Oh lookee!

Check out this neato bumper sticker:





The joke being that Papa is German ... And the Universal Shepherd ... Okay, you probably didn't need that explained for you. Very clever, eh?

Actually this is a joke that Papa has made himself. See this article:

Macher said he was modest, not at all showy for a man of his position, with a dry sense of humor.

"Someone lost his dog and put up a sign: Has anyone seen this German Shepherd?" she recalled. "He came in and said, 'No, no, it's not me. I'm here.' It was really funny — it surprised us. I think he is going to surprise us."

You can buy the bumper stickers here. Only $3.95 a piece plus shipping and handling. :)

What does Papa say to all this adulation?



Probably something like, "Zank yew, zank yew very much, you are too kind!"

Found the link to the bumper sticker on the Ratzinger Fan Club.

Ooooo

Did you know that the Pope has a blog?

Welllll, I would say, the "Pope" since obviously His Holiness is occupied with other affairs and has too much to do to spend time setting up a blogger account for our benefit. For instance, I suspect that he prefers to use encyclicals to convey his thoughts, rather than blogger posts. However, I would also say that "his" blog seems very much in tune with Papa's other published ideas.

It is called Musum Pontificalis - That's Latin for Pontifical Musings. Har har!

Got this from my sis.

PS. I got some very nice clothes today. My mother forced me to go shopping and pick up some things. That's my story and I am sticking to it! Forced, forced, forced! I am sure all of my friends are looking forward to seeing these specimens of my fashion "sense," also known as my fashion "no sense at all, and kind of disturbing at that."

Ahhh, relief

I don't know I have ever been happier to see the weekend come than I was today. The week at work was terrible; I kept making mistakes and having to have people help me out ... Darn computer programs.

Today wasn't so bad, however, as toward the end my co-workers and I started to get a bit slap-happy. It is almost all women in that part of the Accounting department, which makes sense since the work is basically what might have in earlier times been classified as "secretarial." There is, however, one twenty-something kid, and all the girls like to tease him a lot since he's the only guy. He is quite manic and is always shouting and running around like a madman when his deposit sheets aren't balancing. So at least it's not boring! :)

Also, right before we finished up, my boss bought us all soda out of the office vending machine. $1.00 a piece. Of course, I don't drink soda, but I wasn't going to turn down that offer! ;) I brought it home unopened, and it was quickly gulped down by one of the boys.

Of course, the day couldn't end without a traffic snafu. There is one train that runs through our town, and the tracks cross the road exactly once (the other places have bridges), and wouldn't you know that that road is the one I need to take to get home from work? So of course on Friday afternoon, the train stalls on that particular portion of the track. It was there for about 45 minutes, I guess. Not that we stayed long enough to see. We turned around and drove home another way. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it would have actually been helpful to have a traffic cop there to tell people not to bother waiting ...

Happy Weekend!

Funny story!

Notice what Papa has to say about the Irish, Shannon! ;)

At the launch [of Cardinal Ratzinger's memoirs, entitled Milestones,] I had the privilege of meeting His Eminence the then Cardinal Ratzinger. It was with a group of other reporters and we all stood milling around the silver haired fox of the Vatican. The conversation was fairly cordial until one of the reporters made a major faux pas. The LA Times' Vatican correspondent being your typical Californian (in other words a complete dolt and total jackass!) asked His Eminence, "So when do you think the current Holy Father will die?". There was a long pause in the conversation. Finally His Eminence spoke in all graciousness, "His Holiness will be around for a long time to come." Not wanting to be left behind in lack of class, the LA Times correspondent went on, "Who do you think will be the next Pope?". Another pause in conversation. His Eminence then shrugged and said, "It's in God's hands."

However at that moment, many of the reporters started interjecting the names of various Cardinals on who they thought would be the next Pope. And it was no doubt the warm bubbly effervescent effect of that delicious Italian red sparkling wine (to say nothing of the effect of that dry white Rhine wine) we were served but I suddenly blurted out, "Maybe the next Pope will be you, your Eminence."

This led to an even longer pause in conversation as well as expressions of shock (not to mention utter horror!) on the faces of my fellow journalists. Cardinal Ratzinger looked at me with much the same sort of expression that Christ must have had on His face when He told Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Finally His Eminence spoke with a bit of a twinkle in his eyes, "There's not much chance of that happening."

"Better a copy of your book, a MILESTONE around your neck than the Papacy then?" I made a bad pun of a Scriptural expression.

The Cardinal smiled an amused smile, "You could say that I suppose. But not much chance of me becoming the next Pope."

I'm not sure whether it was the effect of the sparkling Italian or the dry Rhine (or a possible longing for Guiness) but I then blurted out, "Wanna bet on it?".

This led to the longest pause of all and the eyes of the world's press corps were upon me to say nothing of the eyes of the man who had been dubbed the Grand Inquisitor.

Finally His Eminence laughed, "Well, you know the Church frowns upon gambling but seeing as how you're Irish and the Church at some point in Her history must have granted the Irish a special dispensation to gamble since your people gamble so much, I'm willing to make an exception in your case. What's the wager?".

"How about a premiere bottle of the best Bushmills whiskey?" I replied thinking that His Eminence was joking.

"Done," he said and we shook hands on it.

Suffice it to say that recently, the gentleman reporter received a package from the Vatican that included a bottle of Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey and a note that said simply: "His Holiness remembers the bet."

You can read more about that part of the story at the reporter's blog, An Irishman In Moscow. I found the link to the story at Against the Grain.

