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{]:¬)

ASK FATHER: “Priest screws around with order of Mass. Should I mind my own business?” @FatherZ rants, advises.

Posted on 31 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Our priest always reverses the order of the peace and the fraction.

Specifically, he observes the following order:

Our Father, embolism, doxology.

Prayer for the peace of Christ.

Fraction and commingling.

Exchange of peace.

Agnus Dei.

As you can see, #3 and #4 are reversed.

He says it’s because “peace comes from Jesus’s broken body” or something like that. Is this an abuse worth taking up with the bishop, or should I just mind my own business?

“Just mind your own business….”…?!? No! This is YOUR business!

Sacred worship is your business. Our sacred liturgical worship is not the property of the priest, who can do whatever the hell he wants.

The fact that you wrote, “He says it’s because…” suggests that you have spoken with him or he has publicly explained himself.

If you have not communicated with him personally, I urge you to do so. Drop him a note and, if he doesn’t answer, approach him. Of course, use common sense and be kind and respectful.

At the same time, you should discreetly get a few instances of what he does via the video camera setting on your smart phone (assuming you have one).

The paper trail and the video are what might be called “proofs” in the case that this needs to go to another level. It isn’t enough simply to say that Father X is doing Y. You need to show that he is really doing it.

The next step, if the priest continues to commit this clear abuse, is to go to the bishop (I am assuming that this is the pastor of the parish). And/or you can go to the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome. If there is no bishop right now, write to the Congregation directly.

I have tips for writing to bishops and to Rome, HERE.

I said at the top that this is YOUR business. The Church thinks so too.

The document Redemptionis Sacramentum clarifies your role.

6. Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters

[183.] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favouritism.

[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.

The last paragraph clarifies that the faithful have recourse directly to the Holy See at any time in the process. However, they urge that the problems be dealt with at the lowest level possible before seeking help from a higher authority. Hence, if you do not get satisfaction from the priest directly, after collecting written and video proofs you should try the local bishop and then the Congregation.

Again, friend, this is your business.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged liturgical abuse, RS 183
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DAY 1 – Novena of Prayer to the Holy Spirit – AUDIO

Posted on 31 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Let us, upon our knees, pray in a special way to God the Holy Spirit during this time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost.

This is one way to pray. I invite the readership to join in.

MANNER OF PRAYING THE NOVENA

Each day the meditation and prayer for the particular day is said, followed by 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 7 Glory be to the Father, followed by the Act of Consecration and the Prayer for the Seven Gifts.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure beaming radiance give!

Only one thing is important — eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared — sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for “The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.”

Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

(Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father 7 TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts)

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light, and listen to Thy voice, and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

O Lord Jesus Christ, who before ascending into Heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thine Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the saints; the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, Dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples, and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.

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Posted in PODCAzT | Tagged Gifts of the Holy Spirit, novena, Pentecost, Pentecost novena
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WDTPRS: Ascension Thursday: That hope informs our trials

Posted on 30 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Tonight at 6:30 PM at St. Mary’s in Pine Bluff we will have a Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord… because it is Ascension THURSDAY… today.

A priest friend wrote this morning:

“Today we have celebrated the Novus Ordo mystery of ‘not the Ascension”. Almost uplifting!”

Agreed. Of course even in the Novus Ordo today is supposed to be Ascension. The shift to Sunday’s took place arbitrarily and it was done in some places, not all (very few).

On Sunday I will celebrate Sunday after Ascension Thursday, because that’s what day it is.

Let’s have a look at the Collect for the Mass of the Lord’s Ascension… on this THURSDAY.

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 (US HERE – UK HERE) 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.

We 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.

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.

Allow me to get a little mystical for moment. Another thing that this means is that Christ, as High Priest, is now at the heavenly altar eternally offering His Sacrifice to the Father. This means that His High priestly action is in eternity and not just in points of historical, past time. The immense implication of all of this is that, by having our High Priest in heaven and eternity, what He does is still present to us. All the mystery of the Passion and Resurrection is still available to us, not bound by chronology or by geographical location. The High Priest in heaven now guarantees that we can have many Masses at many altars at the same time, many Communions, many people encountering the Mystery through the time that hurtles toward the summation of all things when Christ will take all things to present them to the Father so that God will be all in all.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, WDTPRS |
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Tuesday 28 May – Mass for Benefactors

Posted on 28 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’ve been saying Masses for benefactors in Rome, with a couple of interruptions for other issues. However, unless something super big pops up, I’ll say Mass for benefactors – those who regularly contribution donations by subscription or recently ad hoc, and who have sent items from my wishlist, etc. – tomorrow afternoon, Rome time.

