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Ascension here.
Openness to God’s will and Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
New Novus Ordo parish with more families with young kids and some active young adults, overall attending mass. 5pm Saturday Mass, Novus Ordo. Population at Mass: Mostly elders, but a couple of families getting obligation out of the way and a few young adults. Priest’s strength: Relating main feast/solemnity or the Gospel to current world events and/or history.
My priest started by talking about the Ascension. Then started to go into how the secular world likes to attack our faith, stating it’s a bunch of nonsense events and pointless, lacking any sense or order. Disproved it with some apologetics on the issue of Pius XII and his treatement of Jews in the Holocaust. World says: He was a coward and supported Nazi Hitler in WWII and did nothing for the Jews. Further secular world support: Revered Williamson’s of the SSPX’s anti-semitic remarks about the Jews and how Benedict XVI lifted his excommunication. (The priest, however, did not say this bishop was part of the SSPX, nor that they were into canonical negotiations. Darn it! He was so close.) Went into how this stupid thought started with the play called the “Deputy” in the 60’s. Also mentioned that the rumours and such had KGB influence and were not true. Also mentioned overwhelming support by number of people (including leaders in the Jewish community) for Pius XII. Finally tied this apologetic into the central point of the Ascension: That our Catholic faith is one of Divine Revelation and Action, with a logical structured order, starting with the Incarnation, then the earthly life of Jesus, then his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, culmination with his Ascension to complete the cycle and show the Apostles and everyone … (something to the effect that there is eternal life in Him, to carry out his mission, and that He had to complete this for the faith?)
Now I know why I switched and has further solidified my happiness at my new Novus Ordo parish. Can’t wait to remove myself almost completely from my old one (just fininshing up a ministry there in August. Will only keep one ministry there during weekdays due to dire need for funeral servers).
Today I took the opportunity to visit the local Ukrainian Catholic church, where they were celebrating the memory of the Fathers of the first Council of Nicea.
In his homily, father discussed the errors of millenialism.
Ups, the most important thing is that yesterday Saturday 7 PM Mass was my children’s first one in preparation for their First Communion, in the Parish of Saint Pius X, Olivos, Argentina.The usually participate of Mass, but this was the first step by step explained. Splendid!
Hi Father, sent this in earlier message to Monsignor Pope. Seems appropriate on your site too. [Is this something about the Sermon you heard today?]
You said the”the Liturgist in me” would rather the once Holy Day of Obligation be celebrated on Thursday. Most of the laity would too, Father. Do the Bishops/Priests in our country think we are too weak to come to Church mid week. No wonder our Church is in a state of decline. Good leadership provides high expectations and goals. At one time we were made to memorize six Holydays of Obligation. Didn’t do me much good, as from year to year one can’t tell if they are or aren’t anymore. If we attend Mass on 52 Sundays and six Holydays that comes to 58 days, or amounts to about 16% of the years days. Are we at a point in our secularized and decadent society where attending Mass on 16% of the year is toooo much? Leaders/coaches who are great get their folks to do great things by asking for more from their teams/organizations. We have been being asked for less for many years in our once GREAT Church. We all need to look in the mirror to see the problem. I just did take a look and I’m willing to Do More and Sacrifice. Will some of our leadership do the same. Thanks!!
I voted “Other”, Sunday after Ascension, at EF. On Thursday I attended an OF Mass, but not Ascension Thurday Mass, just ordinary daily Mass. Both of these were in the same archdiocese. So even though I went to Mass Thursday and Sunday, I didn’t observe Ascension Day, strictly speaking. This bothers me — should I have gone to Novus Ordo on Sunday also so that I wouldn’t “miss” the holy day? (It wasn’t practical to get to the EF on Thursday, although at home I did read from my missal for EF Ascension Thursday.
Ascension Sunday for us in the OF. The New Evangelization was the homily topic.
I have a question. Our province uses Sunday to celebrate Ascension Thursday, and the EF is not normally celebrated during the week here, meaning EF attendees must go to Ascension Sunday Mass to meet the obligation. Is transferring the feast to Sunday on the old calender allowed? Also, which Mass propers and readings be used on Thursday, if transferring the EF feast is allowed?
I voted “Other”, and here’s why ~
In the Province of Baltimore of which the Diocese of Arlington is part, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. We went to Mass this morning expecting to celebrate the Ascension ~ especially after being told at Mass last week that Ascension Thursday was NOT a day of obligation in our diocese ~ but instead we were treated to the readings for the Seventh Sunday after Easter by one of our priests in residence. I feel deprived. I hope our parochial administrator says something to him later…
Also ~
I found the selection of the readings a bit odd because our priest used all the liturgical texts (collect, prayer for the offering, preface, etc.) for Ascension Thursday. Is it just I???
