Tag Archives: Sacraments

Where should the priest look during Mass?

Posted on November 25, 2018 by

What is a priest supposed to do with his eyes during the celebration of Mass? The question probably seems trifling and frivolous to many, but the answer to it can greatly affect the experience of those assisting and praying at … Continue reading →

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A Meditation on One of the Requiem Chants

Posted on November 2, 2018 by

Our mid-day Mass for All Souls here at the Cathedral of St. Paul will have a simple musical accompaniment: a chant schola singing the Church’s beautiful requiem propers. In my homily, which I copy below, I reflect on a surprising … Continue reading →

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Smartphone in Confession?

Posted on October 30, 2018 by

A couple of years back, I started to notice an uncanny occurrence: often things that I had spoken about (out loud) during the day would suddenly appear in online ads (e.g., on my Facebook). It didn’t take long for me … Continue reading →

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Vesting Prayers in Three Languages

Posted on October 28, 2018 by

It used to be that a priest was required to say a prayer with each garment that he put on as he prepared for Mass – ordinarily, seven prayers total, including the initial washing of the hands (there is not … Continue reading →

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Latin-Spanish Baptism Booklet

Posted on October 20, 2018 by

Following upon my recent post, in which I provided a Latin-English participation booklet for Baptism in the Extraordinary Form, I am now pleased to provide a similar resource with Latin and Spanish. It is difficult to find the correct 1962 … Continue reading →

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Baptism Booklet for the Extraordinary Form

Posted on October 6, 2018 by

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI clarified that the older liturgical books (those approved and in use as of 1962) were never abrogated and thus could still be used. Therefore, since then, without there any longer being doubt or other hoops … Continue reading →

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Vigil of Reparation for the Scandals

Posted on September 14, 2018 by

This evening here at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama, I offered a Sung Mass (Missa Cantata) in the Extraordinary Form for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, offered for the intention of “healing and … Continue reading →

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Exorcism as An Argument for Infant Baptism

Posted on July 8, 2018 by

It has long been my sense that, in spite of all of the biblical evidence and the witness of the Fathers, many non-Catholic Christians simply are not open to reason when it comes to the topic of infant baptism. Many of … Continue reading →

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New Book Recommendation

Posted on May 31, 2018 by

A really great new book on marriage will be out soon, and I want to encourage you to pre-order it and include it in your summer reading. It is by Dr. David Anders, whom may know from his work on … Continue reading →

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BLESS me, Father…

Posted on May 25, 2018 by

It occurred to me today to ask other priests this question (in the event that there may be some priests among my readership): when the penitent says to you, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned…”, do you actually give … Continue reading →

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For Priests: Blessings in the Communion Line

Posted on May 2, 2018 by

There have been plenty of discussions online and elsewhere about whether blessings should be given in the communion line to those who are not receiving for one reason or another. I do not intend to address that concern here. My … Continue reading →

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Something You (Sometimes) See in Seminary Chapels

Posted on October 28, 2017 by

I’m visiting Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans at present, and noticed an interesting detail in their chapel. It is surely not an accident that there are four steps leading up to the main sanctuary level, then three steps from … Continue reading →

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