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{]:¬)

Daily Rome Shot 174

Posted on 31 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Rome Shot
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31 May: Mary’s Queenship, and yet “more Mother than Queen”

Posted on 31 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

31 May is liturgically complicated. In the traditional calendar it is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. In the Novus Ordo, it is the Feast of the Visitation. Again in the Novus Ordo, Queenship of Mary is on 22 August, which in the TLM calendar is Immaculate Heart.

These mysteries and feasts seem all tangled together, and for good reason.

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary he told her that her Son would have the throne of David and that His kingdom would have no end (Luke 1:32-33).

If our Lord is our King, then His Mother is our Queen.

In ancient Israel, the mothers of the House of David’s kings were crowned, addressed as Gebirah, “Great Lady”. They sat beside the throne of their royal sons.

Mary’s Queenship is intimately tied to the Kingship of her Son just as Her Immaculate Heart beats in harmony with His Sacred Heart.

Mary conceived her King within her Heart, before she carried Him below her Heart, and Her Queenship rests not on her own merits alone, but rather it rests upon the majesty of her divine Son. At the conclusion of Dante’s Divina Commedia St Bernard sings of Heaven’s Queen that she is the “daughter of her Son”.

And of course, as we remember from the Davidic Kings, of whom Christ is the fulfillment, it was the Mother of the King, not his wife, who was Queen, sat by the King and interceded. But she will always remain, as Saint Thérèse observed, “more Mother than Queen”.

Speaking of addressing Mary, we name her Queen in many prayers, such as the Salve, Regina. We invoke her in the Litany of Loreto as Queen of Angels, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, All Saints and, so important these days, Families. St John Paul, taking stock of our times, added that last title to the Litany in 1995. She is the Queen conceived without original sin, assumed into Heaven, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and Queen of Peace.

May I suggest, dear readers, that you offer your day to the King of Fearful Majesty through our Queen’s intercession? I ask also a prayer for myself.

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word, and action of this day. O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them in the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

ASK FATHER: Golf on Sundays

Posted on 31 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

As long as a person fulfills their Sunday Obligation, and sanctifies the day with prayer and time with family, can a person go golfing even though that would require someone to work on Sunday?

GUEST PRIEST RESPONSE: Fr. Tim Ferguson

One is obliged, on Sundays and Holy Days, to “abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.”

It has long been a question of whether one should forgo any leisure activity which might cause another to have to work on Sunday. The Orthodox Jews tend to take a very strict interpretation of the rest required of the Sabbath. My oven came programmed with a “Sabbath setting” for such persons, which would allow the delayed cooking of a brisket without the owner having to push a button or turn a knob on Saturday. In some places, Jews would hire a “shabbas goy” – a non-Jewish neighbor who would come to turn the lights on and off. We are not Orthodox Jews.

Still, we should be mindful not only of avoiding servile labor on the Lord’s day, but also how our leisure activities might require others to labor. Not changing the oil in one’s car (unless one considers tinkering to be a relaxation, especially when a father uses it to spend time with his sons) might be virtuous, but taking one’s car to a dealership for them to change the oil while one sits in the vehicle feeling virtuous about one’s avoidance of servile labor would seem to be beyond the pale.

Perhaps the most common question involves eating in a restaurant on a Sunday. Eating out can be an enjoyable leisure activity. But it also requires others to work. We could all wax eloquent about the good old days when all restaurants – and pretty much everything else – were closed on Sundays. We don’t live in those times. We have to make choices and decisions. I think a decision to forgo eating out on Sundays can be a wonderful thing, but I would be loathe to ascribe sin to those who choose to go for a brunch with friends and family after Sunday Mass (to further discuss the important parts of Father’s insightful homily, and the choir’s rhapsodic take on Tallis). Hopefully, those who dine out on Sunday are overly generous with their tips.

