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{]:¬)

YOUR URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS

Posted on 21 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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In your charity would you please take a moment look at the requests and to pray for the people about whom you read?

Continued from THESE.

Let’s remember all who are ill, who will die soon, who have died recently, who have lost their jobs, who are afraid.

I get many requests by email asking for prayers. Some are heart-achingly grave and urgent.

As long as my blog reaches so many readers in so many places, let’s give each other a hand. We should support each other in works of mercy.

If you have some prayer requests, feel free to post them below.

You have to be registered here to be able to post.

In your kindness continue prayers for my mother, who has been diagnosed with something grave and incurable.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
17 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 859

Posted on 21 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The Great Roman™

Welcome Registrant:

TradSAHDad

Black to move and name in 3.

1… Rh5+ 2. gxh5 g5+ 3. fxg5 hxg5#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Interested in learning? Try THIS.

Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
2 Comments

Fr. McTeigue responds to the response about the “Eucharistic Revival” without sufficient emphasis also on the Sacrament of Penance

Posted on 20 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A couple weeks ago, I brought to your attention a 4 November piece at Catholic World Report by Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ, which commented on the “Eucharistic Revival” which is underway under the impulse of the bench of bishops. Fr. McTeigue pointed out a serious difficulty in advancing a “Eucharistic Revival” without also striving to revive the Sacrament of Penance, confession. It makes sense, no? What sort of revival would it be were the number of sacrilegious Communions to increase even beyond what the horrifying numbers are now?

Right after, on 7 November, the CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc. (I’m not making that up), Tim Glemkowski, responded to Fr. McTeigue with an emotional defense. I debated getting into that piece here, with some “zisking”, but … the efforts for “Eucharistic Revival”, though perhaps a bit narrow, are nevertheless worthy and I didn’t think embarrassing this fellow was up to the mark. Besides, I knew in my bones that Fr. McTeigue would respond to the response.

Today at Crisis, Fr. McTeigue does indeed respond to Mr. Glemkowski.

Thus he begins…

[…]

Briefly, regarding form: I taught my rhetoric students that when an interlocutor begins his response expressing concerns about “tone,” keep your eye on his substance—because that’s where the weaknesses are most likely to be found. If he had the stronger argument, he wouldn’t focus on “tone.” I note that your first principal concern was about “tone.”

[…]

Fr McT defends his having actually read the relevant site and materials and having done a word search for “confession”, which one might rather naturally do, but for which he was criticized.

The Crisis piece is polite but vigorous. It may not be easy for Mr. Glemkowski to find his way back to his corner.

One chunk worthy of immediate attention…

[…]

I had already looked at the video you referred to (second introductory video for the Parish Year). Notice the conditional language in the video. A parish “could” offer extra opportunities for confession. A whole list of “coulds” were listed as options—confession was not referred to as a necessity. It was listed as one option among many. In other words, in terms of the evaluation of your argument, your reference to this video undermines rather than supports your cause.

It’s true that the Leader’s Playbook calls for “fidelity to the texts and rubrics of the Church.” Tim, what’s your basis for thinking that even “Parish Leaders” could name what those texts and rubrics are? What’s your basis for thinking that parishes on “liturgical autopilot” for decades will conform to liturgical law just because the Leader’s Playbook suggests it?

Will the Philadelphia parish that sang the Eagles fight song at Mass on Super Bowl Sunday readily conform? Will the parishes that use Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion even when such aren’t needed, readily conform? The parishes singing the heretical “Mary Did You Know?” at Christmas every year “because people really like it”—will they readily conform? Do you believe that they will do so because of the small print regarding liturgical fidelity that can be found in the Leader’s Playbook?

A small digression from your text: Tim, this points to a larger problem that I’ve not found in the materials for the Revival/Congress—Why did a revival become necessary? Something needs to be revived only when it’s been killed or allowed to die. How did Eucharistic devotion wither to such a degree that a national Revival and Congress are called for? Are we being asked to refill the leaky bucket without inquiring about the locations and causes of the leaks?

[…]

Eucharistic Revival. NO ONE will deny, I think, that it is needed. However, simply continuing to do more of what has been done for the last decades – which caused the problems a “revival” seeks to address – seems unlikely to produce long-term benefits.

