What is your good news?

Has something great happened in your lives lately?

Let us know what it is. We could all use some positive, good news.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA. Bookmark the permalink.

46 Comments

  1. Andrearoseg says:

    My husband and I will be having a little boy early April and we will be naming him Pio Michael :) We both have a huge devotion to Padre Pio!

  2. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    Monthly Sung Vespers this past Sunday.

    Continuing to make progress on a new piece I’m composing: sub umbra illius.

    God continues to answer our prayers for material assistance, and to encourage us in our devotion to the Infant Jesus.

  3. AMTFisher says:

    Applied to University of St. Thomas/St. John Vianney Seminary for next Fall. Now just need the app accepted, pass the psych evaluation, write three essays, and then God/the bishop/SJV-willing, I will be one of the Diocese of Lansing’s new seminarians. Pray for me!

  4. JacobWall says:

    I started painting religious images. Last week I just finished my first one – Our Lady of Guadalupe. Last night I started the Holy Family. It’s a wonderful feeling to work on these images!

    (I’ve since added the stars to her cloak.)

  5. JacobWall says:

    I tried to include a link to the image, but it didn’t work, so I’ll try once more:

  6. Sonshine135 says:

    My oldest daughter was inappropriately touched by a close “family friend” two and a half years ago. Yesterday he was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Justice was served, and my daughter will likely never have to see his face again. The nightmare is over, and God is always very good to my family.

  7. MyBrokenFiat says:

    The Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philly had a beautiful exposition of relics – St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents. I went with my young son, Vincent, only 4. It was his first time at an exposition of relics.

    Best part, though, is that these particular relics were like a “fast one” God pulled on me. They were an answered prayer that I didn’t connect until blogging about the experience. Not only did I get a rose from St. Therese in answer to my prayers – she came, herself, to hand-deliver it. God is supremely good.

    http://www.mybrokenfiat.com/1/post/2013/11/relics-of-st-therese-of-lisieux.html

  8. Sonshine135 says:

    @JacobWall- Thank you for bringing such beauty into the world. You are very talented!

  9. Priam1184 says:

    My eyes opened this morning, my heart pumped blood, my lungs filled with air, and I was able to walk to the coffee maker… Deo gratias!

  10. Priam1184 says:

    God be with you AMTFisher. We need you in the fight.

  11. Elizabeth D says:

    So nice Jacob! I have been reflecting how more faithful Catholics need to become skilled in the arts and use those skills and talents.

    My parish didn’t get in on the Lighthouse Catholic Media buck-a-book deal for Scott Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home in time. The deadline came and the DRE forgot. I contacted Lighthouse and they were still willing to take a last min order for 100 copies in Spanish. DRE was thrilled! I had already ordered a case in English and a case in Spanish so in total we have 125 copies in Spanish and 25 in English. I am excited that this may really help form families in the Faith. Can you still order Rome Sweet Home, case of 25 for $25? Well maybe, you have nothing to lose if you contact them and ask: https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/buckabook

  12. jjjorge1 says:

    Today 9yr old son has a pre-op physical with surgeons who will remove his port. He was diagnosed with leukemia 3 1/2 years ago and we are at the end of his treatment. His last chemotherapy / lumbar puncture is next Tuesday. Then hopefully the following week his surgery . His cancer is in remission, he responded well to the chemo treatments.

    We have a more profound understanding of the value of suffering, God’s love and mercy, and a greater appreciation of all of our (7) children!!
    Praise God!!

  13. VexillaRegis says:

    I got a new job out of the blue! After years of prayers I’m now able to distance myself from a terrible work situation with a rude and very moody priest. Thank you so much for praying for me!

  14. downyduck says:

    My 14-year-old son will meet Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia-Siller, at his school tomorrow. I hope it is an inspiring experience for all of the kids

  15. Mike says:

    I am progressing in my new job as well as in my continued recovery from active alcoholism (845 days sober, by the grace of God) and from self-destructive online behaviors. My life is blessed with faithful spiritual direction and support. God is my rock and my fortress no matter my day-to-day struggles and difficulties.

  16. Ryan says:

    Tomorrow I commence Terminal Leave after nearly 10 years in the Navy to discern my vocation.

