Fr. Z's Blog

Let us, upon our knees, pray in a special way to God the Holy Spirit during this time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost. This is one way to pray.  I invite the readership to join in. MANNER OF PRAYING THE NOVENA Each day the meditation and prayer for the particular day is said, followed by 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 7 Glory be to the Father, followed by the Act of Consecration and the Prayer for the Seven Gifts. FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA Holy Spirit! Lord of Light! From Your clear celestial height, Your pure beaming radiance give! Only one thing is important — eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared — sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for “The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us.” Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen. (Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father 7 TIMES. Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts) ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light, and listen to Thy voice, and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Amen. PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST O Lord Jesus Christ, who before ascending into Heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thine Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the saints; the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, Dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples, and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.

It’s Low Sunday, the Octave of Easter, also called “Dominica in albis” and Quasimodo Sunday, from the Introit. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  The Octave is over! Today we hear about a vastly neglected membership of our Holy Church, whose voice has been neglected, indeed spurned, for several decades how.  Remember, we are our rites and those rites were handed down over many years with great love.  They deserve respect and a voice. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey take us out… toward Pentecost. US HERE – UK HERE  

From a priest: Could you record for your priestly audience the correct pronunciation for the Holy Water blessing in Latin? Sure!   I can do that. I will also include this in the What Does The Prayer Really Sound Like series, or PRAYERCAzTs. I speak briefly about different kinds of blessed waters we use in the Latin Church.  Then I read the Latin for the Blessing of Holy Water from the traditional Roman Ritual… slowly, pedantically.  After all, the priest wanted help with pronunciation. I hope this helps. I can tease out just the Latin part as a separate file and make it available BISHOPS, PRIESTS or SEMINARIANS.   Drop me a note at HERE.  In the subject line put: “Recording of Latin for Holy Water“.  Tell me who you and where you are, too! BTW… at the very end, you hear a little bit of a charming “Asperges” on a disc with “Mass for the 500th anniversary of the death of St. Joan of Arc” written by Paul Paray and directed by my friend Fr. Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto in Detroit.

It’s Easter Saturday. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  The Octave is almost over! Today John Paul II speaks to us about the “day the Lord has made”.   Fulton Sheen instructs us about conformation to the world or to heaven. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey bring us in. US HERE – UK HERE At the end we hear the chant – Haec et dies – which the late Pope mentioned in his sermon.  It is a recording from my home parish, St. Agnes in St. Paul.  I am in the schola.  This was quite a long time ago, by now, before I entered seminary.  It was a very good schola, under excellent guidance, and I learned a great deal.

It’s Easter Friday. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  Yes, you can eat meat today! From a super early sermon, by Melito of Sardis (+ c. 180).  Try to keep up! And Fulton Sheen gives us an important, very important reminder. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey bring us in. US HERE – UK HERE The mighty organ of Notre-Dame in Paris takes us out.  The Te Deum is for Easter and for the NEW BISHOP of Madison! Les Grandes heures liturgiques à Notre-Dame de Paris. US HERE – UK HERE  

It’s Easter Thursday. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  The Octave is well underway. St. John Chrysostom pours out his heart for us today. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. From the Très belles Heures de Notre-Dame.

It’s Easter Wednesday. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  The Octave is underway. Today we some of my own musings, along with support from St. Augustine in the 5th century.  He preaches to the newly baptized with beautiful images… including bees! I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

It’s Easter  Tuesday. Christ is risen! Alleluia!  The Octave is underway. Today we some of my own musings, along with support from St. Leo the Great in the 5th century.  When you are right, you are right! The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey bring us in. US HERE – UK HERE At the end, we hear some of the orchestral version of Victimae Paschali Laudes by Pietro Yon.  It is recorded by the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale under the baton of the late Msgr. Richard Schuler.  This is from waaaay back before I entered seminary, and I am in the bass section, which is prominent at the end.  This grand version is played on Easter Sunday and the Octave at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul where Schuler was pastor for 33 years.  He died on 20 April 2007. Msgr. Schuler gave me my instruction as a convert and received me into the Church.  While he was pastor at St. Agnes, some 30 men celebrated their 1st Masses there and several now-bishops were among them. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

It’s Easter Monday. Christ is risen! Alleluia! Today we hear from Fulton Sheen about a new Easter point of view. After the fire that swept off the roof of Notre-Dame de Paris, here something from a disc of music from the Maitrise de Notre-Dame recorded on the disc Les Grandes heures liturgiques à Notre-Dame de Paris.  US HERE – UK HERE I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.    

It’s Easter Sunday. Christ is risen! Alleluia! Today we hear from Fulton Sheen something that might disturb us, even on this beautiful day. Then, from the 7th century, a rush of joy. In honor of Notre-Dame de Paris, something from a disc of music from the Maitrise de Notre-Dame recorded on the disc Les Grandes heures liturgiques à Notre-Dame de Paris.  US HERE – UK HERE I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.    

