On April 11, Divine Mercy Sunday, Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, gave a 12-minute homily. He told the story of the Polish Sister Faustina and the Divine Mercy apparition.
But before that he told of how the parish has done through the pandemic. “More people are coming to our parish than before the pandemic…. Our offertory has increased 40 percent over a year ago…. Six of our young adults are preparing for marriage.”
Go to the 3 minute 14 second marker of the video:: “This past year has been dark and fearful for many of us, but for us it must be a year of peace and joy. Goodness, truth, and beauty will outlast any chaos.”
Some of these traditionalist parishes are just Republican enclaves that attract people for no other reason than that. They want to hear Republicanism preached after a Democrat victory.
Sounds to me like a little Demoncrat is crying like a baby because some (real) Catholics are enjoying themselves. Maybe I should go get some woke tissues to wipe away those little Demoncrat tears. Want a hug, little guy?
As Fr. Illo says, “There is no political solution.”
Politicians do not save us. God does.
As the Bible says, “Put no trust in princes, in children of Adam powerless to save, who breathing his last returns to the earth; that day all his planning comes to nothing.” Psalm 146:3-7, NAB..
Awww the poor little leftist can’t stand the fact that this parish won’t fly rainbow flags and felt banners with the “all are welcome” moniker.
Anonymous,
I think you might be guilty of psychological projection.
What Democratic victory? Democrats didn’t win anything. They simply voted for Joe and Kamala and were fooled into thinking that these people were like them. They aren’t. Poor old Joe is just a man on a stage who doesn’t really know what’s going on and Kamala isn’t really a Democrat, she’s a “woke” leftist extremist who wants a radical change in the U.S. so that she and a few more people can have wealth and power, honor and glory while the rest of us wear grey jumpsuits and trudge to and from our sweatshops like the Chinese who make the shoes for wealthy athletes for pittance while the athletes kneel, protesting the American Flag and the National Anthem while in their fantasies of the women they are going to be with before they get home to their wife and children in some palace paid for by cheering fans swilling beer.
No, there was no “Democratic Victory”. It was just a very loud and thunderous roar of “I want what I want when I want it!!!”
Such condescension. I know exactly who I voted for and wasn’t fooled by anyone. Ironically the previous occupier of the White House tried desperately to fool Americans into believing that he actually won re-election, resulting in riotous insurrection and the deaths of 5 people.
“resulting in riotous insurrection and the deaths of 5 people.”
Leftist propaganda.
God bless Fr. Illo. He is “the real deal”. By God’s grace may he remain so.
Traditionalist parishes are also often anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers.
Oh no. Anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. Someone, please, give me a woke hug and console my woke fear of these awful Catholics who think for themselves.
That’s right Anon we are not sheep bah bah bah….
Let’s see: this is a multi-ethnic parish that, among other things, is serving meals to the homeless this Saturday and supports a medical clinic in Kenya. Not everything is partisan or political. Maybe the lay faithful and clergy there simply want to be disciples of Jesus, Catholics, loving God and others. Maybe you should visit the parish and worship with them some Sunday. That would give you a more accurate picture than speculating about “them.” (I’d like to do so, except I’m usually serving my parish on Sundays.)
There is a truth in what Anon states about anti-vaxxers, inexplicable to me. Anti-vaxxers have some questions to ask themselves and to answer. Here’s a link that may help.
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-covid-19-vaccination-debate.html
Larry, thank you for the link to that interesting story. Most of those questions seem legitimate. The story is about the moral liceity of vaccines, about which most people, including those taking and declining the COVID vaccines, are in agreement.
Those pushing the COVID vaccines, or any vaccines, as a moral obligation upon Catholics also have some questions they should ask themselves and answer.
For one (as good as most vaccines may be for the common good): Do they respect the Church’s teaching that being vaccinated is not a moral obligation and is a matter of prudential judgment?
The “anti vaxxers” are being proved, you willing to take the J&J vaccine?