  17. MyBrokenFiat says:

    Ryan! Godspeed. Thank you for your service and best wishes as you discern your vocation. You’ll be in my prayers!

    <3

  18. ClavesCoelorum says:

    Saturday, the eve of the Ordinary Form’s Feast of Christ the King, I will receive three Sacraments: Penance, Confirmation and First Communion. I’m being received into the Catholic Church. :)

    Might I ask for prayers for a proper confession?

  19. yatzer says:

    All four of my children have well-paying jobs after a round where three were either laid-off or came close to losing their work.

  20. djc says:

    At mass the morning our priest talked about why the church shouldn’t and can’t go along with the healthcare mandate especially as it pertains to abortion and birth control. He tied all of this in with the first reading where Eleazar refused to eat pork. We get 50+ people at weekday mass and its really one of the nicest parts of my day—-and I usually have very pleasant days.

    djc

  21. churchlady says:

    Our first grandbaby is busy growing and developing, due to arrive in May!
    Last week, saw an ultrasound video (on a phone!) of a friend’s first grandbaby at just 11 weeks. That baby was scratching his (or her) face and kicking! And just to imagine that he (or she) is just around two inches. Amazing! Life is so, so beautiful.

  22. Bea says:

    AMTFisher
    Prayers going up for you.
    For you, too, Ryan. I’ve met priests with a military background, whose discipline made them excellent priests, especially with the right seminary training.

    Great Job, JacobWall.You could probably go into business making religious greeting cards.
    God has given you a gift.

  23. Nan says:

    @AMTFisher, Ryan and ClavesColeorum, prayers for you. For AMT and Claves, to St. John Vianney, for Ryan, in particular to Gabriel the Archangel, God’s messenger.

    Claves, no idea how well you know the saints; St. John Vianney is both patron saint of priests and spent an awful lot of time hearing confessions. Welcome home.

    My good news? Mass with a lovely auxiliary bishop this morning, learning of an application to SJV, discernment and a brand new Catholic.

  24. mamamagistra says:

    My son, along with twelve other youths, was just confirmed in the traditional rite by our beloved pastor in a glorious ceremony, followed by a High Mass in which the chant was heavenly. And although the archbishop was called away at nearly the eleventh hour by the Holy Father and could not be there, we were still very encouraged at his willingness to brush up on his Latin (from his altar boy days) to be able to administer the rite himself.

  25. S.Armaticus says:

    They say that if you eat your vegetables, say your prayers nightly, and root for Hulk Hogan (but only when he is wearing the yellow tights), good things will happen. That having been said, I would just like to add…” in the darndest places.

    Traveling in the eastern periferies of western civilization (Poland), I stopped by the local SSPX chapel this past Sunday. Low and behold, who do I see in the entrance procession but none other than the First Assistant to the Superior General himself, Father Nicholas Pfluger. Awesome homily ensued (the tieing in of the essense of the Gospels from the 4th, 5th and through to the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany just oozed with clearity with the usual high degree of Teutonic Ordnung), and Fr. Pfluger sang the Confiteor before Communion (it’s a SSPX thing, however it’s usually recited by the faithful) that was simply stunning. The man has a voice.

    And the piece de resistance was the lecture after the High Mass. The title of the lecture had to do with the Crisis and how the SSPX is handling it. From the smiles on the faces of the cleargy, I deduced that business is good. He went on to whack – mercifully, joyfully and gently as only Fr. Pfluger can, the modernists (Francis, JPII, Luther and Rahner, (especially Rahner) while acknowleging that BXVI wanted to stop the silliness but was outgunned.

    Summa summarum. Awesome experience. If anyone ever has the opportunity to hear Fr. Pfluger in person, I would highly recommend it. But before you go to a lecture, learn German. It’s worth the effort. :)

    I wrote a little more on Louie Verrecchio’s Harvesting blog in the comment section of the post titled “Episcopal Man Card – Revoked”.

  26. Mike says:

    After nearly a year of waiting the Diocese of Fort Worth has a new Bishop… Msgr. Michael Olson! Deo Gratias!
    http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/

  27. acricketchirps says:

    Andrearoseg: We also have a new baby b. Oct 31, baptism this weekend using the old rite. We should’ve called him Pio too… but (ahem!) not for that reason!

