ASK FATHER: Obligations and Daily Mass

Posted on 9 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

For those in the lay apostolate that committed to go to daily Mass: is it better to go to a daily Mass full of violations of rubrics that maybe even exhibits a different understanding of what the Mass truly is; or is it better to avoid those Masses and attend less frequently, and seek out a more reverent Mass? Only in regards to daily Mass.

This question would best be directed to the superior or chaplain of that lay apostolate. The charism of the apostolate potentially has some impact on the matter. The superiors are in the best position to provide direction.

That said…

For those asking this question without a specific commitment, concerning daily Mass, everyone should remember that, while attendance at daily Mass is A Good And Fruitful Thing™, for most it is not an obligation. One need not feel guilty for skipping Mass on Tuesday.

Say Fr. Bruce Hugalot at “Sing A New Faith Community Into Being Faith Community” over in the Diocese of Libville, who preaches in a sing song voice and always wears the same “Children of the World” stole regardless of the feast day, is always scheduled for Mass – ooops – “liturgy” on Thursdays. On Thursdays one need not subject herself to the tension headache which will inevitably result.

However, unless Fr. “Just call me ‘Bruce'” egregiously violates the rubrics or attempts the consecration of Cheerios and Zima, it may be beneficial to one’s soul to attend the valid celebration of the Holy Mass and, while there, do his level best to keep his nose in the missal and to ignore the irritating externals.

A lot will depend on up with how much one is willing to put.

Keep in mind that no matter how beautiful it is to be able to hear the Holy Mass read each day, for most of the faithful, there is no obligation to do so.

Pray for those priests who offer Mass sloppily, or regularly violate the rubrics, either out of carelessness or willfulness. Pray for those in places who have few alternatives other than slipshod Masses with heterodox homilies. A petition which may be offered during Masses such as these, coined, or at least popularized by the late Fr. John Buchanan at afternoon Masses at St. Agnes many years ago,…

“Let us pray for this unfortunate archdiocese, that it may soon be returned to obedience, orthodoxy, sanctity and sanity.”

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ASK FATHER: Do we violate obligations to territorial parish by attending Mass elsewhere?

Posted on 9 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

16_05_09_registerFrom a reader…

QUAERITUR:

My family and I are members of the territorial parish that we live near, attend Mass regularly there, and are involved in social events in the parish as well. On occasion, however, we attend Mass at the parish in the next town over, because we are friends with the priest there and enjoy seeing him every so often. Additionally, we go to this other parish almost exclusively for Confession because the time at which it is offered is more convenient (it would not be impossible for us to attend at our territorial parish, just inconvenient).

Are we violating any of our obligations to our territorial parish by occasionally attending Mass elsewhere for what amount to social reasons, and receiving Confession elsewhere for the sake of convenience?

Not in the slightest.

All Catholics are members of a parish, either by virtue of their domicile, or by their ethnicity or other characteristic (if the diocese has established personal parishes for identifiable groups).

No Catholic is required to attend his canonical parish. No one is required to register as a “member” of his canonical parish.

BTW… registering at a parish – filling out a form or card – doesn’t do much except smooth out many questions and procedures when something is needful.  You don’t lose your status at your territorial parish just because you filled out a card at another parish.  One of these days, however, this matter of territories will need some rethinking.

Pastors, parish priests, need occasional reminders that their obligations extend to all their parishioners, registered or not. Pastors should not refuse the sacraments (that includes baptism, marriage, anointing) to those who are not “registered” in the parish. Pastors should instruct their secretaries not to turn away phone calls from parishioners who are not registered who want to know about funerals or other needful services.

That also means that pastors need to know the boundaries of their parishes!

Finally, remember that if you are receiving benefits and services at a parish, you should support that parish financially and/or by other means.  We have an obligation to see to the material support of the Church and her entities that touch our lives.

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Of Prophets, Priest Holes, Persecution and You

Posted on 9 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Of Prophets, Priest Holes, Persecution and YouMany people don’t realize that Holy Church considers some Old Testament figures to be saints with their own feast days.

We don’t celebrate them at the altar, but they have their day.

Actually, if there were no other saint in the liturgical calendar taking precedence, we are told that we indeed could celebrate a saint from the Martyrology.  But I digress.

In any event, today is the commemoration of the 8th c. BC St. Isaiah, the prophet of the Old Testament.

The Martyrologium Romanum has this entry for him.

