upright piano and asked him to show him to play. He learned, perfectly, three right-hand beginner pieces in two hours. Very proud of the little guy!
He is also learning his Catechism well enough that he has had his first confession (he came running out of the confessional, so happy, yelling, “I DID IT!!” ) and will receive his First Communion, the longing of his heart, in May.
His two favorite prayers are “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you. Amen.” and “O God, you are my Father, I love you. Amen.” These are the prayers I taught him when he was four and still unable to memorize the Hail Mary and Our Father, so we could pray a Rosary of sorts together. He knows many more prayers now, but these two are still his favorites.
I hope you find that very ‘good news’ today!
Well, I started to make some Mystic Monk coffee yesterday and I was completely out. :( I was so shocked. I thought I had more…
(Note to self: don’t ever run out of MM Coffee again.)
The good news is that I waited a bit and then had some Mystic Monk at the church coffee hour after mass, and then I ordered some more online.
Today after daily mass I had to stop by the local coffee house and buy some coffee beans to tide me over. It is good coffee, but it cannot hold a candle to Mystic Monk. I had not realized how superior MM was until today. Now I appreciate it all the more and I anxiously await it’s arrival!
Centristian: I’ve confirmed and booked for a week long pilgrimage to EWTN in April
Given your expressed interests, I assume you mean a Eucharistic pilgrimage including time at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville. Where the 7 am OF Mass is celebrated 365 days a year in the way you’ve often mentioned — ad orientem, Latinate, Gregorian chant, communion kneeling at the altar rail, etc. They say pilgrims who aren’t liturgy wonks often think they’ve attended a older form Latin Mass. But you will be able to see, perhaps, why the bishops won’t let this Mass be shown on EWTN, thinking it might confuse people. But for someone who’s attended it, it’s something to remember anytime you need a bit of good news.
My brother’s cat Misty has started walking again. More than a year ago she became paralyzed in her rear legs, apparently due to some sort of pressure on the spine. The vet thought that Misty would only last a few more weeks, but my brother took special care of her, supporting her by the midsection so that she could “walk” with her front paws. A month or two ago she started kicking with her back legs, and now she has actually managed to take up to 5 steps on her own. She’ll probably be able to walk properly again once her legs regain their strength.
PS (Shrine Mass). And, incidentally, followed by everyone kneeling to say the prayer to St. Michael.
After many years in waiting, my transfer to the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church sui iuris of Pittsburgh has gone through. I have been Byzantine in heart & mind since first attending the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 6 years ago, but am happy to now be “official” — & on the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, thank you , Lord!
Centristian: We also hope to visit the Shrine of the North American Martyrs one of these days! Our Isaac has a devotion to St. Isaac Jogues!
mamajen: Happy Birthday to you! May God grant you many years in health & happiness!
shanasfo: Congratulations on your son Nicholas making his first confession! What a blessing for this precious soul!
Our parish (FSSP) just concluded a traditional 40 Hours Devotion on Saturday morning. What a beautiful and grace-filled time. I’m grateful to our pastor for making this devotion available to us.
My son in law lost his job, but has an interview next week, right during the novena to St. Joseph. I am very optimistic.
I’m still job-hunting, but two weeks ago tomorrow I started a novena to St. Joseph about it. I was called last Wednesday to schedule an interview for Thursday. By Thursday afternoon, the prospective job had started a background check on me. On Friday, they called at least one of my references.
I don’t know if this quite qualifies as good news yet, but it is certainly looking hopeful! Thank you, St. Joseph!
We had a large weekend attendance including the seventh graders on their annual retreat who were at the 5 PM mass. Two extra servers who are not really “servers” but their two friends showed them what to do. It was great to have four servers. Had two very good pieces of input on the homily, one from a PhD. who is a language prof at a nearby state university. Giving all the credit to Grace (with a little boost from Pat Sanchez)! Also good responses to the alternate usage of the Apostles Creed, per the official rubric. Good attendance at all three masses. Relaxing Sunday afternoon with a long swim and dinner at home with Mom. Got totally caught up with work from my side job with the diocese. Just about a perfect weekend.
AND! The Bluebirds are BAAAACK! The Bluebird season will be long enough for three fledges this summer, I hope! I reckon a couple weeks and our tree swallows will be back also.
Had a wonderful happy day as family yesterday – considering our 3 girls are 15, 13 and 13, that is an amazing thing! Heard great homilies at Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday Mass, different churches and different homilists. And was able to sit out in the back yard and read for an hour.
My good news was discovering this site last week. I check it out daily for inspiration and historical background, a great resource for Lent. God bless you, Fr. Z.
My son has a job!! He starts today!!
Since my new office has terrible air circulation, it’s exceptionally hot and stuffy every day. I’m sooo thankful for this daily opportunity to be reminded of how much I loathe the heat, and therefore do not want to wind up in Hell. It also gives me the opportunity to offer up 36.25 hours/week of suffering for the souls in purgatory.
