I've just been offered a job on the Copy Editing staff of The Post, OU's independent student newspaper. Basically that means that I will be pouring over yards and yards of reporter's copy, making corrections to spelling, grammar, style, facts, and so forth. The hours are pretty bad (lots of late nights, lots of working until the paper goes to bed) but I think the experience will be good. It's a part-time job, and it pays $15 a week, which almost covers my weekly grocery bill. And I will not permit it to interfere with attending daily Mass. I need Holy Communion a lot more than I need the job!
I don't start until next quarter (Fall) so I have all summer to memorize the AP Stylebook. Before they hire you at The Post, they give you an editing exam, and apparently I did well on it; I don't know how that happened. We had to memorize AP style my sophomore year, but that was a couple years ago and I've forgotten most of it, except for the obvious, basic rules of grammar.
I guess I have to break down and actually buy a copy of the book, instead of borrowing from the library. Woe is me ;)
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Workaholic time!
In keeping with cherished traditions of the past, I will now commence my Procrastination Comes Back to Bite Me All Over period. I have quite a bit of work to do, and not much time to do it in; I have slowly realized that I honestly don't know what I'm doing in most of my classes. This will not prevent me from completing the final projects in a soldierly manner and, hopefully, getting As on them!
That has been the real shocker about college- I always imagined it as a very intellectually difficult experience, a real challenge. And don't get me wrong, it has been intellectually stimulating, and I've learned a lot, both academically and about myself. But if someone like me can get As without a whole lot of effort, it obviously isn't that good of a school (gulp). Maybe it has to do with the fact that more and more people are going to college, and the standards have been lowered. I'm sure there are people here at OU who in the past would not have been considered "college material," however, given the fact that you more or less have to have experience in higher education to have a decent career, they decided to give it a shot anyway.
There's also rampant grade inflation around here. I'm pretty sure that in days of yore I would have been a "C" student. That's my impression, anyway.
That has been the real shocker about college- I always imagined it as a very intellectually difficult experience, a real challenge. And don't get me wrong, it has been intellectually stimulating, and I've learned a lot, both academically and about myself. But if someone like me can get As without a whole lot of effort, it obviously isn't that good of a school (gulp). Maybe it has to do with the fact that more and more people are going to college, and the standards have been lowered. I'm sure there are people here at OU who in the past would not have been considered "college material," however, given the fact that you more or less have to have experience in higher education to have a decent career, they decided to give it a shot anyway.
There's also rampant grade inflation around here. I'm pretty sure that in days of yore I would have been a "C" student. That's my impression, anyway.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Papa at Auschwitz
Pope Benedict XVI walks through Auschwitz's notorious gate with the phrase 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (Work sets you free) during his visit to the former Nazi death camp May 28, 2006. Benedict XVI ends his four-day trip to Poland on Sunday with an emotional visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, to pray for peace as the head of the world's 1 billion Catholics and a 'son of Germany', whose countrymen set up and ran World War Two's most infamous death camp. (Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters)
Sunday, May 28, 2006
It's... Incredible
The LA Times (!) published this article in its Sunday edition today:
Every bishop deserves obedience to his edicts, save when he commands the commission of a sin; however, pastorally speaking, every father of a flock ought to know how to gently persuade his children to obedience when the question rests on a relatively minor point. Surely even the most conservative bishop, such as Archbishop Burke, would not take serious steps like these with a very liberal parish where the members refused to kneel at the Consecration - although he would certainly continue to vigorously correct them!
Far be it from me to advise priests and bishops, but I would personally save my stern warnings and sharp correction for concerns that go to the heart of the faith, such as abuse of the liturgy or dissent from true doctrine. Let us all keep Bishop Brown, Fr. Tran, and the parishioners of St. Mary's By the Sea in our prayers.
At a small Catholic church in Huntington Beach, the pressing moral question comes to this: Does kneeling at the wrong time during worship make you a sinner?Distributing flyers outside the church on Sunday was probably not the most respectful move. But the idea that a pastor of souls would "invite" individuals to leave the diocese! And that the bishop of said diocese would support him in this! Granted, the parishioners who insist on kneeling are not acting as models of ecclesial obedience. But it is not as though they are denying a truth of the Church or acting in an impious manner.
Kneeling "is clearly rebellion, grave disobedience and mortal sin," Father Martin Tran, pastor at St. Mary's by the Sea, told his flock in a recent church bulletin. The Diocese of Orange backs Tran's anti-kneeling edict...
...Angered by the anti-kneeling edict, a group calling itself Save Saint Mary's began distributing leaflets calling for its return outside church each Sunday.
Tran responded in the church bulletin with a series of strident weekly statements condemning what he called "despising the authority of the local bishop" by refusing his orders to stand, and calling the disobedience a mortal sin, considered the worst kind of offense, usually reserved for acts such as murder.
Tran sent letters to 55 kneeling parishioners "inviting" them to leave the parish and the diocese for, among other things, "creating misleading confusion, division and chaos in the parish by intentional disobedience and opposition to the current liturgical norms."
Full article.
Every bishop deserves obedience to his edicts, save when he commands the commission of a sin; however, pastorally speaking, every father of a flock ought to know how to gently persuade his children to obedience when the question rests on a relatively minor point. Surely even the most conservative bishop, such as Archbishop Burke, would not take serious steps like these with a very liberal parish where the members refused to kneel at the Consecration - although he would certainly continue to vigorously correct them!