God and my angels know who has sent snail-mail I haven’t seen yet.

I keep you in my constant prayers, of course, and regularly say Mass for your intention. It is my pleasure, honor, and duty to do so.

UPDATE: Here’s some concelebration.

I’m at the center altar, celebrating Mass for the intentions of YOU benefactors.

Posted in ACTION ITEM! |
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“Meanwhile, I received this lovely note from a reader…”

Posted on 28 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

We know that, in a few years, the inexorable force of demographics will massively reduce the numbers of people in the pews, people who even lightly suggest that they are Catholic, the number of priests, the properties the Church holds… everything. I just saw a study that showed that something dire happened around 1965 which could be the cause of the plummet in numbers of seminarians… while on the other hand in dioceses and groups where tradition is strong, the numbers trend upward. Coincidence?

A couple days ago here in Rome, I spoke with an American priest who said that in his major archdiocese, for the last couple of years about half of all the new priests can and do say the Traditional Latin Mass.

A friend of mine, years ago, claimed that the Novus Ordo would die out. I didn’t accept his claim at the time. I am beginning to wonder. When I see TLM congregations, I see young families with lots of children.

Will they and the young TLM celebrating priests be the only one’s left in the hard times to come? During what could be the Great Falling Away?

I have no answer to that. The trends I see suggest something along those lines.

Meanwhile, the Enemy is active in Hell’s war on souls and the Enemy is sly. Who knows what will hit us next. Attacks will come from outside of the Church. The worse attacks will be from within… as we are already seeing build in both kind and number.

Meanwhile, I received this lovely note from a reader…

I have the privilege to attend this morning the first TLM of a young priest. He is a diocesan priest and celebrated mass in a newly restored old country church on a road that just received a fresh coat of gravel. His homily mentioned keeping alive the traditions and ways of all times. The church was beautiful, the mass was edifying, and the only sound to be heard during the canon was from the farm down the road. Anyway, as this is the type of thing you tend to mention, I thought you might like hear about it.

Our Lord gave us a Church which, because it is His, is indefectible. Indefectibility doesn’t mean that it will remain prominent and influential. It only guarantees that it will remain until He returns in glory.

Because the Church is Christ’s Mystical Body, offered now for eternity to the Father by the High Priest at the heavenly altar, the Church will have to experience its Passion as well. On the other side of that Passion is glory.

Before the Ascension, the Lord breathed on the Apostles and made them “witnesses” (martyres) to the Good News. The Holy Spirit “breathed” down on the whole Church. You, the confirmed, are “in-breathed” by the Holy Spirit also to be strong in living as “witnesses” in the Church’s commission.

Posted in Our Catholic Identity, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged demographics, Great Falling Away, indefectibility
8 Comments

Rome Day 8-9: Cheese, Anniversary, and Black Vestments

Posted on 27 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some shots from my anniversary day in Rome and today.

First things first.

CHEESE! I hadn’t bought cheese from this guy before, but I tried some and it was simply marvelous.

And, of course, Holy Mass in the morning. I was able to celebrate at the altar honoring St. Philip Neri.

Kids.

In the afternoon we visited Chiesa Nuova and the rooms of the Saint. Here is the Reni original.

A death mask.

The saint.

Beautiful Chiesa Nuova. But what’s wrong with this picture?

Nothing is wrong with this picture! And it was great carbonara.

Saltimbocca.

And just for fun!

Today, Monday, I was at Gammarelli to get the BLACK Pontifical set underway. I tried combinations. I also brought friends to give additional opinions.

The violet fabric is what I chose, but it will be black with silver. We pulled some black and silver to get the colors in our eyes.

Black and silver with silver column trim… and rose lining.

Red lining. Hmmm…. talk about Say the Black…

Guess which I picked.

Also, they confirmed that our additional chasubles for the Easter set and Bp Hying’s new chasuble would be ready any time now.

Next door to Gammarelli, you can buy this exquisite glow in the dark statuette. No, no… not everyone at once.