1. Commemoratio sancti Isaiae, prophetae, qui, in diebus Oziae, Iotham, Achaz et Ezechiae, regum Iudae, missus est ut populo infideli et peccatori Dominum fidelem et salvatorem revelaret, ad implementum promissionis David a Deo iuratae. Apud Iudaeos sub Manasse rege martyr occubuisse traditur.

You readers can give your own polished and flawless renderings of this brief but interesting text.

There is a Jewish tradition that Isaish was ultimately sawed in two but Scripture itself is silent about his earthly end.

We also learn from the Martyrology that today is the feast, or rather “commemoration” – but let’s not be too fussy – of St. Hermas, from the New Testament, whom St. Paul greets in Romans 16.  The 3rd c. Origen of Alexandria thought that he was the author of the ancient Christian word The Shepherd of Hermas.

Among others we also give honor to God today through the martyrdom, in London, of Bl. Thomas Pickering, a Benedictine monk, a simply and pious soul, who was it seems falsely implicated in a plot against Charles II.  He died “ad Tyburni patibulum“.

From more modern times we also learn that today is the day that Bl. Stephan Grelewski, a priest and martyr, died in Dachau concentration camp. The Martyrology uses the dire phrase “diris tormentis extenuatus“.  Brrrrr.

Many around the world today suffer at the hands of others precisely the profess Christ as their Lord and God.

Give some thought today about your state in life as it is here and now.

Think also for a little while about what you may have to do and endure if an when your time comes to be challenged to give witness to your Faith and then suffer negative consequences.

I have thought about this a lot recently.  Today I was prompted again to reflect on our present problems when I received photos from a friend in England who visited a house with a priest hole at Coughton Hall built by St. Nicholas Owen.

IMG_2747

Beneath the one hole there is another!

IMG_3735

St. Nicholas Owen was eventually captured and then mercilessly tortured in the Tower. On 22 March 1606 his entrails burst out when he was on the rack, and he died.

You, dear reader, may not be challenged with the threat of death, but perhaps you will risk losing your job or some relationship or other worldly good.

That said, and circling back to the Prophet Isaiah, those who would persecute the Lord’s anointed, especially, will be subject to the wrath of God.

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liberals, Saints: Stories & Symbols, Semper Paratus, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice, The Religion of Peace | Tagged , , ,
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The Swiss Guard and the “Combat Rosary”

Posted on 9 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

ORIGINAL Published on: May 7, 2016

Here is something extremely cool.

First, you may recall that last year we had a project to help one of the Swiss Guard have custom armor made.  HERE   I’ve stayed in touch with the Guard and his wife.

Then I got another project going, with the essential aid of my good friend Fr. Richard Heilman, who has been featured in these electronic pages often.   He took his parish to ad orientem worship and the numbers of attendants increased.  He put in an altar rail and moved his people to receive on the tongue.  He implemented Summorum Pontificum.  We just had the bishop there for Ascension Thursday.  He is the state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus and has many other things going, including something advertised on this blog on the side bar, his “combat” Rosaries, which he has made.  Super-tough Rosaries.

Now to the project.

At my prompting Fr. Heilman sent the gun-metal rosaries to all of the Swiss Guards.

Today, during his address to the new recruits about to be sworn in, the Commandant held up one of them during his address and told them that training and arms are necessary, but “the most important weapon is the ‘combat rosary'”.  (Some of the speech – below.)

Is that not cool?

16_05_07_Swiss_Guard_Rosary_01

Yes, that’s cool.

More later on this.

Meanwhile…

The Swiss Guard and the "Combat Rosary"

The Swiss Guard and the "Combat Rosary"

Play video

Start at about 18:00.  The Rosary itself is held up at 20:37.

And…
16_05_06_Swiss_Guard_Rosary_03From ACISTAMPA:

CITTÀ DEL VATICANO , 07 maggio, 2016 / 11:00 AM (ACI Stampa).-
“Al momento giusto, all’inizio dell’anno, un generoso donatore ci ha sorpresi con un regalo. Egli ha fatto pervenire alla Guardia Svizzera Pontificia l’arma più efficace che esista sul mercato: il “combat Rosary”, letteralmente, il rosario per il combattimento. Subito è stato dato in dotazione a tutte le guardie. È importante che ritroviamo la via della preghiera,soprattutto la preghiera del Rosario.

