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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 read that we will be praying the Prayer to St. Michael after communion at all Masses at Mary Our Queen in Omaha, starting May 6th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAn7baRbhx4
My youngest made her First Holy Communion yesterday. Part way through Mass she leaned over with a smile and said “It’s almost time.” We had a wonderful dinner with family and friends. Great times!
Some very good news indeed! I have been asked to perform a heretofore unknown piano work by Mozart at the opening of a special exhibition on Music here in the Tirol. Some good friends of ours are the proprietors of a wonderful antique shop in a nearby village. Some months ago, they purchased a collection of scores from the estate of a local music teacher. They sent the collection to a Musicologist in Innsbruck for study and something caught her eye; a bound collection of handwritten scores. One of these had the name Giovane Wolfgango Mozart written at the top. Now, it is known that the only person who called Mozart by this name was Wolfgang’s Father, Leopold. The date of the work suggests that it was composed by Mozart when he was 10 or 11 years old. The Musicologist from Innsbruck sent copies of the work off to her colleagues in Salzburg and Vienna. These scholars confirmed that the short work for piano, an Allegro Molto, appears to indeed be composed by Mozart and has, to date, not appeared in any of the catalogues of the composer’s collected works. The score was not in Mozart’s hand; it had been apparently copied directly from the original score back in 1780 (that is, during Mozart’s lifetime) and somehow came into the possession of the music teacher here in the Tirol.
Yesterday’s dinner was one of the best meals I’ve ever cooked: lamb shank in the style of an osso buco. There are leftovers for lunch today too. Two modifications from the recipe as printed: (1) intentionally doubled the rosemary and (2) accidentally – and unnoticed until too late – substituded cardamom for coriander.
My good news is that the pastor of St. Agnes in Minnesota has been appointed Rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul. And he accepted!
Please see NLM.
Yesterday, we celebrated the 1st Anniversary of our Adoration Chapel.
Our eldest daughter was confirmed yesterday! :)
The newspaper, with reports of deadly accidents due to high rates of speed on waterways and roadways, writings about politicians having fun at dinner deriding those not having their kind of fun, and articles about high priced/ill conceived projects lying in waste, is folded up and ready for the recycle bin.
On Friday night, Juventutem Michigan, one of the first branches of Juventutem in North America, held our inaugural Sung Mass & social, at St. Josaphat, Detroit. More than 80 young adults attended the Mass and dinner. Pictures.
During dinner, we received the Letter of Archbishop Allen Vigneron, welcoming our efforts within the Metropolitan Archdiocese!
Our summer schedule:
Ascension Thursday, May 17th, Mass & Dinner at Old St. Patrick, Ann Arbor
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, Friday, June 15, Mass & Dinner at St. Josaphat, Detroit
Saturday evening, July 21st, Mass & Dinner at Sts. Cyril & Methodius, Sterling Heights.
At the end of August, we hope to send a Michigan chapter to the Marie Reine young adult pilgrimage.
Follow and RT: @Juventutem_MI
I got word last week that a certain pastor has been transferred. While that in and of itself is not great news, it does mean there is hope that an unjust exile will soon be at an end. If so (which I foresee), then there will be great and joyous celebrations across the whole of the land.
That is, in fact, the good news of today!
10 bags to the Goodwill this weekend!
and my college semester of part-time teaching ends on May 10th- which gives me time to help in the 10th anniversary celebration preparations for priest-husband
My youngest made his first communion last week. And, both our boys, who have great oppositional tendencies (Eastern European adoptees), have not contested my insistence that they receive Our Lord on the tongue. They do so reverently. They understand it’s not just what mom wants. It’s what God wants. And what God wants is even more important than what mom wants.
My Baronius Press Breviary was delivered last week !
pax et bonum
This weekend, for the first time in his being in our parish for almost five years, our fantastic, orthodox young pastor was wearing the traditional Roman “fiddleback” vestments! He also has read the Eucharistic prayer in Latin during the First Saturday Masses recently. I also noticed a few months back that he’s added six candles to the altar, three on either side of a crucifix placed in the center of the altar; isn’t that similar to how a TLM altar is set up? It’s giving me hope that more traditional touches are coming. Although he’s leaving on sabbatical (from which he might not return but rather be reassigned by our bishop) in a few months, I’d love to hope for even just one TLM service to show the younger part of the community what it’s about.
