Sin, mortal and venial, confession, confession, confession!
And: an amusing story about the good padre’s avoidance of dentists for 20 years (helped by a viewing of the film Marathon Man) and how the priest in the confessional is most happy to receive the penitent.
And then: Go to confession!
(St. John the Beloved, McLean, VA, noon TLM, Fr. McAfee.)
“Something…something…something…” (baby behind me crying loudly) Main point was that our possessions are on loan to us, as all good things come from God. We need to strive for eternity, not spend our time obsessed over accumulating more money, more things which will not be useful to us in our next lives. Also that while it is all right to have a modest number of possessions, it is how we use them that matters, and how we share what we have with others.
If we line up everyone here, from the richest to the poorest … Most people think they would fit in the middle. If you really are in the middle, as you think you are, to whom will you pay more attention? To the poorer? Or do you look to follow the “rich and aimless”? It was a good line and made the point memorable.
I missed out because I was doing my weekly penance confined to the crying room, but we had the founder of Dominican Missionaries for the Deaf Apostolate and one of the brothers visiting our parish (website appears to be down at the moment). My oldest son was utterly fascinated that the priest could “talk with his hands” (it was his first time witnessing sign language). Hearing impairment is a cause near and dear to my heart, so I was really happy to learn that such a group exists. By the way, the mass was still done ad orientem.
I was actually stunned and surprised at a simple, short sermon about letting go of what’s materially holding us back from loving God as He should be loved and abandonment of materiality.
Father used a story of how some trap monkeys in the wild: they clear a large circle in the jungle of trees and brush, insert a transparent enclosure which has just enough room for a monkeys arm to reach inside and fill with bananas. The monkeys grasp and take a banana, and even though there is enough time for them to get away, they see the trappers coming, they will not let go of the banana which is preventing them from escaping (as their fist won’t exit the tube with the banana).
The question was: what was holding us back, what did we need to drop/give up/change. Note: NO Mass.
Have big eyes and ears for our Lord, but have a small mouth. I think he was talking about being charitable and knowledgeable in our wonderful faith, since it’s required from baptism.
In my Ordinary Form Masses, I preached about the Four Last things – death, judgment, hell and heaven (purgatory).
In my Extraordinary Form Mass, I preached about the house of God (Introit), the building that contains the Real Presence, the Mass and active participation.
How the vanities of the world should in some cases cause us to feel shame, how shame is just the manifestation of the virtue of humility, and how humility is merely us recognizing the world to be as God made it, not as we see it.
Our Pastor made an analogy using the reality shows on hoarding. We all want to protect ourselves by surrounding ourselves with things, achievements, accolades, even large circles of friends. These are not necessary. We often use them to hide our wounded natures from ourselves and others. God sees us as we really are. God’s eyes cut through our human vanity and expose our hearts to love that may feel like a raw wound, until we accept God’s love.
…..was extremely uplifted…..importance of Sacraments….and our priest kept quoting from the Council of Trent Catechism…..how about that!!!!!!!!!!
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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
Everyone, work to get this into your parish bulletins and diocesan papers.
The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds.
Matthew111 on Daily Rome Shot 867 – C…L…C: “Trick is to use your own pawn to gain time to catch black’s a6 is the best first move, this…”
BeatifyStickler on Daily Rome Shot 867 – C…L…C: “Awesome! Thank you, Father. Just in time for Christmas. My boys were watching other boys play chess after Mass just…”
Tony Pistilli on Daily Rome Shot 867 – C…L…C: “There is one candidates spots given based on total points accumulated from several tournaments across the year (the “Grand Chess…”
BeatifyStickler on Daily Rome Shot 867 – C…L…C: “I guess it’s time for my children and I to learn the game of chess. Any advice on a good…”
Not on Daily Rome Shot 866: “Another great and devout Catholic ball player, Roberto Clemente. In his first Radio interview, he knew his parents were listening…”
Charles E Flynn on Daily Rome Shot 866: “I ordered a copy of “Compendium of Sacramentals” for my newish pastor, who, unlike his predecessor, says valid masses, every…”
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"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
"Let us realize that this remark of Cicero (Brutus 37, 140) can be in a certain way referred to [young lay people]: 'It is not so much a matter of distinction to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.'" - St. John Paul II
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
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Sin, mortal and venial, confession, confession, confession!
And: an amusing story about the good padre’s avoidance of dentists for 20 years (helped by a viewing of the film Marathon Man) and how the priest in the confessional is most happy to receive the penitent.
And then: Go to confession!
(St. John the Beloved, McLean, VA, noon TLM, Fr. McAfee.)
“Something…something…something…” (baby behind me crying loudly) Main point was that our possessions are on loan to us, as all good things come from God. We need to strive for eternity, not spend our time obsessed over accumulating more money, more things which will not be useful to us in our next lives. Also that while it is all right to have a modest number of possessions, it is how we use them that matters, and how we share what we have with others.
If we line up everyone here, from the richest to the poorest … Most people think they would fit in the middle. If you really are in the middle, as you think you are, to whom will you pay more attention? To the poorer? Or do you look to follow the “rich and aimless”? It was a good line and made the point memorable.
I missed out because I was
doing my weekly penanceconfined to the crying room, but we had the founder of Dominican Missionaries for the Deaf Apostolate and one of the brothers visiting our parish (website appears to be down at the moment). My oldest son was utterly fascinated that the priest could “talk with his hands” (it was his first time witnessing sign language). Hearing impairment is a cause near and dear to my heart, so I was really happy to learn that such a group exists. By the way, the mass was still done ad orientem.I was actually stunned and surprised at a simple, short sermon about letting go of what’s materially holding us back from loving God as He should be loved and abandonment of materiality.
Father used a story of how some trap monkeys in the wild: they clear a large circle in the jungle of trees and brush, insert a transparent enclosure which has just enough room for a monkeys arm to reach inside and fill with bananas. The monkeys grasp and take a banana, and even though there is enough time for them to get away, they see the trappers coming, they will not let go of the banana which is preventing them from escaping (as their fist won’t exit the tube with the banana).
The question was: what was holding us back, what did we need to drop/give up/change. Note: NO Mass.
Have big eyes and ears for our Lord, but have a small mouth. I think he was talking about being charitable and knowledgeable in our wonderful faith, since it’s required from baptism.
In my Ordinary Form Masses, I preached about the Four Last things – death, judgment, hell and heaven (purgatory).
In my Extraordinary Form Mass, I preached about the house of God (Introit), the building that contains the Real Presence, the Mass and active participation.
How the vanities of the world should in some cases cause us to feel shame, how shame is just the manifestation of the virtue of humility, and how humility is merely us recognizing the world to be as God made it, not as we see it.
Our Pastor made an analogy using the reality shows on hoarding. We all want to protect ourselves by surrounding ourselves with things, achievements, accolades, even large circles of friends. These are not necessary. We often use them to hide our wounded natures from ourselves and others. God sees us as we really are. God’s eyes cut through our human vanity and expose our hearts to love that may feel like a raw wound, until we accept God’s love.
…..was extremely uplifted…..importance of Sacraments….and our priest kept quoting from the Council of Trent Catechism…..how about that!!!!!!!!!!