Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

Your Sunday Sermon Notes – Transfiguration 2023

Posted on 6 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Share the good stuff.

It’s the Feast of the Transfiguration in the Vetus Ordo and also in the Novus Ordo.

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?

I have some thoughts about the Sunday Epistle reading posted at One Peter Five. A taste:

God does not cease to watch over us, not when the bishops are good, not when the bishops are bad. He is our constant when fragile men are swept into the raging currents of the world.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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Daily Rome Shot 757

Posted on 6 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The Great Roman™

Welcome registrant:

Daffodil

Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.

The wonderful traditional Benedictines at Norcia make GREAT beer and you can have some. Three different kinds.

Black to play. Even if white plays the very best moves, it’s going to end badly, but it might take a while. See if white can avoid the fast mates and linger a bit longer against the inevitable forced by black in, I think, 10.

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

I’m so glad to see more of you chiming in with answers!

In Chess News, the World Cup continues in Baku. Men and Women are playing concurrently. Lots of big players are getting knocked out. For example, Peter Svidler defeated Jorden van Foreest, who gets to go home. Magnus is winning. Big surprise. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is out. Gukesh continues to win. My guy Wesley So continues to win or draw nail-biters. Nepo is still moving ahead. I look foward to see what happens with Fabiano, David Howell, and Erigaisi. Also, today, Prag v. Hikaru. That should be brutal. It’s down now to 1/16.

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From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” – 2019-08-05 – Moolah

Posted on 6 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

August 5th, 2023

Dear Diary,

Some nice gals wrote to tell me they are giving me their annual award! So sweet of them. It’s called – I copied it down – the “μύλος” award.

As if Latin wasn’t hard enough, this thing’s in Greek! They said it’s pronounced mooloows so I figured like moolah. They called me to follow up, and the award dinner is on September 14th, the day of the exultation of the Cross. Well, I was exulting for sure! It really is great to be appreciated for all your hard work.

They didn’t mention just how much moolah. They don’t sound like big bucks people. But Greek. Greeks have a lot of money from their diners and things. I’m sure that in addition to whatever they want to donate there’s a speaker’s gift or an honorary something. I usually get those at events like this, and it always makes me happy. Nice! They said they are looking forward to my speech. Have to prepare something inspiring. But short. Where’s Fr. Tommy when you need him. Gotta get on that. Sounds like they’re laying out a nice spread, and I’m always starving after I have to preach or give a talk. If these are Greek ladies hosting this shindig I know the food will be great! God love ’em. I always tell my brother bishops that in spite of all the headaches here, I’m a lucky guy.

Posted in Diary of Bp. McButterpants | Tagged Bp. Fatty McButterpants
6 Comments

My View For Awhile: winging it

Posted on 5 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Time for the last phase.

My plane being pulled into gate across from the lounge. I was up at oh-dark for this early bird and all went well from door to lounge.

The Chicago lounge had a remarkably good breakfast offering … far better than the feeble effort in ATL.

Apart from these there was hot things available, eggy, sausagey, potatoey.

The first leg was JAMMED as is the second, but I’ve been upgraded and that helps.

As I slept through the first leg, I hope to sleep through the last.

On my flying trips I often put on this soundtrack… lest I forget.

And I have audio books… and a white noise maker if I really want to tune out under the influence of Bose.

Penultimate supper with my friends in Chicago…

RATS. I forgot to get a view of the final result. Grilled sausages and sautéed peppers on toasted buns. Pre-grill.

Last supper, fried clams and shrimps.

And some of the best, clearest ice around. It makes a difference especially because it melts very slowly.

Things don’t have to be complicated. And the best part is being with good friends.

Now… reprieve is over … Denuo ad metalla.

UPDATE

Just when you thought things were going to go without a hitch, a couple of enormous reps got on the plane and removed the extremely loud and foul mouthed passenger in the row behind me. Perhaps inebriated. Perhaps his demon was triggered. Perhaps he will eventually be allowed on another flight.

OFF WE GO

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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Getting the Rites right… Roman… Sarum… all’em

Posted on 5 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A priest friend sent a link to a piece in The European Conservative which argues for the Sarum Rite. In itself, that’s interesting. Adherents of the Roman Rite will, however, appreciate the introductory section. My emphases and comments:

The Tragedy of the Sarum Rite

A characteristic of the modern Catholic Church is its liturgical uniformity. Centuries ago, if you were travelling through Christendom, you would have experienced an array of liturgical rites and ‘uses,’ all of which would nonetheless have seemed to belong to the same religion. Presently, in the strange ecclesiastical institution that was allegedly born of a ‘New Pentecost’ half a century ago, only one liturgical order is deemed acceptable, the Novus Ordo of the Roman Rite—a ritual concocted by Archbishop Bugnini, a shady character with curious Masonic connections.

