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{]:¬)

2 Feb – MADISON – Candlemas – Pontifical Mass at the Throne

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Put this in your calendars.

Candlemas is coming up on 2 February.

His Excellency Most Rev. Robert C. Morlino will be the celebrant for this Pontifical Mass at the Throne.

The rites include the blessing of candles.

The music will be provided by a visiting choir, the Schola Cantorum from Eau Claire. They will sing, among other pieces, the Missa Papae Marcelli by Palestrina.

A splendid new pipe organ was recently installed. I am going to ask the organist to blow the roof off the place.

The Mass will begin at 6 PM at the chapel of Holy Name Heights (formerly the Bishop O’Connor Center).

Posted in Events, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged Candlemas, D. Madison
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PSA: About the FLU season and how NOT to spread the flu around

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I was sent a story from the Miami Herald about an ER nurse who is FED UP.

How NOT to spread the flu around.

There is a story and a VIDEO

Please, everyone, pay attention and use simple, thoughtful steps.

And if you have the flu, and you are not dying, stay away from your priests for a while? Please?

Of course you can

GO TO CONFESSION!

But don’t be stupid about the flu. Please?

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes | Tagged influenza
8 Comments

ASK FATHER: Priest paraphrases the Gospel – GUEST RESPONSE: Pope Francis

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I recently had a couple questions from a reader about a priest who regularly paraphrases the readings, especially the Gospel. He asks how he should handle this problem: should he approach the priest?

It’s hard to know how to counsel him. Of course the priest already knows that this is not to be done, but he does it anyway. Hence, he’ll probably blow off a complaint.

I suppose that he could take a video of the priest doing this and share it with the bishop’s office.

That said, perhaps the priest in question is sufficiently impressed by Pope Francis to pay attention his recent 31 Jan 2018 Audience address – English HERE. I just listened to it.

The Pope said:

The liturgical proclamation of the same Readings, with the songs deduced from Sacred Scripture, expresses and fosters ecclesial communion, accompanying the path of each and all. One understands, therefore, why subjective choices, such as the omission of Readings or their substitution with non-biblical texts, are prohibited. I’ve heard that some, if there is news, read the newspaper, because it’s the news of the day. No! The Word of God is the Word of God! We can read the newspaper later, but there, the Word of God is read. It’s the Lord who speaks to us. To substitute that Word with other things, impoverishes and compromises the dialogue between God and His people in prayer.

I’d say that Pope Francis would not be pleased with paraphrasing the Gospel.

You might print out the whole of the address, highlight a few points, and give it to him.

Francis included right after that a rather amusing comment on bad readers at Mass. At about 14:50 in the video.

“Look for good readers – eh? – who know how to read – no? – not those who read ‘myamyamyamya’ and you can’t understand anything.”

Also, note how many times he says “listen”.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged Lectionary, texts
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ASK FATHER: Initial inquiry resources for priests who don’t know the Traditional Mass

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I work at a faithful parish with a wonderful faithful priest. He has told me that while he doesn’t plan to say the TLM he does want to learn more about it so that he can beautify the NO at the parish. Are there good books available that would aide in this for him. I also don’t want to be heavy handed in the matter. Thank you!

The first thing that occurred to me was the wonderful book by St. Augustine Academy Press. There is always an ad for it on my right side bar. It is beautiful and different age groups can benefit from it differently.

Treasure and Tradition: The Ultimate Guide To The Latin Mass

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged TLM
7 Comments

ASK FATHER: Why couldn’t priests and religious be godparents?

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Would you please comment on why the tradition (at least the 1917 code) was reluctant to permit clerics and religious to be Godparents? Any comment on it being done under the new code?

GUEST PRIEST RESPONSE – Fr. Tim Ferguson:

Prior to the 1983 Code, a priest could only serve as a godfather in a case of necessity and even then, only with the permission of the bishop.

The role of godparent was traditionally seen not only as an official witness to the baptismal act, but also as someone who would assist the parents in raising the children in the faith and, God forfend, step into the parental role if something should happen to the parents.

It’s clear why, until recently, a priest would not ordinarily take on such a role.

Now, canon law has de-emphasized the role of the godparent in providing direct, material assistance to the parents, and does not foresee that the godparents would take on direct parental roles upon the death of the parents.

The role of the baptismal sponsor is to witness the act, and to provide spiritual assistance to the baptized.

While it is now permissible for a priest to serve as a godparent, I think it is a worthwhile question to ask if it’s a good idea.

Does the priestly role mix well with the role of a godfather, or is a priest already serving as a spiritual father to his people? Just as biological parents cannot serve as baptismal sponsors, because their role as parents is already significant, is the role the priest serves one that might make serving as a godfather superfluous?

