Fr. Z's Blog | Catholic commentary by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

#ASonnetADay – 94. “They that have power to hurt and will do none…”

Posted on 18 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

#ASonnetADay – 94. “They that have power to hurt and will do none…” pic.twitter.com/VwY2NpMSME

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) November 19, 2020

If you are wondering, that target was at 30′, Glock 19.

Posted in Poetry, Sonnet A Day |
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Fr. Z’s Kitchen: fun new, old book and fun new, old post.

Posted on 18 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The other day a friend of mine was driving through town on his way to his ancestral place and he dropped by for some supper. Astute and considerate, he had spotted in a used bookstore a slim volume he thought I might enjoy, both for the fact of of the practical application of its contents but also for the sake of its ethos.

I present the Nero Wolfe Cookbook

Fr. Z's Kitchen: fun new, old book and fun new, old post.

US HERE – UK HERE

Less expensive newer edition: HERE and HERE

There are some great breakfast ideas within along with great old photos of New York City.

I’m glad to have this. On Amazon it seems to be pretty spendy, but it could be that you can find a used copy or even get it from a library, which often have lots of cookbooks.

It also spurred in my memory an old post about memorable meals in literature, which I repost hereunder.

___

A friend – quite the eclectic reader – sent an interesting piece from The Telegraph of a few years back.

10 Great Meals In Literature

Wow. Great idea. How did the selector do? Let’s see.

1) Mad Hatters Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2) The Episode of the Madeleine in In Search of Lost Time (Remembrance of Things Past) by Marcel Proust
3) Apple Pie and Ice Cream in On The Road by Jack Kerouac
4) Please, Sir, can I have some more from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
5) Gifts of Food in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6) Try Pots’ steaming chowder in Moby Dick by Herman Melville
7) Melting Raclette cheese on a fire in Heidi by Johanna Spyri
8) Sandwiches and coffee in Millennium by Stieg Larsson
9) Cheese Sandwich and Malted Milk in The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
10) Avocados in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

How did he do?

I can think of a few others.

1. The Last Supper in The Gospels of the New Testament
2. Lotuses in The Odyssey by Homer
3. The Appearance of Banquo’s Ghost in Macbeth by Shakespeare
4. Ugolino and His Children in The Inferno by Dante
5. The Christmas Goose in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
6. The Feast in Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen
7. Liver, Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti in Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
8. Toasted Cheese which its in the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian
9. The Tears Cake in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
10. Meal on the Raft in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Just Too Cool: The Navy’s Forest

Posted on 18 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Did you know that the US Navy has its own forest in Indiana?

Here is a spiffing piece (originally at Military.com) I found at Task & Purpose.

Why the Navy manages its own private white oak forest

Maintaining a forest for ship building would make a lot of sense if ships were still made of wood. But they aren’t. So why does the U.S. Navy maintain a white oak forest in the middle of Indiana?

The white oak tree might have been the most fundamental building block of the young United States — literally. These giants provided the earliest Americans with shelter, built the country, laid the railroads that connected its coasts and kickstarted an industrial revolution.

From Maine to Florida and inland to the Great Plains and the American Southwest, white oaks were used to conquer the frontier, enforce U.S. foreign policy and kick the Royal Navy out of our waters. The USS Constitution, the only still commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy that has sunk another vessel, is made from that same white oak.

And the Navy needs to repair her from time to time.

[…]

At Naval Support Activity Crane, near Bloomington, Indiana the U.S. Navy maintains “Constitution Grove,” where a forest of white oaks are grown for the sole purpose of restoring and refitting the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned vessel still sailing (the UK’s HMS Victory is older than Constitution, but remains in drydock).

[…]

Which it’s a very good read.

USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Preserved Killick | Tagged forest, United States Navy
8 Comments

Censorship of interview with Archbp. Viganò?

Posted on 18 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This is interesting, especially in light of the Senate Committee questioning of our Big Tech Overlords.

Archbp. Viganò did a phone interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo the other day.

Ed Pentin tried to post links to the video which was on YouTube.

I wonder what that is all about.