  28. frjim4321 says:

    My primary care physician has discontinued all medications since I have successfully brought two medical conditions completely under control through diet and exercise. Being medication free after ten years is wonderful!

  29. mamajen says:

    JacobWall,

    You are very talented! I have always wanted to paint religious images, but have been too chicken to try–people aren’t my strong suit. Have you heard about the Apocalypse Art Prize? You might consider entering (though the deadline is coming up soonish).

  30. e.davison49 says:

    My good news? You are being attacked on Patheos – again – and it makes no difference at all!

  31. Andrea Mary says:

    Beautiful, JacobWall! I love the colors. And it looks like we were in synch, as I just finished an Our Lady of Guadalupe scapular!

    God bless you, AMTFisher—my brother’s a seminarian (he’ll be ordained a Deacon this spring!). Also you, too, Ryan! And a very warm welcome to Claves!

    For myself, one thing I’m grateful for the Etsy shop I was able to (by the grace of God) start this year. It’s a little shop, but I’m so glad I have the opportunity to create things that glorify God and the Blessed Mother. If you’d like to check it out, please look up “StellaMarigoldArt” on Etsy.

    Here are some pictures:

    https://img0.etsystatic.com/033/1/8034541/il_570xN.527754336_r4r3.jpg
    https://img0.etsystatic.com/025/0/8034541/il_570xN.527754656_osa7.jpg

    https://img1.etsystatic.com/043/0/8034541/il_570xN.527816405_79ak.jpg

    https://img0.etsystatic.com/026/0/8034541/il_570xN.527772130_lgor.jpg

    https://img0.etsystatic.com/039/0/8034541/il_570xN.527728700_6q4m.jpg

    Thank you, Father Z, for reminding us to be grateful for the good things God has given us.

  32. Heather F says:

    Eight weeks after his abdominal cancer surgery, Fr. Michael “Catfish” Mireau of Edmonton, Canada, is doing great and eager to return to work! I posted a few prayer requests for him over the last couple of months, and I wanted to follow up with the good news. If I may be permitted to post a link to a video, here he is talking about how the cancer appears to be gone, at least for now:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li5ThegxOPs

  33. DavidR says:

    Ongoing recovery from a particularly virulent pneumonia of unknown etiology, which resulted in an eight-day hospitalization, and five weeks absence from my job. GOD is indeed very, very good.

  34. RafqasRoad says:

    Commenter #8 re your first time at an exposition of relics; Wonderful!! the first time experience of this sort of thing is profound and very moving – and so rare to find (or stumble into without prior knowledge as was my own case).

    to mike, congratulations!! May our heavenly Father continue to bless you with sobriety and strengthen you in your daily life as we forge ahead towards the cross of Christ.

    Commenter #19, welcome to Catholic Christianity!! I have prayed that your up coming first confession will be a good one. Fear not, though, the process can take time; it has taken me nearly two years to work through a raft of things with excellent confessors who have trod the path with me along the way. Welcome, welcome, and welcome again!!

    Fr Jim4321, congratulations for your beating the meds!! it takes hard work and at times iron willpower to enact the changes in our lives to undo long-term diet/lifestyle health issues. good work. And for those with type I diabetes etc. who will need the meds throughout their lifetimes, may our heavenly Father protect your health and strengthen you also.

    My good news; a fantastic little NO parish about 15 minutes from my current home which is open 24 hours for adoration, has fabulous NO mass every day, sometimes twice a day, public rosary, CDM, Tuesday vespers and exposition. Pray for Fr. Slattery who shepherds this amazing little congregation – for Sydney readers, this church has night vigil every first Friday/into the early hours of ‘first Saturday’ though I’ve never been able to attend this. he’s an excellent confessor as well and is the first priest who pulled me up on a eucharist reception error on my part last night at mass; nobody had ever pulled me up on it before, not even other ‘good priests’. I feel like a bit of a dill, but he’s a good, loving Fr. and I know now (feel very sheepish and like a bit of an idiot), but our Lord is loving and wants us to grow in faith and truth…

    My good news!! I am through my B.theol!!!!!! and have submitted my application for honours to be studied over the next two years; my focus will be upon Liturgy and blindness/vision impairment, liturgy and autism, and the big thesis will focus upon liturgy and music, particularly the sacred music of the English late 19th to early 20th century from Arthur Sullivan’s sacred works and hymns through Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Parry, Howells, Dark, Britton and Taverner. (exscuse spelling).
    My three mass types will be the Maronite rite, EF (though I may need to switch to OF) and Anglican Ordinariate mass. form for the major thesis.