Now, it’s not forbidden by the Church, and, quod non prohibetur, licet. I’m sure there are a myriad of commentators who will cite situations where a priest has been marvelous as a godparent. There are also countless cases where a man serves as a godfather and then later is ordained. I still think it’s a worthwhile question to ask.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged godparents
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Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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Newman – Candlemas

Posted on 2 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Blessed John Henry Newman’s 1849 poem “Candlemas”:

THE Angel-lights of Christmas morn,
Which shot across the sky,
Away they pass at Candlemas,
They sparkle and they die.

Comfort of earth is brief at best,
Although it be divine;
Like funeral lights for Christmas gone,
Old Simeon’s tapers shine.

And then for eight long weeks and more,
We wait in twilight grey,
Till the high candle sheds a beam
On Holy Saturday.

We wait along the penance-tide
Of solemn fast and prayer;
While song is hush’d, and lights grow dim
In the sin-laden air. {280}

And while the sword in Mary’s soul
Is driven home, we hide
In our own hearts, and count the wounds
Of passion and of pride.

And still, though Candlemas be spent
And Alleluias o’er,
Mary is music in our need,
And Jesus light in store.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Candlemas
1 Comment

ASK FATHER: Can’t Father say things louder at Mass? We can’t hear.

Posted on 1 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I know that certain parts are not, the secret etc. I am new to TLM. I live in ___ and do not have access to regular TLM, other than thru the computer (livemass.net). My diocesan priest does it once a month if able. My sons and husband do not connect to it because they have no idea where they are at in the mass because we cannot hear anything the priest says during the mass. I asked the priest if he would be able to speak louder or wear a microphone. He said that the rubrics say to speak so only the server can hear him. Is this true? If so, how do people follow along in big churches?

This is a great email. It raises all sorts of issues. Let’s drill in.

First, just as I repeat until I am blue in the face to clerics: If you don’t know the TLM, you don’t really know the Roman Rite for which you have been ordained. Lay people don’t have the same obligations as priests in this regard: to know the Roman Rite as they might. However, when we love something, and we should love our sacred liturgical worship, we should want to know more about it. We are our rites. They shape us.

This is an example of someone who doesn’t really know the Roman Rite, on the one hand, and who has – through no fault, mind you! – been conditioned to that thing that so typifies the Novus Ordo: the lowering of the Rite.

The older form and newer form are similar in some respects, but quite different in others. Those differences are important. However, I guarantee that once you begin to learn the older, traditional form more and more, then more and more you will understand about the newer rite! Similarly, when priests learn the traditional form, it affects how they say Mass in the newer form.

And yet, people who are not yet familiar with the older form can become disoriented.

“I can’t hear what’s going on.” “I can’t see.” “I don’t know where they are.”

These are common remarks. Sometimes they are complaints.

The Novus Ordo tends to shove everything at you and leave nothing unexposed. The TLM tends to withhold some things so that you have to seek and wait within the gaps for the mystery that is taking place. That’s really hard for many people today. We are accustomed to having everything exposed.

Think about watching a baseball game where now you can see slo-motion of the stitches on the rotating ball. Nothing is left to the imagination.

Once you are more accustomed to the older, traditional form, you will recognize the various gestures and signals that tell you where you are in the Mass. However, Mass is not a didactic follow-the-bouncing-ball sing-along, either. There are times when just being still, resting in the moment, are what we should and can do. If you don’t know what Father is doing precisely at moment X, that’s okay. You know what he is doing overall. You are on Calvary. You are in the Upper Room. You are at the Tomb.

People think that they have to hear everything or see everything. Instead, the genius of all the rites of all Churches are that they deprive the senses, to help you to encounter mystery.

On another line of thought, I sometimes with tongue in cheek say that the older Mass is like grown up food and the newer Mass is like baby food. There’s nothing wrong with baby food or with adult food.

Babies need to be feed. “Open wiiiiiiide! Here comes the airplaaaaaaane! mmmnumnn mnuuum!” You spoon feed stuff that doesn’t have to be chewed to junior.

Eventually, they awkwardly start holding their own spoon, with which they pound cheerios into oblivion. Little frowns appear as they switch hands or look at how they hold it.

After that, harder food arrives with new teeth, but it has to be cut up.

You get my drift. Having everything audible all the time, everything visible all the time, is like spoon feeding the blended carrots with choo-choo sounds. That’s perfect for junior. But junior grows. Junior grows because of the baby-appropriate food. Adults can eat that food too, but they won’t thrive on it. They eventually need more complicated and satisfying food. They don’t have to have things cut up for them. It is a little demeaning to do that, as a matter of fact.