Ugh, Ugh

Behold, Bishop Spong went to a conference for political and religious progressives and held forth thusly:

Spong, who is the retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark, has long been a biting polemicist on behalf of liberal religion, writing books suggesting that the Virgin Mary was a prostitute and St. Paul a "self-hating gay man," while denying that Christ was divine and rejecting a personal God. "It's time to name evil as evil when sounded in pious accents of biblical religion," Spong declared blazingly. "In the 21st century ... my nation seems to be walking religiously back into religious attitudes that I spent a lifetime trying to escape."

Spong's Episcopal denomination is one of America's fastest declining. His own Newark diocese, during his 24 years as its bishop, lost 40 percent of its membership.

Growing churches in America and around the world are theologically orthodox, which disturbs Spong greatly.

"We have a pope who says [moral] relativity must be combatted," Spong lamented. "Protestant leaders say homosexuality is a sin. A cardinal denounces evolution." The bishop asked forlornly, "Is this what Christianity has become?"

Spong denounced the "narrow prejudice" of popular religion. "Is the current direction of Christianity in this country the right direction?" he asked. "Are we heading into phase two of a new dark age?"

Chastising a "male-dominated church" that attempts to "define women," Spong lambasted "post-menopausal" Catholic bishops who call God "Father" and tell women "what they can do with their bodies."

"Conservative Roman Catholicism and evangelical fundamentalists are growing," Spong noted with worry. His explanation of the trend was: "Hysterical people are seeking security."

Condemning popular religion that "masquerades as Christianity," Spong sneered that he did not want to walk into "what's called a Christian book store," listen to a "Christian" radio station or be "identified with the Christian vote," when these labels apply to people "bashing homosexuals" and "keeping women from choosing."

Spong fretted that the Bible in America has become a "force in public policy as an arbiter of right and wrong." Those who quote it make "fascinating points" and "assume the Bible is always right," he observed.

But the Bible has been a "major force in dark chapters of American history," Spong ominously warned. It has been used to support slavery, oppress women, and justify war, he charged. And now the Bible is being used to "make abortion illegal" and to "oppose end of life decisions," Spong complained. The Bible is even being used to justify the "preservation of living cadavers," he said, in an apparent reference to the case of severely disabled Terri Schiavo.

"Our breeding practices threaten us with environmental degradation," he further charged, in an apparent slam against Roman Catholics and others who take a positive view of childbearing inside marriage and a negative view of artificial contraception.

You can read the whole splurge here. This guy does not even meet the minimum requirements for Episcopalians or Canadian "Anglicans." The whole "the Virgin Mary was a whore" thing sort of ruins it for him ... I wonder if there is any way the Archbishop of Canterbury could formally excommunicate him, since the Episcopals are still technically a part of the Anglican Communion. Although I suspect it is strictly a Catholic fascist thing? :) Sometimes I wish we would use it more often .. . Ahem. Cardinal Mahoney. Ahem.

Oh blah

I am finding out that my job makes the summer go very quickly, simply because it numbs my brain. I hardly notice that the week is passing. I'm already done with my second day of work this week, for instance, and it still feels like Sunday. I wonder if this is what adulthood is like ... Time constantly slipping away, faster and faster ... Oh well, faster and faster means closer and closer to Heaven, or should I say, in my case, a lengthy stay in Purgatory. I hope. By the skin of my teeth.

Today while going through the checks I discovered that there is a fellow named Optimus Prime living in Cuyahoga Falls. Surely his parents did not inflict this on him; he must have changed his name as a joke. I can see how that would be funny for the first five minutes; however, I think it would get pretty old pretty fast. Imagine his wedding day. "Do you, Optimus, take Mary ..." Or just introductions in general. Does he use it as a pick-up line? I suppose it might work on girls who come from that particular generation. Then again, I don't know that many girls who were "in" to Transformers. I'm familiar with them only because my little brothers had an unhealthy obsession with the TV show. In fact, I still remember the theme song ... "Transformers! More than meets the eye!" Okay, that's the end of the dorkathon for today. I'm going to crawl back into the hole I live in when I'm not working for the Evil Insurance Empire With the Stupid Commercials.

Papa's been busy

(Benedict and a group of children in Northern Italy)

Papa has been on vacation, but he has not been cooling his heels!

Benedict XVI admits it's not easy being pope

... Asked whether being the spiritual leader of the world's one billion Catholics was a difficult task, he said: "In a way yes. I had never thought about this ministry, but the people are very good to me and support me."

Joseph Ratzinger appeared suntanned and in good spirits as he exchanged a few words with journalists before meeting local Church officials from Valle d'Aosta, the region where he has been on holiday since July 11 ...

Benedict's 100 days: New style, old ideas

Elected the 265th leader of the Church on April 19, German-born Joseph Ratzinger has chosen for his first holiday the same chalet in a resort in the Italian Alps that was long favoured by his predecessor.

But unlike John Paul, an enthusiastic hiker, 78-year-old Benedict has been spending much of his time indoors, studying and playing Beethoven on his beloved piano.

Papal watchers believe he may working on a batch of new appointments -- he has so far confirmed all of the Vatican's top officials -- as well as his first encyclical, which will be regarded as a sort of "political manifesto" guiding his papacy.

According to John Allen, a Rome-based correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, Benedict will probably want to lay out the philosophical and theological basis for his battle against what he has called the "dictatorship of relativism"...

Pope prays for God to stop 'murderous hand' of terrorists

Pope Benedict prayed Sunday for God to stop the "murderous hand" of terrorists, stepping up his condemnation of the recent attacks in Europe and the Middle East blamed on Islamic extremists.

At the same time, Benedict's spokesman said the Pope was placing immense importance on a scheduled meeting in Cologne, Germany, next month with members of Germany's Muslim community.

Yes, it's exactly like that!

