All changes in the sacred liturgy and in the breviary must be for the good of souls; personal preference and grandiose theories have no place... yet the recent history of both shows much that has violated these principles.
Wherever there seems to be something arbitrary in the liturgy, this is not the case; likewise, wherever a legitimate choice may be made in the celebration of the Mass, one of the options is best: this is true even in the 'modern' Roman rite.
Any undertaking not being undertaken because, "God wills it, as far I know," is fundamentally flawed, although there are many ways to determine His Will.
Hurry no prayer; delay no charity.
No one has ever justified not wearing clothes that cover oneself from the neck past the knees, covering and obscuring all that is between, in the normal course of events, and no one ever will.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Monday, January 07, 2013
Observations of a Mosquito #4
It does not seem possible in this era to find a humble sedevacantist.
Most real vocation discernment is of which, not of what; most discerners are reasonably assured of the basics long before they accept them.
If you can't figure out your vocation, it's worth examining the one(s) you most don't want yours to be.
Father, if your confessional is always full, there is much too little Confession time, but if it is always empty, you must preach about Confession and improve the times you offer it - not from your perspective, but from that of your congregants, which you may only think you know.
It is always and categorically wrong to make the Gospel relevant; it already is - you must remove what is hiding the Gospel's relevance without removing the Gospel itself, which is often done instead.
Most real vocation discernment is of which, not of what; most discerners are reasonably assured of the basics long before they accept them.
If you can't figure out your vocation, it's worth examining the one(s) you most don't want yours to be.
Father, if your confessional is always full, there is much too little Confession time, but if it is always empty, you must preach about Confession and improve the times you offer it - not from your perspective, but from that of your congregants, which you may only think you know.
It is always and categorically wrong to make the Gospel relevant; it already is - you must remove what is hiding the Gospel's relevance without removing the Gospel itself, which is often done instead.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Observations of a Mosquito #3
Nothing in the world of right and wrong is gray; things that appear such are actually composed of multiple elements, some black and some white.
Men who have food, money, and sex without marriage are not men but boys - or, if men, they become boys - and they never mature.
Sin clouds the intellect; immodest dress is both sign and proof of an irrational mind.
The success of the New Evangelization is predicated on the proper worship of God. Its failure, too, begins in problems with the offering of Holy Mass.
The Church has trained and continues to train too many medievalists and too few philosophers and theologians who are trained in the medievals.
Men who have food, money, and sex without marriage are not men but boys - or, if men, they become boys - and they never mature.
Sin clouds the intellect; immodest dress is both sign and proof of an irrational mind.
The success of the New Evangelization is predicated on the proper worship of God. Its failure, too, begins in problems with the offering of Holy Mass.
The Church has trained and continues to train too many medievalists and too few philosophers and theologians who are trained in the medievals.
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Observations of a Mosquito #2
Rarely are Catholic apologists theologians; more rarely, philosophers; rarer still, students of the Saints.
When it comes down to it, a surprising number of those who "Say the Black, Do the Red" don't.
The greatest obstacle to the acceptance and practice of Catholicism on the part of the masses is that it is a fundamentally and even intrinsically inconvenient religion.
Homilies are not a good place for academic dissertations, but that is where they are commonly found.
The single greatest cause of few and bad Confessions in a parish is few and bad confession times.
When it comes down to it, a surprising number of those who "Say the Black, Do the Red" don't.
The greatest obstacle to the acceptance and practice of Catholicism on the part of the masses is that it is a fundamentally and even intrinsically inconvenient religion.
Homilies are not a good place for academic dissertations, but that is where they are commonly found.
The single greatest cause of few and bad Confessions in a parish is few and bad confession times.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Observations of a Mosquito #1
It's amazing how many people only mind delays they didn't cause.
Without detraction and calumny, many Catholic blogs would go out of business.
Orthodoxy is neither charity nor sanctity.
These days, it's far more common to see a Catholic recommending a non-Catholic or fiction book for spiritual purposes than a book by a Saint, but the latter sort is far better for the soul.
Rarely if ever is a blog's combox better than its posts by almost any conceivable worthwhile metric.
Without detraction and calumny, many Catholic blogs would go out of business.
Orthodoxy is neither charity nor sanctity.
These days, it's far more common to see a Catholic recommending a non-Catholic or fiction book for spiritual purposes than a book by a Saint, but the latter sort is far better for the soul.
Rarely if ever is a blog's combox better than its posts by almost any conceivable worthwhile metric.
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