Even people who are deaf or blind can participate at Mass in a profound way. We have to get beyond the mania of spoon-feeding and get into the heart of the Mass.

In any event, after a while, after more exposure, you will pick up on all the small signals whereby people for centuries have known what’s going on and how to follow. Yep… they did this for centuries. They weren’t that much smarter than we are.

Finally, microphones. Oh dear. They really are lethal to liturgy, aren’t they. Artificial implication constantly ramming your ears so that you can’t have a natural experience of the liturgical moment. No, no. Thank God that you don’t have to have a microphone blaring everything at you. Be grateful for the silence. Be happy that the Church is confident in you.

Microphones are useful maybe for the sermon, but let the rest of Mass be natural.

And, yes, the rubrics do control the level of voice of the priest during the older form of Mass and – to a very curtailed extent – the newer. Father must obey these rubrics. Somethings you are not to hear.

But also remember that sometimes Father is not talking to you!

Lastly, “unveiling” things is a profound liturgical sign. But you can’t unveil something that hasn’t in the first place been veiled.

Let there be veilings and unveilings in their due time.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged microphones, participation
27 Comments

NYC Days 4-5 and My View For Awhile: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK!

Posted on 1 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of the things I enjoy in NYC is a good bowl of borscht. It pleases in every way, especially in the color.

One of my errands was to La Lame to check on possible fabrics for the Pontifical sent in black that I am determined to make to replaced the …suboptimal but serviceable set we have now.

What I have been thinking about is a set from Gammarelli with a serious textile that would definitely provide for a “wow” effect. However, my calculations, once I include several additional meters for a new pall, would push the fabric alone well past $15000. (NB: I am open to a big donor! I’ll have your name woven on labels and sown onto all the pieces of the set with a request for prayers for you or your designated intention.)

However, a La Lame we saw some good and possible items.

Nice, but not quite what I am looking for.

Frankly, I am torn between making a classical Roman set, or perhaps going in the direction of the English, Pugin look, with draping vestments, with wider galloons and bright, contrasting colors.

In any event, I had a probably providential meeting with someone who has brought me into contact with someone who can make to my design any fabric I want (jaquard damask) in pure silk or synthetic or a blend. This could bring my cost for the project down and also provide a unique look and patter.

I was shown a “blanket” of one weave with three colors in their permutations.

This was pretty exciting. I have been looking for someone to recreate or closely approximate the gold silk from which I made our first Pontifical set. I haven’t been able to find any since. These folks can make it!

Here’s the fabric I need to reproduce.

We would be able to make an antependium and gremial, etc., additional vestments to match.

I was told that they could recreate historic fabrics and patterns from photographs, etc.

In any event, my job is now a lot harder. I have to think through more issues now. I almost need someone to take over part of the design process.

Holy Mass is worth the effort, time and money. We are doing our best. DONATE! It’s tax-deductible.

Meanwhile, as I considered our new options for vestments, I had some fish.

Speaking of going into the belly, last night I went with friends to – gulp – Jesuit-run Fordham for a “debate” between Ross Douthat of the NYT and ultra-lib Massimo “Beans” Faggioli. Talk about being out of my element: that’s David Gibson of the hyper-progressivist RNS in the moderator chair and in the foreground, seated with lots of gray hair, is our old pal Phyllis Zagano!

Our escape to our supper reservation was delayed by an… a chat with the latter.

In any event, they said that the event was live streamed and will also be available online, by Salt and Light (just continue in the lib theme… I mean, really? Jesuit-school, Jesuits in lay clothes in the audience (yes, you are recognizable), Beans, Gibson, RNS, Salt and Light, Zagano… but I escaped with my life, though I was a little rattled).

WATCH HERE

Make up your own minds, but I thought Bean’s constant downplaying of categories of “continuity and discontinuity” was incoherent and out of touch with reality. Douthat diplomatically pointed that out, but didn’t make much of an impact. Also, Faggioli introduced a few spectacular non sequiturs. See if you can pick them out. I was a little disappointed about Douthat’s answer about the possibility of deaconettes in the future. However, when I went to greet him on our way out, he said as much: “I’ll bet you didn’t like my answer…”, etc. I responded: “It’s never going to happen so it it’s a non-problem!”

Douthat has a new book coming, which he is sending to me. I look forward to it.

To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (March 2018)

US HERE – UK HERE

This goes to the heart of the debates and controversies. Some people are trying to change the Church through changing doctrine. At the same time they are trying to convince us that nothing is changing. That’s why they have to avoid discussion of continuity and discontinuity.

