Pentecost XXV
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
The forsythia bloomed a bit last week, the second time this Fall they’ve been faked out by the wobbly weather. They always look bedraggled, and somewhat embarrassed when this happens. After all, Autumn is our finest season and there’s no sense worrying about Spring.
The weather Nazis are already pushing the popular panic button by intoning the dread “snow” word for this weekend, probably just for fun. In the good old days it was guaranteed to evoke an instant reaction, which is the point. But now we have daily injections of the C word into every aspect of life, designed to panic people towards the death jab. Nevertheless, despite the assurances of the masters or the silence of the clergy, it is still a mortal sin. Hang on. One day Spring will come. God will not permit us to be tried beyond our strength.
Last Sunday was a beautiful one. Just a regular Sunday, but everything was just about perfect, I told the choir. It’s good to get into the habit of giving your best to God, just out of love for Him, St. Therese would say. I pray you will persevere in the last weeks of our Rosary Novena. Now we’re on the thanksgiving part. Great confidence!
The McFathers borrowed a seminarian for Forty Hours in Milwaukee this weekend, but promised to give him back. The subdeacons are being kept busy with a heavy class load. One of their webteachers, Fr.Nkamuke, along with his six seminarians, are also conducting Forty Hours in Nigeria this year in Port Harcourt. It is wonderful to be surrounded by prayer. “Let us forevermore adore the Most Blessed Sacrament.” Friday’s St. Martin I suffered exile and a miserable death rather than accept the heresy of only one will in Christ. It sounds obscure to most, doubtless, but we must hold the whole Catholic Faith without compromise. Even the best today want to make us believe that bad though he be, Bergoglio is the validly elected pope, and that the Novus Ordo, One World Church, is identical with the Catholic Church. That’s a theological error, and savors of heresy. As we honor the anniversaries of our churches, we remember that there is only one Church, the unchanged Catholic Church. If people would only understand this truth, so much confusion would be dissipated, so much peace—though at a price!—would ensue.
Tomorrow we honor the Secondary Patron of Cincinnati, St. Albert the Great, whose statue is the middle one on the upper level, Gospel side. We have many statues in our church, but there is only one Church. Ours is the unchanged Faith of all the saints of old.
We celebrate our patroness, St. Gertrude the Great, on Tuesday, along with the happy tenth anniversary of one of our devoted priests, Fr. Vili Lehtoranta. Father is Finnish, but has found his home with us, church and school. A luncheon in his honor follows Tuesday’s Solemn Mass. You would be welcome.
Let me close by wishing you all a blessed St. Gertrude’s Day. We will only know in Heaven the many blessings our powerful patroness has obtained for us here on earth.
– Bishop Dolan