As some of y'all know, I like to go to Adoration every week when I'm in Athens. Here's a great article on it:

"The Gaze"

by Pat Gohn

In formal settings, when a Catholic church sets up a weekly or daily schedule of Adoration or Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, volunteers (like me) sign up to pray during a designated hour. The Blessed Sacrament, meaning the large consecrated Host that a priest elevates during Mass, is exposed or revealed in a monstrance usually an ornate vessel that displays the Host on an altar. Catholics believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. When we sit, stand or kneel before the Blessed Host consecrated at Mass we are doing so before Jesus Himself. Jesus is there completely in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearance of bread ...

... A friend invited me to the weekly parish prayer group. Hours before the prayer group met, the church was open for silent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. One night, I knelt down in the pew, settled my attention on the monstrance, and I saw His face. Not literally, but in my mind's eye. Maybe I should say I knew in a powerful way that Jesus there, focused on me. I saw Jesus looking at me with deep, deep love that reached into the hidden places in my soul. His gaze took my breath away. And I realized that my heart rate was quickening, not in a disturbing way, but in a Song-of-Songs-here-is-the-lover-of-my-soul kind of way.

The Gaze needed no words. I was known. By Him. I didn't have to explain, petition, or make excuses. I could just be. And I gave Him my gaze. And there we were, exchanging gaze for gaze. Like lovers.

Later on, I was struck by another reality. I had seen this Gaze before: in the eyes of my husband, in the face of my baby at the breast, in the countenance of a dear friend. The Gaze had been present to me in and through the beloved ones in my life. But now, before this altar, Jesus had me all to Himself. He was the lover and I was the beloved.

I highly reccomend you read the whole article! It's a great "So Why Do You Want To Be a Nun" article, too. I seem to be collecting those, har har. And if anyone wants to join me some Saturday at St. Paul's, they're more than welcome :)

Hmmm, interesting

While reading Mark Shea's blog (Yay, he has a new post, and he's almost done with his book on Mary!) I read a comment that linked to this article in the National Post - that is, the Canadian National Post.

Will our grandchildren remember J.K. Rowling?

At times like these, Pottermania can get to be a little oppressive. And I'm not speaking entirely in metaphors here. Last week J.K. Rowling and B.C.'s Raincoast Books turned lawyers loose on some Canadian fans who had happened upon pre-release copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince shelved carelessly in stores...

...This incident, though settled peaceably, left me with a rather poor opinion of Rowling. I realize that in the public mind, she's still seen as the heroic single mum on the dole, toiling away at her baroque personal vision in between baby-feedings. The next door down, basically, from the Virgin Mary. But what are we supposed to make of a billionairess who sets the Dementors of litigation on the very people who made her rich?

Thus ill-disposed, I've been taking refuge in cruel thoughts on the fleeting nature of literary fame. It comforts me to consider whether our grandchildren will have any idea who J.K. Rowling was -- it's a fairly safe bet they won't.

Now, before I get any irate messages from Potter fans, let me say that I like Harry as much as the next gal! Particularly I liked the first couple books. I don't really like the "dark" stuff, and it kind of creeps me out to see really little kids getting excited about reading about ... Murders and things ... And another good reason to like the first books better: Harry's not old enough to have well-developed hormones ...

Anyway, this article has some very interesting points to make about literary fame. For instance, did you know that the first millionaire author was a fellow named Harold Bell Wright? Never heard of him? Neither have I. I guess back in the day he was wildly popular. The writer of this piece calls him "the inflation-adjusted J.K. Rowling of his day."

The best paragraph in the piece comes on the second page:

All best-selling fiction books, the truly elite ones, are baked with generous helpings of naivete. What seems to distinguish the Potter series is its exponentially expanding complexity. For every character Rowling kills off, she begets 20 more: her story is now thronged with choruses of people, all with names like Febrimius Churlcape or Columba Slobmouth. And they're all embedded in their own mini-dramas. Sorting it all out is the sort of hypnotic, compulsive activity children love. Perhaps Rowling's hero should have been called Harry Pokemon.

Bwaaa ha ha! One thing's for sure, the reporter has some familiarity with Pokemon and its completely baffling attraction to children! It seems to do nothing for persons over 15 except give them migraines.

The Magdalene

I always found it sad that many radicals try to turn Mary Magdalene into a feminist. They always try to smash her story into the mold of power, authority, and prestige, in order to better suit their cause for rebellion against the Church. In reality, the Magdalene was a humble penitent, conscious of her sins and obedient to Our Lord and His Church. (The skull you see in the above picture, The Repentant Magdalen, painted in 1635 by Georges de La Tour, is a very common feature of all art depicting Mary Magdalene and represents Mary's contemplation of her own mortality and the need to reform herself before her death.) Incidentally, you can spell her name either with or without the "e' on the end.

Speaking of "unlawful appropriation" - too many of my Dad's real estate law books lying around the house - "New Age" people also sometimes try to commandeer Mary Magdalene. And there's a strange notion circulating - apparently picked up from the Da Vinci Code or something - that she was married to Jesus? And had children or something with him? And we should have women priests because of this? Needless to say, it is very disturbing that people are reading fiction and mystery books for their historical information, particularly on as complex a topic as this. It's the historico-critical method of biblical exegesis, without the "historico" part, lol! More like the "Gnostic-critical" method, I would say.

Anyway, in honor of her feast day, July 22, here are verses 20:1-18 of the Gospel according to St. John:

[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3] Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. [4] They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; [5] and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

[6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, [7] and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes.

[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; [12] and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14] Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

[16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." [18] Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Oh, Your Excellency

Cleveland bishop is subject of perjury accusations, protest

Thursday, July 21, 2005
James F. McCarty
Plain Dealer Reporter

Critics from separate priest sexual-abuse cases launched independent attacks on Bishop Anthony Pilla Wednesday.

