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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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“God desires that we participate in the very act by which we were saved”
“All of man’s desires are filled in Holy Mass”
A very good sermon by new young Polish Priest in Idaho :)
Went to m first ever EF Mass today, a Missa Cantata at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans’ St Michael the Archangel Chapel in Shreveport, LA. It was amazing. My wife enjoyed it too (she’s a new convert as of this year), even though she was initially fretting how our ten month old would act (he fell asleep).
The sermon was about sin. Father used the words sin and evil in the same sentence. Multiple times. He said sin wasn’t a character flaw, it wasn’t an indiscretion, it wasn’t a mistake – it was choosing evil over God. Sinning was rejecting God. By choice, and a dumb one too, because we can’t hide it from God.
It was well delivered, succinct, poignant and powerful. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a sermon.
I do think I tried a bit too hard to follow along with the Latin and should have just observed more. That’s okay though, I’ll have another opportunity. The only real problem is we are visiting family in Shreveport, and this wasn’t at home. The nearest EF Mass to home is 2.5 hours away, not a routinely easy drive with little man. I’ll have to find a way.
Something about sharing. I guess sharing is a good thing.
Excellent sermon, as usual from the Msgr. who is the PP. One extended point, that complaining is a huge sin, punished by God in the Old Testament. When Christ referred to the giving of manna in the desert, and when He pointed out that it was not Moses, but God Who gave the food, Christ was reminding the Jews to not seek material food, and to not complain or to be ungrateful for what God does give. Complaining and negativity are a lack of faith. We can miss what God is giving us by complaining about what it seems He is not.
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Fr. Richard Cipolla from St. Mary’s in Norwalk, CT, gave a fantastic sermon as usual about, among other things, we all must take the “new evangelization” seriously, including priest, who must prepare meaningful and edifying sermons!
EF, 10th after Pentecost:
The simple parable of the pharisee and the publican is a study in pride and humility.
Although we live in the middle of California, Canon is from the middle of Iowa, and so he taught us about gourds: they’re poisonous. Everything the juice of a gourd touches is spoiled, and in the same way, pride spoils any act.
( I confess that this is one of my favorite passages in the New Testament, and I was thrilled to hear it. I found that, from the Organ bench, I could not only hear, but also understand, even without the text in front of me.)
The Dominican who will be our interim pastor while our pastor is on sabbatical gave another fantastic sermon. We are so blessed to have him. Until our wonderful pastor leaves for sabbatical soon, what a joy and blessing it is to have both of them.
This time, his point from the readings was that anyone upon whom you depend will expect you to support them, to relinquish control of your life to them, and the God is the only one to whom we should depend upon. Just as we (generic “we”) have asked for universal healthcare coverage, we (faithful Catholic/Christian/pro-life “we,” lumped in with the generic “we”) are expected to abide by the HHS mandate, like it or not. He also said that the more government controls our lives, the more that religion is stifled. He knows of what he speaks, having lived in the UK for 25 years and lived with its universal healthcare and seeing that only 10% of UK Catholics practice at all.
He illustrated his point regarding prayer in schools, how from the start of our nation to 62, we had prayer in schools but that the control of the government over our individual lives, starting with the
RawNew Deal, gradually led to that. He ended by saying that we think that martyrdom for the Faith is a thing of the past, but we’ll likely see it in our lifetimes. I am certainly not repeating what he said with the clarity and finesse that he did, but believe me, it all made perfect sense.In terms of teaching the Faith and illustrating its relevancy, this priest is the best I’ve come across in being able to do so. He’s a credit to the Order of Preachers, in which he held a leadership position for a while. He’s able to transform his extensive travel experiences, excellent education and the Faith into messages that are relevant and in-line with Church teaching. I’ve learned so much from him. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, either. As he said at the close of one of his sermons, “Whoever said being a Christian was easy?”
Apparently, Jesus is like Buddha.
(visiting family– no other options for Mass)
Our deacon spoke about the readings and then said, in his studies of the Eucharist–he was struck by the apparitions of the Angel at Fatima prior to the visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, at the third apparition, bowed down low and presented the Eucharist to the children-the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—this I remembered, because he said the angel had access to God and heaven all the time, but presenting Him, in the Eucharist, prostrated himself–as should we.
And later, I realized–God WANTS us to be with Him, over and over again..