Almost all leisure activities outside the home require others to work. Even driving on the road requires the presence of our brave police officers. A walk through a park necessitates the labor of park attendants. And yes, getting to the point of the question (finally), golfing requires the services of greenskeepers, attendants, perhaps a caddy, and various and sundry other workers.

The catechism states, “Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees (CCC 2187).” So it seems that the Church permits that eating out, engaging in some sports or other leisure activity is not necessarily sinful on Sunday, as long as efforts are made to ensure that laws provide reasonable rest and time for worship and employers safeguard their employees right to get in some leisure and the worship of God.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, HONORED GUESTS | Tagged golf, Sunday rest
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An important note to those of you who order Mystic Monk Coffee

Posted on 31 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

May I make a suggestion?

First, order some Mystic Monk Coffee or Tea. The Wyoming Carmelites are building their amazing monastery.

NB: If you are using a bookmarked link from my blog to order your Mystic Monk Coffee – which, by the way, is swell – please UPDATE your link.

Or if you once subscribed (save up to 16%) using an old link, please update!

Why do I post this? Quite a few of the orders are not being credited to my link. I’ve written to the Wyoming Carmelites about this once before and I got back a note about “cookies” – not the kind you dunk in your Coffee of the Month (which during May has been Rwanda Kivubelt Murundo, by the way).

About half the orders are not being credited to my link.

Here’s the proper link.

>>HERE<<

To be clear: if you use my link, you get the same coffee or tea or other items at the same price as you would by using their site, but I get a small percentage of the sale. Everyone wins. Let’s call it “mutual enrichment”.

One can hardly get rich off the sales of their rich coffee and tea, but, in my position, every little bit helps… and half the little bits are not being very mutual right now.

So, friends, please CLICK and get some coffee and tea and update your links.

ALSO, on my older posts if there are links to Mystic Monk Coffee, remember that that link itself might be old. The new link is always easily found on my side bar.

Thanks for your attention. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes | Tagged Mystic Monk Coffee
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Daily Rome Shot 173

Posted on 30 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Rome Shot
2 Comments

ASK FATHER: Priest anointed me and then, without confession, absolved me.

Posted on 30 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Recently I was in the hospital being treated for cancer. I had a private room and my wife was in the room with me. Suddenly a priest came into the room, introduced himself and asked if I was Catholic. He asked if I wanted to be anointed, I said yes. At this point the priest did anoint me and then absolved me of all of my sins. I am 81 years old, a cradle Catholic and am ashamed to admit, that for many reasons, I have not been to confession for many years. My question is whether this confession and absolution were valid. The priest did not ask if I wanted confession, he did not ask my wife to leave the room, he did not put on a stole of office, he did not ask me to confess a single sin and, finally, he did not ask me to recite an act of contrition. At this point he turned and left the room. I have recovered and have tried to locate this priest, but to no avail. I am very familiar with the form of confession and, from reading your blog, where you admonish us to “Go to Confession,” confession is very seriously on my mind. Each day in my prayers I implore the Holy Spirit to assist me in making a good, holy and worthy confession of my sins, my sincere hope is that this was a gift from God. What say you?

What a strange encounter.

I am glad that you recovered. I am also glad that you, as a Catholic, are well-informed.

Two things must be dealt with.

In the first place, the Sacrament of Anointing is considered one of the “sacraments of the living”. That is, it is to be administered to those who are “alive in grace”. It must be received in the state of grace.

In the case that a person is incapable of making a confession beforehand, then the sacrament can be given and it will also forgive sins. If the person is capable of making a confession, he must make his confession first, be absolved (i.e., brought back to life), and then be anointed.

It is wrong for a priest to anoint without first discerning if the person is in need of making a confession.

The next point concerns the absolution he gave you without hearing your confession.

There are occasions when it is impossible for a priest to hear a confession because there are people in the room, right there, who would hear. In that case, in an emergency, a priest can simply absolve. If the person recovers, however, he is bound to make a regular, full confession of his mortal sins in kind and number at the earliest opportunity. This is how it works with “general absolution”, that is, without confession of sins of an individual or more people in an emergency. All who receive that absolution must go to confession in the regular way. They cannot receive “general absolution” twice in a row without regular confession. The second time they would receive a “general absolution” it would be invalid, except when in danger of death.

