Fr. Z's Blog

Busy post today, as I catch up. A combination of factors yesterday kept me from posting the usual.

Today over Rome received first sunshine at 7:20. It will diminish at 18:32. The Ave Maria rings at 18:45.

Yesterday, 13 Oct, the 287th day of the civil calendar and 21st Sunday after Pentecost, had lots going on.

Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima.
Anniversary of the Message of Akita Japan.
Anniversary of Leo XIII’s vision.
Perhaps the Anniversary of the Crucifixion of St. Peter.
243rd Birthday of the United States Navy

Today is the Feast of St. Calixtus whose tomb is across the river from me at Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Yesterday I had two powerful encounters with the supernatural.

I attended the Sunday Solemn Mass at The Parish™.   The altar was simple, with portapalme and no relics.   The ceremonies were effectively flawless, smooth, comfortable.  Nothing was rushed.  No hesitations or doubts or ooopses.

The “moment” came at the Consecration.

From my viewpoint, on the side in choir, there was a moment of harmony which exemplified the perfection of the Roman Rite.

The Subdeacon knelt at the lowest step.  The Deacon knelt at the Celebrant’s right to elevate the edge of the vestment slightly.  The Celebrant’s arms were raised, first with the Host, then the Chalice, above the Corporal.  There was a perfect line from the Subdeacon’s paten, through Deacon’s arm and the edge of the chasuble upward through the back of the vestment continuing in the priest’s upraised arms through the Host and Chalice to the figure of the Crucified Savior on the altar Cross.   If that weren’t enough, Guido Reni’s Trinity was then also directly in line, in my opinion the most beautiful of all the altar pieces of Rome.  I know from having celebrated Mass at the main altar that when you raise the Host and Chalice, you see “through” the altar Crucifix to Christ’s Body on the Cross in the painting, his face above the Host and Chalice, his torso framing them.

It was a perfect moment when everything came together, goodness, truth, beauty, the Church’s teachings and faith expressed in the liturgical rite, the movement and sudden fleeting stillness that crystalized the coalesced image of them all.

It was overwhelming.

I’ve seen and celebrated a great many Solemn Masses in my 30+ years as a priest (though not recently… thanks, you dear dear dear bishops for your moral integrity and fortitude in the face of opposition), but this was something special.  Perhaps it was also special because it was fueled by my interior hunger.

Hence, I’ll take a moment here to thank my dear Roman Donors who put me in that choir stall at the moment.

The second supernatural encounter had a rather difference impact.

Saying Mass privately in the evening, as I often do here on Sunday, there was outside in the street a “musician” of such appalling skills that I was dubious that I could maintain my concentration.   I determined two things, firstly, to ask Jesus the High Priest to send Holy Angels to silence the fellow and, next, that I would say all the prayers with a full voice to drown out in my head the ghastly cacophony in competition for my mind.

I started Mass and, shortly after, whattsits outside stopped “singing” (if that’s what it was) and the guitar was quieter and quieter.   I proceeded to the necessary end.

Mass accomplished, I went out to meet friends (at Cafe Taba at the Campo de’ Fiori if you have to know).  As I passed by the guy who had been playing, silent in that moment, I heard him say to my back:  “Al demonio non piace… the demon doesn’t like that” or “the demon doesn’t like you”.

I immediately enjoyed with extra enjoyment a gin and tonic and a cigar with friends.

Lord thank you for that day.  Lord thank you for this day.

This is another cool thing that happened.

Starship rocket booster caught by tower pic.twitter.com/aOQmSkt6YE

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 13, 2024

Now for some Rome stuff.

Incensation of the altar during the Mass I mentioned above.

Soon to be eaten flat fish for a 50th wedding anniversary supper.

Nice people! Great service!

In churchy news… another summit meeting with “trans” took place. Scandal, anyone?