At lunch, I got a lesson (which I requested) about why the sommelier cup is the way it is. Quite interesting, as it turns out.

And, in the spirit of interesting round things.

This evening, at Mass I was at the Gregory the Great altar. Note the freeing of souls from Purgatory. Remember the whole thing abut Gregorian Masses?

Posted in On the road, What Fr. Z is up to | Tagged cheese, Gammarelli, Gregorian Masses, sommelier
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A Must Read. Important post at the UK’s @CatholicHerald today.

Posted on 27 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

There’s an important post at the UK’s Catholic Herald today. It has to do with the

HERE

I’m always going on about how, for success, every initiative we undertake in the Church has to start in and go back to our sacred liturgical worship. Of course chronologically we do all sorts of things at the same time. However, logically, worship must always have precedence.

Chad Pecknold, a smart and gifted writer, tells of his visit to a Native American reservation in Arizona, the spiritual care of which has been entrusted by Bp. Olmsted to a new group of Franciscans.

The article speaks to the devastation that socialism has wrecked on those poor people. It quite rightly underscores what Leo XIII taught about the importance of private ownership of property does for human development and thriving. On this reservation, things are owned collectively. Hence, the lack of motivation to improve their lot.

However, these Franciscans are working to renew the spirit of the downtrodden people there through restoration also of the Traditional Roman Rite.

Here’s his peroration. Do read the whole thing over there:

It’s tragic to see the devastation. It’s like the trail of tears has never ended. But with the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit I saw a glimpse of hope for these people. Not material hope mind you, since the tribe is immensely wealthy while the people still live in true material and cultural destruction — a lot like the so-called post-Christian West. What I did glimpse, though, was a greater interior hope. Seeing the Eucharistic sacrifice at the heart of the mission, and faithful friars radiating God’s presence in the midst of their suffering, I suddenly felt joy that the image of God, so beaten down, could find a sanctuary, an oasis, life-giving water, even in the desert of desolation. I had hope that these people could be raised up, not by their tribe, but by the City of God in their midst.

And that is surely what will happen, especially because these friars have their liturgical heads screwed on in the correct direction. Ad orientem and ad maiores.

This is what is needed in parishes, too.

A little while ago, I finished reading Ken Follett’s series about the building of a fictional cathedral in England beginning with Pillars of the Earth. There’s lots of sheer stupidity about the Faith and goofy, tendentious “history” applied, but one thing was well captured: how the town and wealth and well-being and progress and human flourishing grew up around that cathedral and monastic community.

In Pecknold’s article this too:

St. John’s is the parish where the friars live a different kind of common life. It’s an oasis. A sign of contradiction. They wake up chanting the psalms, and go to sleep chanting the psalms. God is their common life, and so truly there is tranquility of order in the midst of devastation. They are now building a beautiful medieval chapel for the friars within their cloister, inspired by the one in Assisi.

You can feel in advance what will happen. Spirits will be lifted, through elbow grease and grace. Liturgical life will power it all. Life in general will improve.

Pray that the Powers That Be leave these Franciscan Friars alone!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Just Too Cool, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Turn Towards The Lord | Tagged Bp. Olmsted, D. Phoenix, Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit
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Rome Day 5-7: Caponata, Carbonara, and Che Guevara

Posted on 26 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’m behind on my travelogue. May I make this a quick one?

An advantage to an apartment is that you can make breakfast when you want from leftovers.

Out of order.. which drink is mine? This is NOT breakfast.

But this could have been breakfast.

And we’ve moved to supper. Caponata at what is becoming a new favorite place.

Spaghetti and mud bug.

That evening.. gosh it’s a blur… orata done in salt.

This was from… lunch… yesterday? Contestant for the best carbonara I’ve had in Rome for years. Are things improving after a long period of disappointing mediocrity? Have they been forced, again, to up their game? I love the free market.

This isn’t trash talk This one says that if someone is sick (think plague, etc.) you can turn them in by putting their name and address through the hole. Welcome to Rome!

Near the Palazzo Chigi, there’s a place that has for decades sold small figures. These guys clearly have a sense of humor and… a point of view!

The index of the sundial of Augustus. One of 13 obelisks in Rome.

More on that image of St. Joseph. Some of the details…. notice the dirty legs and arms and hands! Beautiful.

Trash talk. DON’T LITTER!!