Because of FHC and high school graduation scheduling, we ended up at the 4:30 mass yesterday – we had Wednesday’s vigil on Saturday.
I voted “Other.” In the diocese of Madison the Ascension is transferred to this Sunday in the Novus Ordo/OF. However, I attended the EF TLM as I normally do on Sundays and the priest celebrated the First Sunday After Ascension which is in compliance with the EF calendar. So . . . technically I did not celebrate the Ascension unfortunately. What a mess!
@Abasham: “In his homily, father discussed the errors of millenialism.”
So, what are the “errors of millenialism”?
i did not attend my local parish today for mass i was away from home so attended a small parish st josephs i think it was,father spoke about the ascension and the huge task the apostles had after christ returned home, i remember a lovely little line he added was “nutritionists tell us that we are what we eat,if that is the case then we catholics should be the most spiritual of all people for we eat the flesh of the son of god” so true yet sadly not the case
Thankfully, the Province of Omaha, that is all of Nebraska, has stood firm, and today was the 7th Sunday of Easter.
Other – Sunday after Ascension. I went to Mass on Thursday for the Ascension itself. I’m blessed to be at an FSSP parish, but I confess I don’t know what the local diocese does.
I visited another parish last night, and my regular one today: both with the Thursday readings.
You could say that the first homily was about evangelization:
* Our mission is the same, whether we are single, married, priest or nun… “Go forth, and proclaim the gosple.”
* We are to live holy lives…. to be the example wherever we are.
* Sometimes we look around us and ask “Why do people do the things they’re doing/saying?” …we can become discouraged, but maybe it’s in those situations where we (as the example) are needed the most.
And today’s homily had one point that REALLY stuck with me: We are asked to be loyal, to be faithful, even if it means giving up someone we love.
I don’t have sermon notes. I do have an urgent prayer request. My step-son has turned 18. He was confirmed at age 12 at his request but the short version is its been doubtful and painful trying to keep him solidly Catholic. He does not live with us. Today is the last day we will see him before he moves 5 hours away, to live with his mother’s “pastor” and we are told go to university. He’s not dishonest but he’s not forthcoming either. So our hearts are wrenching- for his pending absence and more for our concern for the life of his soul. We’ve had all the talks. Ive been conscious of the need not only to love him as a stepmom but to love him as a Catholic. Please, everyone, pray for “Albert”.
Sunday after the ascension. Father preached that especially during ascensiontide we Christians should contemplate the things of heaven and especially how we might follow the path Christ has laid out for us and join him there.
@acardnal:
I would imagine this is what Abasham is referring to. If you are regularly at our Madison TLM, you have no doubt heard Fr. Isaac Mary preach about this heresy from time to time as well.
Ascension Sunday here in the Bahamas. Father (visiting from Haiti) gave an excellent homily on our own hoped-for ascension. He exhorted each to a regular examination of conscience, frequent confession, and to continually forgive the faults of others if we wish to follow our Lord.
I am praying for Albert, AnnAsher.
Father Zuhlsdorf, I apologize for not being more clear in my previous post. I referred to Monsignor Pope, he wrote a post on New Advent that I responded to this morning. To me, my response seemed to fit your post today, I just attached what I had sent earlier to Monsignor Pope. Hope this wasn’t contrary to a protocol you have on your wdtprs site. Thanks for the work you do here, Father. You are a breath of fresh air for all of us on our journey toward Our Lord. This confusion about the Ascension is totally unnecessary. Good leadership should be able to resolve this with little effort.
@mschu528:
I LOVE Fr. Isaac Mary Reylea’s homilies! I have some on CD. Unfortunately, he no longer wants his homilies recorded. (Why?) He does have some homilies available for listening to on the internet.
I should have been more specific above, I guess. I do know what millenialism is but I want to know what the priest in question said about it in his homily. I guess Abasham did not take notes. :-(
Thanks for the link though. I will listen to it.
Sunday after Ascension. Dominican rite. “Good stewards of the manifold grace of God,” from the Epistle. Comments on the sacrament of Confirmation, how it complements baptism and the necessity to become Soldiers of Christ as adults building on our initial baptism which made us children of God. Observation that although baptism may be administered in extremis by anyone, confirmation cannot. Looking forward now to the gifts of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.
