Tag Archives: Prayers

Blessing of Herbs for the Assumption

Posted on August 14, 2019 by

This evening, on the Vigil of the Assumption, I offered the traditional Blessing of Herbs that is affiliated with this feast day. This is the first time as a priest I had done so. This blessing has mostly fallen off … Continue reading →

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[Through Christ our Lord. Amen.]

Posted on August 11, 2019 by

I remember following along in the missalette during Mass as a layman, and whenever the Roman Canon (the first Eucharistic Prayer) was used, wondering why there were words in red brackets that no priest (!) ever read: [Through Christ our Lord. … Continue reading →

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Thank You – Breviaries

Posted on August 7, 2019 by

A couple of times over the past several months I have made available my “Vocations Wish List”, to invite those who wish to help purchase books that will support vocations. Most recently, this effort was to buy several copies of … Continue reading →

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Unworthy Holy Communions: The Kiss of Judas

Posted on August 3, 2019 by

Consider this: making an unworthy communion — that is, a communion when one is in the state of mortal sin, not in God’s grace — is like giving Jesus the kiss of Judas again. When I was in seminary we … Continue reading →

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A Time of Judgment

Posted on August 1, 2019 by

Sometime last Fall, as I was ascending the altar for one of our Sunday Masses, carrying with me the news of the latest scandals in the Church, a word — I believe from the Lord — came to me: “This … Continue reading →

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Nuns Need Help

Posted on July 25, 2019 by

About this time each year I receive a letter from the good cloistered Dominican nuns in Marbury, AL — a tiny town with a small monastery of faithful sisters who pray in a hidden and quiet way for us and … Continue reading →

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Supplying the Exorcism Prayers of Baptism

Posted on July 22, 2019 by

I have written here a few times about baptism in the Extraordinary Form, including making note of the powerful exorcism prayers included in it. I believe I have also shared the sentiment that I, like so many others, wish I … Continue reading →

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Difficulty Praying the Rosary Regularly?

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

For many people, praying the rosary regularly and consistently is a real challenge. Then, for many, there is the additional difficulty of getting the hang of meditating on the mysteries while going through the Hail Marys and other prayers… Here’s … Continue reading →

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The Older Profession of Faith for Converts

Posted on July 18, 2019 by

When a person who is already baptized is received into the Catholic Church now, the ordinary profession of faith used is quite simple. The person states (without having to put his or her hand on a book of the gospels … Continue reading →

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Can a priest offer Mass “privately”?

Posted on July 11, 2019 by

No Mass is truly private, in at least two senses: The Mass belongs to the Church and is celebrated only with her authorization; The angels and saints are present at every Mass, as well as whatever other faithful may be … Continue reading →

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Sufficient Confession Times

Posted on July 10, 2019 by

A priest-friend of mine has remarked that every priest should take his weekly confession time (in minutes), multiply by 52 weeks, then divide by the number of individual parishioners over the age of reason. The result is how many minutes … Continue reading →

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Is it OK to pray what’s on the St. Benedict Medal?

Posted on July 9, 2019 by

A question that I have gotten on a few recent occasions, including following the homily I preached this past Sunday about exorcisms (PDF download), is: Is it OK to say the prayer that is on the medal of St. Benedict? Because of … Continue reading →

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