It's spreaaaading

I have been tagged with a meme by my infected sister!

1. Go into your Archives.

2. Find your 23rd Post.

3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to it).

4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.

5. Tag five other people to do the same thing.

Well, my 23rd post was entitled "Nooooo." It was about, you guessed it, liturgical dance. My fifth sentence was,

"Slight" as in, Get out of my face with the fluid movements.

Ah yes. As you can imagine, I still have Problems with liturgical dance.

You can see the entire post here. It includes a very eh picture and a link to the liturgical dancing group ::: shudder :::

I know everyone gets sick of memes, so I am going to unilaterally change the "5" in #5 to "2."

I am tagging Nick (this will be a good reason to get him to update his blog) and Brendan (this may also get HIM to update his blog).

HA! And the CDC can not help you, my friends!

Boo, hiss

I found out today that the tabernacle arrangement IS temporary. As I say, boo, hiss. I was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation our priest was having with a very devout lady afterward, who was asking him about it, and it sounded like he wanted to leave it in the center. Bad on me, eavesdropping. I couldn't hear much of what was being said ;)

Also while I was sitting there, praying, he came up and told me that they found my gloves - I left them in the pew after Adoration last night! He put them in the vestibule for me. Ugggh. I would lose my limbs if they weren't firmly attached.

Last night's Athens Halloween was quite interesting. I haven't found out about any damage (arrests) though. Time to watch the news ...

Okay, I'll agree to go to a bar

On my 21st birthday. Gasp! Who would have thought it! My friends in Athens are probably squealing with delight right now. Not so fast! I'll only go if they are having an event like this:

A Pint With Your Priest: Church Books Bar

(AP) MANCHESTER, N.H. So, these two priests walk into a bar ... No joke. A Roman Catholic parish has booked four talks at a local bar in an effort to reach out to 20- and 30-somethings who don't go to church. Alcohol will be served.

The Ste. Marie Parish's first presentation, "Naked & Without Shame," is scheduled for Thursday and will deal with Catholic views on sexuality, contraception and sex and marriage.

Read the entire article here.

This reminds me of those great "Theology on Tap" programs they sometimes have. In my hometown, Hudson, our parish's associate pastor (about 30 years old) had a couple sessions of it at one of the local taverns, I believe.

A very fitting article to post the morning after the Athens bars got their annual Halloween workout, wouldn't you say? ;)

More on the Vatican and Israel

Vatican denounces Iran remarks

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Friday condemned as "unacceptable" statements denying the right of Israel to exist, an apparent reference to Iran.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls also denounced recent Palestinian attacks against Israel and Israeli retaliation, and reaffirmed the Vatican's view that both Israel and the Palestinians had the right to live "in peace, security, each one in their own sovereign state."

Navarro-Valls condemned "certain statements, particularly serious and unacceptable, in which the right to the existence of the state of Israel was denied."

He did not mention Iran by name. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was widely condemned after saying Wednesday that "Israel must be wiped off the map."

Navarro-Valls also condemned this week's "terrorist attack" in the central Israeli town of Hadera, in which five Israelis were killed, as well as the "successive retaliation," by Israel.

Article.

The piece goes on to note the diplomatic tiff that developed between the Holy See and Israel during the summer, and how that was resolved. It also summarizes Papa's recent remarks on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which focused on women and human trafficking:

Benedict said women more often are emigrating autonomously for financial reasons and not just crossing borders to join their husbands or family members, as was the case for many of them in the past.

When women do find work, it is often low-salaried domestic or service job, the pope said. He said they deserved fair treatment "out of respect for their femininity in recognition of their equal rights."

Gasp! "Out of respect for their femininity." I'm sure if the NOW membership heard this, they would start rolling around on the floor, writhing in pain. The idea that men should treat women with "chivalry" no doubt strikes them as denigrating to women. Of course the Holy Father follows this up with "in recognition of their equal rights" so maybe that would prove to be a good tranquilizer ;)

Joy to the world

I have wonderful news. Well, "wonderful" if you care about this sort of thing.

Friday morning, as I crept into the church for morning Mass, the whole place was still pitch dark. The fellow who usually comes in to light the lamps was a bit late, I guess. But as soon as I opened the door I saw, in the center of the sanctuary, behind the altar, a little red light flickering.

What is that? I wondered. For a brief moment I thought somebody had left a camcorder or something else electronic on the altar. But as I got closer, I saw what it was:

The sanctuary lamp, kept burning to remind visitors of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist!

I know what you're thinking - and that's right! The tabernacle had been moved to the center of the church! Now, we have a very orthodox priest, and the tabernacle had always been just off to the side, not closed off, clearly visible from the front of the Church, just as the regulations demand.

But now the lovely gold tabernacle is situated on another table (altar?) directly behind the main altar. Four tall candlesticks stand on the table, two on each side of the tabernacle. Two other candles have been placed on each side of the main altar, and the presider's (or should I say, celebrant's) chair has been placed off to the side.

It is a wonderful arrangement. Christ certainly belongs at the "center" of our lives. I don't know if the tabernacle-behind-the-altar thing is permanent or if they are just trying it out; I certainly hope it stays, and I bet it does! If it does, I wonder what they will do with the little side alcove that used to hold the tabernacle. Maybe put in a statue of St. Paul? That would be appropriate, since he's the patron saint of the parish ... And although we already have a statue of Mary, well, let's go for symmetry :)

This reminds me that all the parishioners are taking a survey on the Sunday Eucharist. One of the questions is, "Should there be more Latin in the Mass?" Yes! Yes! Yes!

We'll see what develops. But if what I saw Friday is any indication, things are looking great.

More beauty

From Neworleanschurches.com:

St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 724 Camp St., New Orleans, LA.

A History of St. Patrick's



Check out the highly impressive organ!



More pictures of St. Patrick's here.

A very blah week

This last week did not go too well for me. I am rather glad la semaine est finit. It got off to a fine nasty start with the news that I got a 78 percent on my Non-European history exam. A C+! In a history class not taught by my dear Madame Brickley and her guillotine! I had a bit of a fit, especially when I discovered that said C+ took my grade in the class to a lousy B. There are a couple exams/exercises left, however, and I guess I just have to ace those.

