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It’s the 9th Sunday after Pentecost in the Vetus Ordo and the 17th Sunday of the Novus Ordo.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hear that it is growing. Of COURSE.
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
I have some thoughts about the Sunday Epistle reading posted at One Peter Five.
A taste:
When Moses descended the mountain in Exodus 32 and found what was going on around the Golden Calf he had the males of the Tribe of Levi, Levites, go through the people and slaughter the miscreants. That’s when the males of the Jews were stripped of their Adamic and Noachic priesthood and the new Aaronic priesthood began as well as the imposition of the Law. The first “ordination” of priests was quite literally a bloodbath. Then there was the fornication of the people who “played the harlot” and began to worship Baal. The avenging angel in the form of a plague slew 23,000 in a single day. It would seem that God doesn’t like idolatry.
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at 1230 today. we had one of the Scripture profs from the sem – great young fellow (late 30s if i had to guess).
since it was the NO, we had the reading about Solomon asking the Lord for “an understanding heart”. Father noted how both his name and the name of the city where he ruled refer to peace. Because his reign was more so much more peaceful than that of his father David, he had the opportunity and stupendous resources to build the temple. A nod was given to the importance of suitable worship – would have appreciated a bit more on that topic tbqh. He mentioned that a lack of peace in people’s lives is a dominant theme he hears in the confessional, particularly strife and estrangement within families.
He gave my favorite Solzhenitsyn quote: “the line between good and evil runs through every human heart”. Then he gave some examples of how the lack of understanding in our hearts can lead to a lack of peace. Father happens to be a member of a priestly community where several priests live together. He gave examples of how some (unnamed!) priests were trying to be helpful, but in fact made things worse for their intended beneficiaries simply because of their lack of understanding. Father alluded to “now we see through a glass dimly” and that, since God is perfectly just, the last judgment includes righting the wrongs that we have experienced.
Father said something quite memorable in a brief digression. a late spiritual director of his was incensed by falsehoods. because of the primary role the sd had, he often encountered fake smiles. his response was: “among carnivorous species, baring the teeth is generally a sign of aggression”. i think i would have liked that old codger quite a bit.
[THAT’s what this series of weekly queries is all about. Fr. Z kudos in addition to the Star.]
I think the neatest point which Father made today in his homily at the TLM was that we should make sure we are not people over whom Jesus would weep, but rather people of whom Jesus would be proud. And this TLM had greater attendance today than when I started attending it several years ago.
Is assembling and disseminating good sermons taught in seminary? Does the diocese give refresher courses, or is it pretty much the Wild West? Haven’t had a good sermon since my retired pastor gave some AMAZING ones in the early ‘90s. About sin, right and wrong, lust and abortions. He was new and most of the congregation left. Three years later, Church full, more baptisms than funerals. Average age of parishioner went from 70ish to 31. The Soul thirsts for Truth.
The sermon was a meditation about the gospel (N.O.):
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Father told about David Livingstone, a missionary that went to Africa. After his death, the body was brought back to England, but his heart was buried in Zambia. Until this day there is a memorial at the place where his heart was buried. He dedicated his life to that land.
Father then asked us: where is our heart? Where we would like to have our heart buried? Where is the place we like the most? Near our wallet? Our office? Or would we commit to give our heart and the best we have to the kingdom of heaven?
Then he concluded by repeating, about the kingdom of heaven: “…and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Dominus flevit – Our Lord wept over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The chosen people were constantly turning away from the Lord.
Dominus flet- Our Lord weeps over the Baptized and His Church who constantly wander away from Him.
From the bulletin issued at our local TLM, with the Ordinary and Propers in Latin and the local vernacular. (My own rough translation from the vernacular):
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, which is to be destroyed, since Israel has not remembered the Lord (Gospel). Similarly, we too will experience spiritual ruin, if we do not obey the law of the Lord (Epistle).
The law of the Lord and the House of God must become our chief joy (Offertory). Therefore we need to ask the Lord for his help (Introit) and receive the Most Holy Sacrament (Communion verse), which hallows and strengthens our souls.
@JustaSinner Sem here in Denver indeed does have instruction in homiletics. I’ve heard a couple of homilies from that instructor and he is solid. He also is serving as pastor of an inner-city parish that is growing rapidly, particularly among Spanish-speaking.
Father spoke on the religious life and its purpose for there was an SSPX sister who was to give a talk on vocations after the later 11 o’clock Mass.