Yes, I am back at it, badgering you into listening to and remembering points from the sermons you hear for the Mass you attended to fulfill your Sunday obligation.
So, was there a good point in the sermon or homily that you heard?
Share it. Some people don’t get to hear sermons with good points.
Today in our Roman Rite it is the last day of the liturgical year.
We are on one side of the threshold. We cross over soon.
Of Advent, the holy bishop of Milan St. Charles Borromeo (+1584) said:
“Like a devoted mother, keenly concerned for our salvation, the Church uses the rites of this season, its hymns, songs and other utterances of the Holy Spirit to teach us a lesson. She shows us how to receive this great gift of God with thankfulness and how to be enriched by its possession. She teaches us that our hearts should be as prepared now for the coming of Christ our Lord as if he were still to come into the world.”
Remember: He is still going to come into the world.
Make straight his path.
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for December
Vatican City, 29 November 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis’ general prayer intention for December is: “That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need”.
His mission intention is: “That Christians, enlightened by the Word incarnate, may prepare humanity for the Saviour’s coming”.
I lunched with a priest friend today.
We chose Thai.
I almost didn’t go in because the restaurant had one of those vile signs against CCW on the door. I’ll probably not go back.
That said, my friend thought I should have ordered this:
Speaking of Thai, remember Fathers… always open carry a maniple and a beretta. Just…
“The culture war is real….”
A tip of the biretta to my friend Fr. Finigan.
Father writes:
I was moved by this video of young men protecting the Cathedral of San Juan in Argentina. Pro-abortionists provoke them with various insults and physical assaults, including lesbian displays. There is no response except the recitation of the Rosary.
The abuse and intimidation that these good men put up with is diabolical. This is perhaps a good place to start in the discussion of what constitutes evangelisation and what can be dismissed as inward-looking concern. The culture war is real and we do need to stand up for the truth, taking the meekness of Christ as our model. It seems to me that these men are doing a good and courageous thing. They can help us find the boundary line between witness to the love of Christ, and that self-absorbed neopelagian narcissistic elitism which, or course, we need to avoid. [OORAH!]
The video is horrid and it is not suitable for some of you out there. Some of these idiot women are jumping around without tops on and harass, strike, assault, spray stuff on men who are praying in front of the cathedral lest the harpies invade and do who knows what.
I am as edified by the young defenders as I am disgusted by the attackers.
Abortistas atacan a católicos que defendían la Catedral de San Juan
I won’t post the video. Go HERE.
“The culture war is real….”
Don’t let anyone tell you that we are not engaged in a hot war.
A tip of the biretta to Pewsitter for this piece from the Worcester Telegram:
Bishop McManus worried that some omit funeral Masses
WORCESTER — Bishop Robert J. McManus is expressing concern that Central Massachusetts Roman Catholics are not scheduling funeral Masses for their dead.
This month, he sent a pastoral letter to Catholics in the Diocese of Worcester, urging them to include a Mass in funeral preparations for their beloved dead. [I looked for it at the diocesan site, but didn’t see it. Maybe one of you…]
The sending of the letter coincides with the church’s traditional commemoration, in November, of the deceased.
The bishop’s missive has been read from church pulpits or included in parish bulletins. [Excellent.]
“I’m extremely concerned because of the growing practice of Catholic families in not providing their deceased with a Mass of Christian burial,” said Bishop McManus in an interview with the Telegram & Gazette.
Bishop McManus said the official funeral rites of the church include three parts: the wake, the Mass and the commitment service at graveside.
He said that during the Mass,that the family has a chance to pray for the dead, asking God to forgive the decedents’ sins and to welcome them into heaven. [It is a spiritual work of mercy to pray for the dead. It is a corporal work of mercy to bury the dead.]
“There’s a presumption today that everybody gets to heaven,” Bishop McManus said. “I don’t think that people should think that’s a given.” [There it is!]
Bishop McManus said the diocese has not taken a formal survey of how many families are taking spiritual advantage of a funeral Mass but added that the numbers are substantially down.
“All you have to do is open up to the obituary page in the morning,” Bishop McManus said. “It’s filled with members of Irish, Polish, and other ethnic groups that have his been important elements of the local church. You look at the obituary and there’s no funeral Mass scheduled.”
He said many of the deceased probably wanted funeral Masses scheduled for them but that the children, or others in charge of funeral arrangements, did not do so because they themselves are not practicing Catholics. [New Evangelization anyone?]
“There are a lot of people who have turned away from the church,” Bishop McManus said.
He said that, before the Second Vatican Council, about 80 percent of Catholics attended Mass. He said that percentage is now between 25 and 30 percent.
“That’s a substantial drop-off,” Bishop McManus said.
He said it’s important for individuals wishing for funeral Masses to let their desires be known, possibly in a will or by alerting family members.
For the deceased who do not get funeral Masses, the bishop said he’s asked their pastors to remember those individuals in memorial intentions.
Kevin Mercadante, the president of Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel, estimated that at least 30 percent of the Catholic funerals that he’s been associated with, over the past ten years, do not involve Masses.
Mr. Mercadante blamed the drop-off on the growth of secularism and the fact that newer generations of Catholics just don’t go to church.