A catechesis on relics; 3rd, 2nd and 1st class, their role and proper place in faith and devotion. The destiny of our bodies, as Catholics, in the final resurrection. There are no 1st class relics of Jesus as He already ascended bodily into heaven.
What hit me from the sermon today was related to evangelization and our own efforts towards that end. It was something like this – some people blame the Pope for the troubles in the Church- he’s too strict; some blame the Bishops – they aren’t strict enough; some blame the priests- the sermons are too long and boring. In the end though, we will each have to give an account to God for ourselves, and He isn’t really going to be too interested in listening to us go on about what others have or have not done, but what we ourselves have done to spread the message of Christ and His Church.
Today’s editorial in the Bulletin was excellent! Our Pastor/Parish Priest used it to remind everyone of appropriate dress, fasting, and not arriving late/leaving early.
Christ ascended up, so that we might go out. The same way he went out, is how he will return. Pajama pants should not be worn in public, especially not in grocery stores at 2:00 in the afternoon, for they bring shame and scandal upon the family of the person who sports them.
We had 7 children make their first Holy Communion today and in his homily Father reminded the children to be holy and their parents to show the children ” holy ” ( all part of going out into the world and preaching His gospel ) ! It brought the famous saying ” go out to the world and preach the gospel; use words if necessary ” to mind ! How better to learn “holy” than to witness it !
pax et bonum
The good deacon asked a simple question at the end of his homily…”Do you believe that the bread and wine transform into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ?”
Our diocese observes the Solemnity of the Ascension on Thursday. The EF Mass today was for Sunday after the Ascension. Another outstanding sermon from our pastor. The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is the only one because it was founded by Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body. Our Church has met with many trials and persecutions throughout history, and outlived it all. Today as well as then, She will be victorious. It was a long and moving sermon, delivered with tremendous love for the Church. Deo Gratias!
From reading the comments here it is sad to see the confusion and disappointment caused by changing the liturgical order. God proposes, man messes up.
Ann Asher I will remember your intentions in my prayer.
Attended SSPX chapel. Good sermon on Theological Virtues. Definition of Charity. We must love our neighbors, even if we don’t like them very much. This is a difficult concept, but we must strive every day to practice the virtue. Father ended by saying that with the approaching agreement between the Pope and the SSPX, many more Catholics will be coming to the SSPX chapel. They must be treated with Charity and made to feel genuinely welcome.
Sunday after the Ascension. (I was fortunate, living in New Jersey, to be able to celebrate the Ascension in both forms on Thursday and therefore to avoid both of this Sunday’s mythical creations.)
I unfortunately missed the sermon, due to having to remove from the church first my 5-year-old (for disciplinary reasons) and then my 4-year-old (for the call of nature). I am told our good curate preached on the need for a true spirit of evangelization to be cultivated among the laity, touching on the Novena to the Holy Ghost and relating the above to the gifts of the Holy Ghost that we all receive at Confirmation.
I’m away this weekend from my regular EF community, thus I attended the EF Mass in the city I’m in. I didn’t really understand what the priest was saying, as English isn’t his first language. I did manage to make out that it isn’t possible for us to miss Jesus and desire for his return as much as the apostles did.
BTW: If someone from the Latin Mass community in Calgary is reading this, could you please post your sermon notes for me?
Also, being from Canada, the CCCB transferred the Ascension Thursday obligation to Sunday. I heard it said that the feast day holy day of obligation was removed from the calendar in Canada. That’s not correct. The obligation is still there; it was just moved to another day which church attendance was already obligated.
The sermon was packed full of great stuff. The most interesting part:
Whenever the priest processes into the sanctuary for Mass, he represents Christ at his Ascension… going to the Father and bringing us with him. (Leading captives captive).
Sunday after Ascension in the EF here.
The homily was on the difference between Public and Private Revelation and our proper response to each, with emphasis on the Private. For which, Fr. stressed obedience to the designated authorities, rather than our own private judgement.
Ascension’s homily was on Jesus, as the First Fruit of the dead- the first human person in Heaven.
The heresy/mistake is “chiliasm”, because chili- is 1000 in Greek. (IIRC.) It’s a scriptural misinterpretation that’s hot, meaty, and still full of beans. :)
Our young priest preached passionately about how we are waiting for Pentecost today like the apostles and Our Lady did, and how we should all be willing to witness to the point of ridicule and death, that now is no time for cowardice, and that the greatest scandal is not seeing our neighbors as bad Christian witnesses, but seeing ourselves do less well representing Christ than He meant us to do. He told the story of a Chinese group of martyrs back in the day that burned to death in their church rather than walk out the doors over consecrated Hosts scattered in front of the doors by their persecutors. He challenged us to be ready to die like them.