Far be it from me to advise priests and bishops, but I would personally save my stern warnings and sharp correction for concerns that go to the heart of the faith, such as abuse of the liturgy or dissent from true doctrine. Let us all keep Bishop Brown, Fr. Tran, and the parishioners of St. Mary's By the Sea in our prayers.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Produce, produce
Today was a fairly productive day. I managed to get my last "final paper" done, although I still have to do the footnotes.
Most of all, however, I managed to make it to Confession. My pastor had already taken off all of his liturgical garments and looked to be closing things up, as there was no one else there, but when I asked him if there was still Confession that evening, he said, "Oh yes!" I was glad, as he is an excellent confessor.
Memorial Day weekend has been very quiet around town; most of the students take advantage of the extra day off to go home and attend the family cook-out. I was going to be headed home for my little brother Andy's graduation from high school. However, he has to start at Miami University in Oxford in August, and his time at boot camp at Parris Island has to last at least 90 days. So he is skipping his high school graduation and is already down in South Carolina. I would appreciate prayers for him; he is a strong young man, but I imagine that the process is still very difficult. They certainly don't coddle the recruits at all.
As I said, the weekend has been pretty quiet, but hopefully it will start picking up soon.
Most of all, however, I managed to make it to Confession. My pastor had already taken off all of his liturgical garments and looked to be closing things up, as there was no one else there, but when I asked him if there was still Confession that evening, he said, "Oh yes!" I was glad, as he is an excellent confessor.
Memorial Day weekend has been very quiet around town; most of the students take advantage of the extra day off to go home and attend the family cook-out. I was going to be headed home for my little brother Andy's graduation from high school. However, he has to start at Miami University in Oxford in August, and his time at boot camp at Parris Island has to last at least 90 days. So he is skipping his high school graduation and is already down in South Carolina. I would appreciate prayers for him; he is a strong young man, but I imagine that the process is still very difficult. They certainly don't coddle the recruits at all.
As I said, the weekend has been pretty quiet, but hopefully it will start picking up soon.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Rainy day in Warsaw
But still quite a crowd!
A Polish woman receives holy communion during an open air mass at Pilsudski square in Warsaw May 26, 2006. Pope Benedict holds his first outdoor mass in Poland on Friday at the same spot where his predecessor John Paul electrified his compatriots in 1979 by encouraging them to defy their communist rulers. REUTERS/Katarina Stoltz
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Papa in Poland
You won't ever see a President of the United States doing this! Our country is founded on much "touchier" rules regarding homage to (personal or otherwise) religious authorities. It's no problem in Catholic Poland, however :)
Poland's Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, right, kneels to greet Pope Benedict XVI upon his arrival at Warsaw's presidential palace, Poland, Thursday, May 25, 2006. Pope benedict XVI is in Poland on a four-day visit that will take him to Warsaw, Krakow, Wadowice, Pope John Paul II's birth town, and the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, Pool)
Poland's Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, right, kneels to greet Pope Benedict XVI upon his arrival at Warsaw's presidential palace, Poland, Thursday, May 25, 2006. Pope benedict XVI is in Poland on a four-day visit that will take him to Warsaw, Krakow, Wadowice, Pope John Paul II's birth town, and the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, Pool)
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Beautiful words
From a letter from Papa to the Jesuits, encouraging devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
I have always had a fondness for the Sacred Heart. I have to confess that the reason my interest was first piqued was because the saint to whom the devotion was revealed was named Margaret Mary. Needless to say, the Sacred Heart devotion is beautiful enough to attract anyone, not just those who share the name Margaret!
Contemplation of the "pierced side of the Redeemer," the Pope wrote, is an apt way of "fixing our gaze on Him," and recognizing his love. The mystery of Christ's love, he continued, is "the content of all true Christian spirituality and devotion." Pope Benedict added: "In fact, being Christian is only possible with our gaze fixed on the cross of our Redeemer."Full article
Recognizing and accepting God's love, the Pontiff continued, leads to an inner transformation. "The experience of God's love is lived by man as a 'call' to which he must respond." Thus contemplation of the Sacred heart "safeguards us from the risk of closing in on ourselves, and makes us open to a life lived for others." Devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Pope concluded, "cannot then be considered as a passing form of veneration or devotion." Rather, it is "irreplaceable for a living relationship with God."
I have always had a fondness for the Sacred Heart. I have to confess that the reason my interest was first piqued was because the saint to whom the devotion was revealed was named Margaret Mary. Needless to say, the Sacred Heart devotion is beautiful enough to attract anyone, not just those who share the name Margaret!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Poor horse
I'm sure everyone has heard about poor Barbaro, the Triple Crown hopeful who badly injured his leg only moments after starting the Preakness. I didn't see it live, and I'm glad I didn't. What a horrific thing for the jockey and the spectators in the stands. I hope they didn't replay it on live TV; I'm sure most of the audience would be made sick.
And there was some question of whether the poor horse would survive the injury. Certainly his career is over; however, I understand that it's quite usual for horses with his kind of injury to die. According to this story from the AP, his surgery was successful. He will probably remain at the center for quite a while.
Get well, Barbaro :)
And there was some question of whether the poor horse would survive the injury. Certainly his career is over; however, I understand that it's quite usual for horses with his kind of injury to die. According to this story from the AP, his surgery was successful. He will probably remain at the center for quite a while.
Get well, Barbaro :)
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Sooo
I'm sure everyone has had about enough Da Vinci Code coverage. I personally OD'd about a week ago. Today at Mass our weekly bulletin had as an insert an Our Sunday Visitor pamphlet written by none other than... Amy Welborn, of course. It gave the basic schpiel of the Catholic response to all this nonsense. Our priest pointed it out at the beginning of his homily and encouraged us to read it.
