Should bishops “quiz” confirmands? UPDATED with responses from bishops

Posted on 25 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE 25 May:

Another response rolled in from a bishop whose name you would recognize.

Thanks for the invitation. Here as some thoughts.

1. Yes, I was slapped when I was confirmed – although, it was just a tap. And yes, we were quizzed. We were called on by the bishop, he did not ask for volunteers.

2. I do not slap when I do Confirmations because it is not called for in the rite (although the other auxiliary bishop in ___ when I was there did, and he wasn’t really a traditionalist – I think it was just a hang-over from former days). I do, though, sometimes talk about it in my Confirmation homily, and what it means. As for quizzing, I used to do that, in fact, did it for years. Then I realized that that was the reason my homilies were so long. The confirmandi are always shy to answer, and I would work hard to coax answers out of them. Not even questions that they know the answers to better than anyone else are they willing to answer (what school do you go to? What did you do in preparing for Confirmation?). So, for the last several years I do not quiz. I do sometimes meet with the Confirmandi before the Mass starts, and then I will ask questions.

Back to the slap: some years ago there was a proposal before the USCCB to restore it to the rite for our country. Needless to say, it failed to pass. There seems to be a lot of resistance to “change”.

UPDATE 23 May:

In light of the many comments and interest in the topic, I reached out to a few bishops with whom I have some correspondence about quizzing and slapping at confirmation.  I received three responses back, though I hope for a couple more.

Here’s what I received, somewhat edited to preserve anonymity:

Bishop 1

Good to hear from you. Hope you are well in these chaotic times.

I was confirmed in the old rite – in second grade. We were slapped. The Bishop did not, to my recollection, ask us questions. We were prepared ahead of time in Catechism at the Catholic school, of course.

As a parish priest, most the times the Bishop came to the parish for Confirmation. They did ask questions during the ‘homily time.’ No slap (although I heard that auxiliary Bishop X used to use the slap).

I have confirmed in the old Rite a few times. I slapped them as called for by the rubric. In the Novus Ordo, I did not use a slap. I anoint them and afterwards say “peace be with you” and handshake.

Most all times I confirmed, I met the candidates with their sponsors before the Mass, usually in the parish hall or wherever they were getting ready. I would ask some questions. I didn’t do it during the Confirmation itself, because it had not been the local custom.

Bishop 2

By my recollection, we were quizzed at the time of the homily, but the questions were all softballs. We were not slapped, but I do remember the bishop being somewhat cranky!

In practice, I never quiz the candidates, basically for the reasons outlined in the article. It is a Mass (usually) and the conferral of a Sacrament. I prefer to use the time that I have with the candidates and their sponsors before the Mass to connect with them, and then of course, in the homily to exhort them to understand the effects of the Sacrament , and to encourage the candidates to really live their Faith. By extension, I always hope that the message is heard by all of the rest of the “Catholics.” All in all, I think it’s a great opportunity to put a good face on the Church. Attitude, eye contact, joyfulness all are important.

And the only time I have slapped is when conferring the Sacrament in the traditional form.

Bishop3

When I was confirmed in 1962, a priest was assigned to question the confirmands before the bishop conferred upon us the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In confirming us, after the anointing with the Sacred Chrism, the bishop gave us a slight blow to the cheek while saying “Peace be with you.”
I do not question the confirmands when I administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, whether according to the old rite or the new rite. Since I require that the pastor of each confirmand formally declare that the confirmand is prepared to receive the Sacrament, I do not see the need to question them further.
When confirming according to the old rite, a give a slight blow to the cheek of the confirmand, as is prescribed in the Roman Pontifical.
When confirming according to the new rite, the gesture is not prescribed and, therefore, I do not give the slight blow to the cheek. In this, I follow the discipline of not mixing elements of the two uses but, rather, respecting the integrity of each use.
I hope that the above is of some help to you.

Be assured of a daily remembrance in my prayers.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED May 20, 2024 at 16:35

I went to Fishwrap (aka National Sodomitic Reporter) to see if there were any spittle-flecked nutties about Harrison Butker.  They didn’t disappoint, which is itself a disappointment.

