Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at the Mass for your Sunday (obligation or none), either live or on the internet? Let us know what it was.
Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
What was attendance like?
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I was getting reports that it was way up. But now COVID… again…. Tell me it doesn’t have a demonic component.
Was the Motu Proprio mentioned? Any local changes or news?
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Yes, he mentioned St. Bakhita and this quote, “If I was to meet those slave raiders that abducted me and those who tortured me, I’d kneel down to them to kiss their hands, because, if it had not have been for them, I would not have become a Christian and religious woman.” Then he spoke about being grateful. It was a wonderful sermon and had me in tears. Mass was crowded as it has been for a while now even though our previous pastor added a new mass during last year’s Covid lockdowns/social distancing etc, and never took it away. We have many new people moving to the area and new people from our town too. It’s a Fraternity parish.
Father discussed the virtue of gratitude and related it to the Greek meaning of ‘eucharistia” – thanksgiving. Our Christian life should be one of gratitude to the Lord and it should be reflected in our daily attitude. “You need to live with an Attitude of Gratitude.”
Fr preached on faith, it’s necessity, of how works proceeds from it, that good works do not supercede faith. Fr made particular mention of Churchmen eager to follow the projects of the United Godless Nations like second jabs, showing the damage done by the general loss of faith, even where people try to do good works.
Novus Ordo – Noon Mass – St. Joseph Parish, Downingtown, PA (Archdiocese of Philadelphia)
Our masses have not recovered from COVID. This Sunday was the official end of the Archdiocesan permission to skip mass but the numbers look to be the same to me. The music was dreadful, a complete wash of music written after 1970. Still, the homily was quite good: Fr. Stephen Leva explored “turning away because you didn’t hear what you wanted” and connected the Readings to the need to really listen to Church teaching.
We say the Prayer to St. Michael every mass and that seems to cap off a good Novus Ordo pretty well. Really, for all my critiques, I love my parish and there are so many good people in it that I don’t know where to start.
Today’s a good day.
FSSP parish. Overflowing as usual as of late.
Father spoke about the need for gratitude. As per St. Bernard of Clairvaux, ingratitude impedes God’s grace. How many times has God saved us from the leprosy of sin through confession? Which leper will we be like?
Novus Ordo mass. Attendance down significantly from previous weeks as pastor reinstated a mask requirement, got a lot of pushback, changed to requesting that masks be worn. Second reading was short form, thus skipping any mention of subordination of wives to husbands because I guess that is icky. Priest gave a homily based on, in part, the long form of the second reading being given. [Per my wife, the long form was to be read, but the female reader skipped it.] Opportunity missed. Again. I gave up my faith in the Catholic Church at that moment. I will not leave the Church because I always hear Peter’s voice at moments like these: Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.
I live in a diocese in which the bishop signed a letter to the USCCB requesting that reception of Communion by Catholic politicians not be DISCUSSED. The diocese covers half of the state and has one UA Mass on one day (Saturday morning at 0830) that is within an hour of where I live. My wife attends because she believes that Communion should be received on the tongue (which our bishop forbade and is currently not allowed) and does not receive in the hand. The bishop has formed a council of priests to review if this one priest can continue to celebrate UA Mass. I have little hope of success.
So, that was my Sunday.
I will start with the good news:
The permanent deacon at the reverent novus ordo I attend, spoke forcefully about the true meaning of the Eucharist and how it is abused by a majority of Catholics today. He hit it out of the park with his reference to St Paul and his teaching on eating the body of Christ unworthily and it’s effects.
The bad news:
No mention of the horrible traditio custodes but found out yesterday that an internal memo was sent to all priests from our bishop (diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) allowing the TLM in only 2 churches in our geographically large diocese. All other TLM public masses canceled and priests must apply to bishop for celebration of private TLM’s with not even a server allowed. The lack of charity towards faithful Catholics in this diocese is beyond disgusting, I have no other words.
(NO – Church-of-Nice-ish parish) Weird mix of good job tying the readings to the collect combined with a scary brush with heresy and no mention of the “you-knew-she-was-reading-the-short-version” of St. Paul’s discourse on husbands (and wives!). Joshua leads the people in declaring we are for the Lord, and just as Jesus calls us to believe in Him as Savior, to take ALL of the Truth, even the hard truth, we either declare we are for the Lord whole-heartedly or it is all a sham. The world will trip is up, will send us mixed signals, and tempt us to be “buffet Catholics” (I had always heard it as ‘cafeteria Catholics’ before, but I’ll concede a regional difference might exist between the desert Southwest and Father’s native Philippines). The people in the Gospel were like that, following Jesus when He says consoling things, helpful things, and provides a free (and was it also especially tasty?) lunch the day before the Bread of Life Discourse. But then He mentions a hard truth, they had to accept Him as Savior, and {DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!} it’s not like He actually meant they should become cannibals, cut Him up and serve Him over the meal or something, no, they had to accept His teaching of following Him as Savior.
