Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for the Sunday after Ascension Thursday? Novus Ordo – 7th Sunday of Easter… OR… Ascension Thursday Sunday. Not confusing at all.
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
A taste of my thoughts from the other place: HERE
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Some context helps. Shavuoth is a spring harvest festival. Like all Jewish feasts, and our own Christian feasts, they simultaneously look backward to commemorate some great event in salvation history, and they look forward to its eventual fulfillment by God. In this case, for Pentecost in the 1st century they would have celebrated how Moses and the twelve tribes arrived at Mount Sinai after Passover after passing though the waters (Exodus 19). Three days after their arrival the fiery cloud of glory descended, and God was with Moses.
In the Upper Room the Apostles, by Christ’s intention twelve, looking back to the twelve tribes, reflect on Jesus as the new Moses, ascending to the presence of God and awaiting the descent of a fire cloud of glory. Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait to be clothed in power. What did that mean, clothed in power? Like Moses on the Mount? Jesus had told them at the Last Supper, “John baptized with water, you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.”
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I was up in Baltimore for Mother’s Day. Due to a communication error with my brother, I took the train up early so I could grab mass at the National Shrine of Saint Alphonsus Liguori (it’s been on my to-visit list since I realized it was there). Brunch was at noon, so I hit the 9:30 AM service.
The homily was an excellent discussion of the role of the queen mother in Ancient Israel (the priest discussed the two interactions of Bathsheeba – with David (as wife of the king) and with Solomon (as mother of the king) to help illustrate this).
Taking the preaching I’ve gotten over the last month or so, I have to say – the FSSP preaching is at a /very/ high level and I don’t recall getting this level of education from homilies at diocesan parishes (admittedly, 10-15 years ago). I joked after mass that at this rate I’m going to learn more in a year of solid homilies than I did in 13 years of Catholic schooling.
During today’s Novus Ordo Ascension Thursday Sunday Mass (why, oh why, Archdiocese of mine?), our pastor offered a perspective on Christ’s Ascension that I hadn’t thought about before.
In summary:
Christ’s Ascension restored order, bringing the Son of God back to the Father’s right hand while leaving His divinity (and, later, the Holy Spirit) on Earth with the Apostles so that they (and, later, we) could fulfill His command to go forth and preach the gospel to all creatures.
The Apostles were no longer afraid to be without Christ in His bodily form. The same men who ran away on Holy Thursday night and Good Friday and who doubted Christ after the Resurrection were empowered to preach the Gospel and work miracles in Jesus’ name. (Of course we know that Pentecost, celebrated next Sunday, is part of this empowerment.)
The chaos of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and death has been replaced by divine order in Heaven and on Earth. The Son of God sits at the Father’s right hand. The Apostles and all of us are offered a share in Christ’s divinity (Heaven). The Apostles and all Christians are admonished for looking up at the sky while there is work to be done. It’s our turn to go out and share the Gospel with everyone.
Attendance was excellent. We noticed that quite a few multigenerational family groups were in attendance (for Mothers’ Day, we believe).