Getting ready at church at Saturday night Low Mass of a Bishop.

Vigil of “Pippo”.

Friends… life has been good for that last couple of days.

Posted in On the road, What Fr. Z is up to |
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Fr. Z’s 28th Anniversary of Ordination: St. Philip plays a prank.

Posted on 26 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Booklet for the Mass

“Well… I made it this far.”

That’s what I say to myself when this date rolls around.

Many priests observe the anniversary of their ordination at this time of year. It is a common time for ordinations, probably because Ember Days were common times for ordinations and Ember Days fall during the Pentecost Octave.

It is my anniversary of ordination today, 28 years ago, by St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica. I suppose that might make me a 2nd class relic.

It was not only the Feast of St. Philip Neri, 26 May, but it was also Trinity Sunday. A beautiful sunny day. Today, in Rome, we have solid gray and rain.

I got up that morning, ate breakfast, said my prayers, and walked alone across town to the basilica, where I entered through the main doors with the rest of the crowd. After that, however, I went to the right, to the nave near the Pietà, where we ordinands vested and waited for the Holy Father. My family members came separately from a different part of town. They had special tickets which brought them very close to the altar.

Since we were 60 in number, and from many countries, the basilica was absolutely jammed with people from all over the world who had come for the ordinations. The number of people, probably some 50k since it was packed to the gills with families and friends and whole colleges and the inevitable tourists, made the responses during the Litany of Saints flow over us palpably as we lay on the floor.

You have not experienced the Litany of Saints until you have heard it sung by that many people in a space like that.

St. Theresa of Calcutta was there, just in front of where my folks sat.

I had arranged for my grandmother, a convert to Catholicism in her 80’s, to receive Communion from the Holy Father.

I often wonder what happened to the other men with whom I was ordained. I only knew a few of them personally, since I had been at the Lateran University with them. I know that one fellow is now a bishop in Haiti. Also, it was the first year that the Iron Curtain was raised enough in Romania so that a few men were permitted out of the country to come to Rome to be ordained by the Pope. There were some Opus Dei guys ordained with us. Another was the sad, so very sad John Corapi of the SOLT group. One priest was ordained for the Archdiocese of Southwark in England. It would be great to meet with him during some trip. I reached out to a few some years ago and got a few responses.

NB:

God doesn’t choose men who are worthy. He chooses those whom it pleases Him to choose. In regard to myself, it’s all a great mystery to me. I probably won’t get it until I die.

The sermon from the Mass. The sermon is in Italian and the text is HERE.

I really miss him.

Here is some excerpts from the broadcast of the ordination, which was on national television in Italy. We have the interrogation, litany and the prayer (form).

Imposition of hands.

Anecdote: After our ordination we lined up, new priests on one side of the side nave, all the cardinals and various prelates on the other. The Holy Father came and greeted us all. To my shock, my boss, the late and great Augustine Card. Mayer who had joined the recessional, came across the nave and, in front of the Roman Pontiff, knelt down and asked for my blessing. It was one of several startling lessons Card. Mayer gave me.

This morning, Mass at the altar of St. Philip in the Church where he founded the confraternity to take care of pilgrims, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini.

UPDATE:

This morning, I celebrated Mass as described. Because that church has a special relationship with “Pippo Bono” even though it is a Sunday I could use the proper for the saint, adding prayers “Pro Seipso Sacerdote” and with the proper Gospel from Sunday as the Last Gospel instead of the beginning of the Gospel of John.

The church was busy during Mass. It seems that the parish has awakened a bit and Sunday activity has increased. There were groups of kids being chaperoned to different places for catechism. One group, older kids, went off with The Great Roman™. Another group – the really little ones – was kept in church where they sang the Ave Maria in Latin again… and again… and again… and again… and again…. No, no. It wasn’t the least distracting for me or my server. Not at all.

The amusing aspect is this chaos revolving around us. Last night at supper one of the priests suggested coming at the time we did for Mass because the church would be quieter. I think he really meant it, but…. HA!

St. Philip was a great prankster in life. It seems he is still a prankster in death.

Thanks, “Pippo”. Another lesson on my ordination day!

Posted in Linking Back, What Fr. Z is up to | Tagged anniversary, St. Philip Neri
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ASK FATHER: How to break the bondage of bad habits, vices?