I found an opinion piece stating that bishops should not quiz confirmands about any fundamentals of the Catholic Faith.  You know, old, backward stuff like, “What is a sacrament?” and “Who are the three persons of the Trinity?”.

You laugh.   Don’t.  I was in a midwestern suburban parish and I was given the chore of checking on the preparation of confirmands.  These were, essentially middle school and high school kids.  The results were terrifying.  Worse was the 1st Communion prep, which elicited a response from a boy about the Eucharist: “You mean that piece of bread thing?”

At Fishwrap, Confirmation seems to be about feeling good.

It is a liturgy, a moment in which we ask the Holy Spirit to come down and fill the hearts of the confirmands. Creating a situation which causes them to enter in with anxiety or worse undermines their ability to experience that.

Construing confirmation as a kind of culminating exam also demeans all of the prior work that the confirmands have done.

The old formula “fill the hearts of your faithful” is the from the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, which has unfathomably rich vocabulary – in Latin – when properly understood.  In the antiphon and the oration the Latin word for “heart” is used twice, especially in “light” (illusratio) of the rational soul (recta sapere).   We ask the the hearts (minds, intellect which under the operation of the will seeks to understand and, in knowing and understanding, seeks the more in love and be in the union of peace with the beloved) be enflamed with the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Love and of Truth (which has content).

Also, these days there is great interest in doing things the way that ancient Christians did, provided that it doesn’t involve anything “traditional”.  Hence, those being prepared for sacraments have to jump through lots of hoopy stages and endure being sent out during Mass etc.   Never mind that in ancient times there were exorcisms and scrutinies.   Yes, they were expected to know something.

When I was brought into the Church, I was expected to know things.  And I did.  When I was ordained, I was expected to know things, and I was grilled by various Roman profs on many theses we had to prepare.  It is reasonable to expect that we know the Faith. You can’t love what you don’t know.  You can’t pass on what you don’t know either.  As my old pastor used to say: Nemo dat quod non ‘got’!

When I was brought into the Church, the old pastor delayed confirming me because he thought it would be better for me to be confirmed by a bishop, in this case a former pastor of the same parish who had retired from being the first bishop of New Ulm, a lovely man, Bp. Alphonse Schladweiler.  He quizzed me, a little, and slapped me too, and rightly so.

Anyway, there is a funny story about old Schlady and a confirmation during which he quizzed.  At a confirmation he once said, in his booming voice, “Now children, the bishop has been asking you questions.  Do you have any questions for the bishop?”  Always dangerous.  One lad piped up, “What’s a Monsignor?”  The priest at the place was a Monsignor.  Without missing a beat the old bishop said “Why, sonny, a Monsignor is the cross that hangs around the bishop’s neck!”

There’s a lot more to say about Confirmation and about Monsignors.

Were you quizzed?  Were you slapped?  Do you have recollections of your Confirmation?

Meanwhile, check out this prayer.  HERE

 

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Two items concerning Jesuits, one grim and real, the other a tribute

Posted on 25 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Two items, quickly.

First, at CNA there is a must read article about the thoughts of a Jesuit priest in Uruguay about the state of the Society of Jesus.  Realistic about their profound decline and grim future.  HERE

Next, there is a new book by Karen Hall about one particular Jesuit, the late and lamented Fr. Paul Mankowski, whom I knew.  He was treated horribly by his confreres.   One of their most brilliant lights, and they snuffed him out.  There are a couple books about him.  Here is the latest.

The Sound of Silence: The Life and Cancelling of a Heroic Jesuit Priest

US HERE – UK HERE

Also available…

Jesuit at Large: Essays and Reviews by Paul Mankowski, SJ edited by George Weigel

and

Diogenes Unveiled: A Paul Mankowski SJ Collection edited by Phil Lawler

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Pentecost Saturday: Wherein Fr. Z rants

Posted on 25 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pentecost Saturday

Today the Season of Easter comes to an end.  The cycle that started with pre-Lent Sunday’s is over.