In the morning, attorney William Crosby, who questioned the bishop for six hours Tuesday for a defamation lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Cleveland, wrote to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason asking him to investigate Pilla for possible perjury charges.

Later, three women from Akron stood on the steps of St. John Cathedral and accused Pilla of breaking his promises to them and of covering up for a former priest who they claim raped them in the mid-1960s.

Read the rest of the article here.

What can I say? I love Bishop Pilla as a father. But so many of the calls he's made - from implementing the liturgical norms to handling abuse problems - have turned out awful. It's an understatement to say I'm looking forward to his retirement. (Early retirement? Soon? Maybe? Papaaaaaa ... )

The article mentions that the priest accused of rape (a former priest since 1982, and now married) worked at the Cathedral and at the St. Joseph Christian Life Center. If you follow the link to the Center, you can scroll down and read some of the programs on offer. Horrid things like retreats about "Prayers of Sophia," water retreats, etc. Red flag. It's never surprising when someone who already has problems with various dissent issues decides he wants to dissent on the Church's (and often society's) rules about sexual conduct, as well.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend Leslie's birthday. Wouldn't it be great if you all, most of you perfect strangers to her, went over to her blog and wished her a happy 20th? He he he. I hope her boyfriend, who is very wonderful to her, doesn't get the wrong idea about any "stalkers" I send over there ;) It was also recently my friend Kat's birthday. You should visit her Xanga and say happy birthday, too!

Hurray for Kelly Services! I just got my first paycheck in the mail. $275. Not bad, but ahhhh, I gotta keep going!

Did you know that John Roberts, the president's Supreme Court nominee, is a devout Roman Catholic? Although he apparently doesn't "wear it on his sleeve" per se. My sister has an amusing post about how there are already three other Catholics on the Supreme Court. "Oooo, scary, only two more seats and we will control an entire branch of the government!" It's like something out of a nativist's nightmares. I think I'm going to go looking for some of those funny (as in weird and confusing) 19th century anti-Catholic cartoons.

Yes, cue the ominous music now! Too many Catholics on the Supreme Court and the Pope will seize the Presidency and force everyone to convert! Jack Chick and his "Eucharist = Death Cookie" tracts would be forced out of business! You're all shaking in your boots at this extremely likely scenario, aren't you? Da da dunnnnn!

Lookin' cool

According to this article, the Pope is wearing Serengeti sunglasses, also favored by actor Val Kilmer; his normal reading glasses are by Cartier.

Further paragraphs from the story:

Other sharp accessories include a stylish but simple wristwatch, with black hands, a black face and a black strap. So far no one has identified the make or the model but it has been described as “retro”. Occasionally, the Pope wears swish black and gold cufflinks.

“Ratzinger’s like that,” Vittorio Zincone, a commentator with Corriere della Sera, said. “He’ll slip up with a black sleeve and then come back a few weeks later with the best starched shirt cuffs in the history of Christianity, held together with perfect cufflinks.”

The article also says that Papa's private secretary, Fr. Georg Gaenswein "looks like the star of a 1980s TV serial about a gorgeous-looking priest tempted away from his vows." Ugh. Okay, I won't deny it, Fr. Gaenswein is very attractive. (See the fellow on the right, below)



But so what. There have been plenty of beautiful women over the course of the centuries, and in our own day, who have given themselves to God by choosing either the cloister or the vowed apostolic life; yet I think most everyone would agree that it would be in poor taste to stir up conversation about how Sister So-and-So is drool-worthy. Poor men, I think they have the worst lot. Maybe I should cut the reporter some more slack; he was probably just trying to be clever and ended up channeling The Thornbirds. Although it really is awful to refer to a priest, any priest, as "one other smart and stylish accessory" in the papal retinue.

Hat tip to White Around the Collar for the first picture.

These people call themselves "Christians"

But that's not quite what I would call them. Here's an article featuring these folks.

DOVER - While members of an anti-American and anti-homosexual group from Kansas protested outside six Dover houses of worship on Sunday, church leaders emphasized tolerance to their congregations. Members of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church protested outside Christ Episcopal Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church, St. John's Lutheran Church, Whatcoat Methodist Church, First Southern Baptist Church, and the Presbyterian Church of Dover.

As you can see, these people are big time picketers. They particularly target events and churches they perceive as being friendly to homosexuals. The Westboro Baptists are well known for their slogans, such as "God hates (expletive referring to homosexuals) and "Pope in Hell." The slogans featured in the picture that accompanies the article I have linked to are "Thank God for 9/11" and "God Hates You." The girl in the picture also has deliberately tied an American flag to her waist in such a manner that it will drag on the ground.

I remember reading a story about the Westboro Baptists in which they stood outside a Catholic church, screaming at the people going in, "Why are you bringing your children to this church? Don't you know they molest little boys here?"

Interestingly, the Catholic Church has often been a target of equally vicious attacks from homosexual activists; in the past, for instance, St. Patrick's Cathedral was the scene of horrible desecrations of the Blessed Sacrament.

I guess for the Westboro Baptists, it is pure heresy to preach that homosexuality is wrong and disordered, as well as that homosexuals are people who should be treated with dignity.

I'm not going to link to their website; you can Google them if you have a strong enough stomach. Basically it's one long screed against homosexuals, Jews, Catholics, America, anyone and anything not burning with hate. I would also point out that these folks also do not represent anyone but themselves; I am sure just about every Baptist would be horrified by this behavior.

Let's pray for them.

Lovely Lovely Sunday

Today was very lovely. We went to the 8 am Mass at St. Mary's, and it was quite all right. I think my theory about liturgical disaster artists liking late mornings may be true! A visiting priest was the celebrant. However, before and after Mass we saw Fr. Ference, who was wearing a genuine article cassock! Before Mass he was visiting the tabernacle and then showing around one of the altar boys, who was serving his first Mass; after Mass, he came out to greet people, and we said Good Morning! very fast before we rushed off to Shannon's house.