I also developed a bit of a health issue earlier this week. I don't have a car down here in Athens, so I have to walk a lot. What am I saying, I don't have a car, period ;) Anyway, I managed to get a huge blister on the little toe of my left foot. It got pretty big - it was sticking out about the size of thimble - and I was actually starting to get a callous on the blister itself. So I eventually went to the university health clinic and got it taken care of.

Oh, what a lovely place is the university health clinic. Basically one goes in, registers, and waits. Then one goes in to see the triage nurse. Then one comes out again and waits. Then one gives one's insurance information to medical records. Then one waits some more. Then one goes in to see the examining nurse, who afterward takes one down a little hall and tells you to sit in a chair outside an office. And wait. Eventually you get to go in and see the doctor, who has strange, vaguely communistic kids posters about sustainable living and evil corporations on the walls. Then this doctor makes you lie down and sticks some kind of draining thing in your blister. After a minute or two of draining, voila! Next on the assembly line, please. Never fear, You Have Been Billed.

I am worried that I have not been very pleasant to people lately. I just have not been in a good mood, and it really wouldn't do to explain to people, "Sorry, not jolly today. Have blister draining into sock, natch."

In somewhat less gross news, I got my rough draft for my feature story - the one on the residents of the West State Street Cemetery - finished. I decided to title it "Death Makes For Strange Bedfellows." For some odd reason I kept having to fight the impulse to call it "How Many People Are Living in the State Street Cemetery?" and then begin the piece with a lead of: "None." Of course, that's a joke my mother always used to tell us kids whenever we drove passed a graveyard. My childhood is coming back to haunt me, agh!

anyway, if anyone wants to read it, leave me a note or send me an e-mail and I'll send it along to you. I have gotten to the point where I can't even tell if it's good or bad, because I've read it so many times. I have the distinct feeling that it stinks, but oh well.

In spite of all the work I've got flowing out of my ears, and in spite of all the bad things happening this week, I am currently on a bit of a spiritual high. The Lord is very generous with His consolations. Of course, the fact that I'm feeling so good is also an occasion for me to start worrying about whether I'm not doing a little bit of emotional or spiritual self-suggestion... Very ick.

I'm scheduling for classes this afternoon. Please pray I manage to get in the courses I need to graduate!

Much nasty

Article from the Pittsburgh Tribune:

Episcopal group plots takeover

An Episcopal group has a doomsday plan that calls for ousting conservative bishops and seizing church property if they attempt to break from the denomination over its increasingly liberal position on homosexuality.

The so-called "Day After" plan could kick in as early as June, when the Episcopal Church USA holds its General Convention in Columbus, Ohio, according to minutes from a closed steering committee meeting of the group Via Media...

Despite the preliminary nature of their discussions, Gunderson conceded that the progressive group is ramping up for a possible showdown with conservative bishops.

"Like any group of people who love their church, we are preparing for how things might be handled if some bishops try to take their dioceses outside the Episcopal church," she said.

Some steps that could be taken to counter efforts by conservative bishops to align their dioceses -- including all assets -- with like-minded bishops around the world include:

Declaring the bishop's seat vacant and appointing an interim bishop.

Requesting a special convention to give the interim bishop power to fill positions in diocesan government such as trustees, councils and standing committees.

Preparing to take legal action to protect church property.

Identifying locations and personnel such as retired priests, deacons and lay leaders to provide worshipping communities and "safe havens" for those who remain in the Episcopal church.

Launching a public relations campaign to build awareness and support for the remaining church's positions.

Ah yes, don't forget the PR campaign.

This is just disgusting. Plotting and forming conspiracies. Not openly going for alliances or developing a strategy, but doing it in the dark of night and giving it an ominous code name like "the Day After." Then, of course, you run into a bit of a road block when your group's little plans get leaked ...

The article also states:

Pittsburgh diocesan officials estimate that although conservatives represent only about 10 percent of the roughly 2.3 million Episcopalians in the United States, an estimated 45 million to 50 million of the world's 77 million Anglicans consider themselves conservative.

Catholics have to suffer from this, too: A lot of liberals who go around screaming about "women priests, married priests, birth control and contraception, gay marriage and abortion!" have a tendency to confuse the Church in the United States with THE CHURCH. Besides the fact that the Catholic Church is not a democracy and we don't get to vote on the truth (as though the "truth" always conincides with what is popular and would be "voted in" by people) it's important to keep in mind that while America is an important country, being an American doesn't make you any more of a Christian (or a Catholic). It stinks for the libs that the rest of the world is really morally conservative. Tough break, eh.

Found via Off the Record. I'm trying to quit reading it, honest.

Five new saints

... and a new encylical.

Papa's been very busy lately!



New saints canonized on Sunday:

Polish Archbishop Jozef Bilczewski (1860-1923)
Diocesan priest Zygmunt Gorazdowski (1845-1920)
Italian priest Gaetano Catanoso (1879-1963)
Capuchin monk Felix of Nicosa (1715-1787)
Chilean Jesuit Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga (1901-1952)

Encyclical news

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict has written his first encyclical, the highest form of papal writing addressed to all members of the Roman Catholic Church, a Vatican source said on Monday.
The source said the encyclical, which is expected to be published before the end of the year, deals with one's personal relationship with God.

The work is just under 50 pages long and will probably be published to coincide with the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, the source said.

Looking forward to it!

Yes

The below is the work of my loving friend Lauren. She describes me very well, eh? ;)

I like cookies

I Maggie, LOVE COOKIES, they are very yummy and I Wish they had some with the Popes face on them cause then they would be extra yummy. Cause it combines the two things I love most cookies and the pope.

So this weekend is Halloween and I don't even have a costume...humm what should I be? A witch? No for that is too pagan. A fairy? No for that is too mythical. Walking around in underwear like everyone else in Athens? No for I am too prudish. So what will I be then my roommates wanted me to be Mrs from the magic school bus but I said NOOOOO! For she is too crazy and her hair is too orange! So I shall be a ghost and hang out at the local cemetery to see if there are any real ghost! Boo! I will scare them!

This post brought to you by Maggie's loving friend Lauren because we didn't have our noon class, so we were stuck at the library together!