Being an Ember Saturday, there would be a vigil in the night in preparation for ordinations to the priesthood at St. Peter’s.

Tomorrow, as a matter of fact, is the ecclesial-liturgical and secular-calendrical anniversary of my ordination at St. Peter’s, Trinity Sunday.  In 1991, as today, it was Trinity Sunday and the Feast of St. Philip Neri.  In Rome at my adoptive parish, Most Holy Trinity (where St. Philip was) they will bump his feast to Monday and celebrate it also with great style, as they do everything.

There are five readings before the Gospel in the Mass today, in the forma longior, the longer form. There is an option for a shorter Mass with two readings, but still with all the Pentecost Octave features, such as the Sequence and proper Communicantes and Hanc igitur. It is peculiar that at the end of the Sequence there is no Alleluia before the Gospel reading. There are various Alleluia verses amongst the lessons.  I think what happened is that when the more penitential Mass formulary for the Ember Day was fused into that of the Pentecost feria of Saturday, a bit of the Alleluiatic festivity was lost.

The progression of the Collects and lessons is overwhelming if read in light of the moment (Octave of Pentecost) and ordinations.

I very much like the reading from Joel 2:

Thus says the Lord God: I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; even upon the servants and the handmaids, in those days, I will pour out My Spirit. And I will work wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke; the sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, at the coming of the Day of the Lord, the great and terrible day. Then everyone shall be rescued who calls on the name of the Lord.

Sounds like an eclipse. 

And why not?  The Person of our Lord is often blanked out and blackened by the unworthy men who are His priestly mediators.  When you look on them, and see their faults, try to remember who is directly on the other side in blazing glory, making possible what we do in our liturgical rites.

And when a priest gets anything right… non nobis, Domine, non nobis.

The Collect.

May the Holy Spirit, we beseech You, O Lord, inflame us with that fire which our Lord Jesus Christ cast upon the earth and desired that it be fanned into flame.

I’m not going to go through all of them, but I’ll suggest the themes. Start with “heat”.

The account in Leviticus is about Shavuot and the wave-offering of the first fruits.

The account in Deuteronomy is about the first-fruits of the land of milk and honey.

The description in Daniel is of the stoking of the furnace and the 49 cubits high flames that burned the enemy but not the stokers as they sang in praise of God.

Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus rebuked and casts out an afflicting fever demon from Peter’s mother-in-law and then healed and exorcised, commanding the demons to be silent.  Originally, before the fusing of the Ember Day with the Pentecost feria, the Gospel was the Matthew 20 account of the healing of blind men.

The work of the Gospel is the work of the priest against the enemy, the prince of this world.

How shocking it is to me that even bishops can be embarrassed by such things today.  They should set the example in exorcising left, right and center!  Why let the prince of this world run unchecked?

How I long to see bishops to set examples of solemn worship. 

I long to see them perform manifestly, blatantly, even ostentatiously priestly actions in public: processions, exorcisms, lying prostrate on the steps of their cathedrals in reparation for the sinful votes and actions of Catholic politicians.

How I long to see them bishops be unabashedly, unapologetically Catholic, with every possible visual, material aid at their disposal, including glorious vestments, banners and big gaudy rings.

Turn up the heat, for the love of God and all that is holy!

But, no. They talk talk talk in their bourgeois black suits and their slim apologetic neck chains connected to the Cross … which they hide in their pockets.  It’s like they are all laid out prostrate from the heat of the fever of this world’s fever swamp and they can’t get up.

They must be raised from their fever by our prayers and promptings!

What’s going on now sure isn’t working.

Big hats, raised voices, and interdicts.

It’s time to get medieval.

The SSPX recently built and consecrated a huge and unapologetically Catholic church in the middle of Nowheresville, USA.  They proved they could do it.   They did it because people trusted that they would do it.  Now they have the proof not only that it was doable, but that they will do more.  They demonstrated during COVID Theatre that they were not going to abandon people by locking up their churches.

They did something amazing, extravagant for God, to show the world that there is more, there is the transcendent.  They gave people a place to encounter Mystery.