Also, during the recent bishops meeting there was, if I recall correctly, some talk about a congress at a convention center of some sort and confessors were available. It seems that the number of people seeking the Sacrament of Penance was so great that a general call for more priests to help hear confessions was put out.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged Eucharistic Revival, Fr. Robert McTeigue SJ
25 Comments

News of the Church 01

Posted on 20 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

An audio “gazette” of Catholic things.

00:00 Introduction
05:50 Livy on the Sacred Geese
09:33 The Wanderer
13:35 Crux
24:00 Catholic News Agency
31:34 Silverstream Priory
34:34 Latin Liturgy Association
40:00 Exit
41:10 Memorare in Latin

You will hear sung a version of the Memorare in Latin by Neums and Tunes

Experiment for RSS feed.

Podcast (pocast): Play in new window | Download

Posted in News of the Church, PODCAzT | Tagged News of the Church, podcast, podcasts, PODCAzT
5 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 858

Posted on 20 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

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GO TO CONFESSION.

Welcome new registrants:

JPForte
ValPal727

Thanks Venmo donors CB and EA (one of the faithful “200!” donors dear to my heart).

Meanwhile, white to move. Mate in 3.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
2 Comments

Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 6th Sunday after Epiphany (N.O.: 33rd) 2023

Posted on 19 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It’s the 6th Sunday Remaining after Epiphany in the Vetus Ordo and the 33rd Sunday of the Novus Ordo.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?

Share the good stuff. Quite a few people are forced to sit through really bad preaching. Even though you can usually find – if you are willing to try – at least one good point in a really bad sermon, that can be a trial. So… SHARE THE GOOD STUFF which you were fortunate enough to receive!

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hear that it is growing. Of COURSE.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news? We really need good news.

I have some thoughts about the Sunday Epistle reading posted at One Peter Five.

A taste:

We are both intellective and affective. They come together in the tension of fides quae and fides qua, our willed choice to know and to love. After all, God made us His images, to act like He acts, to know, to will, to love. Catholics who truly love their Faith shouldn’t need weird stuff and controversies to spur them into their catechisms and the constant study of and review of the Faith. We should burn with a desire to know more more more anyway and all the time.

On the other hand, was it Winston Churchill who said “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste”?

We shouldn’t need a crisis to drive us to learn our faith better. BUT! We’ve got one! There’s a faith to learn and love. There’s a Person, to learn and love and give.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
5 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 857

Posted on 19 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The Great Roman™

Welcome registrant:

wmessex

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

US BLACK FRIDAY – UK BLACK FRIDAY

Remember COVID and all the churches being shut down? I live streamed Holy Mass everyday to quite a large viewership. At that time, a tech savvy fellow set up a page called LatinMass.live, where you can STILL find live streams of TLMs. I was on that list until I was driven “underground” as it were. Anyway, he has a YouTube channel and needs some subscriptions so he can live stream. They require at least 1000, I think. You might help him out. HERE. I am not sure where he is going with this, but during COVID he performed a service for which we all should be very grateful. I sure am. Give him a boost.

And another thing… as I was leaving Rome, someone sent me a donation designated for flowers. I didn’t get flowers there, since I was leaving, but I bought some yesterday for the Two Trinities Chapel, which should take me up to Advent and their removal.

In situ…

I do like alstroemeria. They are a type of lily, if I understand rightly. They last a long time. I think that that is why my flower guy at the Campo de’ Fiori doesn’t like them! It’s a running thing between us. He doesn’t often have them and I usually have to ask ahead.

They look nice with the colors of the Murillo and the beautiful green vestments, the gift of a long-time reader and live-streamer follower back in the day.

I think I mentioned while in Rome that I found a copy of this Murillo in San Crisogono. The original is in Room 30 of the National Gallery in London. It is magnificent, a late work and perhaps one of his last before his death. I once got to London fairly often and this painting was a frequent visit, since I greedily haunted the Gallery, usually finishing my museum crawls at a pub at Seven Dials. I digress. The copy in San Crisogono.

Meanwhile, white to move. Mate in FOUR.

