Take up your cross and follow me!

Christ tells us in this coming Sunday's Gospel (OF) that we must take up our Cross and follow after Him, if we wish to be His disciples. Saint Paul beseeches us to offer our bodies as an acceptable sacrifice to God.
On September 24, at 12:01 a.m., the 40 Days for Life fall campaign will kick off. For forty days, men and women from across the country and then some will be taking up their cross to follow Christ. They will be offering their bodies as an acceptable sacrifice. We know, of course, that this is done in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass, offered daily throughout the world.
The purpose of the campaign is to pray and fast for life -- for an end to abortion without exception. To close down clinics in our cities. They have had success with that already. The campaign also involves non-violent protests at abortion facilities. Primarily the protest is in the form of being present and praying -- many Rosaries.
Please, if you are reading this, consider fasting and praying (step it up a notch, since you already pray!) for our country. Pray for the elections this year. You all know it is crucial that pro-life candidates are elected.

New blog

A truly PLU has come up with a new blog Seek His Face which is very promising. Young Father Check, whom some of you may or may not have seen when he may or may not have been at a recent ordination in East Texas, has been a good friend for many years.

Sacerdos in Aeternum

Having recently been ordained (less than a week), I must say it is awesome. The experience is surreal. Being surrounded by so many brother Priests and being able to call them brother Priests is also unbelievable. The New Liturgical Movement is thoroughly under way in East Texas. I did promise that more would be revealed soon, didn't I?
So here it is. Darth Celebrandi pulls back the veil just a bit -- but I still have to leave something for you to figure out, if you don't know me personally. If you do, you know there was only one man ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ in East Texas in the last week.
A brief synopsis:

• Saturday morning, the ordination at long last occured. Many have tried to put a stop to it...many have succeeded in delaying it for a long time. They perhaps didn't know how pastoral I would be, but, in the words of one brother Priest, they still had to kiss my hands!
• Saturday afternoon, the first confession (and a few more). It is an indescribable, or should I say ineffable, feeling to hear oneself say those words "I absolve you from your sins..."
• Saturday night, there was the banquet.
• Sunday morning, thing got extraordinary. My first Solemn Mass according to the Extraordinary Form went very well. It was a morning of Firsts. Fr Check's first time as a Deacon in the EF; Fr Wickersham's first time as Subdeacon; Fr Allen's first time as Assisting Priest. Last but not least, the first Solemn Mass at that Church.
• Sunday afternoon the people of East Texas saw the Ordinary Form in a way that was quite extraordinary (no pun intended, just the best suited word). The Choir of SFA sang the Missa Festiva of Grechaninov; the Canon was chanted (whole Liturgy of the Eucharist was in Latin); the Altar was oriented; six candlesticks; incense; 7 concelebrants. None of these things is per se extraordinary, yet they are never seen in these parts. People cried when Mom and Dad were given their manutergium and stole, respectively.
  
• The Feast after the Mass was remarkable. Credit is due to Chad LeMaire of LeMaire's Catering by Design. I have never had cajun food like that! Did I mention the Shiner Bock?
• Then came the week to decompress in New Orleans, which has drawn to a close as I head to Washington for another Solemn Mass according to the Extraordinary Form.

All in all, I would have to declare this was a PLU-fest. I think the PUUs were not too pleased when the Bishop once again stated that he hopes all of his Priests will celebrate according to the Extraordinary Form frequently. He also lists that specifically in the Faculties I received. God is good.