Let our bishops and priest smash their way out of their chains and then be openly, clearly, freshly, traditionally, unmistakably CATHOLIC .   I know that people will BACK THEM UP when they take hits for being Catholic.  Lay people will stand in front of them when they are attacked!

Enough of this, “I’m with you, win or tie!” rubbish.

Am I wrong?

The Postcommunion today:

Praebeant nobis, Dómine, divínum tua sancta fervórem: quo eórum páriter et actu delectémur et fructu.

May your Holy Sacraments supply use with divine raging passion: by which we may exalt in both their celebration and in their results.

Everything starts with proper worship, the fulfillment of the virtue of Religion.

As a Church we’ve lost a great deal of the sense of who we are because of the loss of the riches of worship.

If we don’t know who we are, can we tell someone else?

Why should anyone pay attention to us if we don’t know ourselves?

Everything we do much start in worship and then be brought back to worship.

This is the staring point for renewal and the goal in an dynamic that will end in earthly terms at the Parousia described by Joel and will continue in heaven in eternity.

We Are Our Rites.

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Daily Rome Shot 1028: no littering… really….

Posted on 24 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is the anniversary of the edict of 24 May 1766 in which the Monsignore Illustrissimo e Reverendissimo Presidente delle Strade prohibited littering and dumping in the Via Borgognona.  Someone caught dumping here would be fined 10 scudi and given three “tratti di corda” with perhaps other punishments.

What are “tratti di corda”?  It sounds like, maybe, “lashes”.  Nope. This is also known as “strappado”.  They tied your hands behind your back and then suspend you by the wrists, which results in dislocated shoulders.  They could add additional weight.  It would last about an hour.  This form of punishment is still used today as a torture.

Just between the Campo de’ Fiori and the Piazza Farnese in Rome, in other words where I walked almost every day when in Rome, there is a street called the Via della Corda.

Corda could refer to the fact that the Campo was a place where public punishments of the corda were carried out.   The street was originally a “vicolo” or “alley”, but in 1925 the city changed it to “via”.

The Roman poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli (“er Belli”) wrote about tratti di corda in one of his Roman dialect sonnets:

Prima la corda al corso era un supprizzio,
che un galantuomo che l’avessi presa
manco era bbono ppiù a sservì la chiesa,
manco a ffà er ladro e a gguadaggnà sur vizio

“Before, the corda on the pulley was punishment, that a gentlemen who had taken it lacked the ability any longer to serve the Church, couldn’t be a thief and to make money by vice.”

Consider that St. Charles Borromeo assigned tratti di corda against the excesses of “carnevale” before Lent, imposing two times for those who transgressed on religious holidays or who had worn ecclesiastical clothing as a costume.

A certain group comes to mind.

St. John Sarkander, martyr, was tortured this way because he refused to reveal the contents of a confession to a fully Protestant court.  He died in agony in prison on 17 March 1620.

This… for littering… dumping.

Cities in those days were bad enough without garbage being left everywhere.  Strong measures were needed.  Also, in those days people were injured to discomfort and pain on a daily basis.  Simple punishments would be brushed off.  Hence, they used punishments that actually got people’s attention.

Life was hard.

Click!

In chessy news, I read an interview with world champ Ding Liren.  He will compete at the upcoming Norway Chess, tough field.  Ding said that his goals were “not to come in last” and that he had to show at least his “second-best”.  Gosh.  It makes me wonder if what Magnus opined about Ding might be true.  Magnus wondered if Ding wasn’t “permanently broken”.

Chess is hard.

Is this hard?  White to move and mate in two.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

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FINALLY…

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Pentecost Friday: tearing things apart

Posted on 24 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pentecost Friday

At NLM there is a great explanation of the Pentecost Roman Stations.

I find these historical details interesting because we find traces of ancient things in the traditional rites even today.

In any event, if I am to be believed, the Pentecost Friday Roman Station is Dodici Apostoli, Twelve Apostles, because that’s where Friday Ember Day Stations are. Believe me.