Your wife could have stepped out for a moment while you made your confession. There was no emergency or necessity there, even in time of COVID Theater. He could have heard your confession and absolved you and then anointed you. THAT was the proper order.

If you were not in the state of grace when he anointed you, the validity of the anointing was highly questionable. The “general absolution” he gave you without confession of sins might have been valid.

My advice:

GO TO CONFESSION!

You don’t have confess or explain any of this to the confessor when you go. None of it was your fault and you likely did not sin in that strange encounter with that priest at the hospital. Just make your confession as you would from the last time you went.

And be grateful to God for your recovery and your chance to go to receive this mighty sacrament of God’s loving mercy the right way. Make a good examination of conscience and go right away, as soon as possible. At 81 you mustn’t fool around with being shriven. It’s more important than other things on your schedule… which is really God’s schedule.

Make sure your wife goes, too. Your vocation is to help her to get to heaven.

If I could make a suggestion…. Because of this whole experience, after your confession and your penance you might recite the Litany of St. Joseph for yourself and your wife (HERE) and then the Daily Prayer for Priests (HERE) for that odd priest from the hospital.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged Sacrament of Anointing
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ASK FATHER: How to make a “Trinitini” Martini for Trinity Sunday and avoid committing heresy?

Posted on 29 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

QUAESITUM EST:

We are planning to have a special drink for the potluck to commemorate today’s Feast of the Trinity.

We were planning to do a “Trinitini”, a Martini with three olives to represent the three Persons in the One Triune God.

However, just want to check that we wouldn’t be falling into any heresy (e.g., Arianism, Partialism, Modalism, Tritheism…) by doing so.

What would you suggest? One olive? Three?

I respond saying that, in the matter of Martinis, heresy is very bad.

That said, let’s solve this problem. In advance, I consulted a highly credentialed theologian to sort this out and to check my work. No, really, I did.

The first thing we have to deal with is the notion of “making” a Trinitini. We have to stipulate that, in this vale of tears (with which, of mine enemies, I sometimes will flavor my Martinis) the Trinitini can’t make itself.

To make a non-heretical Trinitini, you must “make” three Martinis simultaneously, from the same gin, in a pitcher. TO SERVE: Pour them, simultaneously but distinctly by measure, remembering that, in the West,* the second measure comes from the first and the third measure comes from both the first two, into one large well-chilled glass such that you have the three Martinis in one glass which has three garnishes. The three garnishes, for the three Martinis in one glass, symbolize the three missions of the Martinis. So, the Trinitini will have its lemon twist (a “Perfect” Martini), its pickled onion (which has layers), and its olive (without stuffing). Hence, in the one glass containing the three Martinis would be the distinction of the three-in-one nature of each Martini, each sharing in the same nature but distinct, and all working together in everything, but with different missions.

I believe that would avoid most of the heresies listed above.

And, please, serve straight up.

“But Father! But Father!”, some of you doubters are now mewling, don’t you know that a Martini with an onion is really a Gibson?!? You are a heretic by introducing into the Trinity different kind of … um… you know… it’s a… YOU HATE VATICAN II!”

Dear skeptic, be not afeared. The combined identity of the Martini with onion (which has layers) and the Gibson underscores the two natures in Christ.

Moreover, do not be concerned with the issue of the “blending” of the three Martinis as they are simultaneously and distinctly poured. This is taken care of by the concept of perichoresis. The relationship of the three Martinis in one Trinitini is like a “dance” which realizes both their oneness and threeness in an interpenetration leaving them nevertheless distinct. (Cf. John 17:21: “That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us”.) Do not doubt that the Spirit is present. And, that they may all be in us, pour carefully.

