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Against a calumniator

Psalm 52

Why do you boast of your wickedness,

you champion of evil,

planning ruin all day long,

your tongue like a sharpened razor,

you master of deceit?

You love evil more than good;

lies more than truth.

You love the destructive word,

you tongue of deceit.

For this God will destroy you

and remove you for ever.

He will snatch you from your tent and uproot you

from the land of the living.

The just shall see and fear.

They shall laugh and say:

"So this is the man who refused 

to take God as his stronghold,

but trusted in the greatness of his wealth

and grew powerful by his crimes."

But I am like a growing olive tree

in the house of God.

I trust in the goodness of God

for ever and ever.

I will thank you for evermore;

for this is your doing.

I will proclaim that your name is good,

in the presence of your friends.

Last Words - Pride and Impenitence

This is a series, Last Words, quotes from the book Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners, by Paul Thigpen.

From Chapter Seventeen, "You Were Not Willing! Pride and Impenitence":

In the hour of death all grounds for arrogance or vanity are swiftly passing away, yet some still refuse to humble themselves. Their Lord calls them, as he once called the people of Jerusalem, to lay aside their pride and run to him for refuge, as helpless chicks run to a mother hen. But now as then, many are unwilling to do so (see Matthew 23:37). ...

Most chilling are the final pronouncements of those whose pride has hardened into impenitence. They blaspheme; they defy God and his law; they justify themselves. They set themselves in their Master's place, daring to judge his ways, mock his name, deny his existence. We must leave their souls in heaven's merciful hands. Perhaps between the last word and the last heartbeat there was a moment of grace, a flash of interior repentance. God alone knows.

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) was a Union general in the Civil War known for his harsh 'scorched earth' tactics against the civilian population of Georgia, where he remains a despised figure for his cruelty. When asked what inscription he wanted on his gravestone, he said: "Faithful and honorable, faithful and honorable."

Joan Crawford (1908-1977), the American actress, left the church many years before she died. As she was on her deathbed, she said to her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud: "Damn it! How dare you ask God to help me!"

Louis XV, king of France, led a life of personal debauchery. He declared proudly: "I have caused more than a hundred thousand Masses to be said for the repose of unhappy souls, so that I flatter myself I have not been a very bad Christian."

Inflame us

There is no holiness where you have withdrawn your hand, O Lord; no profitable wisdom if you cease to rule over it; no helpful strength if you cease to preserve it. For if you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again. We are unstable, but you make us firm; we grow cool, but you inflame us. (From the Imitation of Christ)

Enslaving Ourselves ("Trespasses")

"Trespasses" ("Our Father" series)

I’m spiritually immature enough that I have a stronger gut reaction to concrete concepts like money than to spiritual concepts like sin, so, even though it’s not a perfect analogy, remembering the roller coaster of emotions that came with being in debt helps me wrap my mind around this part of the Our Father. Reliving that burdened, heavy feeling that came with owing a lot of money helps me feel the consequences of my sins. And then I recall how it felt when the last of the debt was finally gone, that overwhelming relief and explosive joy that was like being a prisoner set free from a dungeon. It’s a cliche, but it really felt like the first day of the rest of my life.

It’s stunning to consider that God offers this same thing to us every day, for a debt incomprehensibly larger. Only, unlike financial debt, there’s no interest, no forms to fill out, no checks to write. There’s only one condition to this gift, and it’s incredibly simple: that we be willing to do the same for those who are in debt to us. As long as we are willing to do that one thing, the freedom and exhilaration of having all our debts forgiven is available to us at any time, and all we have to do is ask.

For myself, these parts about forgiveness get into sticky territory for me, simply for the fact that when a person has been incredibly hurt by anyone, but especially a family member or trusted person, forgiveness will be incredibly hard.

What was so moving to me in reading this reflection on 'trespasses' was the idea of debt, crushing debt, being owed to another. I've been in that situation of debt and wondering how we will get through (still there, to be honest), and what comes to my mind is just how enslaving that kind of debt is. Whether it is medical debt, or credit card debt, or otherwise, when you get to a certain point, you are consumed with the idea of this debt and repayment of this debt. You are chained to it, and there is no escape, no light at the end of the tunnel.