I have not been to the movie theatre in about... Three months? I remember how in my high school days, I tried to scrounge up enough money to go every week. I certainly couldn't do that with the prices being what they are now! It's amazing how you really don't miss all the little luxuries which the general culture insists are absolute necessities.
Yes, now I remember. The last movie I saw in the theatre was Memoirs of a Geisha. Quite a while ago! I'm certainly not going to be enticed to return to Cinemark by such trash as this weekend's big opener. They'll have to do better than that to get me to come back ;)
I have not been to the movie theatre in about... Three months? I remember how in my high school days, I tried to scrounge up enough money to go every week. I certainly couldn't do that with the prices being what they are now! It's amazing how you really don't miss all the little luxuries which the general culture insists are absolute necessities.
Yes, now I remember. The last movie I saw in the theatre was Memoirs of a Geisha. Quite a while ago! I'm certainly not going to be enticed to return to Cinemark by such trash as this weekend's big opener. They'll have to do better than that to get me to come back ;)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Train ride!
Heaven is having to write a 5-7 page paper analyzing the Symbolic Crucifixion image from the Ottonian-era Uta Codex.
Well, not quite Heaven. I love that when I have to write a paper it is actually on a subject like this. At the same time, it is still a 5-7 page paper. Please pray that I manage to get it done on time.
Today my roommate Lyndsey and I went on a train ride. A train with a real, honest-to-goodness steam locomotive. I know this sounds thrilling and let me assure you it was. It was a "scenic railway," and basically this meant that along the route there were large lakes and huge mining tracts with backhoes and steamshovels on them. Why did I subject poor Lyndsey and myself to this $11 (a piece!) adventure? Because I am writing a story for a journalism class, of course. I talked to the conductor, who was a very friendly fellow, and with the receptionist, who was a little taciturn but who ended up giving me some good quotes.
I got some good photographs too. It will be a lovely although dull story, I am sure. Oh well. I think I have a serious case of senioritis/Spring Quarteritis setting in.
Well, not quite Heaven. I love that when I have to write a paper it is actually on a subject like this. At the same time, it is still a 5-7 page paper. Please pray that I manage to get it done on time.
Today my roommate Lyndsey and I went on a train ride. A train with a real, honest-to-goodness steam locomotive. I know this sounds thrilling and let me assure you it was. It was a "scenic railway," and basically this meant that along the route there were large lakes and huge mining tracts with backhoes and steamshovels on them. Why did I subject poor Lyndsey and myself to this $11 (a piece!) adventure? Because I am writing a story for a journalism class, of course. I talked to the conductor, who was a very friendly fellow, and with the receptionist, who was a little taciturn but who ended up giving me some good quotes.
I got some good photographs too. It will be a lovely although dull story, I am sure. Oh well. I think I have a serious case of senioritis/Spring Quarteritis setting in.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Did you know
that Papa is going to Poland? I forgot all about it!
This will certainly be an emotional experience for the Poles, just a year after the death of John Paul II.
Poland is one of the last great Catholic strongholds, although I've always worried that the only thing staving off the rising tide of secularism there was the presence of a Pole in the See of Peter. It's hard to slip into libertine materialism when one of your countrymen is providing such a wonderful Christian witness not only to his native country but to the entire world. And I seem to recall reading about signs of decay... Nevertheless, vocations are very strong in Poland, which is always a good sign. A country with many vocations means that the faithful have not permitted the noise of modern life to block out the voice of the God Who calls His children to Himself and His service.
From the AFP:
This will certainly be an emotional experience for the Poles, just a year after the death of John Paul II.
Poland is one of the last great Catholic strongholds, although I've always worried that the only thing staving off the rising tide of secularism there was the presence of a Pole in the See of Peter. It's hard to slip into libertine materialism when one of your countrymen is providing such a wonderful Christian witness not only to his native country but to the entire world. And I seem to recall reading about signs of decay... Nevertheless, vocations are very strong in Poland, which is always a good sign. A country with many vocations means that the faithful have not permitted the noise of modern life to block out the voice of the God Who calls His children to Himself and His service.
From the AFP:
WARSAW (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Poland this week on a pilgrimage to the homeland of his hugely popular predecessor John Paul II, where he will pay an emotional tribute at the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Class scheduling
Today has been a rather good day, in spite of about half of my friends and aquiantences falling ill with whatever bug is going around :(
I got a hundred on my history exam, and I also figured out my course schedule for my last quarter of college. I got all of the classes I needed to graduate... The big surprise: There is a course being taught on C.S. Lewis this fall! Of course I signed up for it. It is being offered as a part of the "University Professor" program, which is a special honor given to particularly good professors who are then allowed to teach a course on any subejct under the sun. So I am betting it will be an awesome class. If I went to a good Catholic school like Notre Dame, these kind of courses would be... par for the course! But not at OU, alas. So I'm kind of excited that this opportunity came along during my last quarter of school.
Hurray!
Please pray that everyone is feeling better soon. It really stinks to be sick, and this is a really unpretty illness that's making the rounds. :(
I got a hundred on my history exam, and I also figured out my course schedule for my last quarter of college. I got all of the classes I needed to graduate... The big surprise: There is a course being taught on C.S. Lewis this fall! Of course I signed up for it. It is being offered as a part of the "University Professor" program, which is a special honor given to particularly good professors who are then allowed to teach a course on any subejct under the sun. So I am betting it will be an awesome class. If I went to a good Catholic school like Notre Dame, these kind of courses would be... par for the course! But not at OU, alas. So I'm kind of excited that this opportunity came along during my last quarter of school.
Hurray!
Please pray that everyone is feeling better soon. It really stinks to be sick, and this is a really unpretty illness that's making the rounds. :(
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Oh ho!