About Canadians

Although they hate knowing that they are very Americanish, and can sometimes be very rude about it, the Canadians are so Americanish, pleasant, and just all-around nice that one is hard put to dislike them. Besides which, they have good comedians. A story from one of The Devout Life's correspondents about National Review writer and former White House speechwriter (and Canadian!) David Frum:

I do wish Brother (David) Frum were not doing what he is doing (i.e. now fundraising against Bush). This is a Canadian thing to do: split the conservative movement thereby guaranteeing success of the devil in future elections.

Sometimes we can't help being Canadian, however. I remember, years ago, when Frumsingh lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, & worked at WSJ. I was crashing at his place. We rode downtown together on the subway, late one morning. There was an M-LBM (mean-looking black man) distributing commercial handbills through the subway car. In addition to passing them out, he left one copy on each unoccupied seat.

Frum's dander rose. He courageously pursued the M-LBM to the far end of the car, picking up spare copies of the handbills along his way. I followed behind him, thinking, "Frum is going to be killed. As his buddy I am obliged to die with him. How could I face his widow, alive?"

Click here to find out whether Frum got his face rearranged.

It did clear up ...

A little.

Today's Mass was really very lovely; Bishop Conlon had an excellent sermon on "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" and how that fits in with the Eucharist. I was amused and pleased by the (priest?) fellow in cassock and surplice who stood off to the side, watching the congregation (and the altar servers) with an eagle eye. He was either the bishop's secretary or a master of ceremonies or some other kind of aide-de-camp, and he was very good at his job. The procession went pretty well, also; no rain! The Knights of Columbus looked very much like knights, the monstrance looked like a proper monstrance, etc. etc. We even had the Athens police blocking traffic for our little parade! I think the press was there, too ...

And although the sky was very gray, there was no wet stuff during the actual walk. The Blessed Sacrament was brought into Christ the King Church, and we were invited to have lunch or Adore the Sacred Host. I just knelt in prayer before the Host for about half an hour; out of the corner of my eye I saw the bishop himself - out of his vestments and back in clerical black and pectoral cross - kneeling in prayer, too. There were also an awful lot of priests there. The pastor of CTK was grinning from ear to ear when he saw everybody arriving, you can be sure!

I suppose you are supposed to stay very quiet during the procession - I wouldn't really know, I've never done one of these before - but I talked to my friend from the Women's Club, Rebecca, on the way. She told me that on Friday they only had 8 children show up for the Halloween party! Although I had to work that evening, I did come early to help set up. Then I had to duck out. But only 8! Ugh! And I utilized all my valuable parish hall decorating skills, too ;) Yeah, right. The part I did looked like a Court Street lush had gotten into the posters-and-streamers cabinet.

Ah, well. At least not too many kiddos had to deal with the consequences of my handiwork ;)

Soggy morning, soggy afternoon, soggy evening

The weather has just been awful here in Athens lately. Cold and wet at the same time. I wish it would make up its mind and either turn to snow or heat up a little bit.

This is homecoming weekend so there are quite a few people in town. My roommate Lyndsey "got" to march in the parade. I have "got" in scare quotes because I'm thinking it wasn't too high on her "I want to" list, especially in this cold weather!

I am really hoping that it clears up a little bit for when the Bishop comes tomorrow to celebrate Mass and have a Eucharistic Procession. It's not a long walk, but still, how annoying if it's rainy when we do it!

Work has been going well, although I think some of my co-workers have come to the conclusion that I'm not too bright. And I'm not too bright with that kind of manual labor thing. I'll avoid any false humility and admit that I have lots of book smarts. In college, for instance, I have come across only one or two intellectual endeavors that really caused me serious problems. But common sense? Ehhh, not so much!

Alas, I'm not going to be able to come home for Halloween weekend, after all. My mother really wanted me to come up, but there's no way for me to get out of work. They even have a large sign in the kitchen: "If you do not work your Halloween shift, or if you arrive under the influence, you will be terminated. No exceptions!" My roommates are having a party at our apartment, so that should be interesting ;) However, on the other hand, I'm somewhat happy to be staying in Athens, since I can hang out at the cemetery I am doing my magazine piece on. Very creepy of me, I know, but ... A reporter's job never ends, ha ha!

Incidentally, perhaps I mentioned in one of my previous posts about Enoch Hannaman, the young OU student who died at the age of 21 in 1827. His grave includes all these details but does not impart the cause of death. Of course I couldn't find any death records from back then; the southeastern part of Ohio was wilderness, log cabin-and-Indians country back then. But as I was paging through one of the OU history books (Yay for university archives!) I happened upon a brief note about a mysterious illness that visited the Athens area in the winter quarter of 1826-1827. The university trustees of the time recorded their concern, but stated that they believed all would be well. Unfortunately, the epidemic continued into the summer quarter. Some OU students fled for home; others were unable to continue their studies. Enoch Hannaman died on July 3, 1827; I'm guessing he may have been a victim. The book also noted that in the same period an influenza epidemic was raging through Ohio, so maybe the mystery sickness was the 'flu.

I can't tell you how pleased I was to stumble onto this information. For once I can kind of understand why people would become professional researchers: The adrenaline rush you get from finding that tiny bit of dust-gathering, hidden-away information is second to none. Especially since I imagine I am the only one (or at least one of the few) around here who has ever tried to figure out why this more or less forgotten kid buried almost 180 years ago died so young! So, even though historically speaking it's insignificant, it's still my own little discovery, he he :)

Catholics and Mormons (He he he)

Mark Brumely, writing on Ignatius Insight, has the idea that Catholics and members of the Latter Day Saints church tend to "talk past each other" when debating religion. Here's a (really funny!) part of what he imagines to be the typical Catholic-Mormon apologetics discussion - right down to the old "if you are defending the Catholic Church and you get frustrated, throw the Summa and St. Thomas at them! The thousands of pages will overwhelm your opponent!" trick. I admit to having done this occasionally myself (crawls away in shame). And it always helps if it's ... a ... pocket edition. Ha!:

Catholic Guy: So I don't belong to the true Church, you do, right?

Latter-Day Saints Guy: That's right.

Catholic: And what evidence do you have for this?

LDS: Well, there is the testimony of Joseph Smith and I testify as well that--

Catholic: No, I mean evidence. Show me, historically speaking, where Christianity went off the tracks. Show me where there is serious evidence of all that the LDS Church claims about ancient Christianity and about North America.