Then to realize that this is the kind of debt that this prayer is talking about. All-encompassing, soul-crushing, chained-to-it, debt.  This is what God forgives us of, if only we forgive these kind of debts that others owe to us. (This is hard, so hard for me, but I'll get there in another post.) The fact is that if we don't forgive, we are only enslaving ourselves, putting the chains upon ourselves and subjecting ourselves to that despair and depression. And isn't that what sinning does? We put the chains on, one link at a time, willingly going forward towards something that ultimately brings us pain, despair, and hopelessness.
     But we try to comfort ourselves, we wrap our self-righteousness (a chain), our bitterness (another chain), our anger (and another), our fear (another), around us like a cloak that we try to keep warm with. But true warmth comes from Truth, and Freedom, which is Jesus Christ. So we have to try to break these chains that are wrapped around us, to ask for forgiveness of this debt. To become totally free, we have to want to stop enslaving ourselves, and stop enslaving others.

Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptized in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptize the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him, and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. (From a homily by St. Bede the Venerable, priest) Some may call me strange (well, I am Catholic), but I find this memorial of the beheading of St. John the Baptist quite moving. In this day and age, where marriage is under attack from all angles, we are given this memorial. I remember the homily of a very good priest who, in his homily, reminded us that St. John the Baptist died in defense of marriage. For your edification, I present to you the Gospel passage about St. John the Baptist's death:

Sunday Feast - World Youth Day Style

The focus every Sunday is to feast with my family, to truly make Sundays a day of rest; which means to refrain from the internet and other technology as much as I can. I'm going to be putting up the previous Wednesday's general audience with Pope Benedict XVI, and I encourage you to read and to study. What are you reading today? What are you talking about this morning? [All emphasis my own.]

Homily of Pope Benedict XVI at the Final Mass of World Youth Day

Dear Young People,

In this celebration of the Eucharist we have reached the high point of this World Youth Day. Seeing you here, gathered in such great numbers from all parts of the world, fills my heart with joy. I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you and calls you his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he wants to accompany you on your journey, to open the door to a life of fulfilment and to give you a share in his own closeness to the Father. For our part, we have come to know the immensity of his love and we want to respond generously to his love by sharing with others the joy we have received. Certainly, there are many people today who feel attracted by the figure of Christ and want to know him better. They realize that he is the answer to so many of our deepest concerns. But who is he really? How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common with me today?

The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer: “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all its depth.

Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?”, is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected.

And, since faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith.

Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.

Namby-Pamby Holiness

Don't ask me how I click on things, I don't know how I do it. All I know is a couple weeks ago, I'm clicking around and come to a post about a guy's wife being propositioned, and how he dealt with the situation (I'm blaming New Advent here, because it seems like I get to all these weird stories through them.)

From A Grateful Convert - Kevin Lowry's Blog

What did I do about it, you might ask? Well, it’s not emotionally satisfying, but not much of anything. Kathi just wanted me to drop it. On the way home, I prayed a rosary for my wife, and even for the scumbag salesman – and resisted all the deep-seated emotions and desires to lash out that I knew weren’t emanating from the Holy Spirit.

I took a picture of the $5 bill for posterity’s sake, but know it needs to die a grisly death. It was a symbol of the cheap attempt to impugn my wife’s extraordinary dignity as my bride of twenty-two years, mother of our eight children, and most importantly, child of God.

There are any number of conclusions that could be drawn from this situation, but for the sake of my five sons who may read this someday, let’s stick with the basics:

• Our culture indoctrinates many guys into swinehood – don’t be one of them 

• Treat all women with respect and the dignity they deserve 

• Prayer and forgiveness trump anger and violence any day of the week 

This situation stretched me to live the beatitudes even though every fiber of my being rebelled. So what would you have done? Or if you’re a woman, how would you want your husband to deal with the situation? Let me know your thoughts.

For now, I’m going to redouble my own efforts to forgive others as I have been forgiven, and even try to be grateful for the spiritual exercise this situation provided. Lord knows I need all the help I can get.

You know what I say to all this bullshit? Man up, and deck the guy. Not only for your wife, but for other women who maybe don't have a husband/boyfriend/whatever to deck this guy. Perhaps this is the Bad Catholic in me coming out - but you know what I would have wanted my husband to do (not that I wouldn't have wanted to handle this myself, but you never know how you're gonna feel when that situation happens)? I would have wanted my husband to go back there and shove that sorry $5 bill down this arsehole's throat.

Yes, be holy, pray for the guy's conversion. Pray for yourself. Ask for forgiveness, and forgive others. But for the sake of your sons, who need to see their dad stand up for their mom and their mom's dignity, punch this guy. This namby-pamby attitude that masquerades as holiness is an infection I see in many Catholic men growing up today. No, wrath is sinful. But servility isn't the golden mean either. It's not about the 'emotional satisfying' reaction (which, okay, I might be going overboard on. I told you I have a problem with my temper.) Prayer and forgiveness are great. But anger isn't always sinful. Violence isn't always sinful. (I'm reminded of Puff's blog that says: "When asked what Jesus would do: remember that freaking out, whipping people, and overturning tables is an acceptable answer.")