Combine that with the absence of a processional Crucifix in the procession, the abolition of genuflection, and the elevation of the Gospels higher than the confected Blessed Sacrament, and I wonder if Father didn’t have a little Lutheran in his coffee this morning or something …
I’m at a diocesan parish in Alexandria, Virginia (Diocese of Arlington), where we have a Traditional High Mass in “prime time” (the third hour, of course). We’ve been more crowded than before the pandemic. The understanding is that our beloved bishop will apply Canon 87.1 full on. Aside from a genuine aspiration for the pastoral care of souls, he’s probably afraid we’ll revolt.
He’s probably right.
NO Parish in south central PA.
Lector read the full version. I was a little surprised, as having lived in the bible belt for a number of years, I usually only got the short version at the suburban parish I attended.
Homily was a gentile reminder to genuflect, be quiet before Mass (FINALLY!), go to confession, and bow before presenting oneself for communion.
For him, it was pretty brave but typical for him. He doesn’t like to rock the boat, but I do get the feeling he’s trying. I like him a lot for that.
Now, if only he’d end the stupid singing practice before Mass as well as the pre-Mass announcements (including “stand up and greet your neighbor”). Ugh. I need the silence. I guess I’ll have to get to Mass about 30 minutes early. Well worth it, though, to do.
Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Walton, KY – a most hospitable SSPX parish with a phenomenal school. Please pray for the priest (I don’t know his name) who nearly collapsed at the Sanctus and required being dragged away. A brother priest was able to resume to finish Mass.
Prior to that, Father spoke about specific mechanics and points in confession, especially faults of trads. The basic fundamentals were covered with an exhortation to not become obsessive in the confessional, especially if you have charge of children, as well as how to be concise, contrite, and other pointers on a great confession.
FSSP parish. Gospel of the 10 lepers. Father spoke of the need for continual repentance and penance. Quoted the Council of Trent ‘the life of a Christian should be one of perpetual penance’. Not that we should doubt the efficacy of Confession, but we should remember how great is the God that we have offended by our sin.
Tiny rural N.O parish.
Fr.’s homily was on the Gospel and Epistle. He talked about how hard it is to accept something that goes against everything you think you know, citing Plato’s Cave.
Sorry that he thought he had to soft-pedal the whole Epistle reading with the old “mutual submission” meme, though.
Attendance was down a little, but it is the end of summer. When all schools are in session, it will pick back up. Unless the Bp. does COVID mandates.
On the good front, we are now having Adoration once a week, with a second weekday Mass.
What enheartening reviews of masses and priests.
Yes covid is demonic.
Thanks be to God, satan’s antics always backfire.
Fear keeps people on their knees.
When we can’t depend upon ourselves, we find the need to rely on God.
even if it were just the sentence (and i am dead certain this is an exact quote): “You must choose between eternal life and eternal damnation” it would have been great, but he fleshed it out well too. Pointed out how we can so easily say that our Lord’s sayings are too hard for us to take and gave various examples more germane to contemporary circumstances. Slightly surprised to hear the “d” word used, but certainly not in a bad way.
Oh. this was NO at the Cathedral at 1030. Oh. and it was the deacon preaching because the celebrant was somewhat under the weather (it was visibly evident and he mentioned it during the announcements, apologizing for neither distributing communion nor greeting folks after Mass). Attendance wasn’t great (maybe 200 in a room that fits 800 by fire code), but i attribute that more to summer vacations more than to anything else.
saw a young lady wearing the rather incongruous combination of a chapel veil, a l0w-cut sleeveless blouse, and yoga pants.
FSSP parish, standing room only for the 8 am Mass and 10:30 Mass also full.
Since today is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary but superseded by the Sunday Mass, Father spoke about the Immaculate Heart and how to answer Protestants who denigrate Our Lady. Our Lord was devoted to His Mother and her Immaculate Heart, so devotion to the Immaculate Heart is in imitation of Him and in no way takes away from devotion to Our Lord.
TLM:Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, last day of Assumption octave. Beautiful overflowing Mass as usual. LOTS of babies. Father preached a great sermon on the Marian feasts and revelations at Fatima, Kibeho, Lourdes and Akita. I had no idea covid is still a thing.
Almost forgot–Father also mentioned that our Archbishop had published his final ruling regarding implementation of the motu proprio and that it was the most generous in allowing the TLM that he was aware of. All of the priests and parishes that previously celebrated the TLM will be able to continue without change and priests who haven’t been celebrating the TLM will be allowed to learn if they ask.