Not only that, something odd came out of the Roman “vicariate” office (which runs the Roman diocese). An edict came forth stating that, from now on, with the appointment of the new diocesan Cardinal Vicar General, his name must now be added to the Eucharist Prayer of Mass after Francis’. That isn’t too weird, since the Novus Ordo permits, according to the determinations of bishops conferences (I think), that names of auxiliaries etc. can be mentioned along with the name of the local diocesan bishop. Remember that in Rome the local diocesan bishop is the Pope. Hence, when saying, for example, the Roman Canon, you just pass over the bit about “our bishop” as redundant. But! Not now in Roma! Now the Cardinal Vicar’s name is to be said. But! But! Not his actual name is to be said, Baldassare (In Latin Baldássar) but rather simply “Baldo”, which is not quite a diminutive, I think, like “Bob” is for “Robert”, but just a shortening… but not even. So, we were trying to figure out the Latin for “Baldo”. We came up with “Baldolus”.  I dunno.  I’m glad for the silent Canon.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

In chessy news… HERE

White to move and mate in 3.

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for this 21st Sunday after Pentecost, or the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time?

Tell us about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

A couple thoughts about the sign of the cross: HERE  A taste…

[…]

Hell is pain.  There are different kinds of pain available – obligatory – in Hell.

First, there is the pain of loss.  If we cannot imagine what the joy of Heaven is, because “eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard” (1 Cor 2:9), that counts for Hell too.  To know, without doubt, that Heaven’s happiness will never be ours would itself be a hideous and unhealing torment of the mind and heart.   The pain of loss includes loss of Heaven and loss of the vision of God, the whole point of why we were created.  Thus, St. Thomas Aquinas reasons that the torments of the damned are infinite, because they involved the loss of the infinite Good who is God.

Second, there is the pain of sense.

[…]

What happened at 07:17?   What is going to happen at 18:35?

What about at 18:45?

Welcome registrant:

KatherineK38

Lately I’ve celebrated masses with intentions for:

VD
A (leukemia)
FSSP

Also, for my benefactors
Also, a 1 year anniversary Requiem.
Also, a couple whose 50th anniversary is today.  YAY!

I can take some intentions.  HERE

Thank you Lord for this day.

Speaking of 50th anniversary, while this might be the most flattering shot of Pippo, it did catch him in one of his moments wherein he revels in what he does.  These 50 roses are for Mary at The Parish from the Golden Couple today.

Pinna and Peppa looked on, slightly interested at what Pippo was upp to.

Pippo gave me some peppers.  As I walked around I felt like Diogenes.   Near the apartment, I had wry remarks from the neighbors, like “Buona PASTA!”

On my way to the ATM (thank you donors) there was this with lovely light at the Mons Pietatis.

In churchy news… what’s going on?  Oh, yes, *yawn*… walking together about walking togetherity.

Today is the Feast of Carlo Acutis.  It is also Columbus Day.  I, however, used Mary on Saturday with added orations for Thanksgiving.  But we could use Carlo Acutis, once proclaimed a saint and on the universal calendar.

Far more interesting than anything going on with walking together is this purple rock on Mars:

Yes, this is a purple rock on Mars, 225 million kilometres away. And here it is in your feed!
Image captured by NASA’s Opportunity Mars Rover. pic.twitter.com/NQWNbYyVp5

— Curiosity (@MAstronomers) October 12, 2024

Hey Fathers!  How about a clerical Guayabera shirt?

In chessy news… HERE

I stopped at the chess guys yesterday in the P.za der Fico.  They are about the same.  I note that they had been there for hours by this point.

At Rome (how said in Latin?) the sun rose at 7:16. The sun will set at 18:37. Clouds moving in. Will we see it?

The Ave Maria Bell has, according to the Vatican that never sounds it, shifted to the 18:45 cycle.

The Vatican calendar indicates today at the Feast of John XXIII. However the Vetus calendar has today as the Feast of the Maternity of Mary. It is also the Feast of St. Philip the Deacon.

Thank you for this day, O Lord.

Sauteed porcini mushrooms.

On the way home the other night.

In a nearby church is this lovely tribute to Out Lady.  There is a detail at the bottom….

… which should not be missed.  Click for larger.  HERE  The heretics Pelagius Mohammed and Luther are identified by heresies.  Mohammed was long considered a Christian heretic (as in Dante).  There are hell-critters near them, which is only proper.  I see a couple of cardinals too, which also seems proper right now.

The restaurants of the Campo are aggressively pushing into the space these days.  They are not all tourist traps.  Some are quite good.

In churchy news… I really haven’t been following much since I was mostly focused on what happened in Florida.

What’s going on?