LDS: Well, there were the Gnostics who believed–

Catholic: I'm not talking about Gnostics. We know what they were and they weren't Mormons.

LDS: Have you ever read the Book of Mormon?

Catholic: No. Have you ever read the Summa Theologiae?

LDS: The what?

Catholic: The Summa Theologiae. By St. Thomas Aquinas. I just happen to have a pocket edition of the whole thing right here. Here's volume 1. Volume 2. Volume3. Volume 4. Volume 5. Volume 6. Volume 7. [A bit later.] And this is Volume 27.

LDS: As I say, I have never read it. But the Book of Mormon is a lot shorter.

Catholic: I don't know that the smallness of a book inversely correlates to the largeness of its truth.

LDS: Say what?

Catholic: Just because your book is shorter doesn't mean you're right.

LDS: Good point. But we have a lot of other Scriptures you don't have.

Catholic: And we have seven Old Testament books that you don't have, so don't start pulling this, "Our holy books have more pages than your holy books" argument. It's quality that counts here, not quantity.

LDS: True. But having lots of books is still important. Have you ever read Orson Scott Card? Look at all the books he's written. Only the true Church could produce such a great science fiction writer. He's a Mormon. Therefore, the LDS Church is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Q.E.D.

Hilarious! The rest of it is pretty good, too. It's a good reminder to be careful that when defending Christianity we don't create more heat than light ;)

Oh, and it's true they have Orson Scott Card, but as "Catholic Guy" goes on to point out, we have G.K. Chesterton. And we J.R.R. Tolkien. So there! ;)

Well, what do you know

And it's a real photo! No Photoshop involved.

What's next ... the Vatican Lutherans? Vatican Methodists? Vatican Jehovah's Witnesses? Vatican Seventh Day Adventists?

Hmmmm ... I know, Hell will freeze over before we see those last two ;)

From Dei Gratia, found via the Curt Jester.

Exactly!

I haven't blogged much about the whole Harriet Miers controversy. The people who insisted that they were going to wait until the confirmation hearings probably took the wisest course of action. And yet ... I can't help being seriously annoyed with the President. All indications are that Ms. Miers is a firm pro-lifer ... But, so what? Abortion is the number one issue with me and a lot of people, obviously, the deal maker-or-breaker, but it's not the only issue. How is she on those other issues? Who knows?

Besides which, I kind of expected the president to nominate someone with not only the judicial philosophy of Scalia but also the intellectual caliber of Scalia. Justice Antonin Scalia is a legal genius whose brilliance is so obvious that even his die-hard opponents (Sen. Harry Reid, et. al.) acknowledge it and consider him a qualified jurist. New Chief Justice Roberts isn't quite as smart as Scalia, but he is an incredible intellectual thoroughbred. Not to be nasty, but Ms. Miers' main qualification seems to be that she actually told the president something to the effect that he is "the smartest man I've ever met" and "the best governor ever!" (this was back when he was in Texas). President Bush is a lot smarter than his critics give him credit for - you don't exactly receive multiple Ivy League degrees on the strength of your "connections," even if that's what got you into the school in the first place - but, come on. Has Harriet Miers never met any of the current Supreme Court justices? I think even the really liberal ones are of a much higher caliber than the president (although they're wrong all the time!)

Finally, I am rather angry because even on the Roe v Wade issue, the best we can really hope for with a Justice Miers is "cross your fingers and wait with bated breath ... ehhhhhhhhhg!" And honestly, when I voted for the president, I was expecting something a little different than "hope for the best" and "ehhhhhhhg!"

Peggy Noonan had a great column out earlier this week which pretty much mirrors my feelings. It seems she feels pretty confident that the Miers nomination is toast; she actually provides several ways for the president and company to handle this with grace:

The full Tim McCarthy. He was the Secret Service agent who stood like Stonewall and took the bullet for Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton. Harriet Miers can withdraw her name, take the hit, and let the president's protectors throw him in the car. Her toughness and professionalism would appear wholly admirable. She'd not just survive; she'd flourish, going from much-spoofed office wife to world-famous lawyer and world-class friend. Added side benefit: Her nobility makes her attackers look bad. She's better than they, more loyal and serious. An excellent moment of sacrifice and revenge.

... Connected to this is the modified Dan Quayle. When George H.W. Bush chose Mr. Quayle to be his vice presidential candidate, the 41-year-old junior senator from Indiana should have said, "Thanks, but I'm not ready. Someday I will be, but I have more work to do in Congress and frankly more growing to do as a human being before I indulge any national ambitions." This would have been great because it was true. When his staff leaked what he'd said, a shocked Washington would have concurred, conceding his wisdom and marking him for better things. He'd probably have run for president in 2000. He could be president now.

The best way to do the modified Quayle comes from Mickey Kaus: "How about appointing Miers to a federal appeals court? She's qualified. Bush could say that while he knows Miers he understands others' doubts--and he knows she will prove over a couple of years what a first-rate judge she is. Then he hopes to be able to promote her. Semi-humiliating, but less humiliating than the alternatives. And not a bad job to get. . . . Miers could puncture the tension with one smiling crack about being sent to the minors. The collective sigh of national relief would drown out the rest of her comments." That's thinking.

The best part of the piece comes near the end:

An essential White House mistake--really a key and historic one--was in turning on its critics with such idiotic ferocity. "My way or the highway" is getting old. "Please listen to us and try to see it our way or we'll have to kill you," is getting old. Sending Laura Bush out to make her first mistake as first lady, agreeing with Matt Lauer that sexism is probably part of the reason for opposition to Ms. Miers, was embarrassingly inept and only served to dim some of the power of this extraordinary resource.

"Please listen to us and try to see it our way or we'll have to kill you." Doesn't that basically underlie most of the Administration's policies, even those regarding, for instance, foreign policy? Now, obviously, I really have no problem with them issuing these kinds of ultimatums to terrorists. But applying it to your allies ... Well ... It just kind of causes a revolt in the ranks, doesn't it?

I think I posted something on this topic before

This story makes a great point about children diagnosed with Down's Syndrome or other serious disorders. And look! The girl's name is "Margaret."

