Fr. Z's Blog

The SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz tourney in Zagreb will have live coverage.  This is the third stop of the Grand Chess Tour 2023.  Lots of big names.  Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana won the No Castling World Masters classical tournment in Dortmund beating Vladimir Kramnick.

Traditional French Benedictines make great wine. Get some. Sip some as you watch the Tour de France.   10% of with code FATHERZ10

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

White to play.  Mate in 2.

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

On the stream for Mass today I had a little rant about Forty Hours Devotion.  I believe that now, more than ever, we need Forty Hours Devotion and for the right reason and done in the right way.

UPDATE…

This came through chat. I couldn’t resist sharing it with one of the comments.

“An ideal titular church for an incoming cardinal.”

MEANWHILE… virtual retreat for priests!

Today I said Holy Mass with a Votive of the Holy Angels and an added oration for the Holy Popes.  The image for the stream:

I don’t know the provenance of this image, but it seemed apt.

Everyone, please PRAY for government officials.  Please pray for the truth in electoral matters.

Fathers, on important public holidays you might have everyone pray this after Masses.  This, and other prayers, are deeply needed.

The following prayer was composed by John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore, in 1791. He was the first bishop appointed for the United States in 1789 by Pope Pius VI. He was made the first archbishop when his see of Baltimore was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. John was a cousin of Charles Carroll of Maryland, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

For Catholics who love their country!

PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT

We pray, Thee O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.

We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope N., the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, N., all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.

We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude N., that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state , for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

I became familiar with this moving prayer at my home parish of St. Agnes in St. Paul (MN) where it was recited after all Masses on civic holidays of the USA, such as 4 July and Thanksgiving.

Americans among the readership might print it and bring it to your parish priests and ask them to use it after Mass on national holidays.

Sports.

The Tour de France is on. Will Mark Cavendish get to 35?

In Cricket, the Aussies did something legal but “not cricket” in a match at Lords. It has ignited a huge contróversy.   I’m trying to get my mind around it, looking for an equivalence in American baseball: do something legal that you just don’t do in order to win, which outrages people because it violates the spirit of the game.  Something “unfair” took place.  Australia won against England in the Ashes Test match when the wicket-keeper stumped out the batsman who thought play was dead. In baseball, could an equivalent be something like the 1st baseman pretending to throw the ball to the pitcher while really keeping it in his glove and then tagging out the guy on base?   In cricket, it seems, what happened “isn’t cricket”.

A puzzle.  White to move and mate in 2.  Fabi found it.  Can you?

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

Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

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.

This will sub for a shot of Rome since it is … wonderfully Roman Catholic.  It came with this note:

We attend a Novus Ordo ad orientem mass. This was in the pew in front. Absolutely Awesome. Although St. Joseph is not known to have said anything, this kid seems to be convinced that his reply was “SURE”!

Kid art!

Yesterday the final matches to determine the 1st champions of the Global Chess League were held. There were 6 players on each team, therefore six boards, from highest rated to lowest with two board played by women and one by juniors.  They played two rounds of Rapid (15+10), switching colors in the matchups. There was a tie, so they went to two rounds of Blitz (3+2). There was a tie! They went to sudden death going pair by pair drawn by lot, using playing cards. First game, draw. Second game, draw. Third game, draw.  Fourth game …

Here’s the end before the the final moment which I bookmarked. These are the most junior players on both teams, the last Board, 6. From the beginning of the game HERE. NB: 3 minutes on each clock with only 2 second increment, so this goes pretty fast. Watching the whole thing is advised. But the end. Wow. The Indian commentators get a little screechy as they get excited.

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.

Click!
There’s a back story, too.

This is simply too good not to share.

From hearing to approve the nomination of Justice Thomas.

Not much has changed.   He was always the thickest of the pack, and that’s saying a great deal.

White to move.  Mate in 2.

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

I had to share this…

It’s the final day of the Global Chess League 2023. Levon Aronian’s Triveni Continental Kings and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s UpGrad Mumba Masters face off in the finals. The teams that led for the majority of the event, Viswanathan Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters and Magnus Carlsen’s SG Alpine Warriors, wound up being pushed out of their slots for the finals. The Warriors got pasted yesterday 18-2. The finals are today 2 July at 9:30 AM EDT (13:30 CET).

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.

Share the good stuff.

It’s the 5th Sunday after Pentecost in the Vetus Ordo and the 13th Sunday of 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:

I was recently reminded of something from the life of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. When in choir, there was an older nun that was behind St. Thérèse, the seniors being in the upper stalls and the juniors below. This older nun drove St. Thérèse crazy with noise that she would make, sounding like “two shells being rubbed together.” What would make such a noise? Perhaps ill-fitting dentures or rosary beads drawn across her teeth. St. Thérèse found it vexing until she determined that what was so annoying perhaps sounded like music to Christ. She was surely acting under the influence of grace in that, but it was also an act of her will. She made a choice about how she would deal with the annoyance.