To quote two parts from The Bad Catholics Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins by John Zmirak (which I think Kevin Lowry needs to read):

Adoration Saturdays

If you are wondering where this post went, I am too. I tried to upload a picture for this post, and instead it erased what was here. I see the comments still from the original post, but search me if I know where the content went to. I'm a little pissed off at the moment. Okay: I found the post (cached), but I don't know about comments. Comments came back. Geez. 

I now have a regular holy hour (or hours, I suppose) at the local perpetual adoration chapel, Saturday mornings from midnight to two a.m., so I'd like to share the thoughts - I hesitate to call them messages from God, though I don't believe they originate from me - that I write down during Adoration. Those thoughts will be in italics. I pray that you find them useful for your own spiritual journey. (I'll always be a week behind, so as to gather my thoughts and bring them into a cohesive post.)

Every time I go to Adoration, I spend some time telling God what my needs are, or what my concerns are, then I ask for guidance, opening myself up to the workings of the Holy Spirit. (Per my instructions from awhile back, any time I am distracted, I pray "Lord, I am but a little child. Teach me, O Lord.")

For my first time in this regular slot, I opened up about grieving my mom, about my temper (or rather, how to control my temper), about whether to attend a function at my former parish, about my children, and about feeling like my faith isn't what it should be, especially in regards to bishops. It turns out that the 'theme' for Adoration was all about prayer (funnily enough).

St. Monica

Saint Monica was born of a Christian family at Tagaste in Africa in 331. While still a young maiden she was married to Patricius. They had children, among whom was Augustine. She poured forth many tears and prayers to God for his conversion. A model of the virtuous mother, she nourished the faith by her prayers and witnessed to it by her deeds. She died at Ostia in 387.

The day was now approaching when my mother Monica would depart from this life; you knew that day, Lord, though we did not. She and I happened to be standing by ourselves at a window that overlooked the garden in the courtyard of the house. At the time we were in Ostia on the Tiber. We had gone there after a long and wearisome journey to get away from the noisy crowd, and to rest and prepare for our sea voyage. I believe that you, Lord, caused all this to happen in your own mysterious ways. And so the two of us, all alone, were enjoying a very pleasant conversation, forgetting the past and pushing on to what is ahead. We were asking one another in the presence of the Truth - for you are the Truth - what it would be like to share the eternal life enjoyed by the saints, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, which has not even entered into the heart of man. We desired with all our hearts to drink from the streams of your heavenly fountain, the fountain of life.

God of mercy,
comfort of those in sorrow,
the tears of Saint Monica moved you
to convert her son Saint Augustine to the faith of Christ.
By their prayers, help us to turn from our sins
and to find your loving forgiveness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

About Sarah Palin

So, I was reading this piece over at Chicks on the Right (which I think is a pretty good site), on Sarah Palin and if she will run for President or not.

Now, up front, I like Sarah Palin, sure. I don't think she should run. But that's actually not the topic of this post. The topic is how I've heard in Catholic, Protestant, or other circles about how people admire her for carrying her son, Trig (who has Down's syndrome) to term, how much courage she has, how much fortitude, how much wisdom, for not aborting her special needs child.

I don't get this, and I will try to tell you why. I don't understand why we are congratulating someone for NOT killing another person. Is that an actual accomplishment?
     Yes, I understand that raising a special-needs child takes an incredible amount of strength, especially in a country where 90% of Down's Syndrome kids are aborted, where your child might never come into contact with another DS child, especially as a kid (maybe not so much as an adult).
     This is not a 'dig' against Sarah Palin, because as far as I know she hasn't said any of these kind of statements herself. This is more against her 'cheerleaders', who applaud someone just for doing the right thing. Yes, I realize that people do wrong things all the time and it is refreshing to come across someone doing the right thing. But praising Sarah Palin just because she did the right thing in this instance makes no sense to me.

End rant. Comments welcome, as always, even if you disagree.

Eternal His Merciful Love

Psalm 100

The joyful song of those entering God's Temple

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.

He made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.

Enter his courts with songs of praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

eternal his merciful love.

He is faithful from age to age.