My parish has a priest! My parish has a priest!!!!
We were taken under the wing of another parish when our priest’s health issues forced his sudden resignation, and we’ve had eight different priests cycling through and taking care of us. The parish priest of the other parish “gave” us (on permanent loan) one of the priests stationed at the taking-care-of-us parish. And I’m *so* happy! I’d love it if this gentleman became our permanent priest.
I’m debating inviting the new priest over to dinner, to help him feel welcome. But then he’d have to come over for dinner, and my family is a bit….chaotic.
Another Latin Mass last Thursday at a liberal Filipino Jesuit University! DEO GRATIAS!
This afternooon I serendipidously obtained a “clacker” for Holy Thursday.
Lots of good news; I now have lots of suffering to offer up to our Lord. I had to go to the local OF Mass. It was not a pleasant experience.
My 12-year-old daughter’s Indoor soccer team, which I help coach, won first place in their division with their final game this weekend. Now to the Playoffs!
My eighteen year old son has not yet changed his mind about entering the seminary this fall.
We rescued a border collie, beagle , australian shepard mix puppy named Sophia and she is doing great with our Gigi. It’s puppy-time in our house again and we’re all smiling !
pax et bonum
Joan
Sorry, I forgot, my son-in-law found a job ! Deo gratius.
Joan
Sorry, I forgot, my son-in-law found a job ! Deo gratius.
Joan
Eldest son competed this past week in one of the largest speech & debate tournaments for home schoolers in the western region of the US this past week. His division was Novice Impromptu speech (surprise topic, 2 minutes prep time to give a 5-minute max speech sans notes). Against 200+ opponents in that division, he finished 5th place.
Since there were only about 5 Catholics in the sea of about 600 total competitors (ages 12-18 and predominantly Protestant), it’s an indication of only a micro-presence of Catholics seriously engaged in preparing for battle in the public square. So, it’s good news on a small scale and disappointing news on a larger one.
Our pastor told us about a national rally for religious freedom this coming March 23. The rally is open to and includes people of all faiths, which is great. He’s trying to get a group from our parish to go to Nearest Major City (about 2 hours away). I’m likely going.
Here’s a link from Catholic News Agency about it, FYI:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/national-rallies-seek-religious-freedom-restoration-on-march-23/
I am so hoping there’s enormous turnout among multiple faiths to give all of our elected leaders and clueless/in-denial fellow citizens a wake-up call and avert disaster in November. Obama is what he is and he’s only going to show his true colors much more and much worse in a 2nd term.
Will attend a Missa Cantata Iuxta Ritum Ordinis Praedicatorum on Wednesday March 7 at St Vincent Ferrer New York, God willing. Quite happy about it.
I went to Mass this Sunday and low and behold… The tabernacle was moved from under the statue of Jesus on the left of the altar to under the crucifix in the center of the altar AND there was a woman wearing a mantilla at Mass.
What a difference a few weeks makes…
The Rite of Election is but a few short hours away!
I think I am more excited about all the goings-on this Lent than I ever was at any graduation.
I attended my first Ignatian retreat of the Spiritual Exercises with the priests of Miles Christi this past weekend in Oceanside, CA. It was a great experience and my first confession in about 3 years. I am resolved to go to confession monthly from now on. Thank you, Father Z, for urging us all to go to confession more often.
@ReginaMarie
Thank you!
Picked up my son at the airport today after he had been deployed to Afghanistan with the Army for one year. He was a bit delayed getting out of country due to the rioting in Kabul, but he finally made it home safe and sound. God is good!
Good news: I have been working full-time for over a year now. Today I was able to figure out why a piece of equipment wasn’t functioning properly and was able to fix it by myself. My co-worker was very busy and I’m not sure if I would have been able to use the equipment today. I was then able to get most of my samples tested today.
I also saw some youngsters that I hadn’t seen for a long time and we had a great time together. Four year olds are great-they have answers for everything.
@Henry Edwards:
“Given your expressed interests, I assume you mean a Eucharistic pilgrimage including time at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville. Where the 7 am OF Mass is celebrated 365 days a year in the way you’ve often mentioned — ad orientem, Latinate, Gregorian chant, communion kneeling at the altar rail, etc. They say pilgrims who aren’t liturgy wonks often think they’ve attended a older form Latin Mass.”
Even more good news. I hardly expect I’ll have any desire to leave Hanceville after being spoiled by good liturgy day after day. Imagine it: the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite shown as much respect as the Extraordinary Form…for a change. So far I’ve only seen that on television or on YouTube. It seems so…incredible…that I’ll actually be able to experience it, finally. I’m 41 years old and this will be my first experience of the current Catholic Mass as it’s meant to be experienced. There’s something so tragic about that, isn’t there?