Surprise, surprise. I think more people will see the Da Vinci Code because of all the controversy. But what dy'a know, the movie actually sucks.
From everyone's old favorite, CNN:
Early viewers pan 'Da Vinci Code'
Full article.
I can't say I'm surprised.
From everyone's old favorite, CNN:
Early viewers pan 'Da Vinci Code'
CANNES, France (CNN) -- A mixture of fiction, fact and faith, "The Da Vinci Code" has made its worldwide film debut, opening the Cannes Film Festival -- but while the book was a mega-selling hit, the critics largely panned the cinematic version..
...The movie did receive some lukewarm praise, but the majority of the response was highly critical.
One scene during the film, meant to be serious, elicited prolonged laughter from the audience. There was no applause when the credits rolled; instead, a few catcalls and hisses broke the silence.
The Hollywood Reporter headlined its review, " 'Da Vinci Code' an unwieldy, bloated puzzle."
"No chemistry exists between the hero and heroine, and motivation remains a troubling sore point," wrote reviewer Kirk Honeycutt, panning Tom Hanks' "remote, even wooden performance." Only co-star Ian McKellen managed to avoid criticism...
Full article.
I can't say I'm surprised.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
New archbishop
Pittsburgh Bishop Donald Wuerl, named by Pope Benedict XVI to become the next archbishop of Washington, speaks at an introductory news conference at the Archdiocese of Washington, Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Wuerl, 65, will succeed Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Washington's archbishop since 2001, who has resigned at age 75 in keeping with church law. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Cognratulations to Archbishop-to-be Wuerl!
Monday, May 15, 2006
25 years
I forgot that Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the attempted assassination of John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. He nearly died, and was saved through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima. I believe it was confirmed by a government commission last year that the gunman was a Soviet agent. The Russians were very perceptive; John Paul certainly ended up being lethal for Communism!
A marble plaque is seen in St. Peter's square at the Vatican Saturday, May 13, 2006, on the exact spot where Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981, to, according to Pope Benedict XVI, ''remember from now on that dramatic event.'' A Fatima statue, with one of the bullets which struck Pope John Paul II embedded in it as a memento, arrived in procession where exactly 25 years earlier a Turkish gunman shot and gravely wounded Pope John Paul II who has credited his survival of the assassination attempt to the intercession of the Madonna di Fatima. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
A marble plaque is seen in St. Peter's square at the Vatican Saturday, May 13, 2006, on the exact spot where Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981, to, according to Pope Benedict XVI, ''remember from now on that dramatic event.'' A Fatima statue, with one of the bullets which struck Pope John Paul II embedded in it as a memento, arrived in procession where exactly 25 years earlier a Turkish gunman shot and gravely wounded Pope John Paul II who has credited his survival of the assassination attempt to the intercession of the Madonna di Fatima. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Sunday, May 14, 2006
A very moving piece
From the Boston Catholic Journal:
Come back to me
" Come back to me with all your heart, don't let fear keep us apart..."
These are words taken from a very beautiful song which is based upon the song of Hosea.
Can you hear the Father calling, can you feel deep within you something awakening,a cry a recognition of his voice? "Come back to me with your all your heart; there is no place for fear between us."
We all have deep rooted, long standing fears residing within us, fear is probably the greatest and most insidious manipulator ...
But the whispers of the Divine Lover are so much greater than our fears.Sometimes we allow fear to separate us from God; fear of punishment, fear created by what our Christian journey demands of us, and sometime our fears are totally irrational, but they bind us, one and all, and keep us from approaching our God with confidence.
Fear can paralyze our actions, it can render us impotent to do that which is right, fear can also bind our hearts in such a way that we are unable to love others freely and genuinely. Fear distorts the truth, robs us of our joy, it can manifest itself in all kinds of mental and physical sickness, it can prevent us breathing in the very Spirit of God because we are already so full of fear that "there is no room at the Inn."
Full Article.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The DMV
Is where to be, if you're a really cool person (who forgot about the $24 license renewal fee until you had already waited in line for fifteen minutes and so you had to get $40 out of the nearest ATM machine even though you only have $50 left in your account because the stupid thing only dispenses in multiples of $20 and you had no choice because like an idiot you forgot your check book and you had no petty cash and then you had to go to the back of the line which had meanwhile grown as long as one of those dragons you see on Chinese New Year and then when it's finally your turn you really give the girl running the sight exam a conniption because you're really near-sighted in your right eye) like me.
The good news is that eventually you get your renewed license, and the picture isn't that bad, and the waiting time gave you a chance to pray. All in all, it was pretty productive, I'd say!
The good news is that eventually you get your renewed license, and the picture isn't that bad, and the waiting time gave you a chance to pray. All in all, it was pretty productive, I'd say!
Friday, May 12, 2006
I forgot
That May 1st was my second blogversary!
I forgot last year, too. I just happened to remember because I was updating my archives.
I started this my freshman year, and here I am, two years later. It's funny and wonderful to look back and see how much closer to the Lord the Sacraments have brought me. I was amused to re-read my old posts about preparing for Confirmation... (breathlessly) "Oh my goodness! I have to call the rectory! I'm just going to die!" What a silly girl I was! Of course I still have miles and miles to go to the foot of the Cross. Mary will take me...
Yesterday I went and spoke to my faculty advisor for the last time. We figured out what courses I need to take. Only fourteen more credit hours! It's not even a full schedule, which I need to have if I want to keep my scholarship money, which I need for tuition. So I'll have to take a couple fun blow off courses, or something.
