Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
It is the1st Sunday of Lent. The Roman Station is St. John Lateran. Lent is truly underway.
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? We all have heard the bad news. How about good news?
I have a few thoughts about the orations in the Vetus Ordo for this Sunday: HERE
A taste…
In an ironic twist, by the way, Psalm 91/90, which Satan quotes to the Lord, is the very psalm that the Jewish priests used when trying the exorcize demons.
Also,…
By His temptations, Our Lord teaches us that temptations are not themselves sins. They can be paths to victory. There is no sin in being tempted, but only giving way to the temptation. Keep this in mind when making an examination of conscience and going to confession. GO TO CONFESSION! Don’t confess temptations. Confess your sins.
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My homily focused on baptism, leading with, “what was the most important day of your life?” After listing the usual notions, I pointed out the day of our baptism actually is the most important.
For those who may not realize it, this aligned with the “Year B” readings, the first regarding the Flood, the second from Peter, referring to the flood, and the Gospel of Mark’s passage about our Lord being “driven” into the desert.
This also seemed a good occasion for the asperges at the beginning of Mass.
Today is ,tibo dabo’ Sunday. in Barcelona there is the Tibi Dabo church situated on a high promontory overlooking Barcelona and to the Mediterranean. The church was given to St. John Bosco when he visited Barcelona. It is a meditation on that temptation of Jesus.
My regular Sunday TLM at a diocesan parish in an unnamed church in an unnamed city in an unnamed diocese… It’s certainly been a rough week… hearing of the “St Valentine’s Day Massacre” in Austin, as well as the “drag show funeral” at St Pat’s… not to mention the Holy Father’s utterly vacuous continued defense of Fiducia Supplicans and the rumblings of a forthcoming ordained female diaconate. And, yet, amidst so many dispiriting signs that we’re losing… hope. I saw a group of teens (sine parentibus) from a local Catholic high school. I happen to know one of them (and know that this isn’t someone from a “trad” family per se; parents have likely never darkened the door of a TLM in their lives). And at that moment I was comforted in the knowledge that we have a powerful weapon on our side that our opponents in the Vatican lack: youth. Yes, the 87-year-olds want our head on a platter. But if the 17 year-olds are on our side, I like our chances in the long run
Attendance at my FSSP parish was very high; as usual, folks had to stand in the back for lack of available seating (myself included). It helps that the bishop very recently gave a large and splendidly beautiful church to our apostolate, but already we have grown to fill it, Deo Gratias!
Good point from the sermon on the “aristocracy of sinners”: God is glorified in the redemption of sinners and desires that we earnestly receive such graces from Him, but only if we admit that we need his grace. (Humility as the prerequisite for spiritually fruitful Lenten practices) This ties into a theme from my past year’s experiences: without God, I can do nothing – for my sufficiency is in Him.
A beautiful TLM in our lovely chapel with a congregation that is growing so fast, especially among the young, some cannot get a seat if they arrive only just before Mass starts. Even having to stand throughout Holy Mass, which is never short of an hour long, they are not deterred from coming. These fine young Catholics, having discovered a priceless treasure, will still be here once the old fogies in the Vatican who are trying their hardest to abolish the ‘Mass of the Ages’ have long gone. Hope reigns supreme, Deo gratias.
Also, Father gave an excellent sermon on how to fight temptation. (Spoiler: nip it in the bud!)
Our deacon (NO) delved into recapitulation in regard to the readings and reminded us of how we are thrust into the 40 days of Lent similar to how Jesus spent 40 days in the desert being tempted. He also had a comical aside – a reflection on long words as he was preparing for the homily. He related how his 6th grade Latin teacher (a priest) would threaten definistration to unruly students! Interesting in itself that there’s a school within the diocese which has 6th grade Latin…
Deacon’s time is winding down with us, as he is scheduled to undergo ordination to the priesthood in three months. He will be missed here upon his reassignment.
Went to Sunday evening Mass last night at my regular parish. Father James started his homily saying too many people think of Lent as a punishment. Father highlighted the opposite.
He discussed that Lent is a time for renewal and for us to work on prayer. We should not complain about making sacrifices. Sermon was well done – Fr. James normally does a good job and celebrates a reverent Mass. I can tell he wants to be there.