St. Louis IX

Saint Louis was born in 1214 and became king of France when he was only twenty-two years old. He married and became the father of eleven children who received from him careful instruction for a Christian life. He excelled in penance and prayer and in his love for the poor. While ruling his kingdom he had regard not only for peace among peoples and for the temporal good of his subjects, but also for their spiritual welfare. He undertook the Crusades to recover the tomb of Christ and died near Carthage in 1270.

Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can. Thank God for all the benefits he has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Be just to your subjects, swaying neither to right nor left, but holding the line of justice. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth. See that all your subjects live in justice and peace, but especially those who have ecclesiastical rank and who belong to religious orders.
(From a spiritual testament to his son by Saint Louis)

Father, 
you raised Saint Louis
from the cares of earthly rule
to the glory of your heavenly kingdom.
By the help of his prayers
may we came to your eternal kingdom 
by our work here on earth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

St. Bartholomew, Apostle

Saint Bartholomew was born at Cana. He was brought to Jesus by the apostle Philip. After the ascension of the Lord, he is said to have preached the Gospel in India where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom.

It was clear through unlearned men that the cross was persuasive, in fact, it persuaded the whole world. Their discourse was not of unimportant matter but of God and true religion, of the Gospel way of life and future judgment, yet it turned plain, uneducated men into philosophers. How the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and his weakness stronger than men!
     In what way is it stronger? It made its way throughout the world and overcame all men; countless men sought to eradicate the very name of the Crucified, but that name flourished and grew ever mightier. Its enemies lost out and perished; the living who waged war on a dead man proved helpless. Therefore, when a Greek tells me I am dead, he shows only that he is foolish indeed, for I, whom he thinks a fool, turn out to be wiser than those reputed wise. So too, in calling me weak, he but shows that he is weaker still. For the good deeds which tax-collectors and fishermen were able to accomplish by God's grace, the philosophers, the rulers, the countless multitudes cannot even imagine. (From a homily on the first letter to the Corinthians by St. John Chrysostom, bishop)

Lord, 
sustain within us the faith
which made Saint Bartholomew ever loyal to Christ.
Let your Church be the sign of salvation
for all the nations of the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Last Words - Martyrdom

This is a series, Last Words, quotes from the book Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners, by Paul Thigpen.

From Chapter Nine "The World Hates You: Martyrdom":

The martyrs knew that truth could not be relativized, and they refused to hide or deny it. They could not in good conscience 'go along to get along,' when they knew that the path others were taking led to misery and damnation. 

Is it any wonder that they offended people? They illustrated the scriptural warning that Christ and his gospel are a scandal, a stumbling block, an offense to those who reject him (see 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:8). And they confirmed the sobering truth of Jesus' words the night before he died: 'Because you do not belong to the world...the world hates you" (John 15:19). 

Saint Joseph Mkasa (1860-1885) was one of the Martyrs of Uganda. A catechist in charge of the pages of King Mwanga, he was beheaded for protecting them from the king's sexual abuse and for denouncing the king's murder of a group of Protestant missionaries. Joseph walked to his death unbound, saying: "Why should you bind me? From whom should I escape? From God? Tell Mwanga that I forgive him for putting me to death without a reason, but let him repent. Otherwise I shall accuse him in God's court."

Blessed Anre Phu Yen (1625-1644), a teenage catechist, is considered the proto-martyr of the church in Vietnam. When questioned by the authorities, he declared: "I wish I had a thousand lives to offer to God in thanksgiving for what he has done for me."

St. Rose of Lima

Saint Rose was born at Lima, Peru in 1586. She led a virtuous life at home and, after receiving the habit of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, she made great progress in a life of penance and contemplation. She died August 24, 1617.

That same force strongly urged me to proclaim the beauty of divine grace. It pressed me so that my breath came slow and forced me to sweat and pant. I felt as if my soul could no longer be kept in the prison of the body, but that it had burst its chains and was free and alone and was going very swiftly through the whole world saying:
     "If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! Without doubt they would devote all their care and concern to winning for themselves pains and afflictions. All men throughout the world would seek trouble, infirmities and torments, instead of good fortune, in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace. This is the reward and the final gain of patience. No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men."

God our Father,
for love of you
Saint Rose gave up everything
to devote herself to a life of penance.
By the help of her prayers
may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth
and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

We Are Family ("Our")

Repost

"Our" ("Our Father" series)

Our.

It’s plural. When Jesus’ disciples asked him how to pray, he put the words of a collective prayer on their tongues. He instructed his followers to address their Father as a family.