Then again, I always wanted to take Greek. I've already had Latin, and it seems a shame to leave off Greek. The Gospels were originally written in Ancient Greek, for goodness sake! Then again again, I've also heard that Greek is much harder than Latin, the first hurdle being the different alphabet.
I really want to graduate magnum cum laude and I'm skating right near the edge, so I have to keep working hard! Gotta keep the nose to the grindstone!
I forgot last year, too. I just happened to remember because I was updating my archives.
I started this my freshman year, and here I am, two years later. It's funny and wonderful to look back and see how much closer to the Lord the Sacraments have brought me. I was amused to re-read my old posts about preparing for Confirmation... (breathlessly) "Oh my goodness! I have to call the rectory! I'm just going to die!" What a silly girl I was! Of course I still have miles and miles to go to the foot of the Cross. Mary will take me...
Yesterday I went and spoke to my faculty advisor for the last time. We figured out what courses I need to take. Only fourteen more credit hours! It's not even a full schedule, which I need to have if I want to keep my scholarship money, which I need for tuition. So I'll have to take a couple fun blow off courses, or something.
Then again, I always wanted to take Greek. I've already had Latin, and it seems a shame to leave off Greek. The Gospels were originally written in Ancient Greek, for goodness sake! Then again again, I've also heard that Greek is much harder than Latin, the first hurdle being the different alphabet.
I really want to graduate magnum cum laude and I'm skating right near the edge, so I have to keep working hard! Gotta keep the nose to the grindstone!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Cute story
Quebec boy, 9, sings for Pope Benedict
Article.
A nine-year-old boy from the Quebec City area lived his dream of singing for the Pope on Thursday in Rome.Good for him!
Jérémy Gabriel, who suffers from a rare syndrome that causes facial disfigurement and deafness, sang unaccompanied in a clear, true voice for a small group that included Pope Benedict XVI.
The song was Je louerai l'Éternel, which means "I will praise God."
The boy later had a private audience at the Vatican with the Pope, who hugged him and gave him a rosary.
"My heart was beating very fast, but once I started singing I was fine," Jérémy later told the Associated Press, speaking in French.
Article.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Big day tomorrow
From the London Times on the European tour of Hugo Chavez:
Gulp. The Church and Senor Chavez have not been getting along very well lately, if I remember... I am sure Papa will handle him well, however.
...But he is undoubtedly a new phenomenon on the global stage. Now he is bringing his message, if not his largesse, to Europe. His schedule includes a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI — always a political prize for a populist leader of a Latin American country. There will also be talks with the EU and then what Downing Street yesterday rather sniffily termed a “private visit” to London. This will include a mass rally at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, a trip to see left-wing Labour MPs at the Commons, talks with the TUC and a glittering banquet hosted by Mr Livingstone.Article.
Gulp. The Church and Senor Chavez have not been getting along very well lately, if I remember... I am sure Papa will handle him well, however.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Some good news
And some bad news.
I got my financial aid letter in the old inbox today, and I got enough scholarship money to cover my tuition for my last quarter of college, even with the six percent hike. My parents were rather... Relieved, to say the least.
I also found out that Ohio University plans to raze the old student union on Union Street and build an "attractive" high rise, which will house the entire College of Communication. This would include, drumroll, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The beautiful, special little hall which was all our own will be turned into an arm of business journalism or some such.
Bleh! The Scrippsters I have heard are all rather upset about it. We want everyone at Scripps to identify most of all with the School, not with the College or with the University - we're snobby like that! It is sort of messing with the brand name on our diplomas. Not that I personally intend to do much with the name, of course. Everyone loves the old Scripps traditions, even though they say the new building will really be cutting-edge. And the Scripps Howard Foundation itself apparently demanded that the School be in the new building, which kind of puts the faculty and the Director in a tough spot if they wanted to oppose the plan. The media is in the process of "converging," they say, and so we have to follow their lead...
It won't happen for at least another eight years, so I'll be long gone. And like I said, I probably won't do much with the Scripps name. While pursuing the major it has become clear that journalism is most likley not what my soul is meant for. But I have a lot of good memories from Scripps Hall, and I'll be sad to see the place turn over.
I got my financial aid letter in the old inbox today, and I got enough scholarship money to cover my tuition for my last quarter of college, even with the six percent hike. My parents were rather... Relieved, to say the least.
I also found out that Ohio University plans to raze the old student union on Union Street and build an "attractive" high rise, which will house the entire College of Communication. This would include, drumroll, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The beautiful, special little hall which was all our own will be turned into an arm of business journalism or some such.
Bleh! The Scrippsters I have heard are all rather upset about it. We want everyone at Scripps to identify most of all with the School, not with the College or with the University - we're snobby like that! It is sort of messing with the brand name on our diplomas. Not that I personally intend to do much with the name, of course. Everyone loves the old Scripps traditions, even though they say the new building will really be cutting-edge. And the Scripps Howard Foundation itself apparently demanded that the School be in the new building, which kind of puts the faculty and the Director in a tough spot if they wanted to oppose the plan. The media is in the process of "converging," they say, and so we have to follow their lead...
It won't happen for at least another eight years, so I'll be long gone. And like I said, I probably won't do much with the Scripps name. While pursuing the major it has become clear that journalism is most likley not what my soul is meant for. But I have a lot of good memories from Scripps Hall, and I'll be sad to see the place turn over.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Tim Horton's and Mark Steyn
So good.