    Oh, and John Rutter!! More howells, parry, Dark, Taverner and Rutter please, music directors!! especially the former’s absolutely breathtaking sung/chanted psalm settings!!

    finally, please pray for my husband who may be developing glaucoma in one of his eyes, has to go back to the optometrist next week, and for god to heal a suspicious soft tissue growth on his upper leg the size of an egg; it may be a benign cist, but it may be something worse and rather dangerous also; please pray for his health and full healing, and for the doctors to do right by him this afternoon Aus Eastern summer time). All this and we move 2.5 hours south next week! pray for this also please.

    Love and God’s blessings to all of you including the good Fr. Z!!

    Aussie Maronite, soon to be South Coast Catholic.

  35. majuscule says:

    A weekday Latin Mass will be scheduled for our church in December. Just the one time for now, but it’s a start!

  36. majuscule says:

    Andrea Mary

    The scapulars are beautiful! Thank you for posting the links.

  37. Dr. Edward Peters says:

    Thom had a good first day in O.P. rehab.

  38. Andrea Mary says:

    Thank you, majuscle!

  39. Matt8006 says:

    Our first child, our baby boy Liam, has been washed of original sin, claimed by Christ, shares in the divine life of the Blessed Trinity, and is a member of Holy Mother Church. Liam was baptized on Sunday. I can’t stop smiling! I’m a proud papa.

  40. LaxMom25 says:

    My oldest son was recognized by Catholic Athletes for Christ for its High School Athlete Award. The award ceremony included remarks by The beloved Bishop Paprocki ( he’s the Episcopal Chairman of CAC) on the value of sports in cultivation of virtue and faith. The Bishop has written a book, “Holy Goals” on this subject. Then we listened to a very inspiring acceptance speech by a transitional deacon who was the recipient of the CAC annual award and who shared his vocation story. We were so blessed to be there, in the midst of heroic holiness. My hope is renewed.

  41. LaxMom25 says:

    Thank you all so much for sharing your good news. I am prone to despondence, but your posts give me hope. Thank you, Father, for this forum and for your blog.

  42. JonPatrick says:

    S.Armaticus if Fr. Pfluger can so readily lump Francis and JP2 with Luther and Rahner and not see the differences between them, that explains a lot as to why the FSSPX is in the situation it is in.

    For my own good news, my son has accepted a new job that will move him closer to his goal of working in IT, and we have finally found new tenants for our house in Mass.

    Earlier this month our parish held a mission for Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The turnout was impressive, the church was packed every night. Basically in the Enthronement the family is placed under Jesus as our head of the home. A picture of the Sacred Heart blessed by a priest is placed in a prominent location in the home and the family makes an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart. I hope this will be something to strengthen the families in our community here.

  43. Joseph-Mary says:

    Have been on retreat and able to visit with my spiritual father: what a great blessing!

  44. MarkG says:

    As someone mentioned, the Diocese of Fort Worth finally has a Bishop-Elect Michael Olson.
    He’s a very nice man, and although he celebrates the new Mass, he’s said to be friendly to traditionalists.
    If I’m not mistaken, when he was at St Michael the Archangel in Bedford, just after his ordination, he used to wear traditional style vestments, use the traditional Chalice veil, and I think wore the biretta (someone correct me if I’m wrong or mixing him up with another priest)
    The seminary he is over is very close to the FSSP parish in Irving (Dallas), and I know the some seminary students have said they were encouraged (not sure by whom) to attend a few TLMs to have some familiarity.
    Here are some pictures of his first Mass as Bishop-Elect. Not too bad for new Mass, although not as nice as a TLM.
    http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/11/19/5352085/new-bishop-of-catholic-diocese.html

  45. Suburbanbanshee says:

    My current temp job continues to be unbelievably good, and there’s a good chance that we temps will be hired on permanently (although we’ll have to apply). Thanks again for everybody’s prayers!

Comments are closed.