Diocesan TLM in Ontario, Canada. Father preached on gratitude ( Gospel was the 10 Lepers). In regard to the motu proprio, everything is in a holding pattern until the council of priests meeting in September. Not sure what will happen then. Seemed like more people than usual at the TLM. Almost every parish in our Diocese requires registration online to attend Mass because seating is limited due to Covid concerns, even though anyone who wanted the jab long ago had one and the number of covid cases is super low. So, we have masks and social distancing/restricted numbers even with everyone vaccinated that wants it. Sigh. I don’t think the numbers will bounce back after they lift all the restrictions. Enough folks have drifted away and likely won’t return. Hopefully, the Bishop won’t put the kibosh on the TLM in our diocese. Communion on the tongue has been banned since the beginning of the pandemic and I’d say that attendance still hasn’t waned at the TLM . Will be interesting to see when( if ever) the Bishop lifts that restriction. To be honest, the reverence, the silence before and after Mass, and the beautiful music is what appeals to me as much as anything else. The jingle-jangle David Haas and Marty Haugen piano and guitar music was making me very not-grateful at the N.O celebrations at my home parish. The TLM has been my refuge of late. I’m grateful for it.
Diocesan TLM. Attendance was a little higher than pre-Traditionis levels, but perhaps down a bit from the first few post-T.C. Sundays on which there was a strong show of support from occasional attendees and some newbies. No immediate danger of TLM cancellations as we have the support of the local Ordinary. Folks are nervous, though, and I’ve heard fears expressed that the widespread non-implementation of T.C. “won’t go over well” and that “it’s only a matter of time before the ‘Eye of Sauron’ notices and turns toward us.” And I thought that was a great metaphor. We are indeed like hobbits in the Shire with a comfortable, easy life… a nice TLM in a beautiful parish church in a great location at a great time. It would to hurt to lose that, but no one ever promised that following Christ was going to be easy.
NO Mass Saturday Vigil. Father spoke about the OT reading and the Gospel and how our faith involves more than just an intellectual assent, that we have to open our hearts to Jesus, be willing to change and acknowledge our faults (go to Confession!). The lector read the full version of the epistle but it didn’t come up in the homily.
One thing that happened recently is the Diocese has recommended people wear the nearly useless mask at church services again. So about 2/3 of the congregation wore the face diaper.
We also have a Saturday morning traditional Latin Mass in the parish and that has started off small but seems to be growing in spite of the Motu Proprio. So far the bishop has not made any moves against the traditional mass but has allowed things to continue as they were.
Outdoor NO Mass in Maryland. We are trying to stay healthy and fulfill our Sunday obligation and are grateful for the opportunity to go to Mass outdoors, where God’s creation is all around us and there is plenty of space. Attendance was average. The homily focused on the sanctity of sacramental marriage and why living together before marriage is neither permitted under Catholic teaching nor a good indicator of life together in a sacramental marriage.
The N.O. vigil Mass on Saturday in our parish was o.k.- not great turnout but not bad. All of the first reading was read by the female reader but the reading wasn’t really discussed in the homily.
Earlier in the day, though, I was privileged to assist at a funeral Mass celebrated by the Holy Father. I mean, he must have been the Pope since it is the Pope who declares people to be saints and the celebrant told us definitely that the deceased was in heaven.
Of course I was thinking, “If we know she’s already enjoying the beatific vision, what are we having this Mass for?”
Ordinary Form Mass -Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Usual Sunday evening Mass.
Attendance – Exceptional. Back to pre-COVID levels. (The Archdiocese has been keeping track of attendance since restrictions were lifted last year while obligation was suspended).
The homily was excellent. Father pointed out that the Gospel concludes the Bread of Life Discourse from the 6th Chapter of St. John’s Gospel and that despite the fact that the Disciples had witnessed Jesus’s works including the feeding of the multitude, many were unable to accept His proclamation of Messiahship and Identity with The Father. Father went on to say that while we speak today as if the crisis of faith is unique to our time, the readings show that the challenge to follow God’s call and conform our lives to His Word, aiding the poor, the stranger, the outcast is a challenge we all face daily. And that we gather together each week to hear God’s Word and to receive Jesus so that we may be strengthened to follow His Way.