The other good news is that this wonderful priest, who has served tirelessly as the sole priest during most of his tenure here, is getting temporary but likely long-term assistance from another priest, a Dominican. The Dominican has been here before, and in keeping with the form of our parish, has said the Ordinary Form. But don’t Dominicans usually use their own traditional form of the Mass? I’m wondering if I have any hope here for even the Dominican rite of the TLM.
My highschool graduation is coming up on May 15.
Fr. McD in Macon is considering making all Saturday Vigil Masses ad orientum, and with kneelers available for Holy Communion!
My daughter, who is in her final year at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was baptized and confirmed there a year ago. This year, she spent Spring break going to Vatican City with her chaplain and a group of fellow cadets from the Academy.
Best news of all: On 16 May she graduates!
No, I must amend that. Graduation is not the best news, but it is the latest blessing.
I’ve just returned from a week-long pligrimage to EWTN in Irondale, AL, with the Missionary Franciscans of the Eternal Word, and to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL, where Mother Angelica and her Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration are located.
I was deeply impressed with the peace and joy that exuded from these wonderful Franciscans and which colored the entire atmosphere of both sites. Furthermore I was able to experience that which I regard as an ideal liturgical situation, particularly at the shrine in Hanceville, where Mass in the Ordinary Form is celebrated ad orientem, much of it in Latin, with a dignity and majesty normally reserved (for whatever unfathomable reason) for the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form.
The atmosphere was so completely positive, on the one hand devoid of any of the haughty or scolding characteristics sometimes experienced in traditionalist environments, and on the other hand bereft of any of the foolishness or irreverent worldliness that often goes hand in hand with a contemporary parish environment. The environment, instead, was characterized by a remarkable balance of quiet reverence and piety with a very naturally cheerful charity and hospitality. One could almost say that the thing which one was most sensible of, there, was…love. Genuine Christian love. It occurred to me that the Church should be everywhere as it is in these two places.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have experienced it and I only beg for the grace to be able to share it and to translate it, to some degree, in my own spheres of influence. Make me a channel…
My parish, St. Paul’s, just started a five day mission (Christ Our God Truth Incarnate) presented by one of the Fathers of Mercy , Father George McGinnis. He did a great homily and the mission has started off wonderfully!
Bishop Morlino gave the best homily yesterday at St Paul’s University Catholic Center at UW Madison, on priestly vocations in the likeness of Jesus the Beautiful, Brave, and Kind Shepherd, I wrote about it on my new blog: http://www.laetificatmadison.com/2012/04/beautiful-brave-and-kind-shepherd/
I have started the process of applying to the Diocese of Gaylord as a seminarian for the fall.
The father of my friend’s son-in-law broke his ankle in 3 places.
While this sounds like “bad” news, it was actually “good” because he had fallen 20 feet off a ladder and they thought both his legs were shattered. It’ll be a long recovery for him to get back to work, but not as bad as his wife and family thought.
Calling any well-versed, or not, Catholic apologists, especially you, Father! I have opened up a dialog with folks over at http://www.RichardDawkins.net in response to an article they published online that Michael Matt (The Remnant) had written about the Dawkins/Pell interview. I put my 2 cents in and now they’re bomblasting me with questions, and a few insults. I can take it but I’m not the best apologist for the Catholic faith. I’m being honest about that and just sharing, but I think this is a GREAT opportunity for perhaps others to chime in. Who knows, maybe it’ll lead to someone’s conversion. Anyone want to help me out? The direct link is: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/645746-richard-dawkins-has-a-point-your-eminence?page=4
Thanks for listening!
Elizabeth
Had a Mass with no Haugen or Haas music. (Elysium!). Came home and grilled fajitas for my birthday with my daughters where the adult daughter, who has been quite rebellious, participated in the prayer, spoke maturely and insightfully on several subjects. Praying with her was the greatest gift I could have had. The best birthday, ever.
Elizabeth: I went over to the site you linked with the intention of giving you a bit of support in the comments. But after reading some of the comments from atheists, the phrase that came to my mind was “pearls before swine”. Bless you for trying, but I didn’t get the feeling that there are too many on that site who are actually seeking truth.
