I’m once again rising to a beautiful day! How ’bout you?
About this blog…
“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
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
This REALLY helps! And it’s great coffee (and tea)
Polls
Loading ...Donate using VENMO
CLICK and say your daily offerings!
A Daily Prayer for Priests
Do you have a faithful Catholic website that needs competent and reliable tech support?
Fr. Z’s VOICEMAIL
Nota bene: I do not answer these numbers or this Skype address. You won't get me "live". I check for messages regularly.
WDTPRS
020 8133 4535
651-447-6265YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
on Daily Rome Shot 236: “I’m just glad they put those little yellow thingies to the sides of the archway! Then again….it IS Rome. When…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “acardnal: Good point about power. Batteries and a solar panel recharger are helpful. Here’s a review from Jim Rawles’ site…”
on Daily Rome Shot 236: “Ah Santa Cecilia… my old stomping ground. I learned “Italian” in those streets.”
on Daily Rome Shot 236: “Dear Father Z, Just arrived in Rome today and went to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere where a Benedictine nun was…”
on ASK FATHER: The priest only said, “I absolve you from your sins”. Is that sufficient for a valid absolution?: “I live close to the border of two Dioceses and so at times go to confession in both Dioceses, depending…”
on Fr. Angel Sotelo – RIP: “Praying for him. Hopefully every friend or acquaintance we lose on earth means one more friend in heaven/Purgatory, praying for…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “As an Eagle Scout, I prefer to be prepared. That includes keeping some things (lights, radios, etc) on when everything…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “acardnal: What a find that site was, huh? I don’t even remember how I originally came across it. I recently…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “YouCanCallMeBetty: Audio Sancto. Wow! I used to go there all the time to listen to Christian material. Is it still…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “I think less of preparing for TEOTWAWKI (at least in physical rather than spiritual terms) and more for shorter term…”
on 2 August: St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor “Zelantissimus” … who bilocated: “I write this after reading a letter from the desk of our pastor delivering the sting of a holy devotion…”
on “Blessed are the PACE makers.” Make A Plan for Family Communications:: “I watched the video and it’s a bit overwhelming. How much can we really prepare and how do we know…”
on Fr. Angel Sotelo – RIP: “Amen, amen, oh, I feel so sad. Tomorrow’s rosary for the repose of his soul. My sincere condolences to you…”
I use this when I travel both in these USA and abroad. Very useful. Fast enough for Zoom. I connect my DMR (ham radio) through it. If you use my link, they give me more data. A GREAT back up.
This blog has to earn its keep!
PLEASE subscribe via PayPal if it is useful.
That way I have steady income I can plan on, and you wind up regularly on my list of benefactors for whom I pray and for whom I periodically say Holy Mass.
In view of the rapidly changing challenges I now face, I would like to add more $10/month subscribers. Will you please help?
For a one time donation...
Yes, Fr. Z is taking ads…
Be a “Zed-Head”!
CHALLENGE COINS!
My "challenge coin" for my 25th anniversary of ordination in 2016.
Want one? I do exchanges with military and LEOs, etc.
PLEASE RESPOND. Pretty pleeeease?
Loading ...This is really useful when travelling… and also when you aren’t and you need backup internet NOW! I use this for my DMR “Zednet” hotspot when I’m mobile. It’s a ham radio thing.
If you travel internationally, this is a super useful gizmo for your mobile internet data. I use one. If you get one through my link, I get data rewards.
WDTPRS POLL
Loading ...Fr. Z’s stuff is everywhere
Help support Fr. Z’s Gospel of Life work at no cost to you. Do you need a Real Estate Agent? Calling these people is the FIRST thing you should do!
They find you a pro-life agent in your area who commits to giving a portion of the fee to a pro-life group!
GREAT causes to support
Help Monks in Wyoming (coffee – UPDATED LINK) and Norcia (beer) and the wonderful "Soap Sisters" of Summit, NJ!
Please follow me on Twitter!
Ha ha..where I come from..in Sri Lanka…the elephant’s eyes are taller than corn stalks……
But their trumpet can grab everything…
Trump..trump…trump…
Does corn grow like that in Oklahoma? Looks more like Iowa corn to me….
Ptk, you’re right. OK is in the wheat belt. That looks like corn belt corn. Corn belt is iowa to Ohio. Another illustration of how city people view the rural areas, they’re all the same, right?
Maybe I am wrong, but my guess is that prayer warriors throughout the USA just got a very big boost in morale. Prayer works! Things can change!
This is not only a political but a huge cultural about-face. Several soul-crushing juggernauts just came to a grinding halt and are wondering if they have a future.
For myself I am praying that a certain larger than life businessman has a very public conversion to Jesus Christ and his Church, that he returns to his first wife, that he sets a magnificent example for the whole country and goes down in history as St. Donald.
How beautiful is it? This beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bWyhj7siEY
(Zip a Dee Doo Dah)
and for the blue states: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLkp_Dx6VdI
(A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down)
I don’t want to sound negative, but right now it is really hard for so many of us in the thick of those who are freaking out, hand wringing, and ramping up the rhetoric. I have actually gone deeper underground than I was before the election because haters gonna hate (and they are completely unhinged presently).
Advice, Father, for us in the trenches? I feel like I didn’t even get a minute to savor this victory before I endured the eye-roll inducing drama that was yesterday at work (“c”atholic higher education- God help me–reports in that grief counseling was set up for students and faculty, prayer service scheduled, first one since 9-11, faculty and administration running around like their hair is on fire). I also have this nagging instinct that ole scratch is particularly angry and that we are all in for a bit of a beating as a result. I will be keeping my nose clean and staying close to the sacraments because I think we are in for some rough times, and I have advised my family to do the same. Please, someone, convince me I am wrong and I will enjoy my glass of schadenfreude and move forward.