Anyway, I was pleased as pleased could be. A full length cassock! Like what these fellows in black are wearing:



Except Fr. Ference wasn't wearing the cloak. Oh well. One thing at a time ...

The visiting priest had a rather lengthy homily, however, so we were about five minutes late picking up Shannon and her sweet little sister. They were both dressed so lovely! Let's count the reasons to be jealous of Shannon. Tall, blonde, pretty, admitted to Hillsdale, good fashion sense, cute little siblings ... grrr! ;)

The pastor had a wonderful, very humorous sermon, as usual! I was glad that Betsy got to finally hear a famous Doc sermon. The readings were the same as the ones we heard at Mass earlier in the morning, but let me tell you, when you have a thick head like I do, it certainly doesn't hurt to have it repeated a couple times! Actually, I usually need to hear things three times before they stick. My brain neurons are slippery, you see ... ;)

Ah, cell phone etiquette

I did not get my first cell phone until this past April, when my mother sent me one for my 20th birthday. This introduced me to the wonderful world of, Should I Turn My Phone Off Now? as well as Oh No, Did I Remember to Turn My Phone Off? I am especially sensitive to this, since I remember how in the past I always got pretty steamed at people who did not obey what seemed to me to be fairly intuitive "rules."

Like, putting it on vibrate when entering a movie theatre.

Or not answering the phone in a restaurant and carrying on a conversation.

However, I have to say that the rudest breach of basic etiquette I have ever seen (cellular etiquette, or otherwise) occurred a little while ago, when my sister Betsy and I went to church. We were at the Cathedral in Cleveland, waiting for Mass to begin. A cell phone began ringing behind us. Okay, maybe the guy forgot to turn it off. But then - get this - the guy answers the phone and starts having a conversation!

Now, I would be horrified at this behavior in any church, but most especially in a Catholic church, where one is supposed to maintain a certain (although certainly not necessarily absolute) silence, out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. And not just an ordinary Catholic church, but the Cathedral of the diocese! Our talker went on and on, and he spoke very loud. I was just kind of shocked. The young ladies sitting in the pew ahead of us were pretty angry about it, too.

My question is, why on earth would anyone do this? What possesses someone to answer their cell phone in an obviously sacred place? It could be part of the overall lessening of reverence. Or it could be just bad manners. Probably a combination of both ...

Of the many beautiful things that happened when I returned to the Church, one of the most wonderful was my discovery of Her doctrine on the Real Presence. When I was prepared for my first Holy Communion as a child, I was not taught anything about the true and abiding Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord in the consecrated bread and wine. Instead, the Eucharist was presented simply as a mirror of the community - our oneness and how much we all love each other, etc. etc. Now, of course, the Eucharist does represent the unity of all those who partake. But it's not just a symbol. Actually, my teachers did not even adopt the Protestant position that the Eucharist was only a symbol of the Body and Blood. They just didn't bring it up the significance of the Body and Blood at all.

It would not be melodramatic to say that this was a great tragedy. When I think of how I spent my childhood and much of my young adulthood entirely ignorant of the Truth, it's easy to get angry at the people responsible for my religious education (I guess that would be both my CCD instructors and my parents). However, it doesn't do any good to sit and stew. I should spend my time not in bitterness but in contemplating Christ's wonderful sweetness in bringing me back into His fold.

I am sorry to say that many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. That's what you get from more than thirty years of bad catechisis! As part of an effort to remedy this, the late, great John Paul II decreed that this year (from October 2004 to October 2005) should be celebrated as the Year of the Eucharist. As the Eucharistic Year ends, a synod - a meeting of bishops from all around the world - will be held to discuss the Eucharist and how the appreciation of all the faithful for this most sacred Gift of our Lord may be increased and sustained.

If you would like to learn more about the Eucharist I highly reccomend the website of the Real Presence Association. Their section of "testimonials" includes many beautiful quotes from the saints.

(Hat tip to Phatmass.com for the picture)

What theologian are you?

Take the quiz at this link from Quiz Farm.

In case you were wondering (no doubt you are, with bated breath) I came out as Augustine, with 80%. Of course, it does not consider theologians such as St. Jerome, Von Balthasar, Ratzinger, or the greatest of all theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas. How could they leave him out? Blah.

I also scored high as Karl Barth (yeah, the anti-Nazi!) and Anselm. I was amused to see that I scored 60% Jonathan Edwards and 40% Charles Finney. Everyone who survived Mrs. Brickley's AP US History class will recognize those two names. Students in the hands of an angry history teacher! The horrors! Repent!

If you're not getting the joke, I would highly advise that you read about Jonathan Edwards and Charles Finney here and here. Then you will laugh and laugh at my enormously clever and witty statement above. Oh, ha ha. I am so funny. Ahem. Not. But I try, I try! And all my self-esteem counselors in elementary school worked very hard to reassure me that that is the Most Important Thing.

Well what do you know

New study: 16% of studies contradicted by studies

I could'a told them that. Every procrastinating, research-paper-writing student knows that in the sundry medical and academic journals out there, studies can be found to justify almost any position or idea. Ohio University's computer database has abstracts from some really unusual ones.

Anyway, I am glad to hear this, simply because I am always annoyed by the news reports about how the latest study proves that breathing through your nose causes cancer.

However, I hope that those studies about the possible benefits of chocolate are not faulty. Not that any revelations about the problems with the methodology would stop me ... From consuming the chocolatey goodness. Really, the only bad things about chocolate are that it spoils your teeth and makes you fat. Also expensive, and if you aren't a wimp, you give it up for Lent. I, of course, only give up vending machine food. Weak. ;)

With regard to the study on studies, read the hilarious Free Republic thread here. The Freepers are funny, funny people.