When I think of the "our" part, I think of how sad some Protestants have it. No, really. I don't mean to pick on them, (okay, I do), but the relationship I have with Jesus isn't just about having a 'personal' relationship with Jesus. It is, but it is so much more. My relationship with Jesus also involves the church I go to, the diocese I belong to, and the world-wide church I am a part of. This is why it bothers me when people say, "I can just pray at home, or by myself in the mountains - for I know God is there."

Yes, but you are missing the point! Yes, Jesus is there in the beauty of the mountains (or in the stream while you're fishing) - but He is also present in the Body of Christ assembled at your parish at Mass, in each one of the persons present! As much as you want to deny Jesus is there, because you know so-and-so is a drinker, and that person there is a gossiper, and she's an adulteress, and he's a cheat....

...that's exactly the point! Jesus is still there, in spite of all those peoples' sinfulness and in spite of my own. God is easy to see in the beauty of the mountains; and we can fool ourselves into thinking we are better than we are; but at Mass, with all of us sinners gathered, we are challenged to see in each other, despite all of our sinfulness, Jesus Christ. We are challenged to see God there. And so He calls to us to call Him not "My Father", but "Our Father" in heaven.

7 Deadly Sins of Online Dialogue

I'm trying to continue the series of talks that I heard at the Christ and the New Media retreat at the beginning of August. Here is the first, a summary of a talk given by John Zmirak.

John's second talk was "7 Deadly Sins of Online Dialogue," which he put in escalating order of significance. He said to always assume that people will use confessions you give them against you - then gave, what I thought to be, a heartbreaking tale of someone close to him who had done such a thing.

1. Lust - an 'easy' example, of course, is pornography. But also a big culprit can be facebook, reconnecting with old flames and having emotional affairs.

2. Wrath - it is simple online to take out a sense of betrayal on people who don't deserve it. If you are mad at someone in real life, don't take it out on a person/group online who has no idea why you are attacking with such animosity.

3. Gluttony - indulging too much and turning a hobby into an obsession; overpowering hunger for news. This constant craving for 'secret' information can ultimately lead to the occult. 

4. Greed - specifically, John pointed out the 'donate' buttons, but he also pointed out the greed for attention (negative or positive) - stats, links, etc.

5. Sloth - John talked about 'phoning posts in'. Give posts sufficient thought, and challenge yourself and your writing (this is one I also need to work on). This sin can also extend to only looking at certain sources, instead of looking at a variety of sources, whether they match up with your outlook (political, religious, or otherwise) or not.

6. Vainglory - Pride of what you have written. John's solution was to be critical of others and critical of yourself.

7. Envy seeks nothing good. This sin can manifest itself in indulging in the downfall of others - don't be the one to yell "Crucify Him!"

Queenship of Mary

Dwelling in the loftiest citadel of virtue, like a sea of divine grace or an unfathomable source of love that has everywhere overflowed its banks, she poured forth her bountiful waters on trusting and thirsting souls. Able to preserve both flesh and spirit from death she bestowed health-giving salve on bodies and souls. Has anyone ever come away from her troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because his request had been granted by the Mother of God? (From a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, bishop)

Sunday Feast - World Youth Day Style

The focus every Sunday is to feast with my family, to truly make Sundays a day of rest; which means to refrain from the internet and other technology as much as I can. I'm going to be putting up the previous Wednesday's general audience with Pope Benedict XVI, and I encourage you to read and to study. What are you reading today? What are you talking about this morning?

Message of His Holiness  Pope Benedict XVI for the 26th World Youth Day: 

Dear Friends,

I often think back on the World Youth Day held in Sydney in 2008. There we had an experience of a great festival of faith in which the Spirit of God was actively at work, building deep communion among the participants who had come from all over the world. That gathering, like those on previous occasions, bore rich fruit in the lives of many young people and in the life of the whole Church. Now we are looking forward to the next World Youth Day, to be held in Madrid in August 2011. Back in 1989, several months before the historic fall of the Berlin Wall, this pilgrimage of young people halted in Spain, in Santiago de Compostela. Now, at a time when Europe greatly needs to rediscover its Christian roots, our meeting will take place in Madrid with the theme: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). I encourage you to take part in this event, which is so important for the Church in Europe and for the universal Church. I would like all young people – those who share our faith in Jesus Christ, but also those who are wavering or uncertain, or who do not believe in him – to share this experience, which can prove decisive for their lives. It is an experience of the Lord Jesus, risen and alive, and of his love for each of us.