I’ve received mail from the student counseling center offering help, mandalas and mindfulness for the special snowflakes who are oh so traumatized. I suspect I am the only person in my department who voted for Trump and I keep my mouth shut. I am also going to double down on the prayers since I think the evil one is ready to sow even more discord.
I am going to have to cut back on Facebook, all the people that are sick to their stomach because Trump is emotionally unstable and will start WW III, as if they are able to clinically diagnose him after watching some propaganda shots on national TV (I always thought Clinton was the one to be more likely to be unstable but then I have no clinical knowledge either).
the snowflakes appear to have figured out that they can riot too.
I’m singing The Te Deum and Non Nobis:
Still feeling like the first minute of this video . . .
https://youtu.be/hPXXuEel0fU
JonPatrick,
My FB page is full of people who are insulting Trump and his followers. This includes younger members of my extended family. I unfortunately got into it with one of my nieces, who lives in MIchigan and was openly insulting to the Trump voters who put him over in that State. It’s where I grew up – she lives there too – and was appalled that she would openly be so contemptuous of her fellow Michiganders some of whom, I’m sure, have access to her FB page. The girl assumes that anyone she has “friended” thinks as she does politically. How’s that for living in a bubble? Apparently many FB users have come to view the site as their own personal “safe space” and God help those who don’t realize it. So tread on FB warily, my friends, and be prepared to lose some “friends” there if you stand up for what you believe.
BTW – The movie “Oklahoma” was filmed in Arizona.
Facebook is indeed interesting. I am seeing only a few hysterical postings because many of my FB friends are Catholics and I’ve not met them in person. I am judicious about what I post, using FB purposely to assert my Catholicism. I’ve found many a friend because of that. (We need to go the shortwave route for when “those times” arrive so we can stay in touch!)
I live in a liberal area and so my local FB friends (those I have met face to face) know me and I hope they respect me enough to consider my opinion. I try not to be too much “in your face” but I don’t pass up sharing a good article just because it might cause consternation to some of my local “friends”.
Masked Chicken,
On the chance you see this comment, I think 11/8/2016 was a pretty good test case as to why we don’t want to throw out the electoral college. Otherwise, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco will be the lords of the world, and we’d all be much less happier today.
Havin’ a fine day at work. All these musical video links are making it even finer. Thanks! (Nice touch with Henry V after Agincourt).
Had the election gone the other way, Clinton haters would have been as bad or worse. No?
The process worked! (Unless Trump was right and the election really was rigged.) Now our work is about loving others, especially the marginalized in our country. So we don’t turn into a nation of Trumps.
I think his promises were empty. But we’ll see. For myself, I think it’s a beautiful day because I’ve been fortunate to be alive for the Obama’s eight years in the White House, the leadership of Pope Francis in our Church and world, and the Cubs winning a World Series! I guess I can’t be greedy– 3 outta 4 is great!
AnnTherese wrote: “Had the election gone the other way, Clinton haters would have been as bad or worse. No?”
No.
Compare the immediate aftermaths of the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections. Michelle Malkin wrote a 2005 book titled, if I recall, “Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild.” In the last several days we have seen Trump supporters such as an 11-year old boy and high school girl beaten. Of course, you are aware of the rioting, arson, burning-in-effigy, and assaults on police, property, and passers-by. Also, apparently a mother is under investigation for allegedly throwing her young son out of the house for expressing a pro-Trump opinion.
Sure, there might have been an isolated and repulsive incident or two after 2008 and 2012. This week, however, there is organized lawlessness in multiple cities and towns, apparently funded by wealthy liberals, with a notable level of viciousness sustained over multiple nights. Ok, you see where this is going.
We can agree on the Chicago Cubs. And hopefully we can agree on the beauty, reverence, and necessity of the TLM- along with the profundity of Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum. Have a pleasant day.
Semper Gumby, we’re not on the same page about the TLM and SP. But I am happy that those who find this way of worshipping meaningful, have opportunities to do so.
AnnTherese wrote: “…we’re not on the same page about the TLM and SP. But I am happy that those who find this way of worshipping meaningful, have opportunities to do so.”
Thank you.
A couple of decades ago a Catholic author wrote: “Holy Mother Church is far bigger from the inside than it first appears from the outside.” I only noticed your comments several days ago, so perhaps you already know that that phrase can apply in a certain sense to Fr. Z’s blog. In addition to the events of the day, there are excellent posts, photos, audio files, and discussions on art, poetry, and music- along with the occasional brain-teaser that exercises the mind and refreshes the soul. For example, if you’re in the mood for history and a podcast check out “Mit Brennender Sorge” from the archives. As for me, I’m at the office this weekend, with Holy Mass this morning. No big deal for us working this schedule- sometimes there are semi-pressing matters that, these days, are routine.
Have a pleasant day.
Anntherese, an amusing remark was made in national review about all the rioting mormons in 2012, a car was spotted double parked in Provo and two young mormon men had their ties askew. Conservatives are much less likely to riot as they follow laws and rules.
Perhaps of interest:
http://donsurber.blogspot.nl/2016/11/catholics-elected-trump.html#more
His book apparently includes note of a selection of spontaneous instances of charity on the part of Mr. Trump.