The other week, the Toronto Star assigned Kenneth Kidd to do a big story on Tim Hortons as an icon of Canadian identity. This was a couple of days before that odd incident with the fellow going into the men's room and blowing himself into a big bunch of Timbits, so nothing tricky was required, just the usual maple boosterism. And naturally the first thing Kidd did was call up the Canadian media's Mister Rent-A-Quote, Michael Adams, the author of Fire And Ice and American Backlash, and a man who can be relied upon to provide some sociological context to the lamest premise...The entire article is a well-written riot. A sort of depressing, well-written riot, but a riot.
...Mr. Adams evidently thought about the old doughnut-chain thing for a nanosecond and then slotted it effortlessly into his grand universal theory about the difference in American and Canadian "values."...
...This turned out to be just the sort of thing Kenneth Kidd needed for the piece and he ran with it: "Canadians, by contrast, are far less fearful," he decides. "Americans now increasingly use churches as their replacement for a sense of community lost to long working hours and lengthy commutes."
I don't know if, in the course of their research, Messrs. Kidd and Adams ever visited any "communities" -- in, say, New England, or old England, or Belgium, or Slovenia, or even Canada. But, if they did, they might have noticed that you drive through the outskirts of the "community," past the various "dwelling units," and arrive at the centre of the "community" -- often called a "village green" or a "town square" -- and smack dab at the centre of the centre you'll see a big building with a cross on it, and perhaps a sign saying "St. George's Parish Church. Consecrated 1352." Nonetheless, undaunted, two grown men are willing to argue in the Toronto Star that Americans have to make do with going to church because they've lost all sense of community.
But not in Canada. "We don't go to church as much on Sundays," says Adams. "We go shopping and we go to Tim's." Gotcha. Americans are forced to worship Christ, whereas Canadians are free to worship crullers.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Prostration
15 men lie on the floor of St.Peter's Basilica during their ordination ceremony to become priests, celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, at altar beneath Bernini's bronze baldacchino canopy, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 7, 2006. The pontiff ordained 15 new priests on Sunday, telling them to be good pastors and to not use the priesthood as a selfish career move but to serve the church. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Bloglines
If you're a big blog reader and you haven't tried it yet, give the Bloglines service a whirl and see how much time it saves you online. It's worked well for me - less time surfing around, more time doing what I should be, contemplating the beauty of the Blessed Sacrament. Of course, if you start acquiring lots and lots of subscriptions, you could be back in the same boat again pretty quickly... ;)
Friday, May 05, 2006
Library Sale Day
Today at the quarterly sale at Alden Library, I came across some great finds. I got two - TWO! - books by Flannery O'Connor. I got a Graham Greene novel and an Evelyn Waugh novel - a first edition of The Loved One.
I also got A Canticle for Leibowitz, one of my old favorites.
And all for just five dollars!
I found a really amusing book, too, which I did not buy, although I was tempted. It was The Vatican in World Politics, published in 1949. At first I thought it might be an interesting treatise, but when I started to page through it, I got some laughs instead. It was basically a long screed about the Vatican's Spiritual Totalitarianism, and its links with the Soviets, etc. Now that I Amazoned the author, Avro Manhattan, I find, surprise surprise, that he basically writes nothing but anti-Catholic stuff. For instance:
The Vatican-Moscow Alliance
The Vatican Moscow Washington Alliance (Ooo! A three way conspiracy!)
Vatican Imperialism in the 20th Century
Murder in the Vatican: American, Russian, and Papal Plots
Vatican Billions
Do we obsess much? I basically just started scanning the list to see if I could find a title without the word "Vatican" in it. And there were a few:
Catholic Terror in Ireland
The Catholic Church against the Twentieth Century
This guy needs help.
Many of these were written for our old and notorious friend, Jack Chick, and his publishing house, Chick Publications. Not much of a surprise. But then again, another one of his books was published under the title Catholic Imperialism and World Freedom (Atheist Viewpoint Series). And the 1949 book I saw at today's sale was part of a series dedicated to helping humanity throw off the chains of superstitious religion, etc. Perhaps Mr. Manhattan was just freelancing his hate to Mr. Chick. Funny how loathing the Catholic Church can win you some pretty odd bedfellows...
I also got A Canticle for Leibowitz, one of my old favorites.
And all for just five dollars!
I found a really amusing book, too, which I did not buy, although I was tempted. It was The Vatican in World Politics, published in 1949. At first I thought it might be an interesting treatise, but when I started to page through it, I got some laughs instead. It was basically a long screed about the Vatican's Spiritual Totalitarianism, and its links with the Soviets, etc. Now that I Amazoned the author, Avro Manhattan, I find, surprise surprise, that he basically writes nothing but anti-Catholic stuff. For instance:
The Vatican-Moscow Alliance
The Vatican Moscow Washington Alliance (Ooo! A three way conspiracy!)
Vatican Imperialism in the 20th Century
Murder in the Vatican: American, Russian, and Papal Plots
Vatican Billions
Do we obsess much? I basically just started scanning the list to see if I could find a title without the word "Vatican" in it. And there were a few:
Catholic Terror in Ireland
The Catholic Church against the Twentieth Century
This guy needs help.
Many of these were written for our old and notorious friend, Jack Chick, and his publishing house, Chick Publications. Not much of a surprise. But then again, another one of his books was published under the title Catholic Imperialism and World Freedom (Atheist Viewpoint Series). And the 1949 book I saw at today's sale was part of a series dedicated to helping humanity throw off the chains of superstitious religion, etc. Perhaps Mr. Manhattan was just freelancing his hate to Mr. Chick. Funny how loathing the Catholic Church can win you some pretty odd bedfellows...
Thursday, May 04, 2006
My birthday
Because of the howls of protest, I will now proceed to summarize my birthday, which was very much fun.