It’s hard to believe but this post goes back to 2005! 14 years ago! I always get requests about the Exsultet, so here you are. ___ Originally published in 2005 From an ancient “Exsultet Roll”, which was unfurled over the ambo showing the images in the text as the Exsultet was sung. Here we see the bees and the gathering of wax for the Paschal candle. The EXSULTET is one of the most spectacular moments of all the Church’s liturgical life. When it is sung well in Latin the Church is in her glory! I have fond memories of singing the Exsultet. The first time, I was a deacon on retreat at a monastery in central Italy, where the largest community of Benedictine nuns in Italy sing every word of their office and Mass in Gregorian chant in their 12th c. abbey. Another time, I was asked by my bishop (of an ancient Roman Suburbicarian diocese) to sing the Exsultet in Latin. We started outside in the deep night in the square before an enormous fire. It took over 10 minutes to get everyone inside, with long pauses between each “Lumen Christi!” The candle was the size of a Scottish caber. Though there was still much movement and exuberance I started singing, and when they heard the rarely use Latin and chant the great crowd quieted. As I sang about the “red-glowing flame” being “divided into parts” I could see a thousand candles and hear the fire still crackling outside as it cast flickering glows through the main door. Most precious, however, are the times I sang the Exsultet in my home parish. Here is my rendering of the 1970 Missale Romanum version of the Exsultet. Alas, there is no space to give you the Latin also. The Exsultet is also called the Praeconium Paschale. Paschale is an adjective of a Latinized Hebrew word pascha, for the Passover meal of the lamb. The sure and certain Lewis & Short Dictionary says the adjective praeconius, a, um is “of or belonging to a praeco or public crier” while the substantive praeconium is “a crying out in public; a proclaiming, spreading abroad, publishing.” In a Christian context this of course also infers the Good News! A praeconium is simultaneously a profession of faith and a call to faith extended to all who hear. The Exsultet is a poem, elements of which go back to St. Ambrose (+397). It is to be sung by a deacon (or priest or cantor) during the Easter Vigil as a hymn of praise to God for the light of the Paschal Candle. The text became part of the Roman liturgy around the 9th century. The text is theologically packed. It contains a summary of Easter’s mystery. Christ is risen: we too can rise in Him. This was prepared for from the fall of man, directed by a loving Father, and awaits only the end of the world, although our baptismal character allows us to live the reality now: Already, but not yet! There is an introductory invitation to “Exult!” (whence its name) given to three different groups: the angels, the Church on earth, and the whole Church together. There follows an account of works of God in the Paschal Mystery and the history of salvation. It begins with a dialog just like a Preface during Holy Mass. Like a Eucharistic Prayer the Exsultet is a remembrance (anamnesis) which makes the past mysteries present to us. The singer deacon begs the congregation to pray for him as he tells the story of our family history of salvation with all the foreshadowing and “types” of our redemption. So great is God’s ability to turn evil to good that the deacon dares to call Adam’s fall our “happy fault… felix culpa” since because of it we were sent the gift of our Savior. You hear of the work of bees and the shattering of chains of sin. All evil is driven away. The constant refrain is that this is a blessed night when heavenly and earthly realities merge together and become one. Finally, there is a humble petition that God the Father will accept our Paschal candle, our evening sacrifice of praise, and make it into one of the lights of the heavens. This poem/hymn/prayer is too[...]

Today is Holy Saturday. Our Lenten journey is complete. We hear from an fine article by David Arias on the Harrowing of Hell from 2014 in the ever-useful Crisis. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

Here also are my audio projects of the Way of the Cross. On 1st Fridays, do please pray the Act of Reparation. What we need right now is PRAYER, especially now. And remember to GO TO CONFESSION! For priests, especially, try The Way Of The Cross For Priests from the Benedictines of Silverstream Priory.  HERE.  Would you consider getting copies of this for your priests where you are?  Lay people: pray it for priests. Below are readings of the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, composed by Joseph Card. Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, for the 2005 Good Friday observance at the Colosseum in Rome St. Alphonus Liguori Bl. John Henry Newman St. Francis of Assisi (according to the method of…) Silverstream Priory – The Way Of The Cross For Priests There are two versions of the Way by St. Alphonsus Liguori. One is plain with just my voice. The other is the same voice recording but with the Gregorian chant Sequence Stabat Mater interlaced between the stations. You can gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions of confession and Communion within a few days of the work and detachment even from venial sin.  From the Handbook of Indulgences: 63. Exercise of the Way of the Cross (Viae Crucis exercitium) A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful, who make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross. The gaining of the plenary indulgence is regulated by the following norms: The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected. For the erection of the Way of the Cross fourteen crosses are required, to which it is customary to add fourteen pictures or images, which represent the stations of Jerusalem. According to the more common practice, the pious exercise consists of fourteen pious readings, to which some vocal prayers are added. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations. A movement from one station to the next is required. I believe that if you follow the Holy Father’s Way of the Cross on Good Friday, even by television, the indulgence is available. If the pious exercise is made publicly and if it is not possible for all taking part to go in an orderly way from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their place. Those who are “impeded” can gain the same indulgence, if they spend at least one half an hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. For those belonging to Eastern Rites, among whom this pious exercise is not practiced, the respective Patriarchs can determine some other pious exercise in memory of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ for the gaining of this indulgence. Meanwhile, from a reader last year… Just a quick note to say thank you for providing your recordings of the Stations of the Cross. I am completely blind and had committed to making this part of my Lenten practices, only to have the Braille display from which I read promptly die. I had been struggling to find a recording of St. Alphonsus’ version. May God bless you! If these recordings are helpful to you, please say a prayer for me, especially if you use the Way Of The Cross For Priests.

Today is Good Friday. The Roman Station is Santa Croce. Fulton J. Sheen underscores three vocations at the foot of the Cross. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.

Today is Holy Thursday. The Roman Station is St. John Lateran. Fulton J. Sheen introduces an aspect of the Agony in the Garden. I provide these especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog.