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

“Why should I send somebody in my place to be killed?”

Posted on 8 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

At the site of the Knights of Columbus (bad choice about the uniforms, men, very) magazine, Columbus, there is a seriously moving account of D-Day and the storming of the beaches of Normandy. HERE

A sample…

[…]

Then the coxswain said, “DeVita, drop the ramp.” I didn’t hear him because of the roar of the guns and the two big diesel engines in the back of the boat.

Then he yelled louder, “DeVita, drop the ramp!” For a few seconds I froze, because I knew when I dropped that ramp, the machine gun bullets will come into the boat.

And then for the third time he yelled, “G— d— it, DeVita! Drop the f— ramp!” I dropped the ramp and the bullets that were hitting the ramp came into the boat. About 15 or 16 GIs died immediately; many were wounded, some very seriously.

Everybody thinks when you go to die, you pray to God. But when you’re about to die, the only word that comes out of your mouth is, “Mama! Mama!” That’s what they were saying.

I’m in the back of the boat, where the handle was to lower and raise the ramp, so I actually had some protection. The troops who died in front of me were absorbing the bullets that probably would have hit me.

Near me were two stragglers, two young boys. One took a round in the belly, but somehow he survived that day. He was very lucky. The second kid had red hair and was maybe a foot away from me. The machine gun took his helmet and part of his head off. He was not so lucky.

He was screaming, “Help me! Help me!” But I couldn’t help him. He fell at my feet, and I didn’t know what to do. I had no morphine. The only thing I had in my possession was the Lord’s Prayer. I started praying over him, and when he heard the words, it seemed to calm him. Then I reached down and squeezed his hand because I wanted him to know he wasn’t alone. And then he squeezed my hand a little bit, and he died. He was just a little boy. Just a little boy.

[…]

And…

[…]

When we got to our ship, I had a big decision to make. Do I go back? And I said to myself, “Why should I send somebody in my place to be killed?” So I went back with the second wave.

Altogether, I made 15 trips to the beach.

[…]

Posted in Just Too Cool, Our Catholic Identity, Si vis pacem para bellum! | Tagged D-Day, John 15:13
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DAY 9 – Novena of Prayer to the Holy Spirit – AUDIO

Posted on 8 June 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.

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee Adore,
in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend;
Give Them Comfort when they die;
Give them Life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.

Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

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

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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.

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, PODCAzT | Tagged Ascension, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, novena, Pentecost
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DAY 8 – Novena of Prayer to the Holy Spirit – AUDIO

Posted on 7 June 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

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

Bend the stubborn heart and will,
melt the frozen, warm the chill.
Guide the steps that go astray!

Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom it is written “all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.” It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: “Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

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Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. 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

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

Posted in PODCAzT | Tagged Ascension, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, intellectus, novena, Pentecost
2 Comments

Bp. Paprocki bans pro-abortion politicians from Holy Communion

Posted on 6 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Bp. Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, the capital city of the state, has issued a decree on 2 June which bans pro-abortion politicians from receiving Holy Communion in the diocese entrusted to his care.

The trigger for this was the effort to pass the state’s “Reproductive Health Act” which declares abortion to be a “fundamental right”. Catholics voted for this.

Bp. Paprocki – who acts like a bishop in a time when few bishops act like bishops – wrote:

“I declare that Catholic legislators of the Illinois General Assembly who have cooperated in evil and committed grave sin by voting for any legislation that promotes abortion are not to present themselves to receive Holy Communion without first being reconciled to Christ and the Church in accord with canon 916 of the Code of Canon Law.”

Of course those politicians have also committed public scandal. Reparation has to be made also publicly.

Paprocki wrote:

“In view of their gravely immoral action to deprive unborn children legal protection against abortion, it must be said that any Catholic legislator who sponsored, promoted, advocated, or voted for these pro-abortion bills has acted in a seriously sinful manner unfaithful to the 2,000-year-old Christian teaching against abortion and therefore, would place themselves outside of the full communion of the Catholic Church.”

Wanna see the decree?

Decree per canons 915-916 – 6-2-2019

Fr. Z kudos to Bp. Paprocki.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Canon Law, Fr. Z KUDOS | Tagged Bp. Paprocki, can. 915, can.916, D. Springfield in Illinois
21 Comments

NCRegister about D-Day Catholic chaplains

Posted on 6 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It’s the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.

The National Catholic Register has an article about Catholic chaplains in the conflict.

The whole article is great. Here, however, is an interesting bit about a priest:

[…]

Among the massive carnage of D-Day, the only U.S. military chaplain killed in action was a Catholic priest, Franciscan Father Ignatius Maternowski. The 32-year-old friar parachuted in with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Dorsett recalled descriptions of the priest that he heard from those who served with him. “One man said he was a tough energetic Pole, and he was extremely liked by men of his regiment,” he previously told the Register. “He was a man’s man. Chaplains didn’t have to get into the front lines where there was combat, but these guys refused to stay back. They would go up to the front.”

He “didn’t find it amusing when men were telling filthy jokes, speaking crudely, or taking the Lord’s name in vain. More than one time he would say ‘Put on boxing gloves’ to anyone who made remarks about the Church or confession.”

[…]

Support chaplains. Pray for vocations.

Posted in Just Too Cool | Tagged D-Day, military chaplains
4 Comments

Calling experts with WordPress

Posted on 6 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Are there any experts on WordPress out there?

I don’t mean, “I sorta know a little about it” or “I’ve done a few things with WordPress… a while ago”.

I mean really expert.

Please get in touch. HERE

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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DAY 7 – Novena of Prayer to the Holy Spirit – AUDIO

Posted on 6 June 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

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

Heal our wounds–our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew,
Wash the stains of guilt away.

The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth.”

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long.

(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

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PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

Posted in PODCAzT | Tagged Ascension, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, intellectus, novena, Pentecost
3 Comments

Was a priest banned by Twitter for reminding women modestly to cover up at Mass?

Posted on 5 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It seems that Fr. Kevin Cusick – a prolific tweeter and a columnist at my old stomping ground The Wanderer – was banned from Twitter because of reactions to his comment to women to dress modestly at Mass for the sake of protecting the purity of men.

What set people off?

Frankly, Fr. Cusick’s point was good and needed.

I suppose that one could quibble about the choice of the word “forced”. Given that word – and we weren’t there – I get the idea that “shoulders” might also be a careful choice that includes more than shoulders.

And that ain’t far fetched given the way that many girls and women dress today. I often wonder: “Where are these girl’s fathers, for the love of God?!?” Oh yes… how many fatherless homes are there now?

And may I also remind the readership that leggings aren’t pants?

There is a long history in the collective spiritual wisdom of the Church – the greatest expert on humanity that there has ever been or ever will be – about custodia oculorum… custody of the eyes. “Custody” in this case concerns “guarding, protecting, shielding” the eyes. The fact is that what we see we tend to want after a while. Gaze on something, and your appetites reach out for it.

And we all know that once you see something, you can’t “unsee” it.

Would we be able to agree that, in the wake of the 60’s sexual revolution, the entertainment industry, the contraception industry, the feminism industry, the big-business abortion industry have successfully duped women into thinking that, to be “themselves” and “empowered”, they have to dress in a way that, a couple generations back, would make people think that they were hookers?

And so they show all that they have – or a lot of it – to men and boys everywhere and in nearly every possible setting – and then become incensed when they aren’t properly valued.

Men tend to want what they see and custody of the eyes is difficult.

Turning the sock inside out, Richard of St. Victor, in his work on contemplation, cites the phrase: “Love is the eye and to love is to see”, or more precisely “where your is love is, there is your eye” (Ubi amor ibi oculus – Benjamin minor 13 – sometimes cited as “Amor oculus est, et amare videre est.”). But, after the Fall, we are wounded. It is difficult to control our impulses and desires. Love becomes twisted. When we see things that we shouldn’t see, our “eyes” twist in the wrong directions.

See what I mean?

Charity is the kind of love that seeks the good of others, even at great cost to one’s own comfort. We have to be careful of other souls around us. Since the Fall, a great weight is on the shoulders of women in regard to matters of sexuality. Yes yes… there is a weight on men too. But if we are honest, you get my point.

There. I’ve made some points.

However, I suspect that Father wasn’t banned because of the comment about covering up. He was banned because of the homosexualist explosion that came down on him afterward. ‘Cause that’s how they roll.

UPDATE:

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Mail from priests, Sin That Cries To Heaven, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged custodia oculorum, custody of the eyes, Fr. Kevin M. Cusick, modesty
55 Comments

DAY 6 – Novena of Prayer to the Holy Spirit – AUDIO

Posted on 5 June 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

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

If Thou take Thy grace away,
nothing pure in man will stay,
All his good is turn’d to ill.

Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. BY faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to “walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

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Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. 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

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST

Posted in PODCAzT, Urgent Prayer Requests | Tagged Ascension, counsel, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, intellectus, novena, Pentecost
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UPDATES: Black vestments, Gitmo, challenge coins, and some food

Posted on 4 June 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I thought I’d give you updates on a few things.

First, regarding the Black Vestments project the mighty TMSM is pushing forward. I had shown ya’ll a photo of the fabric for the set, though it had gold writing, instead of silver. Gammarelli got some of the actual fabric. Here is a glimpse with the silver “column” trim.

I’ll try to get them to cough up another photo including the lining and fringe.

You will also remember that I had a project to get travel vestments made for the Navy Chaplain who lost his gear in the plane crash. Well, I don’t have pictures of vestments yet, but I do have shots of things related to my trip to NAVSTA GTMO BAY CU.

First, I received today a great surprise. The new commander of the Joint Task Force down there sent me a spiffy challenge coin.

My coin cabinet is now officially full. There’s another one on the wishlist.

I do enjoy exchanging coins.

Also, news from Gitmo. You might recall that during the week I celebrated the TLM for daily Mass and Ordinary Form for Saturday evening and Sunday morning. I was, of course, following in the footsteps of the chaplain in doing so. Anyway, I had asked the nice folks at Angelus Press to put a little care package together to send to the chaplain, Fr. Johnson, with materials helpful for the TLM. They did and, today, Father sent a photo of what was sent.

At every step, Angelus has been helpful to our TMSM, too. Thanks to them!

And now that those are out of the way, some food notes.

Missing Rome a little tonight, and feeling sorry for myself with my cold, I made Cacio e pepe for supper. The peccorino isn’t as good, of course, but it was pretty good.

Recently in Chicago I had food whiplash going from this…

… to this… in about 12 hours.

Really good stuff. The fries… not so much.

The later is from…

I post this especially in honor of our fine participant here, Semper Gumby. Also, to the rest of you readers, I have the same attitude about suggestions as the proprietor of this fine establishment.