Fr. Z's Blog

Many parishes and chapels will have the Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross during Lent. What version does your parish use?   Let’s get some titles/versions/authors and we might have a poll later on. I have audio projects with the Way of the Cross. Here 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, and Bl. John Henry Newman. For the one by St. Alphonsus Liguori, one version is plain, just my voice and 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. Also, 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 Oriental rites, amongst 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. Share/Bookmark

Today is Holy Thursday So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/44_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Music today from the marvelous disk for Holy Week from St. John Cantius. Click to buy! You can also get a FREE copy of the CD. Learn how by clicking HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Spy Wednesday of Holy Week. So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/43_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Music today from the marvelous disk for Holy Week from St. John Cantius. Click to buy! You can also get a FREE copy of the CD. Learn how by clicking HERE. Share/Bookmark

UPDATED – Sorry about that!  Forgot to upload the audio!  Today is Tuesday of Holy Week. So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/42_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Music today from the marvelous disk for Holy Week from St. John Cantius. Click to buy! You can also get a FREE copy of the CD. Learn how by clicking HERE. Share/Bookmark

Today is Monday of Holy Week. So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/41_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Share/Bookmark

Today is Palm Sunday, 2nd Passion Sunday. Holy Week is underway. So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/40_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Share/Bookmark

Today is Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent.  Passiontide is underway. Holy Week begins tomorrow. So… GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/39_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. Share/Bookmark

Today is Friday of the 5th Week of Lent.  Passiontide is underway. We are one week away from Good Friday. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Reminder: GO TO CONFESSION! How long has it been? Here is another 5 minute daily podcast for Lent.  They are intended to give you a small boost every day, a little encouragement in your own use of this holy season.  http://www.wdtprs.com/lentcazt15/38_lenctcazt2015.mp3 I am providing these again this year especially in gratitude to benefactors who help me and this blog. In this podcast you hear music from the wonderful Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. HERE Share/Bookmark

This is the Eve of St. Agnes and, therefore, time once again for a PODCAzT I made a while back.  HERE I, fan of poetry that I am, read out Keat’s poem, 42 Spencerian stanzas.  It is torrid and lush, with marvelous moments and imagery, imbued with the revival of romantic, courtly love which was coming back into vogue in the early 19th century.  The poem takes inspiration from a superstition, which I explain in an introduction. The Eve of St Agnes would inspire the Pre-Raphaelites, as a matter of fact. Speaking of Pre-Raphaelites, one of their circle, was Christina Rossetti, a poet in her own right. Christina Rossetti wrote a poem which later was made into a Christmas carol: In the Bleak Midwinter.  We are still within the Christmas cycle until Candlemas. When I first posted this, a few prudish knuckleheads had a spittle-flecked nutty in my combox, but we pretty much ignored or deleted them.   Share/Bookmark

CLICK FOR MORE Someone posted a printable image of the Noveritis (“Let y’all know”) in Gregorian chant notation for the singing of the liturgical dates for 2014 which takes place at Epiphany after the Gospel.  Find it over there. The singing of the key liturgical dates in a solemn way, underscores how these dates and seasons are all interconnected, how the liturgical year is a reflection of and on the mystery of our salvation.  Some liturgical dates are movable.  For example Septuagesima (this year 1 February) doesn’t fall on the same date every year because the date of Easter changes each year. “But Father! But Father!”, you are surely sputtering.  “What does this chant sound like?” Here is what it sounds like, in case some deacon or priest out there, less familiar with chant, wants to give it a shot.  It sounds rather like the Exultet, sung at the Easter Vigil.  The Noveritis is a little awkward, however. Since I am in an airport right now, I’ll allow you to post your own, flawless, accurate and yet smooth English translations. Share/Bookmark

UPDATE: For some reason this did not post automatically when it was scheduled to post.  So… better late than never.  Thanks to a reader for catching this.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ____ Here is a 5-minute, daily podcast to help you observe the Octave of Christmas. Today is the Octave of Christmas.  This is the last podcast. These podcasts are a token of gratitude to my benefactors who donate and send items from my wishlist.  Thank you!  http://www.wdtprs.com/adventcazt/2014/150101Advent0533.mp3 PS: These podcasts should also available through my iTunes feed, though in years past I have had problems with it. Let me know how you are listening.  Through the plug in on this post? Through iTunes? Downloading? Did you listen to these podcasts?   Share/Bookmark

Here is a 5-minute, daily podcast to help you observe the Octave of Christmas. Today is Wednesday in the Octave of Christmas.  Sorry, but I am posting this a bit late in the day. Busy time! This is the penultimate podcast. These podcasts are a token of gratitude to my benefactors who donate and send items from my wishlist.  Thank you!  http://www.wdtprs.com/adventcazt/2014/141231Advent0532.mp3 PS: These podcasts should also available through my iTunes feed, though in years past I have had problems with it. Let me know how you are listening.  Through the plug in on this post? Through iTunes? Downloading? Did you listen to these podcasts?   Share/Bookmark

Here is a 5-minute, daily podcast to help you observe the Octave of Christmas. Today is Tuesday in the Octave of Christmas.   These podcasts are a token of gratitude to my benefactors who donate and send items from my wishlist.  Thank you!  http://www.wdtprs.com/adventcazt/2014/141230Advent0531.mp3 PS: These podcasts should also available through my iTunes feed, though in years past I have had problems with it. Let me know how you are listening.  Through the plug in on this post? Through iTunes? Downloading? Did you listen to these podcasts?   Share/Bookmark

Here is a 5-minute, daily podcast to help you observe the Octave of Christmas. Today is Monday in the Octave of Christmas.  This should have posted at Midnight my time but… it didn’t.  Who knows why. These podcasts are a token of gratitude to my benefactors who donate and send items from my wishlist.  Thank you!  http://www.wdtprs.com/adventcazt/2014/141229Advent0530.mp3 PS: These podcasts should also available through my iTunes feed, though in years past I have had problems with it. Let me know how you are listening.  Through the plug in on this post? Through iTunes? Downloading? Did you listen to these podcasts?   Share/Bookmark

Here is a 5-minute, daily podcast – today for CHRISTMAS DAY- to help you prepare for the upcoming feast as well as for your personal meeting with the Lord. I’ll give you a few CHRISTMASCAzTs.  Today is Saturday in the Octave of Christmas. These podcasts are a token of gratitude to my benefactors who donate and send items from my wishlist.  Thank you!  http://www.wdtprs.com/adventcazt/2014/141227Advent0528.mp3 PS: These podcasts should also available through my iTunes feed, though in years past I have had problems with it. Let me know how you are listening.  Through the plug in on this post? Through iTunes? Downloading? Did you listen to these podcasts?   Share/Bookmark