Attended the Saturday Vigil at our parish (N.O.). Can’t say what attendance was like compared to previous Saturday Vigil Masses as we don’t usually attend that Mass, but just on its own merits, it was pretty well-attended! Plenty of families with young children. Our associate pastor gave a moving homily on St. Peter’s words to Christ “Lord, to whom shall we go?” stressing that, even in moments when we question our faith or experience difficulty with one or some other teaching, it is Christ and His Church that we must return to again and again. He even, subtly, raised the issue of discord in the episcopacy and in certain strange statements coming from high places in the Church, as in “Are you confused because the Church taught one thing and now teaches another? Do you doubt because priests and bishops are hypocrites?” It put me in mind of the quotation from Ven. Fulton Sheen that our Reverend Host has on the sidebar, and which he makes the subject of posts from time to time: it is Christ Who saves, through the instrumentality of the Church, of course, but it is Christ Who saves. To whom else, then, could we possibly go?
Fewer and fewer masks in evidence, and a temporary altar rail made up of prie-dieux was established for distribution of Holy Communion once the pandemic method of distribution was no longer needed. Interesting side-note: in our parish, when we were seated every-other-pew for fear of contagion, Father came down each open pew and distributed the Blessed Sacrament to us (on the tongue or in the hand), but almost everyone was kneeling already, and so they simply continued kneeling to receive! Comments of how edifying this was led the pastor to set up the temporary rail for anyone who wanted to continue to receive kneeling, now that we’re back to the normal, going-up-by-pews, method. I wouldn’t say 50% still receive kneeling, but it’s not a tiny percentage. Maybe a third at least? Brick by brick, and a testament to how God can bring good even out of this evil!
Small, rural parish with pastor Fr. Youngtrad. Latin is completely forbidden in this diocese, so people who would be going to the Usus Antiquior instead flock to this priest’s very ascetic, transcendent, silent, and holy N.O.
His homily was about the various terrible decisions made by priests, bishops, and the pope, and whether or not we let that change our perspective to go against the perennial teachings of the church, including justifying adultery, fornication, sodomy, etc. — teachings that have never changed and have not changed today, even though various members of the hierarchy may attempt to mute the “harshness” of the teaching.
He noted that Jesus always spoke truthfully, even when he knew it would cause people to leave, but that the apostles had it right: “Master, to whom shall we go?”
Are we disciples who leave when we hear hard truths? Or are we apostles who will never leave and will stay with the truth of the Church as revealed by Christ himself?
A normal Sunday with good attendance as always. The priest spoke about gratitude. We need to remember to thank God often in prayer. He loves when we express our gratitude for all He has done for us.
It reminds me of how parents love when their kids are thankful and it makes them want to shower more gifts and things they love on them. That’s how God is with us when we thank Him. A grateful person is a happy and humble person because they realize they don’t deserve anything and yet they get so much, all they can do is thank God. A poor man can be happier than a rich man because they count their blessings and do not expect anything. We need to be internally like that poor person even if we have wealth, recognizing that everything is a gift from God and thanking Him for all we have.
We are blessed with a good parish, good priests and a good bishop. Thank you, God for everything!!!
We are incredibly blessed in Southern Oregon to have a 31-year old priest lead a Latin Mass every week – unfortunately scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon, by arrangement worked out with local parishes so that we maintain a relationship with them as well. However he does encourage other sacraments in Latin as well, recently did a Latin baptism. Not only is he an incredibly gifted preacher, he is a convert from Presbyterian missionary parents. He attracted attention with evangelical community by his sermon a few months ago on Marxism and Modernism. He is a parochial vicar at another parish and so must drive out to this third parish for a Latin Mass on Sunday. Wide geographic distances. His homilies never fail to inspire and bring tears of repentance, such as this week about being one of the Ten Lepers cleansed from sin and how we show gratitude. Last week we had a huge Marian procession despite the hellish heat and smoke from California wildfires. Attendance growing by the tens every week, especially since latest event. Processions scheduled also for October Rosary and Guadalupe candlelight in December 12. Cheerful potlucks after Mass first weekend finally resuming in September…so far. And there are more babies and young men in attendance waiting to take role as servers. Meanwhile Spanish masses in area just getting 10-20 people total.
adriennep, you are so blessed. Thanks be to God for that priest and all he is doing to inspire, convert and nourish the faith in the hearts of his flock! May he be very blessed.
Mass at a chapel at a college. This was the moving-in weekend, and the college has mandated masks indoors, but the chapel is independent and isn’t. (Yet.) Mass was outdoors, thus allowing new students to find the place, and I’m pretty sure the nearby dorms were able to hear Father over the speakers! (Not that the amplification was loud, but the dorms are that close.)
We got the whole 2nd reading, heh heh. Kids nowadays seem more aware of the give and take nature of what is being taught, so there’s some catechesis that is happening (even if mostly from EWTN, Catholic Answers, Youtubers, bloggers, etc.).
Appropriate homily warning new students that they do have to choose to serve Jesus or the world, and encouraging them to pick the side that really cares about them and not just their money or other uses — the side with the words of eternal life. Very moving, and the congregation got that kind of silent that means they’re paying attention.