On Saturday, after I got back from Adoration (which is the BEST way to celebrate a birthday!), I received my first gift, from one of my roommate Lyndsey's old friends, Jordan. I got a lovely crystal rosary, four kinds of fudge, some stationery with a verse of the Psalms on it, a tube of moisturizer, and a St. Christopher vizer clip. It was so sweet of her to get me so many nice things! I don't know her all that well, but obviously someone so kind is worth knowing!
I got a beautiful rosary from my roommate Lauren, too. It has rose-shaped metal-work for the Our Father beads. Lauren also bought me a box of Cheddar Perogis, thereby feeding my addiction and earning my eternal love ;)
My roommate Lyndsey acceded to my demands and took me grocery shopping for my birthday. Yes, grocery shopping! I specifically asked for this present. Lyndsey, being normal, was originally not too keen on buying me groceries as a gift, but I, being abnormal and cash-poor, insisted that Yes, This Week's Groceries Are What I Really Want. Lyndsey also bought me a lovely blue skirt, which I wore on the big day.
My other roommate, Jenn, was sadly out of town visiting her grandma. Of course that's understandable, but we still missed her, boo hoo :( But she gave me a $20 gift card to Walmart (more grocery shopping money, hurray!) and also some... CANDY.
Saturday evening, we all went out for ice cream at the local Coldstone Creamery. I got the Cookie Doughn't You Want Some (who do they pay to come up with these names, anyway?). It was delicious. The whole time I was uptown I was wearing what can only be described as a hat an organ grinder's monkey would wear, as per Lauren's demands. Surprisingly, I only got a couple strange looks, and only one passer-by told me that I should be collecting little coins. Lauren took pictures, maybe I will see if I can find them.
Of course, I also agreed to drink an alcoholic beverage, as I am now 21. My roommates very helpfully bought tiny quantities of several varieties, so that I could just sip a thimbleful from each and see what tasted good. Except there was no wine. I have to admit that I pretty much hated the taste of everything; the only one I could even stand was the beer (the BEER!) that they gave me as a last resort. So I drank half a beer. But even that was rather noxious. Needless to say, there was no question of my going too far with the alcohol. When the evening began, I was anxious to keep a close watch on how I was reacting and to not intoxicate myself. I shouldn't have worried - it's pretty hard to go too far when you really dislike the taste of alcohol! How can people stand to get tipsy, let alone get drunk? Bleh. I hope my friends were not disappointed. In spite of my disinterest in the drinks, I had a wonderful time.
I went to bed around 12:30 after finishing third in a game of Imaginif. It was a great birthday :) The best part, however, was Mass the next morning. It was a First Communion Mass. Oh, the joy!
On Saturday, after I got back from Adoration (which is the BEST way to celebrate a birthday!), I received my first gift, from one of my roommate Lyndsey's old friends, Jordan. I got a lovely crystal rosary, four kinds of fudge, some stationery with a verse of the Psalms on it, a tube of moisturizer, and a St. Christopher vizer clip. It was so sweet of her to get me so many nice things! I don't know her all that well, but obviously someone so kind is worth knowing!
I got a beautiful rosary from my roommate Lauren, too. It has rose-shaped metal-work for the Our Father beads. Lauren also bought me a box of Cheddar Perogis, thereby feeding my addiction and earning my eternal love ;)
My roommate Lyndsey acceded to my demands and took me grocery shopping for my birthday. Yes, grocery shopping! I specifically asked for this present. Lyndsey, being normal, was originally not too keen on buying me groceries as a gift, but I, being abnormal and cash-poor, insisted that Yes, This Week's Groceries Are What I Really Want. Lyndsey also bought me a lovely blue skirt, which I wore on the big day.
My other roommate, Jenn, was sadly out of town visiting her grandma. Of course that's understandable, but we still missed her, boo hoo :( But she gave me a $20 gift card to Walmart (more grocery shopping money, hurray!) and also some... CANDY.
Saturday evening, we all went out for ice cream at the local Coldstone Creamery. I got the Cookie Doughn't You Want Some (who do they pay to come up with these names, anyway?). It was delicious. The whole time I was uptown I was wearing what can only be described as a hat an organ grinder's monkey would wear, as per Lauren's demands. Surprisingly, I only got a couple strange looks, and only one passer-by told me that I should be collecting little coins. Lauren took pictures, maybe I will see if I can find them.
Of course, I also agreed to drink an alcoholic beverage, as I am now 21. My roommates very helpfully bought tiny quantities of several varieties, so that I could just sip a thimbleful from each and see what tasted good. Except there was no wine. I have to admit that I pretty much hated the taste of everything; the only one I could even stand was the beer (the BEER!) that they gave me as a last resort. So I drank half a beer. But even that was rather noxious. Needless to say, there was no question of my going too far with the alcohol. When the evening began, I was anxious to keep a close watch on how I was reacting and to not intoxicate myself. I shouldn't have worried - it's pretty hard to go too far when you really dislike the taste of alcohol! How can people stand to get tipsy, let alone get drunk? Bleh. I hope my friends were not disappointed. In spite of my disinterest in the drinks, I had a wonderful time.
I went to bed around 12:30 after finishing third in a game of Imaginif. It was a great birthday :) The best part, however, was Mass the next morning. It was a First Communion Mass. Oh, the joy!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Developing MySpace?
From BusinessWeek online:
Deep inside the Vatican, a white-haired nun dressed in a brown habit opens the door to a room full of computers. The whirring machines hold some of the mysteries of the Holy See, including photographs of the Vatican Secret Archives and of ancient illustrated manuscripts. No, this isn't a movie trailer for The Da Vinci Code. Our guide is Sister Judith Zoebelein, the editorial director of the Internet Office of the Holy See. She's showing off a small but potent Vatican data center, which bristles with servers and other high-tech gear...