Papa goes on vacation

The Holy Father is staying in the Italian Alps for a while, then he goes to the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. According to this USA Today article, the Pope won't be having any audiences during his Alpine stay, although he will give his Sunday blessing and recite the Angelus.

I bet he needs the rest. Look how happy he seems to be starting his time off! Have fun, Papa!

Not quite killer boring

I'm happy to say that my job is getting lots less difficult to take. The hours go by pretty fast. And sometimes it's actually quite amusing.

For instance, today, while doing billing, I found bills from:

-Ridgewood, New Jersey, the town where I was born and spent the first eight years of my life

-a fellow with the rather unfortunate name of "Terry Terrific"

-a fellow with the still more unfortunate name of "Terry Terry" (he shared the invoice with his two siblings, "Something-with-a-J Terry" and "Some-name-I-forget Terry")

-a "Charles Schumer" from Manhattan, New York.

Now, I know what you're thinking. CHARLES SCHUMER, from New York!? As in Chuck, my Un-Favorite senator? That's what I thought, too. Maybe there are lots of New York Schumers with fancy Manhattan mailing addresses, but I don't know. Hmmm. Oh well. If it's him, I handled his insurance payment with the same accuracy I did the hundreds of others, in spite of his being a high-ranking Dem senator whose trouble-making has extended to his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Grrr.

Happy Name Day, Papa

In Europe, name days are celebrated the way birthdays are here in the United States. Today is the feast of St. Benedict, whose name Joseph Ratzinger took upon his elevation to the papacy. Here is what the Holy Father had to say about it yesterday in his Angelus address:

Before leading the Angelus prayer, the Pope called attention to the feast of St. Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine order and patron of Europe, which falls on July 11. He remarked that St. Benedict "sowed the seed of a new civilization" in Europe, forming a Christian culture in a pagan world. Pope Benedict remarked that today's world needs urgently to recover a central insight of St. Benedict's message: "Place nothing before the love of Christ." That insight, he said, counteracts "a mediocre life marked by minimalist ethics and superficial religiosity."

The Holy Father added that St. Benedict is "particularly dear to me, as you can deduce from the choice that I made to take his name" upon being elected to the papacy. He observed that St. Benedict founded his religious order not to convert the world but to serve God completely-- and conversions came as a natural consequence. Today, he said, the Church also needs "to anchor life and history to solid spiritual references."

From CWNews.com.

Be still my heart

According to CWN's Off the Record blog, here are a couple items that are going to be discussed at the synod in October:

-It is worth considering whether the removal of the tabernacle from the centre of the sanctuary to an obscure, undignified corner or to a separate chapel, or whether to have placed the celebrant's chair in the centre of the sanctuary or in front of the tabernacle -- as was done in many renovations of older churches and in new constructions -- has contributed in some way to a decrease in faith in the Real Presence. (§39)

-In other responses some lamented the poor quality of translations of liturgical texts and many musical texts in current languages, maintaining that they lacked beauty and were sometimes theologically unclear, thereby contributing to a weakening of Church teaching and to a misunderstanding of prayer. A few responses made particular mention of music and singing at Youth Masses. In this regard, it is important to avoid musical forms which, because of their profane use, are not conducive to prayer. (§61)

Note: "Responses" refers to answers bishops around the world sent to the Vatican after inquiries about what they'd like to discuss at the synod. Well, that's putting it really, really simply. Read the entire Instrumentum Laboris here.

Fun fun fun

Tonight was lots of fun. The entire family went out in the backyard and lit sparklers! It WAS several days after the Fourth of July, but both Mother and I had to work on Independence Day, so there wasn't much hope of doing anything on the actual holiday. Such is life.

However, my family, and my brother especially, would never miss the opportunity to celebrate with fire. You know. Pyrooomaniaaaaa. ;)

Anyway, this year my mother bought two boxes of sparklers, the very long kind. We usually get about four or five boxes of the shorter sparklers, and I think I like those better. While these long ones lasted for quite a while, we only got two a piece, and when they were gone ... No more sparkler fun! My brothers had a good time chasing each other around with theirs. I swear, one of these days there are going to be serious injuries around here, and the police will be called, and cart us away. Or they would have in the old days. I think us kids are getting a bit too old for the authorities to be much concerned in terms of child endangerment - two 20 year olds, a 17 year old, and a 14 year old? They would just take Andy away for assault and battery.

Speaking of possible injuries, one of the up-sides to the long sparklers is that none of them were "lost" in the grass in our backyard. Our backyard is pretty big, and my brothers have a tradition of throwing their sparklers up in the air, which is very pretty but also inconvenient when they go out on the way down. It's quite hard to find an extinguished sparkler in the dark in that grass! The boys love to play football, baseball, and do-something-violent-to-each-other-and-pretend-it's-athletics in the backyard. So it's only a matter of time before one of them impales himself on a spent sparkler. Argh.

Anyway, Happy Fourth of July everyone! Again!

Oh and before I forget - we got great news this weekend. My friend Shannon was accepted at Hillsdale College. Yay! Now I have somewhere cool to visit! :)

"You talkin' to me?"

Well, Papa, yes, these people think you should be all ears. Feel free to listen patiently and then level the smackdown. ;) Although perhaps it would be more efficient to simply let them fade quietly into that good night. As perhaps you may glean from this article posted on Free Republic, VOTF is sort of ... Suffering a mission-creep, no-we-don't-wanna-go-away spasm.

If you're looking for some non-nausea-inducing reading, read here's a great piece from The Australian on the Brits' response to Thursday's horrible terrorist attack.

