Author Archives: Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)

“Be perfect.” “How’s that, again?!?”

Quoted from Robert Royal’s latest column at The Catholic Thing: St. John Henry Newman explains in his “simple rule of life”: It is the saying of holy men that, if we wish to be perfect, we have nothing more to do … Read More →

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Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 1st Sunday of Lent 2023

Historically, today, the 1st Sunday of Lent, was the beginning of Lent.  Ash Wednesday and the intervening days were added later. That makes this Sunday historically and theologically important. Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the … Read More →

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From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” – 23-02-26 – Saturday Vigil Mass

This just in. February 26th 2023 Dear Diary, Annoying Finance Council meeting Friday. Aren’t they all. Why they scheduled it for a Friday beats me. But anyway, we’re rolling in it. Or at least I think we are? Anyway, I’ve … Read More →

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Daily Rome Shot 675

From a friend in Rome, at my usual flower stand run by “Pippo” where I have bought flowers for some 30 years. Welcome new registrants: PHILAPOL6464 CaptainH From the 1969 musical version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips. What a lot of … Read More →

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WDTPRS – 1st Sunday of Lent (N.O.): our season of transforming mystery

The Roman Station for the 1st Sunday of Lent is St. John Lateran. COLLECT – LATIN TEXT (2002MR): Concede nobis, omnipotens Deus, ut, per annua quadragesimalis exercitia sacramenti, et ad intellegendum Christi proficiamus arcanum, et effectus eius digna conversatione sectemur. Quadragesima is the … Read More →

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WDTPRS – 1st Sunday of Lent (TLM): our season of transforming mystery

With this 1st Sunday of Lent we are fully into our forty day season of purification and preparation. Speaking of forty, the Latin for Lent is Quadragesima, “fortieth”.  St Leo the Great (d 461) used the phrase quadragesimale ieiunium, “the … Read More →

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From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” 23-02-25 “Cathedraticum”

Feb 25th 2023, Dear Diary, A strange thing happened today.  I suddenly hear Fr. Tommy shouting something in Latin in his office over and over again.  Chester was immediately on the case and I followed.   There was Tommy with the … Read More →

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Daily Rome Shot 674

Photo by The Great Roman™ Welcome new registrant: Miso Akita Meanwhile,… White to move. NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. … Read More →

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What Card. Müller said about changes to teaching on the death penalty wasn’t really about the death penalty, but something else

This morning found me in a conversation between highly educated friends (among whom are former theologians of the CDF) about a LifeSite story saying that Cardinal Müller, the former Prefect of the CDF, “defended Pope Francis’ ability to change the … Read More →

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From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” – 23-02-24 Priests retiring.

24 Febuary ’23 Dear Diary, DANG! Three more priests opting for retirement this year. Granted, one of them is 87 and another is 79, but they’re reliable and -more important – they don’t cause me a lot of trouble. They … Read More →

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