QUAERITUR: Would it be okay to substitute a hot pepper for the olive?
RESPONSE: Affirmative. And it could be appropriate so long as the heat of the pepper doesn’t distract overly from the flavor of the other two garnishes.

On the vital issue of shaking or stirring.

It is okay to make the three Martinis by stirring (cf. perichoresis… circumincession), but not… NOT… by shaking. Quod Deus avertat.

Lastly, it seems to me that, given what we can tell of God’s sense of humor, the Trinitini should be dry.

With that, it’s time for Vespers.

*There is an question about Eastern Trinitinis. I’m not sure this is doable but one might have to try to pour the third measure from the first, but through the second measure. I’m skeptical. And THAT might just give added proof, pun intended, to the Filioque.

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Lighter fare | Tagged martini
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ASK FATHER: If the priest says an invalid absolution and I drop dead after… what happens to me?

Posted on 29 May 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Father, a question – if a penitent is in a state of mortal sin, and they go to confess their sins to a priest, and the penitent does everything necessary on their part for the sacrament to be valid, but then priest uses an invalid form of absolution – and the penitent may well have insufficient theological and liturgical knowledge to know that invalid form is invalid – is the penitent still in a state of mortal sin? If they have a sudden heart attack and die on their way out of the confessional, did they die in a state of mortal sin?

Frankly, we can’t know for sure about the state of the person in that scenario. However, I think our God is a loving and merciful God, who knows us better than we know ourselves.

Just as “baptism of desire” is a thing, whereby the person isn’t baptized but God treats him as if he were, especially because he would have been if he could have been, I suppose that God will be merciful to the penitent sinner who has done his very best to confess all mortal sins in kind and number, with a firm purpose of amendment, and then longs for valid absolution. Through no fault of his own he was denied valid absolution. If he didn’t know enough to raise a question, he is not to blame.

How well this question underscores the importance of knowing by heart and really meaning a good, traditional Act of Contrition. We should know it, understand all its components, and truly mean it when we say it both in and out of the confessional. And we should say it often, as part of our regular prayers along with Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love. After all… we never know.

AND GO TO CONFESSION!

This raises a question, however, of ignorance which is either culpable or inculpable, ignorance of something important that we, as Catholics ought to know and, through our own fault haven’t made the effort to learn, or something important which is outside the normal stream of things Catholics could be expected to know.

If a priest doesn’t know what the true form of absolution is, and he blithely blathers in the confessional, I hold that he is culpably ignorant. He is guilty of sin in regard to his lack of knowledge of something so fundamental to his work as a priest that he cannot be excused for not knowing it. We hold doctors and dentists, etc., to know the basics of their trade and we hold them guilty if they don’t or if they don’t make some effort to stay abreast of new developments and to refresh their knowledge. So too with priests.

Priests need refreshers and continuing education. Priests need to know the basics. A soldier or other warfighter who doesn’t know how to operate properly the system of weapon he has been given, such that in the fight he chokes and fumbles, endangers the mission and the lives of his squad. He and his team and his officers are guilty for his incompetence.

Likewise, in the Church if a priest doesn’t know the form of absolution, or he is using the wrong form of absolution such that people get out of the confessional either scratching their heads or else not absolved, there will be actual hell to pay in the judgment of his formators and his superiors.

Is a woman employed by the French Department of a university a good professor if she can’t read French well enough to get through a novel by Victor Hugo? And who hired her? Who gave her her degree in the first place?

Is a priest of the Latin Church, of the Roman Rite, fully trained and equipped if he doesn’t know the language of his Church and Rite, Latin, and doesn’t know to celebrate both the Novus and Vetus Ordo? NO.

And who is to blame for his not being properly trained?

BISHOPS. They control the seminaries. They control the curricula.

So, if a man does his best in the confessional and the dopey priest, for whatever reason, doesn’t give him a valid absolution, and if the penitent drops dead of a heart attack two steps away from the confessional door, is he doomed?

I can’t bring myself to think that he is. I trust in God’s mercy.

On the other hand, I tremble for that priest in his particular judgment.