New Vatican Document

The document that will serve as sort of the guiding document, the working draft, of the October synod came out today. According to this Beliefnet article,

The Vatican singled out divorcees who remarry and Catholic politicians who support abortion on Thursday in criticizing those who continue to receive Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin.

Italics above are mine. The document goes on to note:

Some Catholics do not understand why it might be a sin to support a political candidate who is openly in favor of abortion or other serious acts against life, justice and peace.

Hmmm ... AHEM.

The document also suggests that parishes begin to use more Gregorian chant. Yay! Yay!Pleaaaase. No more Gather Us In, or I will fall, writhing, into the aisle ... Well, maybe not. But there is no reason the Offertory procession has to be a painful experience for those of us who know that out there in the Catholic world of music there is something better than a bongo drum and electric guitar mix?

Alas, change comes slowly. John Paul was a great promoter of Eucharistic orthodoxy, too, and it still took more than twenty-five years for things to start to turn around ... Although, before any objects, I would admit that he was not the great lover of Gregorian chant and Latin that Benedict is :) We'll see if any Gregorian chant pops up in the local parish choir's repertoire. Me hopes so; me thinks not, lol.

The War of the Worlds

Great movie! I know, I know. It stars Tom Cruise, who has of late truly proved himself to be either an incredible ignoramus or a complete nutcase, particularly with reference to such subjects as psychiatry. However, this has not caused any problems with his acting ability ;) Maybe I am just a genuine wimp, but I was scared the whole way through the film. Excellent.

The author of the classic book, H.G. Wells, was a pretty nasty anti-Catholic, and as a matter of fact, an atheist. At the end of the movie, however, there is a line about how God's creation played a really remarkable role (I'm sure everyone knows how the story comes out, but I'm being oblique just in case). Very interesting tie-together of evolution and intelligent design - really very similar to a version of the classical Catholic reconciliation of the two. You can read more about the movie here.

I forgot to say ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

I am melancholic

Or so this quiz says!

It basically gives you your "Medieval Personality type" as presented in "The Four Temperaments," by Rev. Conrad Hock. There are four types - melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic.

You are a "nervous" Melancholic, with an abundance of black bile. Melancholics are characterized by the element of Earth, the season of Autumn, middle-aged adulthood, the color blue, and the characteristics of "Cold" and "Dry." Famous Melancholics include St. John of the Cross, St. John the Divine, St. Francis, and St. Catherine of Siena.

If you were living in the Age of Faith, perfect career choices for you would be contemplative religious, theologian, artist, or writer.

The rest of the profile, which you can read at this link states that the "Fundamental Disposition" of the Melancholic is:

1. Inclination to reflection. The thinking of the melancholic easily turns into reflection. The thoughts of the melancholic are far reaching. He dwells with pleasure upon the past and is preoccupied by occurrences of the long ago; he is penetrating; is not satisfied with the superficial, searches for the cause and correlation of things; seeks the laws which affect human life, the principles according to which man should act ... The untrained melancholic is easily given to brooding and to day-dreaming.

2. Love of retirement. The melancholic does not feel at home among a crowd for any length of time; he loves silence and solitude. Being inclined to introspection he secludes himself from the crowds, forgets his environment, and makes poor use of his senses — eyes, ears, etc. In company he is often distracted, because he is absorbed by his own thoughts. By reason of his lack of observation and his dreaming the melancholic person has many a mishap in his daily life and at his work.

3. Serious conception of life. The melancholic looks at life always from the serious side. At the core of his heart there is always a certain sadness, 'a weeping of the heart,' not because the melancholic is sick or morbid, as many claim, but because he is permeated with a strong longing for an ultimate good (God) and eternity, and feels continually hampered by earthly and temporal affairs and impeded in his cravings. The melancholic is a stranger here below and feels homesick for God and eternity.

4. Inclination to passivity. The melancholic is a passive temperament. The person possessing such a temperament, therefore, has not the vivacious, quick, progressive, active propensity, of the choleric or sanguine, but is slow, pensive, reflective. It is difficult to move him to quick action, since he has a marked inclination to passivity and inactivity. This pensive propensity of the melancholic accounts for his fear of suffering and difficulties as well as for his dread of interior exertion and self-denial.

The profile goes on to say that on the bright side of this personality type, melancholics easily enjoy prayer and the interior life, and experience deep peace in communion with God as well as often being benefactors to their fellow man. On the dark side, it notes that melancholics are reserved, slow and awkward, despondent and without courage.

I usually don't put much store in these kinds of personality tests, except this one was more extensive than just your usual one-off quiz. I have to say that it mostly rings true. Especially the "dread of self-denial" bit, ouch. I know the "abundance of various bodily fluids" thing is kind of gross but .... Hey, these are medieval personality types! Those people were earthy!

And did you notice that my ideal medieval career would be "contemplative religious"? Lucky me, there are still plenty of cloisters around, so you can still do that nowadays!

Sunday, again

It's amazing how quickly time starts flying once you really get into summer. It's already July!

Mass this morning at Immaculate Conception was perfectly all right, although they were short on choir members, which meant a less-than-perfect Gregorian chant. But, no matter. I'm there for the Eucharist, after all! Besides which, the homily was very good - on "by your fruits you shall know them." The celebrant of this Mass was the Benedictine monk who comes every first and third Sunday, and besides having an excellent singing voice, he is also usually a superb homilist. He took the opportunity this morning to talk about abortion, homosexuality, radical feminism etc. It was very satisfying to hear some good "old-time preachin'" as our separated brethren might call it ;)

I suppose I should talk about how the job with Kelly Services is going. I was assigned to Allstate, and I am doing data entry again. The first day was thoroughly frightening; they had me doing things I had no clue how to do. The second day began equally awfully, except that then I did not have the excuse of, "It's my first day!" However, once I got into the actual data entry part of the job, I remembered what they had taught me the first day, and I found it very easy, if horribly mind-numbing. It is basically like last year, when we pressed a grand total of three keys over and over again. This time there are more keys to press in the pattern, but ... The general principle of "over and over again" is definitely still in effect ;) I really need to learn not to complain, and I am going to try to keep my mouth shut about this job. It's forty hours a week, and with all the trouble people have with getting employment and hours, I shouldn't be whining. Feel free to smack me upside the head if you notice that on any future posts I am turning on the self-pity.* It will be helpful to me, honestly!