HOWEVER… HERE

And complete transcript HERE.

Posted in Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged Archbp. Viganò
9 Comments

#ASonnetADay – 93. “So shall I live, supposing thou art true…”

Posted on 17 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

#ASonnetADay – 93. “So shall I live, supposing thou art true…” pic.twitter.com/efx841bUAJ

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) November 18, 2020

Posted in Poetry, Sonnet A Day |
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ASK FATHER: Unborn child not doing so well. Should the mother receive Sacrament of Anointing?

Posted on 17 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

My wife is pregnant and the baby is not doing so well (has a cystic hygroma and some heart issues – if you can pray for her, her name is Angela Fatima)…my question is a priest that we know wants to do the “anointing of the sick sacrament” on my wife. Is this ok? My wife is not in danger of anything. The baby may or may not make, but not sure if it’s ok for her to receive this sacrament. Let me know what you think.

First, I am very sorry for your worrisome situation. I’m sure people here will pray for you all.

We have to make some distinctions about who may receive the Sacrament of Anointing.

There are two people involved here, your wife and your unborn child.

The Sacrament of Anointing for those who are in danger of death. Pregnancy is not an illness, but rather a natural condition. If your wife is not in danger of death, she is not to be given the Sacrament.

Your unborn child does seem to be at risk. However, only those who have acquired the use of reason can receive the Sacrament of Anointing. Children are not give this sacrament unless they have attained the use of reason (can. 1004).

The primary purpose of the Sacrament of Anointing is to heal the soul, strengthen it for the trial and risk of death, and to arouse in the soul the love of God. A secondary effect can be physical healing. In the case that a person has unconfessed mortal sins, if the person is incapable of making a confession, the Sacrament of Anointing can remit sins. While an unborn child is a member of the human race, and therefore subject to Original Sin, the baby has committed no actual sins. This is another reason why children not given this sacrament. As the Council of Trent says: “[A]ll those who have not the use of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, having committed no sins, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of sin.”

You definitely want to ask your priest for blessings for them both. There is a beautiful blessing in the traditional Rituale Romanum for women before childbirth.

I hope and pray that all goes well.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Canon Law, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged can. 1004, Sacrament of Anointing
4 Comments

ASK FATHER: If traditional Catholics and converts will eventually merge, where does that leave people who want the Novus Ordo?

Posted on 17 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I’m in formation for ordination to the NO diaconate in three years, Lord willing. I’ve been to one TLM mass in Florida years ago. My question concerns us faithful NO Catholics. When you say that the demographic sinkhole will make Traditionalists and Evangelical converts come together with the beauty of TLM, where does that leave us that are trying to be faithful in the NO? I greatly respect your opinion on this and thanks in advance!

I wouldn’t be overly concerned. This is not going to be a sudden change, even though the Wuhan Devil is accelerating the sinkhole.

I think it will happen. It seem inevitable to me.

Still, as a deacon, you should know your rite.

Learn to serve as a server and as subdeacon and as deacon for the Traditional Latin Mass, Low, Sung, and Solemn.

That ought to be part of your formation anyway. It’s your Latin, Roman Rite. You should know more than (the lesser) half of it. It is important for your identity as a deacon.

You might try The Celebration of Mass by O’Connell. Get familiar with the Roman Rite.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged diaconate
5 Comments

New title for your LATIN studies coming from Fr. Reginald Foster

Posted on 17 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I am sure that many of you have heard about the famous American Carmelite Latinist Fr. Reginald Foster.

Some time ago a massive project was undertaken to publish books encompassing his method of instruction and his approach to Latin. The first book in the series came out some time ago.

The second book, I am informed, is being printed now by Catholic University Press.

Ossium Carnes Multae e Marci Tullii Ciceronis epistulis: The Bones’ Meats Abundant from the epistles of Marcus Tullius Cicero

US HERE (pre-order) – UK HERE (pre-order)

The first book…

Ossa Latinitatis Sola ad Mentem Reginaldi Rationemque: The Mere Bones of Latin According to the Thought and System of Reginald by Reginaldus Thomas Foster

US HERE – UK HERE