1. At the source of your deepest aspirations

In every period of history, including our own, many young people experience a deep desire for personal relationships marked by truth and solidarity. Many of them yearn to build authentic friendships, to know true love, to start a family that will remain united, to achieve personal fulfilment and real security, all of which are the guarantee of a serene and happy future. In thinking of my own youth, I realize that stability and security are not the questions that most occupy the minds of young people. True enough, it is important to have a job and thus to have firm ground beneath our feet, yet the years of our youth are also a time when we are seeking to get the most out of life. When I think back on that time, I remember above all that we were not willing to settle for a conventional middle-class life. We wanted something great, something new. We wanted to discover life itself, in all its grandeur and beauty. Naturally, part of that was due to the times we lived in. During the Nazi dictatorship and the war, we were, so to speak, “hemmed in” by the dominant power structure. So we wanted to break out into the open, to experience the whole range of human possibilities. I think that, to some extent, this urge to break out of the ordinary is present in every generation. Part of being young is desiring something beyond everyday life and a secure job, a yearning for something really truly greater. Is this simply an empty dream that fades away as we become older? No! Men and women were created for something great, for infinity. Nothing else will ever be enough. Saint Augustine was right when he said “our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you”. The desire for a more meaningful life is a sign that God created us and that we bear his “imprint”. God is life, and that is why every creature reaches out towards life. Because human beings are made in the image of God, we do this in a unique and special way. We reach out for love, joy and peace. So we can see how absurd it is to think that we can truly live by removing God from the picture! God is the source of life. To set God aside is to separate ourselves from that source and, inevitably, to deprive ourselves of fulfilment and joy: “without the Creator, the creature fades into nothingness” (Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 36). In some parts of the world, particularly in the West, today’s culture tends to exclude God, and to consider faith a purely private issue with no relevance for the life of society. Even though the set of values underpinning society comes from the Gospel – values like the sense of the dignity of the person, of solidarity, of work and of the family –, we see a certain “eclipse of God” taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity.

I'm all alone...oh wait.

Time for another edition of Funny S#!t Protestants Say. This is another piece sent to me from Pat over at A Catholic UNapologist. 

As Patrick says, "Somebody needs to teach prots what the word ALONE means." My comment? Dude...pick one and stick with it.


Remember, send your submissions to oxyparadoxy@gmail.com, subject line "Funny S#!t Protestants Say" or just "FSPS." It could be something silly a family member has said, or an email you received, or just a random comment on a blog, or a picture. I will never publish names on submissions (if you sent me a screenshot or such).

2011 Cannonball Awards

is now going on! I would appreciate your nomination in any category you deem fit (even "More Catholic Than the Pope" or "Best Bat Shit Crazy"). Here are all the categories:

Best Blog By A Religious 

Best Political Blog 

More Catholic Than The Pope 

Best Armchair Theologian 

Best Visual Treat 

Most Church Militant 

Best New Kid on The Block 

Best Blog By A Heretic 

Best Under Appreciated Blog 

Best Spiritual Treat 

Best Bat Shit Crazy 

Best Popery of Potpourri 

Snarkiest Catholic Blog 

Most Hifreakinlarious 

Best Blog That Needs to be Updated More Often 

*Rules, disclaimers, fine print and legalize: When making nominations please indicate category, blog name and include blog link. If you don't, I will not mark the nomination. Please do not email me nominations. Leave them in the comment box. In the past, I have excepted email nominations but it got too damn confusing. Also, try to avoid duplicate nominations. If you see some one already made the nomination you intended; spare us.

Drink Thursdays

It's called "Drink Thursdays", in which I talk about a person that I'd like to sit down and have a drink with, and why. And because I'm Catholic, damnit, and we're not Puritans. Here's the introductory post.

Today's guest is someone that people have strong, vocal opinions about.  Some people say he's a d*ck, a scoundrel, a cad. Other people say that his music is soulful, and heartfelt, and stirring. Some people say he is both.

Last Words - Humility

This is a series, Last Words, quotes from the book Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners, by Paul Thigpen.

From chapter six, entitled: "I am Thirsty: Humility"

Nowhere is our Lord's humanity - and thus his humility - more evident, more poignant, than in his dying words "I am thirsty." In that simple statement he expresses the weakness to which human nature is subject. In his case the admission is all the more moving because the weakness is self-imposed, freely chosen so that his human brothers and sisters might be rescued from the ravages of the pride that has ruined their race. ....

At the hour of death, then, we find Catholics embracing humility in various ways. Some gladly confess their smallness before God, their moral failures, their weaknesses. Others humble themselves by joining gesture to word, acting out a final drama of penance through some act of mortification. Still others accept their dying agony as a purging fire. Their last words display a hope that the pain will burn arrogance to ashes; they trust that as death brings them down to the grave, body and soul will each find at last its own proper humus. In all these scenes we encounter a reenactment of Jesus' self-humiliation on the cross.