The texts of the Mass today are rather calming, as befits summery pursuits. Crops are planted. Early harvest of first fruits and grains are in. Other plantings and fruits are maturing. The days are long, warm, languid. There is always something to be done, but there is daylight for leisure.

The reading from Joel is about the harvest, and grain and wine and the gifts of God. The Antiphons and Gradual are all pretty joyful.

The Gospel is about the man whose friends lower him through the roof to get him to Jesus, who heals him. It’s a great moment in the Gospels.

Today in our Collect we have a return of the theme of “the enemy”.

Grant to Your Church, we beseech You, almighty God, that, united by the Holy Spirit, she may in no way be harmed by any assault of the enemy.

But for the most part, the overwhelming attitude of the Mass is joyful contentment with the abundant gifts of God.

Perhaps the idea of the enemy in the Collect, making a disturbance of the peace, is offset by the images of the paralytic man’s friends making a disturbance.  Making a mess, but in a good sense.

Enemies tear houses apart. The man’s friends tore a hole in the roof. Both make disturbances, but with different scopes in mind and different outcomes.

The Postcommunion seems to echo what happened in the Gospel, thus tying our minds in the moment of Communion to the healing, strengthening effects of the Eucharist:

“We who have received the gift of Your Blessed Sacrament, O Lord, humbly pray that what You have taught us to do in commemoration of You, may profit and help us in our weakness.”

As I write, I have a thought of all your priests being the friends who tear a hole in the roof to get you to the Lord. The friends lowered the man. The priests bring the Lord down to you. The fabric of the roof is torn open.

The division of heaven from earth is ripped asunder and Christ is called down, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

But we have to turn this sock inside out. Even as this image takes form under my tapping fingers, it is really you lay people who are the ones who get that roof apart and get us priests to the Lord.

You do the heavy… lowering. We would be lost without you, frozen, unable to move.

Thank you for being our stretcher bearers.

Also, years ago, I made a series of PODCAzTs for the Octave of Pentecost.   My technical  abilities have improved a little since then, and I seem to have had a little more energy, but they aren’t bad.

So, these are from 2008… Benedict XVI was Pope.

1. Pentecost Monday: PODCAzT 56: Octaves – Fr. Z rants & Augustine on Pentecost
2. Pentecost Tuesday: PODCAzT 57: John Paul II on the unforgivable sin; Our Lady of Fatima and the vision of Hell
3. Pentecost Wednesday:PODCAzT 58: Ember Days; Chrysostom on St. Matthias; Prayer to the Holy Spirit
4. Pentecost Thursday: PODCAzT 59: Leo the Great on Pentecost fasting; Benedict XVI’s sermon for Pentecost Sunday
5. Pentecost Friday: PODCAzT 60: Pentecost customs; St. Ambrose on the dew of the Holy Spirit
6. Pentecost Saturday: PODCAzT 61: Pope Leo I on a post-Pentecost weekday; Fr. Z rambles not quite aimlessly for a while

UPDATE:

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Novus Ordo Thursday after Pentecost: Feast of Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest – And a REQUEST from Fr. Z

Posted on 23 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In 2012 the Congregation for Divine Worship allowed that the Thursday after Pentecost could be celebrated as the Feast of Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest.   Music Sacra Forum as a link to the Latin texts for the Novus Ordo feast, as they appear in Notitiae 2012, 335-368.

It’s almost as if someone said, “This time after Pentecost seems a little empty.  I wonder what we could do to spice it up?”

May I make a request?  Perhaps today (or everyday) you could pray for a priest.  I have a link on the side bar to a Daily Prayer for Priests.

It might be good to pray not only for priests whom you like, but especially for priests whom you find seriously annoying or troubling.

If you can’t think of one, please pray for me.

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Pentecost Thursday: No joy in “dustville”

Posted on 23 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pentecost Thursday.

The Roman Station is St. Lawrence outside the walls, which is where it was in the Easter Octave on Wednesday.

In the Gospel from Luke 9, Jesus sends the Apostles out with authority to heal and cast out demons. In the Epistle from Acts 8, Deacon Philip is in Samaria doing the same.