There’s an obvious rigidity among the Church’s hierarchs—those senior clergy who routinely conflate uniformity with unity—in regard to what liturgy may be celebrated. But going from one church to another often requires a wholesale change of one’s religion. This is the case, because the Novus Ordo allows for such an injection of the priest’s personality into the liturgy, that the liturgy itself is frequently a mere platform by which the priest can celebrate his parochial celebrity and his personal opinions on the religion he claims to profess. [I saw up close over the last decade how even otherwise solid priest can slide into exactly that.]

For this reason, among others, a growing number of the faithful have sought out the ancient ritual forms of the Church—still offered by certain clergy as part of a sort of underground network [Not because they want to be!] —to encounter the liturgical expression of their religion and escape the self-referential theatrics of the local parish priest. As ever more laity, especially young people, seek out the ancient liturgy of the Church, the Eye of Sauron in Rome has turned towards these congregations—and is now constructing various means to eliminate them.

Unfortunately, such ‘traditionalist’ Catholics may presume that the ancient form of the Roman Rite is the only Latin Rite liturgy that ever existed before the 1960s’ ‘New Pentecost,’ which successfully emptied the pews in the greatest single apostasy the Church has ever seen. [I’m afraid worse is coming.] In reality, as I noted above, in old Christendom there were local rites and ‘uses’ everywhere. In fact, the diversity rather crossed over into liturgical chaos, and in the 16th century, Pope Pius V declared that any rite that couldn’t be proven to have at least a 200-year pedigree must go. This requirement was extremely conservative, however, and thus widespread liturgical diversity continued.

In Britain alone, we had the rites of York, Hereford, Bangor, Aberdeen, and Sarum, the last of which was by far the most widely offered in these isles. There were also the rites of the religious orders, like those of the Carmelites, Dominicans, Cistercians, and others. Then there were many types of chant, and different styles of vestment, and that’s all before we come to low cultural, popular devotional diversity, as almost every village had its own rituals and patron saints. The liturgical life of Britain in particular and Christendom in general was like a great medieval tapestry, full of variety and colour, though forming a single picture of beauty and grace.

[…]

The rest is a really good read.

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged Sarum Rite
8 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 756

Posted on 5 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

None of you are going to know where this is… except the Great Roman™.

It is in a side room of Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini. It had been at a chapel built on the place near St. Paul’s outside-the-walls, where, according to legend, Sts. Peter and Paul fleeing the Mamertine Prison went their separate ways. The chapel was called Cappella della Separazione. It was moved in the 16th c. and then demolished in 1910. As the story goes, Peter fled toward the via Appia and lost a foot binding, which is supposed to be kept at Ss. Nereo e Achilleo called “in fascicola”. Peter went on, as they say, to meet Christ … “Domine! Quo vadis?” You know the rest.

Meanwhile,…

Welcome registrant:

MamaBear2000

Here’s a puzzle. White to move and mate in 2.

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

Interested in learning? Igor has a new course. EXPLORE

Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE

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How I feel right now… renewed.

Posted on 4 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I posted this four years ago and I have not changed my position.

No. Way. The. Enemy. Wins.

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Be The Maquis, Hard-Identity Catholicism, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices |
3 Comments

St. John Vianney’s stuff

Posted on 4 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Novus Ordo calendar has St. John Vianney – confessor, the other kind of confessor too, draft dodger, Legion of Honor recipient, patron of priests, for the Feast today, 4 August. In the traditional calendar, he is celebrated on 8 August. This is one of those movings of saints’ days that I don’t fret about much. Originally St. John was observed on 9 August and John XXIII moved him to 8 August and Paul VI moved him to his death date or “birthday” into heaven, dies natalis, 4 August.

Over the years, thanks to a friend, I’ve been able to celebrate, even solemnly, using objects owned by St. John Vianney. For example, an amice…

And a ciborium.

Posted in Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged St. John Vianney
1 Comment

Anniversary of sad hilarity.

Posted on 4 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Since I am in Chicago, I post today a link to a story from this date last year, 4 August 2022, about the Archdiocese and the Institute of Christ the King.

HERE

You might remember that the local Archbishop said to the Institute, whose raison d’être is the use the traditional form of the Roman Rite, that they had to accept the patently and false and manifestly stupid claim that the Novus Ordo “is the only expression of the Roman Rite” or they couldn’t celebrate any Masses in their church. In other words, they offered the Institute an unjust choice: Accept the lie we are forcing on you, or you can’t functioning as priests… and it’s YOUR fault.

This sort of thing is a manifestation of what so often results for priests as moral injury.

Remember: It’s not just the rite, the Vetus Ordo, that they fear and hate, its the people (especially priests) who want those rites. It’s the people.

Posted in Linking Back, Pò sì jiù, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, You must be joking! | Tagged Archd. Chicago
4 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 755

Posted on 4 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Welcome registrants:

angelamalek1
BekahD
fiat96

Meanwhile, white to move and mate in two. Did it take you awhile?

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

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

In chessy news, in Baku my guy Wesley So nearly gave me a heart attack with his come from behind games. He fought his way back from touch positions to draw and then win a tie breaker and then draw another to advance. The tournament is knock out: lose your tie breakers and you are out of the tourney.