La nostra vita, le nostre opere e le nostre azioni sono nelle mani di Dio. Questo però non significa che possiamo rinunciare alle armi e alle esercitazioni. Dio ci usa come strumenti per scongiurare il male in alcune situazioni. Per questo servono una fede salda, fiducia in Dio e preghiera”. Così il Colonnello Christoph Graf, Comandante della Guardia Svizzera Pontifica, ha salutato il Giuramento delle nuove reclute, ieri pomeriggio nel Cortile di San Damaso.

[My translation…] In the right moment, at the beginning of the year will a generous donor surprised us with a gift. He had shipped to the Pontifical Swiss Guard the most powerful weapon that exists in the market: the “Combat Rosary”…. They were immediately given to all the guards.  It is important that we recover the way of prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary. Our life, our works and our actions are in the hands of God. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can give up arms and drills. God uses us as instruments to thwart evil in certain situations. For this we need a firm faith, trust in God and prayer.

[Here’s a bit more of his speech, which I transcribed from the video.]

During a morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis said, “faith is victory”. Last year in an audience granted in the occasion of the swearing of the new guards, the Holy Father invited the young men to dedicate themselves evermore to prayer even during their duty time. There is always time for this.  I assure you that this invitation is being followed. And we will help them to pray to God from our hearts and entreat the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in this month dedicated to her, that they keep far from us every evil.

Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service tweeted…

On another note…

This is great, but even greater would be YOU praying the rosary, whatever your rosary looks like.

If you don’t pray it, it’s just … there.  Right?

And…

GO TO CONFESSION!

UPDATE:

Great image…

Combat Rosary GI black and white

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ASK FATHER: Going to another diocese of First Communion and Confirmation

Posted on 9 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

12_04_27_confirmationFrom a reader…

My wife and I live in the Diocese of ___ and are devotees of the Extraordinary Form of the Holy Mass. Unfortunately, there are no viable EF Masses available in the Diocese on a regular basis, so we are members of our local Novus Ordo parish and support it financially.

However, we regularly attend an EF Mass on Sunday in the Diocese of ___ about an hour away. As of now, we have five children (Praise God!) – one of whom is ready to receive First Holy Communion next year. My question – are there any restrictions for receiving the sacraments in a diocese that is not the one that you reside in? If so, would I need my current Ordinary’s permission? I ask because our EF Priest doesn’t know, and we haven’t gotten any answers definitive elsewhere.

There should be no problem with your child receiving First Holy Communion in another diocese.  In this day and age of great mobility, this not infrequently done.  As long as the priest/chaplain in the other diocese is amenable to it, there should not be an issue.

Canon law states that it is the duty of the parish priest (i.e., the pastor) along with the parents to make sure that children who have reached the age of reason are suitably prepared for the reception of Holy Communion (can. 914). The law does not give the parish priest the absolute prerogative to be the one who gives a child his First Holy Communion.

As in all things, it’s best to be above board with this. Your pastor cannot prevent you from taking your child to another parish, or another diocese, for First Holy Communion, but ideally, he should be aware that you are doing this.

Confirmation gets a little (but not much) more complicated.

The law seems to favor a diocesan bishop confirming his subjects within his diocese. However, a diocesan bishop can confirm those who are not his subjects, but are in his territory (can. 886, 1) unless there is an express prohibition by the ordinary of the one being confirmed.

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What a busy Novus Ordo day!

Posted on 8 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Look at what was on the calendar of the Roman Curia today.

What a busy Novus Ordo day!
What a busy Novus Ordo day!

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WDTPRS – Ascension COLLECT (1962MR): The hope that informs our trials in this life

Posted on 8 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Ascension 1651 by Francisco Camilo Museu Nacional dArt de Catalunya MNAC Barcelona smWe Catholics know that what was not assumed, was not redeemed (St. Gregory of Nazianzus).  Our humanity, body and soul, was taken by the Son into an unbreakable bond with His divinity. When Christ rose from the tomb, our humanity rose in Him.  When He ascended to heaven, so also did we.  In Christ our humanity now sits at the Father’s right hand.  His presence there is our great promise and hope.  It is already fulfilled, but not yet in its fullness.  That hope informs our trials in this life.

COLLECT – (1962MR):

Concede, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui hodierna die Unigenitum tuum Redemptorem nostrum ad caelos ascendisse credimus; ipsi quoque mente in caelestibus habitemus.

Our hard working Lewis & Short Dictionary can have a little rest today, I think.  There is nothing especially noteworthy in the vocabulary.  Let us therefore move on to a straight-forward…

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
Grant, we beseech You, Almighty God,
that we, who believe Your Only Begotten Son our Redeemer
to have ascended on this day to heaven,
may ourselves also dwell in mind amongst heavenly things.