For the rest, the remaining Mass propers are like those of Pentecost Sunday.

I note in the Epistle, “And the crowds with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip… So there was great joy in that city.”

I note in the Gospel, “And whatever house you enter, stay there, and do not depart from thence. And whosoever will not receive you – go forth from that town, and shake off even the dust from your feet for a witness against them.”

A common thread here is docility and acceptance of the Good News.

Where there is acceptance there is healing.

Where there is not, there is no joy in “dustville“.

The Lord Himself established the attitude that the Apostles (bishops and priests today?) should have.

In Latin, “étiam púlverem pedum vestrórum excútite in testimónium supra illos“. The Greek says, “kai koniortos“. In Greek, kai is a conjunction, a copulative like “and”.   It is also a form of karate associated with a particular kind of snake practiced in the Receda area of L.A. where the vampires pass by on Ventura Boulevard. Sometimes I just want to see if anyone really reads this stuff.  However, kai, the Greek particle, not the karate, can also lend greater force to what follows, which is how we get that Latin etiam that comes into English as ” don’t just leave that town but even shake the dust off your feet”. Leave it and forget it and the dust – whence all of them were made and to which they will return – will remain there as a reminder of what they lost: life, joy.

When dust is in the picture, something is up. Or rather, down.

This points to consequences for all of us when we reject something from God.

What pops into my mind is the rejection of a vocation.

For example, say someone has a vocation to marry, but… won’t. That person will be restless. Say someone doesn’t have the vocation to marry, but… does… and then abandons the marriage. Sorry, can’t do that.

Say the same about religious life or about priesthood.

Yes yes, there are ways to deal with “being in the wrong place”.

In canon law there is acknowledgement that marriages at times don’t work. The innocent one of the couple could in, for example, cases of infidelity, adultery, seek a separation from the other (not divorce, mind you).  Canon Law even states that the bishop can be involved in this decision.  This can be misunderstood by the poorly informed as asking a bishop to grant something so there can be a civil divorce, which clearly is a misunderstanding of the law: bishops aren’t going to be involved in divorces. Or they shouldn’t be. Similarly, there are paths for clerics to be relieved of the obligations of the clerical state.

However, both of these are exceptions and exceptions are … well… exceptions. They, by definition, are not the norm.

In most cases the better path forward is to bear the crosses that flow from the obligations one has chosen, that come from choosing that fork in the road rather than the other, and apply oneself with humble perseverance for the sake of saving one’s soul.

Life is short and eternity is long.

This pretty much flies in the face of the squishy messaging in certain documents with infamous footnotes that present the hard aspects of vocations as nearly impossible “ideals” that no one can be expected to be able to reach. Hence, there ought to be even greater and multiple paths “out” of whatever hard situation one finds oneself in.  It’s a manifestation, I think, of a Christian-lite, one without the Cross, and maybe a dose of … wokey confusion about reality.

It is an aspect of fallen human nature to tend toward the easy path and to avoid the crosses life brings. We should be wary of this tendency. I do NOT mean that must always choose the way of greater suffering. But I think it is good to double-check oneself, even to consult, to determine what God wants.

Going back to Luke 9, when the Lord sent the Apostles out with His authority, He also told them not to take those things along by which they could possibly make a living or easily obtain creature comfort: they were to rely only on “the sending” … which was from Jesus alone. That probably entailed hunger and thirst during their mission. Not to mention anxiety and danger.

It was a harder path. But it was one which brought them their joy later.

It also provided an opportunity for people to be generous to the Apostles, in gratitude for their instruction, healing and the life of freedom as children of God.

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Daily Rome Shot 1028

Posted on 23 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is the Feast of St. Giovanni Battista de Rossi, who was at Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome (my adoptive parish). He was entombed beneath the altar of one of the side chapels for a long time, until a church was built on the periphery of Rome. His body was translated. However, the side chapel and tomb are still sacred and relics, by the fact that the saints body was there.