He’s not the greatest public speaker; he rambles and gets tongue-tied, and he rivals our deacon for world’s greatest Spoonerisms. But it didn’t matter a bit today. People were glued to the homily. I hope he keeps improving like this.
The good deacon asked a simple question at the end of his homily…”Do you believe that the bread and wine transform into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ?”
“Transform” is not the right word. They do not “transform,” they “transubstantiate.”
Mass today was in the EF but was for the Ascension. It was a newly ordained priest’s first Mass!
I had half a rack of barbecue pork ribs for dinner–and they were good.
The priest visiting the parish I attend used the powerful phrase, “arithmetic of hell”, to describe a society that values people for what they can do rather than for who they are.
This being the 7th Sunday after Pascha, we celebrated the Sunday of Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. Ascension Liturgy was on Ascension Thursday. I’ve yet to see a Feast Day moved in the East.
Ascension Thursday Sunday here. How funny that sounds: Thursday Sunday. Thursday on a Sunday due to declining Ascension attendance during the week due to: what? nice Spring weather?
At the Traditional Mass I attended, we sort of had the Sunday after the Ascension. But the priest read the Ascension gospel, and doubled some of the propers by praying both the Sunday prayer and the Ascension prayer.
I went to two Masses today, because one of the cantors called in sick. So I went to the Ascension Thursday Sunday Mass at noon, and the homily was about how Jesus promised to be with us always even though He has ascended into heaven. The priest noted that Jesus is most present to us in the sacraments, and that it disturbs him that hardly anyone has used the priests’ emergency contact number for months. “I know you are sick, you are dying; call us. It’s what we’re here for. When you are dying, it’s just as important–more important!–to call a priest as it is to call a doctor.”
At 4pm, I attended Mass for Sunday in the Octave of the Ascension (Dominican Rite). I’m afraid to say that I don’t remember the homily very well. I was worrying about how the Communion chant was going to go (plight of a church musician).
Our sermons are never earth-shattering. Keeping awake is our problem.
But on a happy note.
The Spanish Mass priest gave our Parish Bookstore a plug and we were swamped with laypeople buying Spanish reading material.
It just goes to show how the direction of a priest is so much needed. All we need is a little word here and a little push there. We are starving for direction. “FEED US” our souls cry from the pews and all we get is sugar-coated air. Cotton Candy, anyone?
We celebrated the Feast of the Ascension, and the homily was on Pope Benedict’s Porta Fidei.
A Priest was Preaching about How He Started His Gym Apostolate by accident when His Old Friend who he had NOT seen for A Long Time shouted His Name to his embarrassment,as He was Trying to remain Anonymous in His Gym Clothes(He had to quiet her down for a while but she continued to Whisper his Name to each person)and the Next Day people flocked to Him for Confessions.
and He Connected It to His Point about that We Should Tell people about Jesus always and Everywhere.
Ascension Thursday Sunday, with First Holy Communion.
The priest gave a very good sermon (in my humble but correct opinion); Christ may not be with us in human form but he is with us sacramentally not just in the Church but in the Eucharist. How much more marvellous is it that he came not just once but continues to come to us again and again in the Eucharist.
Linked with this was as Jesus departed this world, the disciples were called to “step up to the plate” and preach the good news. So to we are called to do the same and strengthened by the Spirit to “step up to the plate” and spread the Gospel; this may not always be by preaching but can be by parents teaching their children the faith. Today we offten hear that the Church’s message is irrelevant in the world but we were all there, and particularly the children making their first holy communion, because our parents did not accept that but taught their children the faith.
I heard two homilies, one was my own; both for the Ascension.
Mine was about what we “get” in the Ascension–since Ascension often feels more like we lost something. My answer: we get three things: knowledge of where we’re headed–heaven; we get the Holy Spirit (i.e., the Lord said he had to leave so we could receive the Holy Spirit); and we get our mission. You can read it all here.
The second homily was at the first Mass of a newly ordained priest; the homilist was a seminary professor who provided good explanation of the Scriptures and the feast. He said several good things but I confess I was a little sleepy. (No good reason, I had an easy day.) But I recall him saying that instead of looking up, our focus should be “out”; and he cited the new priest and his example: Father is ready to go out in service of the Lord.