Bl. Abbot Columba Marmion, OSB (+1923), wrote in Christ in His Mysteries that “of all the feasts of Our Lord … the Ascension is the greatest, because it is the supreme glorification of Christ Jesus.”

Then, speaking about the very Collect we are looking at today, Bl. Columba says,

“This prayer first of all testifies to our faith in the mystery in recalling the title ‘Only-begotten Son’ and ‘Redeemer’, given to Jesus, the Church shows forth the reasons for the celestial exaltation of her Bridegroom;—she finally denotes the grace therein contained for our souls. … The mystery of Jesus Christ’s Ascension is represented to us in a manner suitable to our nature: we contemplate the Sacred Humanity rising from the earth and ascending visibly towards the heavens.”

Of course it is not only Christ’s humanity but our humanity that ascended into heaven.

Preaching on 1 June 444 St. Pope Leo I “the Great” said,

“Truly it was a great and indescribable source of rejoicing when, in the sight of the heavenly multitudes, the nature of our human race ascended over the dignity of all heavenly creatures, to pass the angelic orders and to be raised beyond the heights of archangels. In its ascension it did not stop at any other height until this same nature was received at the seat of the eternal Father, to be associated on the throne of the glory of that One to whose nature it was joined in the Son.”

Leo says in another sermon of 17 May 445,

“This Faith, reinforced by the Ascension of the Lord and strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, has not been terrified by chains, by prison, by exile, by hunger, by fire, by the mangling of wild beasts, nor by sharp suffering from the cruelty of persecutors.  Throughout the world, not only men but also women, not just immature boys but also tender virgins, have struggled on behalf of this Faith even to the shedding of their blood.  This Faith has cast out demons, driven away sicknesses, and raised the dead.”

The knowledge that our humanity is now enjoying heaven can work wonders for us in the hour of need. Keep this in mind in time of trial.

When the Lord ascended to heaven He did not lose touch with us His people in this vale of tears.  St. Augustine in s. 341 talks about Christ’s presence in every word of Scripture as Word equal to the Father; or as the mediator in the flesh dwelling in our midst; or Christ as the Head and Body together as in a spousal relationship, Christ and His Church intimately bound.

This means that Christ is not insensible to our sufferings.  Our faith in this unbreakable bond of Head and Body calls us to be clean and worthy of this saving intimacy.

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Just Too Cool: 9 May – The Transit of Mercury!

Posted on 7 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It’s not quite as nifty as the Transit of Venus (for which Sousa wrote a march), but it is still very nifty.

As viewed from your planet, Mercury will pass in front of your yellow sun on 9 May.

From NASA’s JPL:

 

Transit of Mercury 2016
This animation shows the path Mercury will take as it transits the sun on May 9, 2016. See below for more on how to safely watch the transit of Mercury. Credit: NASA

In the News

It only happens about 13 times per century and hasn’t happened in nearly a decade, but on Monday, May 9, Mercury will transit the sun. A transit happens when a planet crosses in front of a star. From our perspective on Earth, we only ever see two planets transit the sun: Mercury and Venus. (Transits of Venus are even more rare. The next one won’t happen until 2117!) On May 9, as Mercury passes in front of the sun, viewers around Earth (using the proper safety equipment) will be able to see a tiny dark spot moving slowly across the disk of the sun.

[…]

Then and Now

In the early 1600s, Johannes Kepler discovered that both Mercury and Venus would transit the sun in 1631. It was fortunate timing: The telescope had been invented just 23 years earlier and the transits wouldn’t happen in the same year again until 13425. Kepler didn’t survive to see the transits, but French astronomer Pierre Gassendi became the first person to see the transit of Mercury (the transit of Venus wasn’t visible from Europe). It was soon understood that transits could be used as an opportunity to measure the apparent diameter – how large a planet appears from Earth – with great accuracy.

In 1677, Edmond Halley observed the transit of Mercury and realized that the parallax shift of the planet – the variation in Mercury’s apparent position against the disk of the sun as seen by observers at distant points on Earth – could be used to accurately measure the distance between the sun and Earth, which wasn’t known at the time.

[…]

Go over there for tips on HOW TO WATCH IT.  For example, if you are human don’t be stupid and stare straight into your planet’s yellow sun with your naked eyes.

And from Spaceweather:

People on almost every continent can see at least some of the transit. These global visibility maps are courtesy of ShadowandSubstance.com:

Just Too Cool: 9 May - The Transit of Mercury!

