Palestrina's "Veni Creator Spiritus" Today, in the traditional liturgical calendar, would be Monday in the Octave of Pentecost. Although the Octave of Pentecost has not been observed in the Ordinary Form of the Mass since 1969 (for more on this liturgical change, with feeling, see HERE and HERE on Fr. Z's blog), it would be a … Continue reading Palestrina’s “Veni Creator Spiritus” and Maíno’s “The Pentecost” from San Pedro Mártir
A Prayer for Sufferers of Mental Illness on the Feast of St. Dymphna
During the summer when school is not in session I used to work in the garden center of a local retail store, which was a pleasant break from the rigors and stresses of the academic year. One afternoon I cashed out a very friendly older woman, but when I wished her a "good evening" she shook … Continue reading A Prayer for Sufferers of Mental Illness on the Feast of St. Dymphna
Has Pascal’s Wager Really Been “Debunked”?
I have yet to see an argument that overcomes this stark, simple choice: what’s the worst that can happen if you gamble on God? What’s the worst if you take the other path? Is it really that complicated?
We Are More Than What We Do: St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph the Worker St. Joseph the Worker shows us that necessity is the mother of invention. And in fact, we can see in today's feast that, sometimes, measures taken for practical purposes can point to deeper truths. Pope Pius XII The memorial of St. Joseph the Worker is a very recent addition to the … Continue reading We Are More Than What We Do: St. Joseph the Worker
What We Owe to Caesar
Deciding how to balance what we really owe to Caesar with what we owe to God is a perennial issue for a believing Christian. In the age of Covid and related governmental tomfoolery that question has become, let us say, even more acute. T
Why the Church is not a Granfalloon
The point is that the Church doesn't exist as a community for the sake of the community itself, it exists to bring us into communion with the Trinitarian God. Even fundamentally good and essential communities such as the family can't do that.
God’s Existence isn’t a Dark Matter
Like Dark Energy, God cannot be measured with scientific instruments . . . but his effects are very clear.
Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
There’s something a little unsettling about Palm Sunday. It appears that the same people who welcome Jesus as a victorious king at the beginning of the week are screaming for his death by its end. The liturgy reminds us of this incongruity by putting Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday together (at least in the Ordinary Form; … Continue reading Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
Do You Consider Yourself a Leper?
A few years ago, during a previous Lent, I attended a mass in which the Gospel reading came from Matthew 8, which included the following passage: . . . and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand … Continue reading Do You Consider Yourself a Leper?
Confession, Jonah, and the Prodigal’s Sons
I had never before considered how closely Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son parallels the last two chapters of the book of Jonah, but the comparison is striking. In the Old Testament book Jonah is sent to warn the people of Nineveh to repent their sins, or face the wrath of God. The Ninevites listen to the words of the prophet: like the Prodigal Son himself, they whole-heartedly repent, and in turn receive God's whole-hearted forgiveness. Who could object to that? As it turns out, Jonah could, and does, object . . .