Father Illo has the best way of dealing with communicants who want to kneel to receive Communion at Mass. He asks that those who want to receive kneeling and on the tongue come up first. It gives people permission to do it, even those who would not normally do it. People who are shy about doing it will get the courage to do it. And it solves the slightly dangerous issue of someone tripping over unexpected kneeling. (Yes, it happened to me. I was young enough then to catch myself so no harm done, but ever since then I stand way far back from the person in front of me.)
he has no authority to give communion out that way. that’s a liturgical abuse. there should be no preference to one way of receiving. how many of those people want to impress father and give a show to the assembly so they prance up first and kneel in full view of everyone as a vain display of piety?
“he has no authority to give communion out that way. that’s a liturgical abuse.”
That is some remarkable ignorance.
“there should be no preference to one way of receiving”
Grief. Why do liberals have to try to control everyone?
“how many of those people want to impress father and give a show . . .”
Liberals hate it if you kneel for Christ. But, oh, do they love kneeling when it’s for stupid things like BLM.
Look at the liberal Catholic attacking the faithful because there are no guitars or rainbow flags at Star of the Sea. You just can’t stand the fact there is a faithful parish and priest actually doing their jobs. There are no clipped hair lesbian nuns controlling the scene. Oh woe is the liberal Catholic; you know your time is over.
That’s not correct. If someone wants to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue that’s their choice, in most situations.
I’ve often wondered about the thoughts of people who demand that Eucharist be served to them the way they want it and will refuse the Body and Blood of Christ if it isn’t delivered to them just the right way. Some of them say that they can’t receive in the hand because their hand isn’t consecrated. I wonder how they got their tongue consecrated. I’ve never seen that done.
“Just the right way”?
Please, Father. The reception of the Holy Eucharist on the tongue is a right (not just something Catholics “want”). Besides, receiving the Eucharist on the tongue — a right or not — more effectively prevents profanation.
So, what is there to wonder about? Is respecting the rights of the laity a bad thing? And is it a curious thing that the laity want to protect Jesus?
I’m not talking about people who want Holy Communion on the tongue, but people who will not receive Holy Communion except on the tongue, no matter what. This reminds me of a man I once knew who decided that he should give up Holy Communion for Lent.
Jesus doesn’t need to be protected. He is God. It’s we humans who need to be protected. Now, I’m not saying that we should be careless with the Body and Blood of Christ, but that demanding that one be served Holy Communion and rejecting Jesus if you cannot have it “Your way” is a complete misunderstanding of Eucharist, and like Peter, who said “You will never wash my feet!” we must be willing to receive the Lord in any way possible.
I’ve never read anything that said that there is any “right” in the Catholic Church except the right to a Christian burial. What part of Canon Law defines the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, and again, what makes the tongue consecrated when the hand is not? Were we not all consecrated in our Baptism and Confirmation? Were only my hands ordained and consecrated or was all of me ordained and consecrated?
“This reminds me of a man I once knew who decided that he should give up Holy Communion for Lent.”
That’s not necessarily a stupid thing, as you make it seem. It depends much on the reason (e.g., would otherwise receiving Holy Communion seriously risk profanation?).
“Jesus doesn’t need to be protected. He is God. It’s we humans who need to be protected.”
It’s both, not one or the other. Besides, if Jesus really doesn’t need to be protected, then what kind of mother was Mary? She didn’t protect her baby? And why did Joseph need to take Jesus to Egypt? Vacation? (We need to distinguish between Jesus’s divinity and His humanity, and also be between God’s absolute will and his ordered will).
“demanding that one be served Holy Communion and rejecting Jesus if you cannot have it “Your way” is a complete misunderstanding of Eucharist, and like Peter, who said “You will never wash my feet!” we must be willing to receive the Lord in any way possible.”
This way of thinking seriously misunderstands traditional communicants on this issue. The “your way” of which you speak is understood, first and foremost, by traditional Catholics as the Church’s (Latin Rite’s) normative mode of receiving Our Lord, not as _their_ way of receiving Him. And it’s totally reckless to say, “we must be willing to receive the Lord in any way possible.” Communicants should always avoid unnecessary risk of profanation.