... Margaret does not view her life as unremitting human suffering (although she is angry that I haven't bought her an iPod). She's consumed with more important things, like the performance of the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs and the dance she's going to this weekend. Oh sure, she wishes she could learn faster and had better math skills. So do I. But it doesn't ruin our day, much less our lives. It's the negative social attitudes that cause us to suffer.

In ancient Greece, babies with disabilities were left out in the elements to die. We in America rely on prenatal genetic testing to make our selections in private, but the effect on society is the same.

...Margaret is a person and a member of our family. She has my husband's eyes, my hair and my mother-in-law's sense of humor. We love and admire her because of who she is -- feisty and zesty and full of life -- not in spite of it. She enriches our lives. If we might not have chosen to welcome her into our family, given the choice, then that is a statement more about our ignorance than about her inherent worth.

What I don't understand is how we as a society can tacitly write off a whole group of people as having no value. I'd like to think that it's time to put that particular piece of baggage on the table and talk about it, but I'm not optimistic. People want what they want: a perfect baby, a perfect life. To which I say: Good luck. Or maybe, dream on.

And here's one more piece of un-discussable baggage: This question is a small but nonetheless significant part of what's driving the abortion discussion in this country. I have to think that there are many pro-choicers who, while paying obeisance to the rights of people with disabilities, want at the same time to preserve their right to ensure that no one with disabilities will be born into their own families. The abortion debate is not just about a woman's right to choose whether to have a baby; it's also about a woman's right to choose which baby she wants to have.

The article, which you can read in its entirety here, also includes this creepy bit of information:

Margaret's old pediatrician tells me that years ago he used to have a steady stream of patients with Down syndrome. Not anymore. Where did they go, I wonder. On the west side of L.A., they aren't being born anymore, he says.

And it's not for a happy reason, like, for instance, "Oh! We've finally cured Down's Syndrome!"

Now, when the Third Reich eliminated "undesirable" people with disorders such as Down's with the excuses that "they would have suffered terribly" and "they impose too great a burden on their families and society" it was, obviously, a wicked eugenics program. When Americans eliminate "undesirables" (with the same excuses) it's a difficult but deeply personal choice which the laws must not forbid! And anyone who suggests otherwise is imposing their value system on others! After all, who really has the authority to insist that it's a violation of human rights to destroy a child in the womb simply because we have determined that its genetic structure makes it sooo inferior to us!

/Sarcasm off. I shouldn't have to say "Sarcasm!" but I know sometimes the written word does not communicate as well as speech ...

Ran across the article on Open Book.

Papa meets a nurse

Whispers in the Loggia posts this picture along with the caption: "I'm told the Pope was initially shocked when, on his recent trip to the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital in Rome, a nurse sprung forward to embrace him. A member of the press pack who was there tells me that Georg the Bodyguard "got lost in the scrum," a serendipitous occurrence which allowed this priceless moment to take place."

No "Whoaaaa, nurse!" jokes! ;)

And "Georg the Bodyguard" is, I believe, Fr. Georg Gaenswein, the Pope's private secretary.



To quote this Gaurdian article on Fr. Gaenswein: Thou shalt not drool!

Least favorite job so far

Working the salad bar!

It wasn't quite that bad, but they had a girl helping me - and I don't know if that'll always be the case. I don't even know what some of the food items are in the salad bar. On one occasion this morning, I found myself pausing in front of the vegetables section, pondering a bunch of green veggies whose identity momentarily escaped me. "Those aren't cucumbers," I thought to myself. "Why is the first thing you think always "cucumbers?" Cucumbers are one type of vegetable; there are about a hundred others ..." "Green peppers! Those are green peppers!"

I was so pleased with my re-discovery that I almost wanted to tell one of my co-workers about it; luckily I realized that it would make me look rather pathetic ;)

I have Sunday off (hurray!)and then I do my last new-to-me job, "Grab n' Go server." Sure to be fun (ick!)

But at least work is over for a while. Tonight my friends and I are going out to a restaurant to celebrate the 21st birthday of one of my roommates, Jenn. Everyone is so much older than me! ;) Well, I am not quite the "baby" of the household; Lauren, another roommate, doesn't have her birthday until summertime.

I am sorry to miss Eucharistic Adoration this evening, and really, I have no excuse - besides 7 to midnight, there is also a block of Adoration from 12 to 4. It's really laziness that has kept me away, for shame.

I am trying to broach the subject of vocations with my mother, but I keep forgetting to bring it up when I talk to her on the phone. I'm not exactly sure how to approach it ... I'd like to ask her if she would be all right with me taking some time off during my Christmas holidays and visiting some places. We shall see.

Sacred places

As I've noted before, the devestated New Orleans/Louisiana area is a famous center of American Catholicism. Many of the churches are absolutely gorgeous. I thought maybe I'd share a few from this site: Neworleanschuches.com.

These, for instance, are from St. Anthony of Padua Church, on Canal Street in New Orleans:

The sanctuary



The altar




Detail of the arch over the altar



Just beautiful!

Not too bad!

I went to work at the dining hall today, and it really wasn't that horrible of an experience - a very short shift, and fairly simple work, although I did make a fool of myself a couple times.

Tomorrow I have to do a whole new task - I'm in charge of keeping the salad bar full. Oooo, what a tremendous burden, I know ;) But still! I can find lots of ways to mess things up, and I usually do. Please pray that everything works out.

It looks like I am not going to be allowed to go home for Halloween, after all - there was a large sign in one of the anterooms, announcing that anyone who did not work their Halloween weekend shift would be terminated. "No excuses!" it added. Ack, it's all right - I will just call off some Saturday morning and sleep in. That will be my "time off." :)

Check this out: "It's all about the cheese": Thomas Hibbs on Wallace and Gromit

Nose to the grindstone

Guess who got a job at the dining hall today?

That's right. I wonder if this will be one of those jobs I screw up, or one of those jobs I screw up, but don't get found out ;)

Seriously, though, I am a little nervous, but not too much. I just applied today, and I start tomorrow! I am working as a Grab n' Go server on Monday from 7 to 10 pm, as a Dining Room janitor on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 8, and as a salad bar attendant from 11 to 1 on Saturday.

