Tag Archives: Reminders

Sanctifying Holy Days of Obligation

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

Last November 1, I posted a blog about work on Holy Days of Obligation. Since we have a Holy Day this week — the Solemnity of the Assumption — I again want to direct people to that post and encourage them to … 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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High Altars and Side Altars: A Matter of Justice

Posted on July 24, 2019 by

During and following the Second Vatican Council there was an almost-frenetic push to remove or drastically alter the high altars and, as the case may be, side altars in many churches. No authoritative Church document ever called for their removal … 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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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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The Seal of Confession

Posted on July 5, 2019 by

Non ut homo, sed ut Deus — Not as a man, but as God The Apostolic Penitentiary – the office of the Holy See that handles matters relating to the internal forum – recently issued a “note” on the Seal … Continue reading →

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How to Fulfill the Sunday Obligation

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

I believe I have spoken to this question before in some prior post here on the blog, but I don’t remember which. In light of recent questions I’ve received, it seems worthwhile to post about it again and perhaps with … Continue reading →

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Confession during Mass?

Posted on June 10, 2019 by

May confessions be heard during Mass? There is still rather a lot of confusion about this question — both among priests and laity. It is not unusual to hear of a priest who, with a great sense of certitude, declares … Continue reading →

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