“They believe in God, they believe in First Communion, and the meaning behind the (religious) holidays,” said Mr. Mercadante. “They just don’t go to church.” [Well… then do they really believe? Or have they also been subtly taught over the decades through what they experience in church that going to church isn’t important?]
He said the cost of a funeral Mass do not factor in on the decision. Mr. Mercadante said the average cost of a funeral Mass is about $300 and diocesan officials said pastors often waive fees for those that can’t pay.
“Years ago, Sunday was a family day with everybody going to Mass and then enjoying the day together,” said Mr. Mercadante. “That doesn’t happen anymore. Instead of Mass, there are Sunday morning soccer games. And some parents have to work the day to make ends meet.”
A while back I had a Requiem Mass in the older, traditional form. Most of the people there had never been to one or hadn’t been for many years. After Mass many people told me how moving and impressive the rite had been.
Reason #78 for Summorum Pontificum.
And Fr. Z kudos to Bp. McManus.
UPDATE:
A reader sent:
Rev.me Pater,
Salve!
Litteras episcopi Wigorniensis in chronico dioecesis apparsae sunt: HERE
The last friar should turn off the lights.
It seems that the last four Dominicans left at the famous San Marco (where the Beato Angelico rooms are) are leaving, transferring their flag to Santa Maria Novella.
Thus, the centuries old convent will no longer be a place of religion, at least with the presence of Dominicans. I can’t tell from my scan of the article whether or not the diocese would take over religious services there. I suspect not.
The article in Italian is HERE. Sorry, no time to translate.
Some years ago an enterprising group of (mainly) American Benedictines revived the monastery in Norcia. Now they are growing, the town is reviving, and they are making splendid beer and enriching the area with their work and their prayer.
I have been hearing great things about what the Dominicans are doing in the Eastern part of these USA. Wouldn’t be great if a group of American Dominicans could revive San Marco in the heart of Florence? If ever a city needed religion…
You may be seeing in days ahead some reports that Pope Francis sneaks out of the Vatican to help the poor.
I saw this at AffariItaliani (my translation):
Papa Bergoglio? La notte esce di nascosto per aiutare i poveri
Pope Bergoglio? Goes out at night secretly to help the poor
“When I tell the Pope that tonight I am going out into the city, there is always a risk that he’ll go with me.” The papal almoner Krajewski – the “Pope’s emergency room” – [The office/official who distributes benefits, material and spiritual, thus, donations of money and also papal blessings] who in general distributes from 200 to 1000 euro to people who are in need – explains the spirit of his role like this: “The Holy Father says to me: ‘Your account is good when it is empty.” Then, each I see him he asks: ‘Do you need money?'” Last year the Almoner donated a million euro: the proceeds of papal blessings. [Not quite right: they don’t sell the blessing. That would be wrong. But they do charge for the parchment, the services of those who do the calligraphy, the postage, etc. etc.]
And if someone asks if the Pope really goes with him during his nighttime sorties the Almoner clams up: “Let’s go to the next question.” He isn’t a chatty guy. He likes facts, and that why he gets along well with Bergoglio. […]
There’s more but that is the important part.
This is typical of Italian journalism. Take one little hint and, without any other source to back it up, insinuate something that people will slaver over.
NB: Archbp. Krajewski didn’t say one way or another that that is what the Pope does. But the writer or editor ran with it and posted this under a sensational headline.
What usually happens next is that some English language outlet will grab the headline and start reporting that the Pope goes out to help the poor every night. As a matter of fact – isn’t he the wonderfullest Pope ehvur? – he wears disguises and drives in his old Renault 4! Then the comparisons to The Shoes of the Fisherman start up. And then the headline is, “POPE TO SELL ST PETERS CATHEDRAL”… which is absurd, of course, because it isn’t a cathedral…. aside from the fact that it is ABSURD.
And the ironic part is that, even as the press eats this up, even if it were true, by reporting it they would make it impossible for the Pope to continue to do it!
So, if you see stories that the Pope is sneaking around, take them with two grains of salt.
From the Scottish Catholic Observer:
Priests under attack
By Ian Dunn and Martin DunlopAn arson blaze and robberies show that Scotland’s priests are, once again, being targeted by opportunistic criminals. [Again?!?]
Priests in Scotland are increasingly living in fear after several crimes against clergy came to light this week.
A vindictive arson attack on Holy Cross parish in Glasgow saw two priests’ cars destroyed and severe damage caused to the parish house. There has also been a separate robbery at another Glasgow parish and a man in Perthshire was convicted for robbing an 80-year-old priest shortly after his golden jubilee. [Remember what happened to the guy who, thinking he was helping David, dared to kill Saul, the Lord’s anointed?]
While none of these attacks are thought to be sectarian in nature, [hmmm] concerns are growing that priests, who often live alone in tied accommodation near parishes, are again being seen as ‘easy targets’ for opportunistic thieves and vandals.
[…]
There is more.
Let’s offer prayers for priests in Scotland. May Mary, Queen of Priests, protect them.
On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful I live someplace where the means of defending myself and others around me are still available.
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
A Daily Prayer for Priests
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