Frederic Chopin spoke to God at the end about his musical compositions. "Without you I would have grunted like a pig!"

Pierre Simon Laplace (1749-1827) was a brilliant French astronomer, mathematician and physicist. With his last words he admitted: "What we know is of small amount; what we do not know is enormous."

Ferdinand I (c. 1380-1416), king of Aragon, humbled himself as he was dying by having his attendants remove his royal crown and robe, then lay him on the floor, with ashes scattered on his head. He prayed: "You are the King of kings, the Supreme One both in heaven and on earth. I return to you the crown that you have given me, which I have worn through your great pleasure; and now I only ask that when my soul leaves this body, you will receive me into your celestial mansion."

Machismo

If you have a pair of these disgusting things on your jacked up truck, then why don't you drive like you have a pair and not worse than my 93 year old gramma drives? Frickin' idiot. And yes, the person that got out was a man, 45-50-ish, big and burly. Poor thing. He must be afraid of losing his nuts if he goes too fast over a bump.

Day 10

I'm continuing the pictures from our trip to Oregon, California, and Yellowstone National Park.

Day One

Day Two

Day Four: St. Mary's Church

Day Four: Heceta Beach

Day Four: the End

Day Five: A Short Pictoral

Day Six: Oregon to California

Day Seven: California

Day Eight: California continued

Day Nine/Ten: California continued

Lake Abert, Oregon

Abert Rim 

Abert Rim

Abert Rim

I believe this is Steens Mountain

Looking ahead

At a rest stop close to Boise

Between Boise and Idaho Falls

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus by Pope Pius XII
3. Actually God, who from all eternity regards Mary with a most favorable and unique affection, has "when the fullness of time came"[2] put the plan of his providence into effect in such a way that all the privileges and prerogatives he had granted to her in his sovereign generosity were to shine forth in her in a kind of perfect harmony. And, although the Church has always recognized this supreme generosity and the perfect harmony of graces and has daily studied them more and more throughout the course of the centuries, still it is in our own age that the privilege of the bodily Assumption into heaven of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, has certainly shone forth more clearly.

4. That privilege has shone forth in new radiance since our predecessor of immortal memory, Pius IX, solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the loving Mother of God's Immaculate Conception. These two privileges are most closely bound to one another. Christ overcame sin and death by his own death, and one who through Baptism has been born again in a supernatural way has conquered sin and death through the same Christ. Yet, according to the general rule, God does not will to grant to the just the full effect of the victory over death until the end of time has come. And so it is that the bodies of even the just are corrupted after death, and only on the last day will they be joined, each to its own glorious soul.

5. Now God has willed that the Blessed Virgin Mary should be exempted from this general rule. She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, and she did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body.

6. Thus, when it was solemnly proclaimed that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church's supreme teaching authority.

20. However, since the liturgy of the Church does not engender the Catholic faith, but rather springs from it, in such a way that the practices of the sacred worship proceed from the faith as the fruit comes from the tree, it follows that the holy Fathers and the great Doctors, in the homilies and sermons they gave the people on this feast day, did not draw their teaching from the feast itself as from a primary source, but rather they spoke of this doctrine as something already known and accepted by Christ's faithful. They presented it more clearly. They offered more profound explanations of its meaning and nature, bringing out into sharper light the fact that this feast shows, not only that the dead body of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained incorrupt, but that she gained a triumph out of death, her heavenly glorification after the example of her only begotten Son, Jesus Christ-truths that the liturgical books had frequently touched upon concisely and briefly.

45. Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.

47. It is forbidden to any man to change this, our declaration, pronouncement, and definition or, by rash attempt, to oppose and counter it. If any man should presume to make such an attempt, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Day Nine/Ten

I'm continuing the pictures from our trip to Oregon, California, and Yellowstone National Park.

Day One

Day Two

Day Four: St. Mary's Church

Day Four: Heceta Beach

Day Four: the End

Day Five: A Short Pictoral

Day Six: Oregon to California

Day Seven: California

Day Eight: California continued

These are pictures from gramma-in-law's town.

Leaving the next morning, the fog was so low and it made alternately creepy and beautiful scenes:

And then, we turned a corner and the fog was (almost) gone.

Sunday Feast

The focus every Sunday is to feast with my family, to truly make Sundays a day of rest; which means to refrain from the internet and other technology as much as I can. I'm going to be putting up the previous Wednesday's general audience with Pope Benedict XVI, and I encourage you to read and to study. What are you reading today? What are you talking about this morning?