Also at the heart of the talk was the meaning of, reception of, effects of, future of the Second Vatican Council. Faggioli’s notions about that were odd. It don’t think he makes any sense. You watch and comment in the combox.

And of course there was discussion of Amoris laetitia and its effects.

But when you pull off the mask, they’ve really got nothing except raw power and intimidation.

Remember: Libs will always… always… require you to deny reality.

All that after having been interviewed yesterday before the event by BuzzFeed.

It has been a good and productive trip. Among other things, we had a meeting with some of the key players and organizers of a seriously top shelf pilgrimage to Southern Italy in April and May, which aims also to introduce serious people, Catholic and non-Catholic to am outstanding pro-life organization called Heartbeat International. I’ve been involved with them for a while and have found the people and their goals to be worthy of support and praise. It’s not a flashy organization. It does a huge amount of good behind the scenes, funding small projects and clinics. Very smart, dedicated pro-life people.

For the pilgrimage I am taking along my wonderful portable altar from St. Joseph’s Apprentice and my new travel vestments, which are awaiting me at home – they arrived during this trip. I’ll have them live and in person tonight, along with new pieces for the purple Pontifical set.

An homage to and book recommendation from a giant

Posted on 1 February 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I pick on and poke at Jesuits quite often in these electronic pages because when some weird, division prompting, discontinuous notion is proposed, there’s usually an “SJ” on it. Along with German bishops in general and a token smattering of other of religious, scratch the surface of a faith eroding trend, and you’ll find Jesuits.

That said, I know some older – dare I add, much – Jesuits and a few younger guys who are simply outstanding. They have my unreserved admiration for their faith and achievements. The contrast with some of their bizarre brethren confirms the old adage: corruptio optimi pessima.

So, today I read with interest at CWR an homage of a young Jesuit for his older colleague, Fr. James Schall, SJ. Fr. Schall probably needs no introduction for many of you. However, even if you know him well, particularly if you do, you should read this whole thing. Here, however, is a taste…

Saturdays with Father Schall: A young Jesuit on the older Jesuit’s 90th birthday

Father James V. Schall, SJ has been a source of encouragement to a younger generation of priests and scholars who are seeking to preserve a rich and much-needed intellectual patrimony.

A few years ago I met a Catholic publisher at a conference at the University of Notre Dame. I asked him why his company had invested so much in publishing Father Schall’s books. His answer was that Father Schall is a C.S. Lewis for our time. While I am not sure that Father Schall would consider himself another C.S. Lewis, there is, without a doubt, only one James V. Schall, SJ: a Jesuit priest, political theorist, philosopher, beloved teacher, and prolific writer.

Father Schall (born on January 20, 1928) just celebrated his 90th birthday at the Jesuit retirement center in Los Gatos, California.

[…]

A few years ago, George Weigel praised Father Schall as part of the generation of giants that emerged from the Catholic intellectual renaissance of the mid-20th century. Weigel posits that the most urgent question facing Catholic higher education today is how Catholicism “[got] great priests and teachers like Father Schall,” as the luminaries of that generation pass from the scene. Having spent many Saturdays with Father Schall, I often ponder whether or not my generation will be able to carry that much-needed torch. I once shared my thoughts about this with a newly ordained Jesuit priest and he rather cynically replied that my generation should not have any illusions about being able to fill the shoes of those giants. He believed that we don’t have the conditions which formed the intellectual greats of the past, such as a common intellectual patrimony rooted in the tradition of the West and well-established schools of philosophy and theology. [That’s a good summary of our devastated intellectual landscape. I think it was purposely devastated in order all the more easily introduce modernism, etc., without resistance.]

Perhaps he is correct to think we will never see the emergence of such a generation again. But I have hope that my generation can carry the torch. One of the books that Father Schall recommended to me was A.D. Sertillanges’ classic book The Intellectual Life. Father Schall wrote:

I would put The Intellectual Life on the desk of every serious students and most of the unserious ones… Its very possession on our desk or shelves is a constant prod, a visible reminder to us that the intellectual life is not something alien, not something that we have no chance, in our way, to learn about.

In a nutshell, Sertillanges believes we can lead a rich intellectual life if we manage to keep one or two hours a day for the serious pursuit of higher things. Sertillanges does not ask us to give up our daily lives and devote ourselves full-time to the intellectual apostolate, like St. Thomas Aquinas did, but he teaches us to organize our lives so we can acquire a good intellectual foundation and spend the rest of our days building on this solid foundation. And so he teaches us about habits, about discipline, productivity, and truth. The bottom line is that Father Schall believes the book will have an abiding, concrete effect on those who read it; if we follow Sertillanges’ simple prescription, it will enable us to build an intellectual life.

[…]