Dominican rite. 10th after Pent. The nature of grace and the difference between sanctifying grace and the charisms (graces) we may possess for the good of others. Examples too of these graces particularly where the gospel has been newly received, eg in India and the miracles that have followed it.
It was about five hundred degrees in the church, so Father told us how one of his mentors said that when it was blisteringly hot, the best thing to do for the congregation (who probably couldn’t concentrate anyhow) was not to waste our energy on a homily we wouldn’t process and instead make sure we could spend our energy focusing on the true miracle of the Eucharist and the presence of Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity. He said he wanted to make sure we could really focus on the miracle of the Eucharist, and therefore that was the entirety of his homily.
Father talked about the progress with the Brumidi mural over the altar, the new sound system, the need for new lighting, and money. Father told the story about how he had been used to being assigned to parishes where there was a community. When he got to Holy Innocents, there wasn’t any community. So he invited the EF community in. So now we have a community. After Mass, folders will be passed out. It’s time to pay for all these improvements….
Then he went on to preach about the Pharasee and the Publican, and how all of us judge others…. He gave an example from Ann Landers about judging people. It was short and effective.
The priests of my parish always have a good point in their sermons. Yesterdays was all about the Eucharist and why we call it that, what it means and why we should be grateful to partake. Father was quite explicit that belief in the Eucharist as the real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely crucial and necessary to be a Catholic.
A side point to Father’s sermon:
Our world has become so bizarre, that today Christ might have to intervene to stop a crowd of haughty adulterers from stoning a Pharisee.
EF Mass, parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. Father gave a good homily on sin, pride and humility, and how with out true sorrow for your sin you cannot be forgiven. It was a great sermon as usual. ( Although Father doesn’t know me, I think he was speaking to me. )
Our Dominican Retreat Master: stop looking down, save some time every day for meditation, while meditating put all that affects you on the side, do not engage in “navel gazing”, listen to God, then go out evangelize and share with others in charity and hope and in all be the example of Faith.
Our visiting priest gave us so much that I actually wrote a fan-girl blog about it.
http://www.mybrokenfiat.com/1/post/2012/08/squee-filled-homily.html
Seriously – God bless priests like this. To boldly teach us of the Real Presence, and to boldly demand that we receive Christ in a manner fitting His Kingship. Oh Heaven… how blessed was I to witness such a homily. It gave me such a feeling of hope that this sort of ardent love still exists in the priesthood.
Obviously I see it regularly from you, Father Z, but I admit it’s somethin’ else witnessing a priest on-fire during a Sunday Mass. My heart still leaps for joy thinking about it!
God certainly knows how to pick ’em!
Father talked about the Eucharist and the necessity for confession. Then he told us that some people come to confession after many, many years, confessing that their delay was due to anger with God for having taken away a loved one. Father tells them that God can handle their anger and help them convert it to faith. He counsels the penitents that they will see their loved ones again in 2 days, 2 months or 20 years (or so) if they remain faithful. In the meantime, they can share a meal with their loved ones at every Eucharist since those in heaven also eat the Bread of Heaven. That moved many of us to tears, especially people who suffered a recent loss. When people ask about a priest who is recently deceased, Father tells them he’s passed on, and now celebrates the heavenly liturgy.
During the historic Solemn High Mass mentioned in a previous WDTPRS post (D. of Springfield, MA) Fr. Fromageot , FSSP from Denton, Neb. gave a 50 minute homily (I know it was 50 minutes because the kid taping the Mass said so) relating the pharisee and the tax collector to the fallen angels, quoted a bit from Milton on pride, and then gave a brilliant discourse on Humanae Vitae, same-sex marriage and dissidents in the Church.
He wrapped it all up neatly, and I wanted to jump from my seat and applaud. Decorum won out, praise God, and I behaved myself.
The church was packed for this historic Mass, literally shoulder-to-shoulder in the pews. The diocesan camera crew was there, and I wondered how they would handle the homily. The kid who taped it intends to broadcast the entire sermon on local cable TV. Way to go, Joseph!
@Lynn – that’s incredibly poignant. What a blessed priest! What a blessed parish to claim him.
Thank you so much for sharing. <3
We are traveling and were blessed to visit St Mary in Kalamazoo, MI for their Noon EF Mass. The awesome sermon included: loving God for His own sake vs. giving Him gifts of sacrifices with ulterior motives (weight loss, fear of Hell; though those are good we should give God more). Remember we are a people in need of a Savior.