*Note: Not permission to creep up behind me and pinch my inner arm ... Betsy!

Time for a little pick-me-up

The Catholic Church has problems. Lots of problems. Many of which just about everyone is aware of nowadays, thanks to the media. Nevertheless, sometimes it's nice to sit back and remember that the Church is of divine institution; not only will the gates of Hell not prevail against Her, but She is also a tremendous force for good in history. That's the point of this article by Robert Brennan in the National Catholic Register: "It's a Wonderful Church."

A few paragraphs:

For a long time now, we hear references of how the Church was antagonistic to science, to reason, to tolerance, and a host of other tenets that the secular world holds sacred. But where would that same secular world be without the Church? What if the Catholic Church never existed?

... If the Catholic Church never existed, our separated Protestant brethren wouldn't have the Bible they accuse us of not following closely enough. It was the early Church that accumulated the works of the New Testament, protected them from insane Roman emperors, and through divine guidance, discerned which books would stay in the canon of Scripture and which books would not.

If the Catholic Church never existed, we wouldn't have hospitals. It was through the monastic system of the so-called Dark Ages where, for the first time in recorded history, the poor actually had a place to go for medical help. When Henry VIII decimated the monasteries in Britain after his break with Rome, it took the English hospital system decades to recover.

The Church has been taking the rap for most of the 20th century that it was anathema to science and discovery. This would have been strange news indeed for the multitudes in history that were protected by the Church, sponsored by the Church and blessed by the Church for furthering mankind’s understanding of the natural world.

Science itself didn't flourish until the Catholic Church’s creed flourished. Without a rock-solid, unalterable belief that God ordered the universe, it was impossible to explore that order. Zeus and his cohort didn't give the same assurance that the laws of the universe would work the same tomorrow as they did today.

(And if Galileo gives you pause, don't let him. Contrary to popular myth, the Church did not censor Galileo because he came up with a heliocentric [sun-centered] view of the solar system. It was only after Galileo began insisting that the Church alter Scripture that he found himself under house arrest in his well-appointed villa.)

One would be hard-pressed to find a more natural subject matter than the very genetic essence of life, and it was the Church once again that paved the path, through the humble efforts of an unassuming Augustinian monk named Gregor Mendel. The scientific research on genetics and heredity done by Mendel remains the wellspring from which all genetic research comes.

The university was a Catholic concept, and much of what Western Civilization discovered and revealed to the rest of the world was done so under the auspices of the Church. Without the scholarship, science and study of the natural world that the Catholic Church supported throughout two millennia, the world we inhabit would be such a poorer place. People wouldn't know as much as they know about astronomy, physics and moral philosophy, and they’d be walking around thinking The Da Vinci Code is history.

While universities stimulated intellectual inquiry, monks preserved the treasures of Western thought. Later, teaching orders brought education to the masses for the first time.

Read the rest of the article here.

What's that!?

No, Holiness, it's not a talking bat!

It's Sr. Joan Chittister, who was "interviewed" recently in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I say "interviewed," because it is the common practice (or at least as I have been taught at the Scripps School) to ask searching, probing, and even challenging questions when one is conducting an actual interview.

Here are some prize bits:

Best known for her belief that the Roman Catholic Church should be open to women's ordination, Chittister wrote:

"There is no doubt that women need to tell their stories. But at the same time, there comes a time when you are too tired of trying to be heard in a place like the church where no one wants to hear you. Then, you walk out of it, past it, beyond it. And often, invisibly. They think you're still there, but your heart is long gone and your spirit is free. I know."

Hmmmm. I wonder what that is supposed to mean. "Your heart is long gone and your spirit is free"? Gasp! Is Sr. Chittister admitting that she's no longer a Catholic?

Oh, no, no. Neeeever.

None of which means that Chittister plans to formally leave the church or to violate its rules against ordaining women.

As she repeats the answer she has often given, "I have always broached the question; I have never breached the discipline."

:: Slow burn :: We could also say, "I have no plans to violate the rules against adultery. I have always broached the question; I have never breached the discipline of staying faithful to one spouse. So, see, it's all okay!" At the end of the day, there isn't much of a substantive difference between broaching and violating.

But like it or not, as the Roman Catholic Church struggles to find enough clergy to serve its parishioners, the issue of women's ordination, not to mention married priests, won't go away.

Neither will her uncomfortable questions.

"I have simply argued for years that if a woman is not half a person, if she is really a full person ---- if her baptism is really as authentic as anyone else's baptism, and her call to discipleship is as deep as anyone else's, then don't we have to discuss the theological implications of this as a church?

The answers to alllll of Sister's questions can be found in Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which can be read in its entirety here.

If you are so moved, you can read the entire "interview," with Sister at the Post-Gazette site. Don't complain to me about the photo that accompanies the article. I believe I've mentioned before that infidelity is ugly ;) Oooo, low blow! And yet I can't resist.

Thanks to the Angry Twins for the link to the article.

UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me the irony that the newspaper series in which Sister appears is called "The Thinkers." The Thinkers? More like, the Navel-Grazers?