Posted on 25 May 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a priest:

QUAERITUR:

Father, you stated:

“Create a vacuum and something else will rush in to fill it. Think
of this in our human, lived experience. If you have a bad habit, you will more than likely never break it, unless you replace it with a good habit.” I have been contemplating this very thing for a long time now. In regards to Confession.

I admit my seminary training was lacking but guiding a penitent in this situation was never discussed in any specific detail in any of my classes (that I recall) and I have not seen anything written about this….how does an individual deeply rooted in habitual sin – who confesses regularly – break out of that bondage?

This is currently a huge problem with sexual sins in our country and maybe around the world and I feel at a loss when I tell penitents to “do this…” or “do that…” but those chains seems unbreakable. (This or that being Rosary, Scripture, Holy Hours, Fasting etc…).

I don’t know how well they do these things or if they do them at all ( they say they do).

Would you be able to recommend a source for how to guide a penitent with this kind of problem. I feel like I am not helping them because they are not progressing in conquering these habitual sins.

Thanks, Father.

Look, I’m a simple guy and a sinner. I don’t get real fancy when it comes to these things. Sure, fasting… yeah. All that stuff. As Nelson said, “Damn the maneuvers! Go straight at ’em!”

It seems to me that keeping it simple is a good approach.

If you can get a penitent to start thinking about the patterns of behavior he has that leads to sin X, then you can suggest a concrete approach. Make a plan.

“The next time I start thinking about doing sin X, instead – right away – I’m going to go outside and scrub an oil stain out of the driveway.” “The next time, I’ll clean and defrost the refrigerator.” “I’ll [FILL IN SOME HUMBLE MANUAL TASK.]”

For example, when you find you are starting to think about doing sin X, kick the pre-determined and contemplated plan into action. Do that instead of the sin. Repeat when necessary.

For language, make a list of specific words you will use instead of words or phrases you shouldn’t use. Then, consciously, start using them. Get into the new vocabulary so that it, instead of the F-word pops out automatically, one of the List-Words pops out.

You have to make a plan and then implement it. Do this often enough, and, when you also avoid occasions of sin, you can get hold of the bad habit and diminish it.

A concrete example: I use to misplace my keys all the time. Eventually I got tier of looking for my keys like a dope. I broke the bad habit by replacing it with a planned action. I started putting my keys in the refrigerator. That was such a weird place to put them, that I remembered where they were. Eventually, I got over just putting them down anywhere, and regularly put them in a non-refrigerated place. Problem solved.

Another example, I know a priest who determined that his word for sudden shock or pain would be “Carumba!”. Indeed, that’s now the word that slips out when he grabs something too hot to handle and burns himself.

Also, say prayers often during the day to Mary, St. Joseph and your Angel. I do mean often. Establish the good habit of quiet and even rapid private prayer in moments during the day, along, of course with Angelus, etc. That can put the breaks on sudden temptations. Often. Really fast prayers, even just a couple of words! Often.

Moreover….

GO TO CONFESSION!

One of the effects of the Sacrament of Penance, along with forgiveness of sins, is strengthening against temptations and sins. It makes you stronger.

Remember that grace builds on nature, it doesn’t replace nature. We have to do our part with elbow grease so that the grace can build.

I tell people who are not in the habit of examining their consciences every day, to do so when they brush their teeth at night. It’s an activity that you don’t omit – I hope – and it is such a mundane contrast that you remember to do it (see aforementioned refrigerator).

Don’t get all fancy and pious. Just suggest commonsense and concrete things with a little pious thrown in for good graces.

Once progress is made and some victories are attained, then elaborate.

And… hammer this home. To mix metaphors, don’t candy-coat it.

“Friend, you have a bad habit here. It’s going to be hard to replace it and the Enemy and your own interior weakness from Original Sin are going to fight you. When you say “No’ to yourself, you are going to begin to suffer. If it’s a really rooted vice, you will suffer more and more. Plan on it. You have to be willing to suffer. Be aware ahead of time so that you will know what your PLAN is to face the suffering. Maybe it will be a cold shower or more manual tasks. Maybe gazing at a crucifix and kissing Jesus’ feet over and over. You have to PLAN for the suffering and then plan NOT to come down from the Cross the Lord is sharing with you. Be ready for it and it won’t surprise you, bad as it is. Stay on that Cross.”