1. Rxe6+ Nxe6 2. Qh8+ Nf8 3. Qxf8+ Kxf8 4. Rd8#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

The monks at Norcia have completed their guest house. Benedictines have a strong dimension of hospitality, so guest houses are important. You can help them with this and other projects. And the beer is GREAT.

In St. Louis, Fabiano Caruana won the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz after winner-take-all game with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. MVL finished second. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Le Quang Liem tied for third. Next, the Sinquefield Cup, the final leg of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, begins Tuesday 21 November. Last year there was the huge blow up between Magnus and Niemann. That’s settled now. Sort of.

Have a great Sunday! Pray for me, please.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
6 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 856

Posted on 18 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The World’s Best Sacristan™ Campo de’ Fiori … *sigh*

Welcome new registrant:

Marie-Madeleine

Thanks CAB for the donation regular donation via Zelle (very handy ’cause without fees).

Solve this one! BLACK to move.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others. How long did it take?

Amazon Deals….

US BLACK FRIDAY – UK BLACK FRIDAY

Yesterday I decided to waste some time experimenting with some video editors in few of future ideas. With my phone I grabbed off the computer screen the fun beginning of one of the 5 minute (fast) blitz rounds in the ongoing St. Louis battle. When they all start to go… whew! The mood changes with the change of audio track. You can see the edge of the head of my little statue of St. Teresa of Avila, Patroness of Chess Players.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
2 Comments

What we might be feeling right now

Posted on 18 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

By Palestrina (+1594) a motet for four voices of Ps 41/42 for the blessing of water at the Easter Vigil, published in 1604.

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,
ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
Sitivit anima mea ad Deum fortem vivum:
quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei?
Fuerunt mihi lacrymae meae panes die ac nocte,
dum dicitur mihi quotidie:
Ubi est Deus tuus?

Speaking of lean performances… keeping it simple… on the radio when I was born…

All day I’ve faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water, cool water
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water
Cool, clear water
The nights are cool and I’m a fool
Each star’s a pool of water, cool water
And with the dawn I’ll wake and yawn
And carry on to water
Cool, clear water
Keep a-movin’, Dan, don’t you listen to him, Dan
He’s a devil, not a man
And he spreads the burnin’ sand with water
Dan, can you see that big, green tree?
Where the water’s runnin’ free
And it’s waitin’ there for you and me?
Water, cool, clear water
The shadows sway and seem to say
“Tonight we pray for water, cool water”
And way up there He’ll hear our prayer
And show us where there’s water
Cool, clear water
Keep a-movin’, Dan, don’t you listen to him, Dan
He’s a devil, not a man
And he spreads the burnin’ sand with water
Dan, can you see that big, green tree?
Where the water’s runnin’ free
And it’s waitin’ there for you and me?
Water, cool, clear water
Cool, clear water

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged water
7 Comments

MUST SEE VIDEO: Dcn. Keith Fournier (of Tyler) interviewed about Bp. Strickland the man, the bishop, the situation of Tyler

Posted on 17 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

If you don’t know who (permanent) Deacon Keith Fournier is, you ought to. He had a distinguished lay career and then clerical ministry (of some 30 years). About five years ago, he and his wife uprooted and moved from the East to Tyler, Texas to work with Bp. Strickland. (A lot of people moved to Tyler, as a matter of fact.)

The editor of Crisis did a thorough video interview with Dcn Fournier about Bp. Strickland the man, how he was as the bishop, and the factual situation of the diocese. HERE

The first part of the video involves Dcn Fournier covering his own background (an amazing CV). In the video, below, I set the time to just after all that personal background That it not to say that Dcn. Fournier’s background isn’t relevant. It is. This guy has been a stand up guy for a great many years.

As a matter of fact, Fournier has done a heck of a lot more for people and for the Church than the shave-tails who are bloviating in their own videos about Bp. Strickland. Fournier has been there and is the sort of person with the experience who could make serious assessments, rather than the half-assed mean-spirited … I digress.

Listen to this and I think you will have a stronger sense of perhaps why some people wanted Bp. Strickland out of his see. TRANSCRIPT HERE