Convert from Lutheranism, ordained to the priesthood in 1991 by St. John Paul II in Rome for the Suburbicarian Diocese of Velletri-Segni. Classics at University of Minnesota. Licence and Doctoral studies in Patristic Theology at the Augustinianum in Rome. Formerly a collaborator of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," moderator of the Catholic Online Forum, columnist for The Wanderer and the UK's Catholic Herald, Fox News contributor. Speaker. Blogist. fatherzonline.com @fatherz
Author: Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
16th Sunday after Pentecost: the breadth and length and height and depth
This week, for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost in the Vetus Ordo, we are in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3:13-21. Paul penned this letter, along with that to the Colossians and to Philemon probably during his first imprisonment in …
15th Sunday after Pentecost: “God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”
We come now to the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, which in an older way of thinking was called Quinta post Sancti Laurentii… the 5th after St. Lawrence, who was so beloved of the Romans. In fact, most of the Sundays …
14th Sunday after Pentecost: “Life in Christ is No Gay Fling.”
We continue with this year’s assignment, present some thoughts about the Epistle reading for Sunday’s Holy Mass in the Vetus Ordo of the Roman Rite. Some weeks I feel like Sisyphus, shoving the great border up the hill (Sunday) only …
13th Sunday after Pentecost: We Live in the Relief, not the Burden
For some weeks we had Pauline readings from the Letters to the Corinthians. We begin this Sunday with pericopes from the Letter to the Galatians. The Epistle reading for this 13th Sunday after Pentecost (or as our ancient Roman forebears …
12th Sunday after Pentecost: You are Christ’s love letter
In the flow of our green Vetus Ordo Sundays, this 12th Sunday after Pentecost brings the last selection from Paul’s Letters to the Corinthians. Next week we begin with Galatians. The order of our readings is very ancient, older in …
11th Sunday after Pentecost: Soccer balls instead of doctrine? Not so much
We continue with this year’s focus on the Epistle, the first reading, in the Vetus Ordo of the Roman Rite. This week we hear from St. Paul in 1 Cor. 15:1-10. Context remains important. Last Sunday we observed the Feast …
Transfiguration Sunday: “We Have the Prophetic Word Made More Sure”
This Sunday we observe the Feast of the Transfiguration rather than the “green” Sunday after Pentecost, being the 10th. This Feast of the Transfiguration has a complicated history. First, in Rome there were celebrated on 6 August the feast of …
9th Sunday after Pentecost: “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to…”.
For the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, we hear in the Vetus Ordo a reading from 1 Corinthians. Paul is correcting the behavior of the Corinthians using, in this chapter, examples from the history of Israel, moments when God sent punishments …
8th Sunday after Pentecost: “Yes, Sir!”
This Sunday, the 8th after Pentecost, brings us an Epistle or first reading in the Vetus Ordo, the Traditional Latin Mass, from the Apostle to the Gentiles’ Letter to the Romans 8: 12-17. We have already seen some context for …
7th Sunday after Pentecost: Christ’s Soldier Slaves
Listen up you soldier slaves! Get yourselves squared away.