I don't care what anyone says - Fr. Z is an excellent Catholic priest/confessor who cares about the salvation of souls ...
"God loves you and has never stopped loving you no matter how far you feel you’ve run from His love." - Fr. ZPlease read his post advising a woman on her way to reconciliation with the Church:
ASK FATHER: Three questions from a sinner who wants to come home.
One of Satan’s biggest tricks – lies – is to convince us, before we sin, that the sin we are tempted with at that moment is minor (“It’s no big deal, just go ahead and do it, it’s really not all that bad). Then, once we have committed sin, the Enemy changes his tune and tries to convince us that our sins are so horrible that God couldn’t possibly love us, that we should just stay away from the Church, stay away from Mass, stay away from prayer and sacramentals because we are so filthy and disgusting and sinful. Don’t let the Enemy trick you. Yes, your sins may be serious, but God’s grace and mercy are vastly bigger. If you haven’t already, get a small bottle for some holy water from the Church, get a blessed Rosary and pray it. Keep it in your pocket or your purse. Get a blessed Crucifix and keep it in your home. These steps will help you move more and more close to God. - Fr. Z
Pope Francis couldn't say it better.
Nice to know that Fr. Z is following Papa Francis's example in guiding folks back to Church.
ReplyDeleteI am glad.
May our LOrd bless his continued efforts a hundredfold.
Actually Fr. Z has always been like this - he also carries his Last Rites stuff - sorry, don't know what to call it - when he travels just in case he comes across an accident victim or some one dying. He's also an excellent confessor. For all the silly things I say and do, for all the umbrage I take at how he sometimes presents his opinion on people, places and things, I have the deepest respect for him. I know - I'm a weird guy.
DeleteNah...you like him is all.
DeleteVery true.
DeleteReading Fr. Z through Pope Francis...
ReplyDeleteI prayed for her when I read that this morning. I've actually started praying for people when they ask or when I promise prayers. Imagine that! Someone wrote a blog post recently about how we're all liars since we easily promise prayers but rarely follow through. That woke me up.
As the crowd murmured, "Can anything good come from the Catholic internet?"
Absolutely!
Ha! I really just think they sound alike because they are both Catholic. :)
DeleteWhenever I post that I'll pray, I always immediately say a Hail Mary or other prayer, but then I always offer a prayer at night "for those for whom I've promised to pray." I'd like to remember everybody by name, but.... I keep a prayer journal though and write individual intentions in it and pray for all those in the book. God knows who they all are.
DeleteYea. He cares so much about us that if you disagree with him, he won't even let you view his website.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThing with Fr. Z is that in my opinion, one either likes him or not. I tried but could not relate to some of his stuff nor his posters. I did learn a few things though. I remember he's always talking about the TM versus the NO and giving the impression one is better than the other. Another comment he made was about Hispanics not attending the TM enough and posted, "maybe it's an Anglo thing."
DeleteI thought about that insipid remark and thought, "he could be right because I like Papa Francis better than I like him, so maybe it's a Hispanic thing that I relate to Papa Francis's personal relationship with Christ versus Fr. Z's of which I do not recall his ever talking about."
Mr Nelson, I agree with you. I am an almost old woman from another continent, not from "these United States" as Fr Z likes to say. And I owe him a lot of gratitude for helping me to convert to the Catholic Church at a rather advanced age, just by reading his website for 5 years (inter alia of course). Of course he is over the top sometimes, but reading his stuff with perhaps more wisdom and experience of the complexities of life and of history - due to my "venerable" age! - I saw a lot of tongue in the cheeck-ness and irony as well. And at least he does not serve wishy washy fare for anyone who considers converting. I much prefer this kind of honesty. Of course Fr Z would respond to this lady's cry for help in the loving but also honest way he did. That is the Christian way and truth. And Fr Z knows everything about grace. He used to be a Lutheran.
ReplyDeleteMr Nelson, I also enjoy your blog very much and visit every day. May God bless you. Thank you. I admire you as well.
Thanks very much Catherine - happy feast day.
DeleteFr. Z can be somewhat acid tongued but I am OK with that. If I want pablum and baby formula I can look at New Age websites, if I want Truth I go to Fr. Z's site. Years ago when I could not receive Holy Communion he wrote something called The 10 Points of Hope for Catholics who could not receive. I read it often while I could not receive - sometimes it was the only thing keeping me in the Church and helping me learn patience. Eventually I was able to receive again but I learned SO much while I waited. That time was a blessing! So even when Fr. Z is having a spittle flecked nutty (where does he come up with these terms?!) he will always have a special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteSame here.
DeleteHis criticism of the NY Times ( which he reads often) as being hell's bible is accurate how...on abortion yes....but with the Boston Globe, they reformed the Catholic Church on sex abuse by causing the Bishops to meet in the South West and causing two successive Popes to act differently than they had been acting. Our diocesan press never mentioned that our children were being molested all those years.
ReplyDeleteTrue.
DeleteThat post was truly moving. I rarely comment there, but that day, I just had to. I was that woman once.
ReplyDelete