Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
It is the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Novus Ordo and the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany in the Vetus Ordo.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hear that it is growing. Of COURSE.
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
I have a few thoughts about the orations in the Vetus Ordo for Holy Family: HERE
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(Referencing Aquinas) Jesus came when the wine of justice, the wine of wisdom, and the wine of charity and grace had run dry; (Commentary) For a host of reasons, we are in a drought of the very same things right now, with a large part of the third at least being the watering down of prayers.
Interesting tidbit: Our Lord’s immediate response to Our Lady, “What is that to thee and me?” was just a reminder that she was not the source of his divine prerogatives, only the Father. Found that a little curious; and must assume the reminder to have been for us, not her.
In the Vetus Ordo, after gently admonishing the younger members of the congregation to, in this case, not imitate Our Lord in calling their own mothers “woman,” went on to connect the Woman of Genesis with the Woman at Cana and Calvary. Something I had not thought of myself, really.
Attendance was light due, I suspect, to the AFC Wild Card game, as we are in Buffalo.
What struck me today was Jesus’s first public miracle was something really insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He saved the bridal couple and family from embarrassment. Not exactly what I think of miracles being for. And not only that He is (as he always is) gracious and generous beyond. He provides them with better wine!
It was a reminder to me to bring everything to the Lord. Not just those things I deem worthy of his attention.
(I understand there’s theological significance to it being a wedding).
The Sacrament of Marriage was explained at length.
That changing water into wine was linked to Our Lord’s changing wine into His Precious Blood at the Last Supper.
A well-celebrated NO greatly enhanced by children’s choir. Splendid antiphons. “Panis Angelicus” made me verklempt. So many young families at Mass. For an hour, I felt like I was in heaven.
Attendance at the TLM was amazing. No spare seats as far as I could see, with an apparent even ratio of men to women. Father preached a powerful sermon on the vital fundamental importance of marriage and the family to the life of the Church. He pointed out that the Devil, knowing this, has been increasing his attacks on these two cornerstones of society, and went on to describe the fatal consequences of broken and dysfunctional families.
7:00 AM TLM and it was packed. I gave up my seat twice so families could sit together. An excellent sermon from our pastor on marriage, its goals and the importance of children.
Well attended high Mass (Vetus Ordo). Father gave a brief discussion on aspects of Epiphanytide in the old calendar. Then he spoke of the importance of the Blessed Mother’s actions at this event. She makes her request out of compassion for the bridal couple and, knowing Our Lord’s heart better than anyone, is confident in His response. Father encouraged us to bring our requests to Our Lady but also to heed her request to ‘do whatever He tells you’.
Latin ad orientem NO at the Cathedral with schola (1830 after vespers and benediction).
since we had virtuosi musicians at this Mass, he described our spiritual life in three movements.
1. worship is only due to the Lord. a common error is for people to worship themselves by them saying how worship should be conducted. the almighty has revealed in Scripture and Tradition how He is to be worshipped.
2. we must accept the entire deposit of faith, else we accept none of it.
3. each of us has a unique specific vocation. pray for guidance to learn more the breadth and depth of your own vocation.
he was eloquent and quoted at length St. JH Newman’s piece “He knows what He is about”
Mass (TLM) gets more and more crowded each week. People sitting single in a pew have to move into other pews with people and crowd in. Big families cram into the small, vacated pews etc. I was at the back today and got a view of the ushers hard work of packing everyone in. It used to be so spacious and you could waltz in right before mass but those days are over. Parking is now an issue. There are more masses than before. Poor Father must be so tired! I hope he gets another priest soon, but I heard that all of the churches are like this too. Father’s sermon was good but I can’t remember it now. I know it was moving and made me squirm a little which I feel was a good thing something about seeing Christ in others. He is very encouraging too. God bless our faithful priests!
Father joked about what would have happened to him if he ever called his Mother Woman.
Pointed out the most important thing Our Blessed Virgin Mary said to us is, Do what he says!
We had the Gospel about John the Baptist saying, “Behold the Lamb of God!” So the homily was about how this was a great moment in salvation history, how all the prophets had been pointing toward this moment and John had the honor of being the last prophet to point Jesus out…
…And then, out of all the crowds that went to see John, only a few people went to Jesus afterward, when He was the whole point.
So it was a homily about feeling gratitude and taking action to follow Jesus.
TLM good numbers
The homily in essence…Mary was always present with Jesus…usually silent…but right there…so “Do whatever He tells you” !!!
The preacher’s main point was a good one: prayer is as much about listening to God as talking to him. It should be a two way conversation and we need sometimes to be quiet and let God speak to us during the raising of the heart and mind up to God.
Father pointed out that even though Jesus’ time had not yet come, he granted His Mother’s request in spite of that. He always does! (I need to take notes, because I have forgotten who Fr. quoted there.) That was just part of a very long and interesting sermon about Our Lady and about the family. His sermons are so consistently good that I never care how long he talks because it’s always interesting and filled with quotes and information from the saints. Attendance at all three FSSP Sunday masses continues to grow, and I see many new faces each Sunday, mostly young (20’s & 30’s) couples with kids, lots of kids. And our first Friday and Saturday masses are just about as well-attended as Sundays. Our daily masses during the week are also well-attended.