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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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(Yay! I was hoping you’d ask this!)
We heard yesterday (and I’m sure will again today,) in his discussion on how our families should be holy, like the Holy Family,
“And if you are married and using contraception… STOP IT! If you are not married, then don’t start! You will NEVER be a holy family if you are doing that!”
Father posed the question of why ask for intercession from the Blessed Virgin when we can go straight to God. He answered that a mother will always drop everything to help and protect her children. It’s in her nature. She will gladly drop everything to help us time and again to find her Son.
The world’s definition of marriage fails. We can have a commitment to a club, sports team or to the animals on our farm, but that isn’t marriage. It is centered on self, what does it do for me. When one spouse no longer makes me happy, I move on to the next. This is marriage: “Marriage unites a man and a woman with each other, and the children born from their union.” It is a community of life and love. Marriage and family are the safe refuge of children. We have to defend and strengthen marriage and family through prayer, the Sacraments, TIME together and prayer, and did I say prayer. The Holy Family gives us the example of their selfless dedication to one another.
That all fathers (biological, adoptive and foster) should have the Magnanimity of heart and the strength of character to be like St. Joseph.
One of our deacons gave the homily. He carefully explained the Gospel text and made a point to note that Jesus private ministry lasted 30 years and His public ministry 3. He issued a challenge to us to keep that ratio in mind. If Christ with the most important “job” of all time kept a 10 to 1 balance, we should strive to keep our work/life balance more in line with His. This was one of the best homilies I have heard in a long time, expounding on the Gospel message while making a “relatable” point.
I was most pleased to hear our Deacon speak on how our modern society is tearing apart at the family, and how he – as a young man – went hunting, fired guns, etc. and never once wanted to use one to shoot a person (as he touched on the shootings in Connecticut a bit). He went on to talk about great evils as abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, same sex “marriage”, artificial contraception, etc. and even mentioned divorce among those evils (which very pleasantly surprised me). This particular deacon has been giving the best homilies of late among our priests & deacons. Deacons at our parish give the homily on the 3rd Sunday of the month, and any time there is a 5th Sunday (as is today).
Glad to see that there is a growing support for priests who speak out against contraception from the pulpit.
Our priest used the D word today in describing the attack on the family by fallen angels who chose to rebel against God. When the He saw that God would become Man and be born in a family, the DEVIL attacked families, and still continues to do so. Fr. took out the catechism and reminded the congregation that marriage means a husband, wife, and their children, and that’s it. No man-man or woman-woman “marriages” exist in God’s eyes.
I forgot to thank him for his homily. I think I’ll email him right now…..
Today our new pastor here at St. Nemo’s in Eastpond Village told us that Mary, this 13 year old found herself pregnant and without a husband. After the Holy Birth, Joseph was immediately told to flee into Egypt where the Holy Family were undocumented, illegal aliens.
Archdiocese of Los Angeles, you know.
great homily by the deacon: the main pts:, a. the family is being attacked by same sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia. b. The family must cultivate vocations, c. the father should be spiritual head of the household.
Father Tiffany told us that the greatest gift a mother can give to her children is to love their father; the greatest gift a father can give to his children is to love their mother.
On the Presentation of Our Lord in the temple and the tradition of presentation of a child for blessing. On the contrast between cultures where children are immediately presented for a blessing with the present secular times. One unfortunate aspect of the times is that often enough people wishing for a blessing or sacrament who present are unfamiliar with the practice of religion and so not only do not know customs nor recognize the church as holy ground. Our current culture is allergic to the practice of religion. Noting the prophetess Anna, who was an evangelizer, even in a culture wherein the custom and practice was to come to the temple. We need to be like Anna, who would tell all who would listen of the Lord, and especially in these times to our own families.
Father noted that we spend so much time voicing our own opinions and listening to ourselves talk, that we forget to be quiet and ponder things in our heart as Mary did. He suggested that we begin the new year with a resolution to make a daily examination of conscience, and he gave us practical advice as to how to go about it.
A meditation on that very beautiful introit Dum medium silentium.
Our pastor gave us an acronym for the word holy: H for humility before the Lord; O for obedience to the Lord’s will; L for love; and Y is yes as in Mary’s fiat.
Father taught that in addition to the Coming of Christ as a baby, a d the Coming of Christ at the end of the world, there is a third Coming: That of Christ into the heart of the faithful. As each person of faith develops. Id the, the presence of Christ grows.
The saints learned how to be happy.
Jesus Joseph and Mary helped each other Grow closer to God.
is what the young Priest tried to talk about
Merry Christmas
God bless Y’all
I thought this was fab…
http://jessicahof.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/marriage-and-family/
Father explained the presentation at the Temple, and how Simeon picked up baby Jesus (EF sermon). Told us that Mary and Joseph were so poor they could offer only to pigeons for their first son. Richer people would have sacrificed a calf or a bull. But they were not ashamed of their poverty for in front of god we are all equal. Then an interesting anecdote. In his previous diocesan parish the rich Gallo family (famous winery here in California) came to Mass together with their employees and service personnel. They all sat together on a couple of pews, no differences between rich and poor. Obviously our very Holy priest thinks the Gallos are good Catholics.
Pastoral letter from the Bishop of Portsmouth (UK… and clearly the Catholic one, not the Anglican one!). It’s not yet available online, as far as I can see, but after the introductory ‘niceness’ he proceeded to, gently, make two points:
1) Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was not just ‘some nice rabbi’ but the Very Word of God Incarnate. Yes, Jesus is fully God and fully Man. He even used the word ‘consubstantial,’ so there.
2) Humanae Vitae is, in fact, Catholic teaching. People, you’re expected to follow it. For those who have… slipped up… in the past, there’s this great gift God’s given us: Confession.
Monseigneur then proceeded to ask all families ‘whatever their composition or situation’ to try hard to reinforce their Catholic Identity, giving practical suggestions like… get this… praying the Joyful Mysteries every day during Christmastide, or smaller ideas such as making the Sign of the Cross on the way into or out of the house.
Deo gratias! for our new Ordinary, who appears to be a bishop who knows how to bish.
Precentrix, Catholic identity was also noted in a sermon at the church in Bayswater in a superb sermon on St. Stephen’s Day. The sermons in England are getting much better in the Westminster Diocese as well.
Fr. spoke about priorities and how, though Jesus WAS obedient to Mary and Joseph, He had His priorities in the same order we should- God first.