Are they still “walking together”? Oh,… yes, there was something. The Jesuits hosted a meeting for sodomite luv at their HQ, replete with some Cardinals, one of whom is a Jesuit (I thought they were suppose to decline… oh well…) from Hong Kong. Jasmine was there of course. I’m sure it was a gay ol’ time.

This is why I often don’t even want to know the news. But it is better to know some things than not.

In chessy news… HERE

(White to play and mate in 3)

From the nearby S. M. in Monserrato.

She saw the consistory list.

The white roses are gone and the red are going.  But I added some alstroemeria.    I thank those who earmarked donations for flowers.  They cheer me up,  and I need cheering.

Last night’s chicken.  Browned a bit with some little tomatoes and some frozen veg I intended for soup but… hey.   An onion was sauteed after the spatchcocked chicken was given some color.  A little white wine.  Into the oven where I already had potatoes roasting, cut in chunks, soaked in salt water for a while, then given olive oil and rosemary.

And so I ate my supper and worried about Florida.

For good reason.

I’ve been texting people hoping that they have working cellular, begging them to check on my mom at her house (if she’s there).  I have no info since all the power is out there.   It’s nerve wracking.  That neighborhood was hit by a massive tornado. There are fatalities not far away and I saw in a fakebook posting that a street about 2 blocks from her place had water up to the mailboxes.

There are the usual post-tornado photos going around, which you can imagine.  It was really slammed hard.

Meanwhile, in churchy and chessy news… frankly, today….

I ask for your prayers.

At 07:14 the sun rose.

At 18:40 the should set.  If not… I don’t know.

• The Ave Maria is in the 19:00 cycle, though it is at 19:10 by the strictly solar account.
• It is the Feast the Old Testament Patriarch Abraham.  Yes, many OT figures are counted as saints by the Church.
• It is the Feast of St. Denis (c. III) of Paris.  May he intercede for that besieged city.
• It is the Feast of John Leonardi (+1609) whose body is at S. M in Campitelli just up the road.  Tonight members of the Archconfraternity of Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini will join with them for a procession with the relics of the saint who was a great collaborator, if not member, the Archconfraternity.
• It is the Feast of St. John Henry Newman (+1890).  Recently Oratorians were around from all over the world for a general meeting for their own business.  Apparently, there is a project to have John Henry Newman named Doctor of the Church.  I think it is likely that it will succeed.

Thank you Lord for this day.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Also, it is “Prime Day”. Last chance for great deals.  US HERE

30% off till midnight CODE: PRIME

I am joining these prayers to the orations of Holy Mass.

However, today I was privileged to celebrate a 1st anniversary Requiem for the father of one of the the owners of the bar I hang out at in the evening if I am meeting friends, Cafe Taba on the Campo.  I was able to use the new black vestment which our project brought to completion.  This is the one with my coat of arms.

I am so grateful to the donors.   The decorum of the Masses is greatly enhanced.   They will be available for all the priests who say Requiem Masses, especially in November.

Symmetrical Breakfast.

Over to the Campo to chat with the veg stand folks and then buy some flowers.  The white roses are gone and some red perdure.  However, I was after some alstroemeria.

On lookers.

Speaking of Cafe Taba… which drink is mine?

This was an interesting concoction from Enzo the Mixer, a special rye which one of my evening companions had brought (he’s  long time patron), a kind of Manhattan with a touch of chocolate bitters.   I am not sure I would choose the chocolate direction again, but it was a nice change of pace.

The pace changed seriously for supper as the three of us tackled an enormous fiorentina at a favored locale.   It may have been the best, most tender and flavorful fiorentina I have every had.

In churchy news… Walking Together about Walking Togetherity goes …. *yawn*…. on.   Robert Royal interview Fr. Murray at The Catholic Thing about it.  As usual Father makes good points.  One thing I would have stressed is that the point of the WTaWT is to establish the preeminence over all things – including fidelity and reason – of PROCESS.  That’s the whole megillah.

SSPX Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais died on Tuesday 8 October 2024 having received the sacraments of our Holy Mother Church. Which he could receive because Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication. He was 79 years old, had been a priest for 49 years and a bishop for 36. He was one of Lefebvre’s first seminarians. May he rest in peace.

May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.

In chessy news… HERE