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White to move and mate in 2.  There’s more than one way to skin the black king.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

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23-25 May – Triduum for the Feast of St. Philip Neri – Litany and Prayer of Card. Baronio

Posted on 23 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

At my adoptive parish in Rome, where St. Philip Neri estabished the historically important Archconfraternity of the Pilgrims and Convalescents, it is time for the Triduum before the Saint’s feast day, 26 May. Therefore, the Litany of St. Philip is sung and the prayer penned by Card. Baronio is recited.SS

If you want to follow along and participate at a distance, use the booklet in this zip file. HERE

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Pentecost Wednesday: Peter’s shadow

Posted on 22 May 2024 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pentecost Wednesday: Ember Day

Another Octave ramble which might have a couple of surprises.

Back in the day, 5th c or so, Pentecost was enriched with an Octave, thus extending the festal character of the great feast. For a while they were bumped.

In the 11th c. St. Pope Gregory VII, Hildebrand*, reinstated them while keeping the festive tone of the Octave.

If the Octave of Pentecost can be abolished for the Novus Ordo calendar, it can be reinstated, just as John Paul II reinstated “Prayers over the people” during Lent.

If the Ember Days can be de facto suppressed through lack of interest and ignorance, they can be reinstated through education and pursuit.

Oh Lord, please send us another Hildebrand?

Consider what Gregory VII’s approach to “Eucharistic consistency” (or is it “Eucharistic coherence”…)  might be.

Consider what Gregory VII would do about prelates who waffle on morals, who do nothing about schlock worship, etc.

Today’s Roman Station is St. Mary Major, the place traditionally for scrutinies of candidates for ordination.  Ember Saturdays were traditionally days for ordinations.

If I had my way, we would call some back for scrutinies!  In my day in Rome, before ordination to the diaconate and to the priesthood we had pretty thorough “scrutinies”.  We went around a big room from table to where there was a priest scrutineer who would interrogate us about the material of which he was an expert.  These guys were usually professors from the Pontifical Universities.

Because this is an Ember Day, we have, first, two readings from Acts 2 and Acts 5, with a “Flectamus genua” for good measure, and then a Gospel pericope from the Bread of Life discourse in John 6.

Acts 2 relates the descent of the Holy Spirit and then Peter’s preaching with the conversion of many. Peter talks about the wonders people will see.

Acts 5 opens with the sad case of Ananias and Sapphira. Later the Apostles are imprisoned, but angels let them out. When the big shots started to freak out, Gamaliel counseled patience to see if what the Apostles were doing was from God. In this reading, the Apostles work many signs, many cures. Even Peter’s shadow cured. Many believed.

A few points spring to mind, in no special order.

First, Gamaliel counseled patience.  If what the Apostles were doing was from God, it would endure and produce good things.  If it was not, that would become clear.

Would that today our Whatevers High Atop The Thing would have even a hair’s breadth of such wise patience when it comes to something that really doesn’t need to prove itself because it already had a track record of centuries.

The Vetus Ordo has a track record and the Novus Ordo does not.  Rather, the Novus Ordo’s incipient track record isn’t that impressive.

Ratzinger said, way back in the day, and I’ve been saying this for decades, that the two rites (that’s what they are, let’s not kid ourselves) should be freely offered in the best way, most faithful way possible, side by side.  People will show us the way forward.

But … progressivists, you see, the catholic Left, liberals (from the Latin “free”, meaning for a liberal you are only “free” to agree with liberals), are afraid of freedom when it comes to that which stands as a bulwark against erosion of doctrine and – wait for it – morals.  There is nothing to fear from the Vetus Ordo and the people who want it, unless, that is, you fear large, happy, devout families with many children who participate in the life of the Church, which they love.

Second, Peter’s shadow healed.   This struck me as I said Mass in the presence of relics.

The association with holiness, and with the mediated power of Christ, is so mighty that it can effect miracles of healing.  A part of a saint’s body or a possession that was a often used and decorous (such as clothing, a writing pen, a holy image or book, a rosary or chalice), and appropriate object which come into contact with them, are considered relics.  Miracles can be effected through them.  Peter’s shadow healed!