Sissy, No, they aren’t seeking the truth, that’s for sure. But I guess I continued, maybe against my better judgement, because I used to be a non-believer. Most of them are certainly insulting and ignorant-sounding in their spews, but there are a couple commenters that are quite respectful. All things are possible for God ~ I’m living proof of that!
Elizabeth
Watched on EWTN a Lecture on the Roman Missal by Dr Trowney.
My son received his First Holy Communion on Saturday, and after six years of scapular-wearing, I was enrolled by my parish priest for the brown scapular of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel. (Other good thing, I cracked up my daughter by saying now Mary could protect me, since I had all the paperwork in order. She thinks that’s so funny.)
God Bless Peggy R. for adopting two boys from Eastern Europe. That is beautiful. At my parish there is a family that adopted three Polish siblings and they are a very beautiful family. They were all baptized together at mass a few years ago and there were many tears of joy. These boys are now among are finest altar servers.
We have Confirmation this coming weekend and First Communion the weekend after. About 50 in each class – the largest classes ever.
Also good news my sister was released from hospital and should have no further complications.
A dear friend is suffering lymphoma and prayers are requested.
I got to hold two babies yesterday. :)
FrJim:
Thank you for the kind words. (Our boys are natural brothers, which is wonderful for them!) Blessings on your communicants & confirmandi and may your sister heal soon.
Elizabeth: Kudos to you for trying to reach non-believers. I, too, was once lost in that kind of sad, ugly thought-process. Today, I appreciate the patience and kindness of those who tried to lead me to the light. I pray with you that the Gospel seed you sow might fall upon fertile soil!
My daughter received her First Holy Communion yesterday. She surprised me and took communion on the tongue. Everyone in our family receives in the hand as did all of her classmates. Only two people in our whole parish regularly receive on the tongue. I told her I was proud of her but was wondering what made her decide to receive on the tongue. She said “I just think it is right that way.”
frjim:
Wonderful to hear the good news about your sister. As to your friend with lymphoma, very sorry to hear it. After I recite Compline I always pray to the Divine Physician for the sick and suffering, with special appeals to St. Luke, Cosmas and Damian, Camillus de Lellis, and Martin de Porres. I’ve written down your intention and put it on top of my Christian Prayer so as to remember to pray for your friend tonight. I’ll pray for you too. Maybe, if you read this, you could offer one for me. I have some health issues, myself.
Friday night I saw Pat Boone perform, met him after, and got his autograph. Walking on air!
AdTrinit…There is nothing as sweet in life as holding a baby.
Mom2301….beautiful story.
Father, I have been Blogging sinceJuly 2008, and using Clustermaps since February 2011, it took me 10 Months to reach 20,000 Visitors and now I have just achieved the second 20,000 Visitors in only 4 Months. That is my GOOD NEWS made all the more pleasing by the wide global spread of the Visitors God Bless them. It is good to be able to present an orthodox view from Australia and to get a good response. God is kind indeed.
Our oldest son’s Eagle Project (a carport for our priests at the rectory) is almost complete after 4 years in planning, fundraising, permitting, and building. Only roofing and staining remain. He announced yesterday that he will accept a scholarship offer and attend the University of Notre Dame. He will be a blessing to the campus and to his classmates, we will miss him.
Three protestant friends have inquired this week about the teachings of the Catholic Church. One who attended daily Mass with us expressed great excitement over teachings in John 6 (read at daily Mass last week).
God is so good!
I am enjoying a cup of Pascha Java; it is SO good!
And it’s May, Mary’s month. What could be better!
My clients behaved themselves over the weekend…as far as I know, thus I was able to have a productive Monday doing paperwork that’s late from last week’s nightmare.
Last night we attended a magnificent high Mass in Kendall Park NJ, in commemoration of the 1st anniversary of the beatification of Bl. John Paul II.
The Principal Celebrant was Msgr Stanislaw Oder, promoter of the cause of JP II’s sainthood.
N.B.: while incensing the altar, Msgr Oder didn’t ‘clink’ the thurifer. The Deacon – yes. Could this be an American tradition?
Visited Canterbury Cathedral and prayed at the place of St. Thomas Becket’s death. So cool. Also, visited St. Dunstan’s where some of the relics of St. Thomas More are and the beautiful American window. Sadly, one cannot see the relics, as the crypt is no longer opened as it was last time I was there so 19 years ago, or so…Lovely day, yesterday.