For someone like me who longs for traditional Catholic worship in the context of today’s liturgy, I know I’ll be heartbroken to leave and have to come home, where the only outlet for traditional Catholic worship is the Tridentine Mass. Traditionalist Catholics won’t like me for saying that but I’m afraid it’s just the way I see things: the Ordinary Form done right cannot help but have it all over the pre-Conciliar form in my book. I think I may just be in tears when I finally see it. And then when I come home I’ll be depressed, almost literally, for a month of Sundays. I’ll sigh whenever I hear ridiculous music or see a Eucharistic Minister at the Ordinary Form, and sigh again everytime the readings are read in Latin or the general intercessions don’t happen at the Extraordinary Form.
“And, incidentally, followed by everyone kneeling to say the prayer to St. Michael.”
Not to be confused with the Leonine Prayers, of course. You know what an eccentricity I entertain concerning their abolition. ;^) I suspect the prayer to the good Archangel occurs after the recessional, in any event. I’ll stay and pray it, though, Henry. And I’ll remember you every time I do (you already haunt my St. Michael prayers, in any event).
Learning a lot in my class on The Church. Especially interesting is how many concepts and ideas of our faith are held in the delicate tension of being “both-and” something or other. I’ve been able to understand more how I can be postabortive AND happy, a sinner AND holy, a bad Catholic AND a good Catholic.
“My moderately autistic 9 year old son, Nicholas, took an older brother by the hand, led him to our beat-up old upright piano and asked him to show him to play.”
That is wonderful news, and congratulations to your son on his first Confession and Communion as well!
My 16-year-old autistic daughter, while home from school today, insisted upon cutting her own hair (which had grown pretty shaggy and well below her shoulders) — and she actually did a pretty nice job of it. (It only needed a little cleanup trimming in the back when she finished.) She also baked a chocolate cake from a prepackaged mix with minimal supervision, which for her is quite an accomplishment.
The masterfully crafted crucifix which had originally graced the rear wall of the sanctuary of my parish church, only to be removed and moved to a side-wall by some misguided liturgist or former pastor, in the ’70’s or ’80’s perhaps, and replaced by a temporary-looking tapestry of the Risen Lord, has this month been returned to its wonted place, to the deep satisfaction of this poor churchmouse, who takes it as a welcome sign that the wreckavators’ ascendancy is over.
FloridaJoan says:
We rescued a border collie, beagle , australian shepard mix puppy named Sophia and she is doing great with our Gigi. It’s puppy-time in our house again and we’re all smiling !
Thank Heaven . . . for little dogs.
Our daughter is home from her year-long deployment to Afghanistan. Safe and sound.
@ Centristian: How wonderful that you are going to the Shrine in Hanceville! I went there in May 2005, and it was awesome! My jaw just fell open when I entered and saw all that beauty!
And you’re going to Auriesville in the summer, too! I live about an hour west from there! I try to visit it as many times as I can (and as cash-flow and gas prices permit). They’re pretty excited about this coming season, what with the October canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha! Do you know which summer month you are going to be there? If I knew in advance, it would be cool if we met!
@ mamajen: Happy Birthday to you, from one Upstate New Yorker to another!
My good news? Well, I don’t have any myself, but I did hear something unexpected on Sunday from the organist at our little TLM chapel: she might be going to the above-mentioned canonization in Rome! She’s super-devoted to Kateri Tekakwitha (the camp which she and her husband have in the Adirondacks is called ‘Camp Kateri’, and is full of ‘all things Kateri’), and her daughter, who works at the Catholic hospital here co-founded by the other Upstate New Yorker who will also be canonized, Blessed Marianne Cope, is planning on going with the Syracuse Diocesan pilgrimage! My friend is terrified of flying, but her daughter told her she get her something that will make her sleep during the flight! I was so happy to hear this news!
I wish I could go as well; but the only way I could make it would be if I hit a big prize in the lottery. But I will rejoice with my organist when she goes!
Bookworm: Great hair day and chocolate cake! A girl’s best-day-evah no matter what her ability! :)
Thank you for sharing your good news too! I know how hard our kids do struggle with some kinds of tasks and it is always great joy when they not only try do something new and unexpected, but do it well.
Regards to irish girl and mamajen from another upstate NYer! Centristian, Auriesville is beautiful in the summer and fall. I hope you have a lovely pilgrimage.
My good news is that I was able to attend a workshop on Getting the Most Out of the Extraordinary Form and it was an excellent introduction for me. It is a tremendous help in getting oriented. I now have a much better appreciation for not just the EF but the NO as well.
Well, I’m aspiring with the Lafayette Carmelites, and I was just told by the vocation directress that I can go on a live-in! This is even more amazing because they are papal enclosure so they don’t let every other discerner stay with them. I’m so friggin excited!! Contemplatives FTW!!!