The power of mediation should ever be in our minds.  John was the voice and Christ the Word.  “He who hears you hears me”.  “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven…”.  The priest says, in persons Christi, “This is my Body…”.

Next, Peter’s shadow healed because of his association with and commissioning by the Lord, Light from Light.  It is vitally – in the literal sense of that word – important to stay close to the Light source.   Holy Church is a Light house for us, as well as the Barque it directs.  The farther we get from the light source, the weaker it gets and and fuzzier the shadow or beam.  TRADITION keeps us close to the light source.   Hence, Tradidi quod et accepi. 

To attack Tradition is to attack Christ and His Church.  It is suicidal to attack within the Church those who are attracted to Church’s Tradition.

In addition, the Mass texts today shift to different themes. Pentecost and Monday and Tuesday (before Ember Days) all contained protection from harm by the enemy.

Something about the Descent of the Spirit has always twitched at my mind. Acts 2:1 says “they were all together in one place”. But there were quite a few believers at the time, at least 120. All in one place? The upper room wasn’t big enough. BUT… this is the Feast of Weeks, Shavuot!

They were not in the Upper Room.  They were in the TEMPLE.

Males were to go to the Temple for the Shavuot – Pentecost – spring harvest festival celebration involving the wave offerings in the Temple of the harvest fruits, loaves baked from the first sheaves.  The Temple was certainly “big enough” for all the disciples.  And that is where they were!   Acts 2:2 says a wind came (the Holy Spirit) and “filled the house”, Greek oikos. Oikos can be house, of course, but it can also mean any building, including the Temple, the house of God (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46; John 2:16f, (Isaiah 56:5, 7); cf. Luke 11:51; Acts 7:47, 49).

Remember what we read at the end of Luke 24:50-53 and the account of the Ascension of the Lord?

Then [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

They were continually in the Temple. Why? Among other reasons, Shavuot. When Acts says they were in the “house”, they were in the Temple.  Jewish festivals looked back to historical events and they looked forward to something yet to be fulfilled.  Shavuot looked back to the descent of God on the mountain in the fiery presence cloud, shekinah, when God gave the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments.  Shavuot looked forward to the return of the fiery “presence cloud” to the Temple which had departed with the destruction of the first Temple.  That’s Pentecost: Shavuot fulfilled.  The first fruits this time being the 3000 baptized.

What happens after the mighty wind and tongues of fire? A huge crowd hears Peter’s sermon. Where was that? In the Temple. When did it take place? At 9:00 in the morning. Remember the line about drunkenness?

This was the 3rd hour of the morning and the time of the tamid, the sacrifice of the first of the two daily lambs.

To baptize all those people they would have needed a place with a lot of water. There was such a place nearby, pools for ritual cleansing before going to the Temple.

I am reminded of Ezekiel 6:26:

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

A new SPIRIT I will put within you. I will take away this TEMPLE of STONE and give you a TEMPLE of FLESH.

This took place in the Temple which lost the glory cloud of fire of the presence of God. The presence of God as fire returns and settles not in the Holy Holies where the Ark was, but rather on the New Ark, Mary and on the Apostles and, through baptism in the hearts of the new believers, new Temples of the Holy Spirit.

In the Introit of today’s Mass we pray: “O God, when You went forth at the head of Your people, making a passage for them, dwelling in their midst…” A reference to the fire cloud that led the people.

In the Collect we pray something that echoes that image of the guiding freedom-bringing fire: “May the Paraclete Who proceeds from You, enlighten our minds, we beseech You, O Lord, and guide us to all truth, as Your Son has promised.”

In the Second Collect, remember it is an Ember Day with two first readings, we get this. See if it doesn’t bind together my thoughts, above:

Grant, we beseech You, almighty and most merciful God, that the Holy Spirit may come to dwell in us, graciously making us a temple of His glory.

*Coincidently, today, 22 May, is the same day in 1073 when Gregory, who was Rome’s archdeacon at the time he was proclaimed Pope first by popular acclaim and then due election, was ordained to the priesthood.  In that year 22 May was the feast of Pentecost.

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