Now for the bad news: Mercury is so small, you can’t see the transit with the unaided eye. Safely-filtered solar telescopes are required. Don’t have one? In that case, you can watch the transit online, broadcast live from the Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, Georgia. Also, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory will transmit images from space.

 

 

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Fr. Z’s Kitchen: Bronzino!

Posted on 7 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

No, not the 16th c. mannerist painter.  The fish!

But first this.

I had an ammo loading class.   In this activity you also follow recipes!   (See what I did there?)  There are minimum and maximum specs to follow, depending on the caliber, type of casing, type of bullet (that’s the projectile part), and powder.  Follow the recipe and you minimize the chance of bad things happening.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

In case you are wondering… Colt .45.  I don’t have a Colt .45, but we used that because, well, it’s big.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Moreover, I always pick up a dozen eggs at the gun shop. All gun shop owners should have fresh eggs from their own chickens.  This time I got a green egg… yes, it’s really green, and it’s produced by – I am told – an Americana.  Who knew?

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

I hope it’s not green on the inside, if you get my drift.

On the way home, I tuned in to part of James Levine’s last performance as Music Director of the Met.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Enough stalling.

Now – Bronzino, whole, on sale at the local shop.  When getting whole fish, check for firm flesh, clear eyes, and fish-smell within reason.  This one was lightly killed and gutted.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Hmmm…. biggest pan and it doesn’t fit.  Who cares?

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

I salted and peppered the cavity and stuffed in chopped garlic, thin lemon peel, thyme.

For some accompanying veg.  Mushrooms and green onions were on sale, so that’t what I bought.  Sauteed in olive oil and lemon juice.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

I had room so I quartered a couple small tomatoes.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Into the (electric) oven on the high broiler setting for a few minutes on each side.

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Sauvignon blanc, in case you wondered, not blanks being loaded.  (See what I did there?)

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

The other side was a bit more done, but I tore it up a little in the transfer.

As I dined on this crispy-skinned critter I watched the 1984 movie Amadeus, which features Mozart’s Entführung aus dem Serail, which was on the radio on Saturday.

As I come to an end, Archbp. Colloredo thinks that you need to order more ….

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

Mystic Monk Coffee….

Fr. Z's Kitchen: Bronzino!

… and then make a donation to the RED VESTMENT PROJECT.

UPDATE:

A friend set this… a splendid variation.  Except… notice that the fish is backward, which changes the flavor.

IMG_1677

 

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It’s time to scare the hell out of kids – POLL

Posted on 6 May 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here’s an idea… require all students at Catholic schools to attend a course taught by an exorcist.

In Spain….

Students at Spanish college forced to take exorcism class

A publically funded college [!] in Spain has told students that it is compulsory to attend a course given by a priest who is an expert in exorcisms.

The University College of Barberán and Collán (Colegio Mayor Universitario Barberán y Collán) is connected to the public research institute Complutense University of Madrid, and is also funded by Spain’s Defence Ministry. [As I sit here in The Cupboard Under The Stairs I have images of Defense Against The Dark Arts classes.]

But some of its curriculum doesn’t seem quite typical of a publicly-funded institute.

The college is requiring its 196 students – who are all members of military families – to attend a theological conference focused on “the fields related to the devil, exorcisms, being possessed and hell”, according to newspaper El Diario.

A woman who answered the phone at the college told The Local that there was seminar about exorcism, but could not immediately confirm other details.

The seminar called “The Evil” is set to take place on Thursday evening and will be led by Father José Antonio Fortea Cucurull, author of such works as “Summa dæmoniaca” – a treatise on demonology which includes a manual for exorcists.

[…]

So… this is at a secular school getting public funding from the military in Spain.

How ’bout this in Catholic schools?

This could be “New Evangelization” with an edge.

I suspect it would drive a lot of students to confession and attendance at the Traditional Mass of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, along with an increase in devotions.  On the other hand, these dark things can something have an allure that might draw the unwary into bad things.  After all, the modern entertainment industry has turned spiritual evil into a punch line and the modern education system has turn our young people into a bunch of dopes.

So… what could go wrong?

Let’s have a quick poll.  Anyone can vote, but only registered readers can comment.

Requiring students to learn about the Nature of Evil, Hell, Demonology, Exorcisms is...

View Results

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Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Four Last Things, Hard-Identity Catholicism, New Evangelization, POLLS | Tagged
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