Saturday used to be my one day to sleep in, alas. However, the only other available hours were evening shifts, and I wanted to have at least one night where I could do something with my friends if I wanted to. I bet my Athens pals will find the Grab n' Go part of my job highly amusing, since I was obsessed with the Grab n' Go chicken last year :)

It's about 8 hours a week, and it's just until the end of the quarter, which is about four weeks away ... So if it stinks, I just have to plow through it!

I got some good news this week. I got an A on my journalism history test, which I was scared silly about, and I got an A on my query letter for that feature story I'm doing on the State Street cemetery. My professor was very gung-ho about the story idea, so I was really pleased. I guess we have the same taste.

I took a Non-Western history exam today, and I am not too sure about that one. The multiple choice wasn't so bad, but the chronology and geography parts were very ehhh. The essay also gave me some trouble; however, I ended up writing a whole lot, so ... Maybe the professor will give me a break. Quality vs. Quantity, ha!

In other news, my priest sent me an e-mail with some information about a "live-in" experience available at a few monasteries over winter break. I recognized a few of the names - Poor Clares in Cleveland, Ohio, for instance. Maybe I'll think about giving that a go ...

From God and the World

As I mentioned in another post, I recently bought Pope Benedict's God and the World, a book which came out when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. It's basically a lengthy, 450-page in-depth interview with a journalist, Peter Seewald, who had fallen away from Christianity. After he did this book and another book-length interview with Cardinal Ratzinger (called Salt of the Earth), Mr. Seewald returned to the Church. As you might imagine from that, the book is very, very good. I've already read it, but I was paging through it last night and I came upon a passage that is particularly interesting, given later events. The Cardinal and Mr. Seewald are discussing the psychological power of doubt:

How is it for you? Are you personally acquainted with this "oppresive power of unbelief"?

Of course. If one is trying to share the faith with others in the spiritual situation of our century, as a professor or a teacher of the faith, then one must take particular care to be open oneself to the questions that make faith hard. And then, obviously, one counters the various life-styles that are offered to us with the promise that they can replace faith, or make faith unnecessary. To that extent, accepting the impact of everything that speaks against faith today, its inner strength, and feeling myself oppressed by it is all an essential part of my work.

But even if I did not wish to, one encounters it anyway in news bulletins, in current affairs, and in every kind of life experience that opens up to us. All that, on the one hand, makes the path of faith laborious to tread. But then when you come out into the light again, you can also see that you have climbed higher, that it is in this way that we get nearer to the Lord.

Is that ever a thing of the past?

Never quite past.

Can one imagine even a pope might be attacked by doubt or indeed unbelief?

Not by unbelief, but we can and should picture him as likewise suffering under the questions that make faith hard. I shall never forget a meeting I had in Munich when I was a curate. My vicar at that time, Father Blumscheid, was friends with the pastor of the neighboring Luterhan parish. One day Romano Guardini came to give a talk, and the two vicars had a chance to chat with him. I don't know the actual course of the conversation, but Blumscheid told me - he was deeply shocked - that Guardini had said that as you grow older faith does not get easier, but harder. Guardini may have been between sixty-five and seventy at the time. That, of course, is the specific experience of one man, who was in any case of a melancholy cast of mind and had suffered greatly. But, as I was saying, this buisiness is never entirely settled. On the other hand, it does get easier in a way, because the flame of life is burning less fiercely. But so long as we are on the journey, we are traveling.

Even the pope! Which is, of course, what the former Cardinal is now.

His last line almost sounds like somebody's episcopal motto: "So long as we are on the journey, we are traveling." I don't know what it would be in Latin, though ;)

Uh ... weird

In the "Who thought that one up?" department:

Unicef bombs the Smurfs in fund-raising campaign for ex-child soldiers


The people of Belgium have been left reeling by the first adult-only episode of the Smurfs, in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters' village is annihilated by warplanes.

The short but chilling film is the work of Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, and is to be broadcast on national television next week as a campaign advertisement...

...Belgian television viewers were given a preview of the 25-second film earlier this week, when it was shown on the main evening news. The reactions ranged from approval to shock and, in the case of small children who saw the episode by accident, wailing terror...

...The short film pulls no punches. It opens with the Smurfs dancing, hand-in-hand, around a campfire and singing the Smurf song. Bluebirds flutter past and rabbits gambol around their familiar village of mushroom- shaped houses until, without warning, bombs begin to rain from the sky.

Tiny Smurfs scatter and run in vain from the whistling bombs, before being felled by blast waves and fiery explosions. The final scene shows a scorched and tattered Baby Smurf sobbing inconsolably, surrounded by prone Smurfs.

The final frame bears the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."

Article.

Wailing terror wouldn't describe my reaction. Just ... creeped out. It's a good message and everything, but - ehhhh.

Got it via Dappled Things.

Bit of a tiff

There's a slight argument - well, I wouldn't even characterize it as an argument -going on at A Little Flower Garden about the Nashville Dominicans, more properly known as the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. My sister posted some pictures of the new, massive class of postulants and novices for this year; a discussion has ensued about whether the Nashies are engaging in false advertising with regard to over-emphasizing the "contemplative" part of their charism, when in fact their main apostolate is teaching.

Their website does begin with the statement that their mission is "Contemplating ... And giving to others the fruits of our contemplation." So maybe somebody just poking around would be confused. However, I really don't think that anyone doing an in-depth investigation of the order (as you would if you wanted to join) could be confused for long about the essential teaching aspect of the charism. It's not as though they try to hide it. Also, their statement about contemplation is not inappropriate, even if it might give a wrong first impression. As Hilary points out in the comments on the post, even apostolic sisters must be rooted firmly in prayer and contemplation - otherwise, the religious life just doesn't work.

Yippy, skippy

Today's Mass went wonderfully. The Eucharistic Prayer that Father used was the Canon, hurray! I get so sick of Eucharistic Prayer II it's not even funny.

The homily was on repentance. The "Prayers of the Faithful" included pleas for both world peace and the unborn.

Afterward I met up with Rebecca, who suggested I come to this fun little women's club event in November. There's going to be champaigne; she made a big point about that - I guess I look older than I am ;) Also, after Adoration last night, the lady who always wears a mantilla came up to me and asked if I had a ride home. I told her I did, and I did, if I wanted one - my roomies always offer to drive me places, just 'cuz they're nice like that!