... It's no secret that the Vatican has a fantastic Web site. It brims with fine art and practical information about the Catholic Church. The site, www.vatican.va, which comes in six languages, was even nominated for a prestigious Webby Award a few years back. But little is known about the woman who is behind it. Sister Judith, a 57-year-old American, grew up in a middle-class household in the Hamptons on the eastern tip of Long Island. She and a handful of colleagues were Internet pioneers when, in 1995, they launched the Vatican Web site. Since then, she has greatly expanded the site, including images of art from the Vatican Museums, a powerful search engine, and videos of restoration projects.
Now Sister Judith is creating a second Vatican Web site, set for launch in the fall, that is aimed at bringing together the faithful so they can interact. Think of it as MySpace.com (NWS ) for Catholics. There will be personal news updates, e-learning programs, and areas set aside for families, young people, and parishes. Collaboration is key, and that should differentiate the site from others in its genre. "People will be able to find each other and work together online, and then go back and use what they have learned or done in their own communities," says Sister Judith...
Full articleI think this definately has the potential to be useful. The Internet just keeps getting thicker and thicker...
O Click All Ye Faithful - The nun who launched the Vatican's Web site is at work on a MySpace for Catholics
Deep inside the Vatican, a white-haired nun dressed in a brown habit opens the door to a room full of computers. The whirring machines hold some of the mysteries of the Holy See, including photographs of the Vatican Secret Archives and of ancient illustrated manuscripts. No, this isn't a movie trailer for The Da Vinci Code. Our guide is Sister Judith Zoebelein, the editorial director of the Internet Office of the Holy See. She's showing off a small but potent Vatican data center, which bristles with servers and other high-tech gear...
... It's no secret that the Vatican has a fantastic Web site. It brims with fine art and practical information about the Catholic Church. The site, www.vatican.va, which comes in six languages, was even nominated for a prestigious Webby Award a few years back. But little is known about the woman who is behind it. Sister Judith, a 57-year-old American, grew up in a middle-class household in the Hamptons on the eastern tip of Long Island. She and a handful of colleagues were Internet pioneers when, in 1995, they launched the Vatican Web site. Since then, she has greatly expanded the site, including images of art from the Vatican Museums, a powerful search engine, and videos of restoration projects.
Now Sister Judith is creating a second Vatican Web site, set for launch in the fall, that is aimed at bringing together the faithful so they can interact. Think of it as MySpace.com (NWS ) for Catholics. There will be personal news updates, e-learning programs, and areas set aside for families, young people, and parishes. Collaboration is key, and that should differentiate the site from others in its genre. "People will be able to find each other and work together online, and then go back and use what they have learned or done in their own communities," says Sister Judith...
Full articleI think this definately has the potential to be useful. The Internet just keeps getting thicker and thicker...
Monday, May 01, 2006
Oooo
I had a good birthday, I'll post about that a little later :)
I was reading Mark Shea's blog, when I came upon this little gem: 60 Minutes does a debunking of Dan Brown's little legend.
Ed Bradley, you're my hero! Well, not quite.
There was an interesting letter-to-the-editor in one of the local papers which basically blasted all the people concerned about the Da Vinci Code. "Why is the Church so worried about people thinking? It's just a work of fiction, etc!" was the gist of it.
My reply: Have you had much to do with the human race lately? Plenty of ill-read, poorly-educated individuals will read the Da Vinci Code and think that it is historically accurate. These are the same individuals who not only wouldn't ever pick up a scholarly treatise on exegesis or the history of late antiquity, but would also not know what the Dead Sea Scrolls are and what they have to do with anything. They are good people, they have busy lives and families, they work hard during the day, and frankly, they don't have enough free time, let alone the inclination, to really pursue the life of the mind. A few-hundred-page mystery novel is just about what they're intellectually "up for."
I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS. They think the Da Vinci Code is just the coolest thing ever. It's frustrating, because you don't know where to begin educating them. You'd have to really begin at the beginning. This must be how the Catholics in the South feel when the really fundamentalist Bahhhhble-Believing Sola Scriptura Christians start in on them. I imagine that it's sometimes a bit of a struggle to get them to realize and accept that the Gospels were originally written in Greek, and not in King James' English.
I was reading Mark Shea's blog, when I came upon this little gem: 60 Minutes does a debunking of Dan Brown's little legend.
Ed Bradley, you're my hero! Well, not quite.
There was an interesting letter-to-the-editor in one of the local papers which basically blasted all the people concerned about the Da Vinci Code. "Why is the Church so worried about people thinking? It's just a work of fiction, etc!" was the gist of it.
My reply: Have you had much to do with the human race lately? Plenty of ill-read, poorly-educated individuals will read the Da Vinci Code and think that it is historically accurate. These are the same individuals who not only wouldn't ever pick up a scholarly treatise on exegesis or the history of late antiquity, but would also not know what the Dead Sea Scrolls are and what they have to do with anything. They are good people, they have busy lives and families, they work hard during the day, and frankly, they don't have enough free time, let alone the inclination, to really pursue the life of the mind. A few-hundred-page mystery novel is just about what they're intellectually "up for."
I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS. They think the Da Vinci Code is just the coolest thing ever. It's frustrating, because you don't know where to begin educating them. You'd have to really begin at the beginning. This must be how the Catholics in the South feel when the really fundamentalist Bahhhhble-Believing Sola Scriptura Christians start in on them. I imagine that it's sometimes a bit of a struggle to get them to realize and accept that the Gospels were originally written in Greek, and not in King James' English.
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