Riding on Father Z's Back To Begin The New Year

We'll be riding on Father Z's back to begin the New Year. Those of you who know Father John Zuhlsdorf and his famous blog will understand why we chose him to get our first spiritual boost for 2025. Those who don't know him yet should consider becoming familiar with him. You can find his blog at:

https://wdtprs.com/

We'll be excerpting bits from something he posted on the 24th Sunday after Pentecost this past year. You can find the source HERE: 

(Source: https://wdtprs.com/2024/11/wdtprs-31st-ordinary-sunday-running-and-stumbling-wherein-fr-z-rants/)

Before we begin, why chose Father Z to start the year? (And, yes, this is a plug for his blog.) 

It's not just that he posts interesting stuff - although he does that. It's that a lot of what's posted goes beyond personal opinion, reactions to current events, church and secular, food pix (although he does that) and pix of his trips to Rome (which are always interesting). He offers substance about our Church and our Holy Religion. 

Re the Church, some of the news may or may not engage everyone, especially if you're trying to step back from the semi-hysteria that some traditional Catholics tend to gravitate towards when it comes to the goings-on in our Holy Church - not that you can blame them. But Father Z does temper this sort of thing and try to give some perspective to things. In other words, he tries to fair and not foolish.

But above and beyond the "news" of what's going on, there's lots packed in there about the traditional teachings of our Church - the real, true, and therefore lasting teachings. And here you can find substantial material to aid in your study of our Catholic Religion - something we all should be doing on a regular basis.

This is especially important for those born and raised after Vatican II, the demarcation line between solid teaching of our religion and complete collapse of said teaching. So many younger Catholics have grown up bereft of solid formation in the Faith - unless they've been given some formation by their parents or in rare cases, a good source outside the home. But even then, once learned, they enter a world that has not simply thrown away, but actively slashed and burned any knowledge of even mention of the truths of our Catholic Religion. So Father Z's blog can serve as a refresher, something to wake us up, to enkindle in us not just the knowledge, but the love of our Catholic Religion.

This alone is worth the "price of admission."

We could go on, but let's finish up the "why Father Z" with this: His blog can serve as a staple of your regular reading and study each day. Not exclusively of course. But a solid meal to strengthen you to put on your armor and get out on with the daily struggle to be holy.

And what better resource to turn to as we begin secular New Year 2025?

While the distracting chatter about "New Year's resolutions swirls around us, while the drama surrounding the Presidential Inauguration accelerates, we turn our hearts and minds to our normal fare of ora et labora - prayer and work - in our usual disciplined, consistent manner. Nothing "out there" dissuades us from pursuing our daily devotions, our study, our daily time with God in meditation, our recollection throughout the day, accompanied by a sprinkling of aspirations throughout the day to unite us to him in the Present Moment, along with all our other daily spiritual practices meant to keep our Interior Life strong and vibrant.

While Father Z's Blog plays a small role in all this, it can be one of the important and essential components.

Nevertheless, we remind ourselves that we do not rely on one person, one favored spiritual practice, one particular church (for those of us who, for example, prefer attending the Vetus Ordo - the tradition Mass of the Ages). In the end, what matter is that all our thoughts, words, and deeds "betray" us as Catholics. In the end, we strive only and always to grow closer and closer to God, With His Grace, we may be granted full union with Him, even in this life, but eventually in our eternal life in Heaven.

Well, it's almost time to on with day's labor. So let's end this first post of the New Year with the first sentence of the thoughts we'll share from Father Z's post in November, referenced above. It's entirely consistent with all we've considered on this January morning:

"God has given us something to do while in this vale of tears."

We'll continue with this thought next time. But for now, let's simply acknowledge:

Each of us has his or her own calling. Let's give our all this day to use all that God has given us to know and fulfill that calling in this New Year of Our Lord 2025.

 

Happy New Year!