Anyway, at Communion time we chanted Ubi Caritas, like last week - I guess to get us ready for the Procession a couple weeks from now. It was lovely. I still have it stuck in my head! It was nice to hear a priest singing Latin at a Novus Ordo, besides :)

The only problem is that after Easton and my general laziness, I have a ton of homework left to do! Urgh. Say a prayer that I get it done. And please pray for my sister, Betsy, who lost her cell phone (and a lot of phone numbers!) this weekend. And most of all, pray for the victims of the Asian earthquake - 20,000 dead, last I heard. Horrible.

Incidentally, today was the beatification for "the Lion of Muenster," so named because, during his time as bishop, he delievered many courageous anti-Nazi homilies and took a strong stand against euthanasia and other Third Reich tactics for eliminating the "unfit." Cardinal (now Blessed) Clemens August von Galen died in 1946; he is now one step away from canonization.

Papa at the beatification:

Easton

Friday was a very lovely time. Jenn drove me up to Easton Town Center, and we had a lovely dinner at Bar Louie's. We even got dessert - a huge brick of a piece of cake. The menu called it "Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Cake." That was certainly an accurate description! It was about the size of a brick, but much, much more tasty.

Easton is basically a huge shopping mall, and very, very ritzy. The gorgeous movie theatre had an escalator going up to the entrance. They had all these designer shops - the Bath and Body works type stores all had their doors open, so that when you walked down the sidewalk you could smellllll everything. They even had a Godiva Chocolate store. We went in, and Jenn was super nice and bought me a couple truffles, mmmm!

I did do something besides gawk at the pricey things and eat! At the Barnes and Noble, I bought God and the World, by Papa Benedetto. When I got to the register, the clerk said, "Oh, Ratzinger, he's a character." I just smiled and nodded, but I thought to myself: "I don't pay you to have an opinion, pal." Har har, you know all those bookstore clerks are rather lib, that is, non-Papa friendly!

Then we went to Denison to see a couple of Jenn's friends. They were nice boys, although it was Friday night and the one fellow was in a bit of a "condition" if you know what I mean. They must be smart - I could certainly never be a Denison girl!

We went to sleep at Jenn's house, near Newark, Ohio. She has three lovely cats who were very sweet, although I think they thought I was rather dull. What little darlings.

So, that ends the story of my Glorious Time in Easton. It was certainly nice to get out of Athens! I am glad I have nice roomies with cars who are willing to take me places :)

Drizzle

This evening I am going to be heading to Easton Town, Ohio, with my roommate Jenn. We are maybe going to get a treat to eat, and do some shopping, mmmm! It's a very ritzy place, so I assume it will mostly be window-shopping. I hope this will not induce any envious materialist rages, sigh!

Speaking of "sigh" it is a very rainy, cold day in Athens. It IS autumn, after all, so what can you expect?

One of the Daily Mass Ladies - incidentally, the same one who I wrote about, who annoys me with the "Hear our prayerS" line at Mass - invited me to go with their senior citizen's group to Columbus, to see the Cathedral there (St. Joseph's, I think?). I think I would have been waaaay uncomfortable going without knowing anybody, and with a bunch of people who are so much older than me ... Nothing to talk about, you know? So I chickened out. It was a day trip, and I couldn't be gone the whole day, anyway. But then she invited me to come to their next little event, a couple-hour retreat to this place in Coolville. She mentioned that it was run by a couple of nuns, who incidentally were sitting behind me during Mass! (They were non-habit-wearing variety, so I didn't know). Maybe I could go to that, just to ask their advice about discernment, although obviously their order is Not For Me. Hmmm.

National Review turns 50 this week! Of course, I do not agree with absolutely everything the NR folks say, but so what. I still love the magazine. Alas, being a starving college student, I had to let my subscription lapse a long time ago and just pick up the occasional copy at the library. I get most of my National Review highs reading NRO. Free content, ooooo!

Anniversary pieces:

"When I think of National Review, I think of ..."
Q&A: Priscilla Buckley on the joys of National Review "Miss Buckley's finishing school for young ladies and gentlemen of conservative persuasion" - ha!
President Bush's tribute to Buckley

Yayyyy

I know a lot of bloggers have already mentioned this, but:

First Things has a blog! Super!

And it's not just the editor-in-chief of "Public Square" fame contributing. But check out the response Richard John Neuhaus has for the latest hissy fit from Gary Wills here. I guess a longer take-down is coming up in the next issue of the magazine. Yummy.

Papa admires my work

"Who wrote this brilliant piece on the Freshman 15?"

Just kidding. I got a 45 out of 50 on the article I was whining about; so that comes to about a 90 percent. Not exactly brilliant. Also it was supposed to be a mock freelance for Seventeen magazine, which is not a newspaper; besides which I believe Papa would never bother to lay eyes on such a rag, let alone read it. At least I hope he wouldn't bother. ;)

And it is a rag. I, like many less-than-clever high-school girls, had a subscription to Seventeen lo, many years ago (I also used to have a subscription to Teen). I picked up a couple issues while I was writing the Freshman 15 piece, and I was shocked at how low quality and content-less it was. I also don't remember it being so risque ... Why did I waste good money on such a worthless magazine? I must have liked the graphics-heavy, text-light, breathless-style stuff when I was younger. I have to admit that while I was writing it was very easy to match the magazine's style and tone. Maybe that's what I'm meant to spend my life writing, sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice pieces for teenager's books! I shudder to think. Anyway, grazie to everybody who helped me out with the article! A 90 is pretty good for a 400 level class :)

My next article - a loooong feature - is going to be on the State Street cemetery (I think). It is an extremely old graveyard, complete with toppled-over and sunken headstones, as well as a grave for the unknown dead. Ghost stories about the cemetery are rampant; the angel standing over the "grave of the unknowns" is popularly believed to weep actual tears now and again. And everyone buried there has a story, so it should be interesting. One of the "residents" is a 21 year old student at Ohio University, who died there in 1828. Check out the Google search for "Enoch Hannaman" and you might get a good idea about the place.

I've been in there once so far. It's a really creepy place, even in the daytime, though. I think I should go at least once at night, for research purposes. Brrrr ...

Creepy

From the London Times:

Why Stasi spied on future Pope
By Roger Boyes in Berlin

At least eight East German communist agents were ordered to report on the private life and political views of the future Pope Benedict XVI during the Cold War years, according to his secret police files published in Berlin yesterday...

...It was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's deep anti-communism and his profound suspicion of atheist states that made him a target of the East German Stasi. Their suspicions seem to be confirmed by his long friendship with Karol Wojtyla, the Polish cardinal and future Pope John Paul II...

...The Stasi were plainly anxious to gather compromising information on Cardinal Ratzinger that could be passed on to Moscow. Despite a trawl through old Nazi archives, Stasi researchers found nothing linking Joseph Ratzinger to Third Reich activities. “No documents exist on Ratzinger’s activities for the time before 8.5.1945,” the report said. Nor did they unearth much about his personality. “Although he appears to be initially shy in conversation, he does possess a winning charm,” one secret police informant said.

The identity of most of the spies is still unknown. They are entered in the files with codenames such as Aurora, Lorac, Erich Neu, Gemse, Louwe. One of the agents, Lichtblick (which means Bright Spot) was unmasked as Eugen Brammertz, a Benedictine father, who died in 1987. Archivists now in charge of the secret police files estimate that the Stasi used 223 people within the Catholic and Protestant churches to supply a regular flow of information.

The elevation of a Polish Pope and the rise of Solidarity spurred on the search for intelligence that could be used against senior clerics. An East German Interior Ministry memo from 1982 said: "It is imperative to lay bare the hostile activities of the Vatican and above all to compromise the standing of the Pope."; Since Cardinal Ratzinger was very close to the Pope, he was made a priority target...

Full article. Ick, it would certainly freak me out to think that I was being "watched" for so many years. Nevertheless, it's kind of a compliment. Anyway, I think it's great (and hilarious) that even the commies had to admit that although Papa is shy, "he does possess a winning charm." Now do you think we could get some radical libs to admit that? I'm not holding my breath ;)

Party time!

I must mention that my good friend and roommate, Lyndsey, is now 21! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LYNDSEY! Of course we threw her a little party this weekend, which was supposed to be a surprise party - and I think it was, although maybe she was just a good actress ;) One of my other roommates, Jenn, and I made cupcakes, and then I "helped" put up streamers. By "helped" I mean, stood there and handed up pieces of tape. I also put up a "Happy Birthday" banner, which fell down about a half-hour into the party (that's Maggie quality!)Our other roommate, Lauren, sprang for the pizzas and decorations. I owe $22, ouch, how it wounds a cheapskate like me! ;)

Jenn also made this amazing spinach dip which I kept shoveling in my mouth instead of socializing.

A good time was had by all, most importantly the birthday girl. A lot of people came who I hadn't seen since freshman year. On TV, we watched Notre Dame destroy Purdue. 42-21, and at Heinz field! A very successful evening, I would say!

I love my parish

Today was Respect Life Sunday, which is a day set aside at the beginning of October (which is Respect Life Month) for everyone in the Catholic Church to reflect on the necessity of respecting human life at all ages and stages.

I know in some places they "dodge" the issue and try to pretend that Respect Life Sunday doesn't exist (tooo easy to disobey the bishops, grrr), but that's not the case at St. Paul's. Our priest gave a wonderful, "no-compromises" pro-life homily; he is of course orthodox in all areas (death penalty, for instance) so no one can accuse him of being political. The special insert in our weekly bulletin discussed the Terri Schiavo case and quoted Papa Benedict: "Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary." Lovely.

Also, it has been announced that in late October there will be a Eucharistic procession and adoration with Bishop Conlon; it's an event for the Nativity of Mary deanery, and my priest is the dean - which means folks from parishes all over southeastern Ohio will show up. Today our priest told us all to brush up on our Latin chant skills, because we are going to be singing "Ubi Caritas" during the procession. "We have to keep the Latin hymns alive," he said. Yaaaaaay!

Papa and kiddies

Papa greets a little baby during his meeting with Tanzania's prez, Benjamin William Mkapa, Oct. 1. Also, my sister has a post and pic from Papa's visit to Baby Jesus Children's Hospital in Rome earlier this week. Awwwwwww!

And check out this sad story:

Pope scares child who mistook him for doctor

ROME (Reuters) - The Pope's white robes scared a young boy who mistook him for a doctor when he visited a children's hospital on Friday.

The child began crying when 78-year-old Pope Benedict approached his bed in the cardiology ward of the Bambino Gesu (Baby Jesus) hospital near the Vatican.

"It's the white," a nurse explained to the Pope. "He can't take anymore of these white coats."

The Pope stopped to comfort dozens of children during the two-hour visit.

One little girl, Fabiola, wrote a note and drawing for his visit saying: "Pray for me so that I don't have to have any more transfusions and so I can go back to the playground with my friend Simone." ...

It's so sad. Poor little baby, scared of Papa!

Shocked, I tell you, shocked!

You know those people who say that polygamy has nothing to do with gay marriage, and who insist that the whole polygamy angle is an illogical red herring?

First Trio "Married" in The Netherlands

The Netherlands and Belgium were the first countries to give full marriage rights to homosexuals. In the United States some politicians propose "civil unions" that give homosexual couples the full benefits and responsibilities of marriage. These civil unions differ from marriage only in name.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands polygamy has been legalised in all but name. Last Friday the first civil union of three partners was registered. Victor de Bruijn (46) from Roosendaal "married" both Bianca (31) and Mirjam (35) in a ceremony before a notary who duly registered their civil union.

"I love both Bianca and Mirjam, so I am marrying them both," Victor said. He had previously been married to Bianca. Two and a half years ago they met Mirjam Geven through an internet chatbox. Eight weeks later Mirjam deserted her husband and came to live with Victor and Bianca. After Mirjam's divorce the threesome decided to marry.

Victor: "A marriage between three persons is not possible in the Netherlands, but a civil union is. We went to the notary in our marriage costume and exchanged rings. We consider this to be just an ordinary marriage."

Full article. (Check out the weird wedding picture of Victor and his two lovely "brides.")

Ah, the Dutch. Always on the cutting edge. Just keep in mind that there but for the grace of God and the Ohio state constitution ...