General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo on summer activities and prayer:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am very glad to see you here in the square at Castel Gandolfo and to resume the audiences after the interval in July. I would like to continue with the subject we have embarked on, that is, a “school of prayer”, and today, in a slightly different way and without straying from this theme, I would also like to mention certain spiritual and concrete aspects which seem to me useful, not only for those who — in one part of the world — are spending their summer holidays like us, but also for all who are involved in daily work.

When we have a break from our activities, especially in the holidays, we often take up a book we want to read. It is on this very aspect that I would first like to reflect today.

Each one of us needs time and space for recollection, meditation and calmness.... Thanks be to God that this is so! In fact, this need tells us that we are not made for work alone, but also to think, to reflect or even simply to follow with our minds and our hearts a tale, a story in which to immerse ourselves, in a certain sense “to lose ourselves” to find ourselves subsequently enriched.

Of course, many of these books to read, which we take in our hands during our vacation are at best an escape, and this is normal. Yet various people, particularly if they have more time in which to take a break and to relax, devote themselves to something more demanding.

I would therefore like to make a suggestion: why not discover some of the books of the Bible which are not commonly well known? Or those from which we heard certain passages in the liturgy but which we never read in their entirety? Indeed, many Christians never read the Bible and have a very limited and superficial knowledge of it. The Bible, as the name says, is a collection of books, a small “library” that came into being in the course of a millennium.

Together ("Us")

"Us" ("Our Father" series)

Simply put, our prayer is never to be for others to see, but is always to be with others. Even when we pray in secret, we are united to the whole Body of Christ: there is no “I” or “me” in the Christian faith; it is always “us” who pray, who serve, who worship, and who are forgiven. This is something that our radically individualistic society chafes at. Our American culture especially exalts the lone ranger, the one who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps. Yet Christianity teaches the opposite: we are created for others — it is not good for man to be alone (cf. Genesis 2:18).

It's funny how you never notice something so mundane, so everyday, until you start looking for examples and they are everywhere. In reflecting upon this 'us' of the 'Our Father' prayer, I started thinking of all the prayers in Mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours, and the Rosary, and Divine Mercy. In all of these prayers, we ask for intercession for us. To give you a few examples:

Closing prayer from today's Morning Prayer of LotH:
God our Father,
fountain and source of our salvation,
may we proclaim your glory every day of our lives,
that we may sing your praise for ever in heaven.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Hail Mary:
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Divine Mercy:
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

A Slave to Sin

I finished up reading the book "A Soldier Surrenders: The Conversion of St. Camillus de Lellis" by Susan Peek. If you remember, the Church celebrated his feast day awhile back.

The reason I bought this book in the first place was because of my mom. I mentioned the other day that he was her patron last year, but my dad thinks he was her patron this year. Regardless, I got the book because I figured she would be interested in reading it.
     Well, the Holy Spirit moves in sneaky ways, hmmm? I started and finished the book quickly. In the introduction, the author's husband writes:

If you, while skimming these words, are casually standing in your local bookstore browsing for a good book to read, but you feel you are already well advanced on the road to sanctity, this book is probably not for you. No, this is a story for the rest of us, the common herd - we folk who, when entering a confessional, still find we have some actual sins to confess. Saint Camillus is for us. He is our champion. He could be aptly described as the unofficial patron saint of strugglers. ...

The Catholic Church justly boasts of some magnificent examples of valiant penitence. The names of Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Paul, and Saint Augustine spring readily to mind. Yet these monumental figures tend to give us the impression that, once converted, they never slid back. Although possibly tempted, they never once sinned again. They appear to have attained to an almost instant sanctity. 

Saint Camillus can in no way make a claim of belonging to such an elite corps. In fact, quite the contrary. He had his weaknesses, his relapses. His earlier spiritual progress rose, staggered, fell, rose again, only to fall once more. But he never stopped trying. He never despaired to the point of giving up all hope. He was a soldier, and he battled on. Why? What drove him? Ultimately and simply the love of God. It is above all this love, this divine charity, that subsequently overflowed and became the life's work for which he is honored upon the altars of the Catholic Church.

The Holy Spirit knew that here was a saint for me - not my mom. Here was a saint who struggled again and again - and backslid into serious sin again and again. His mother, like my mom, was a pious woman, who prayed often for her child. St. Camillus struggled with his temper his whole life - and I struggle with my temper all the time.
     (There are a multitude of reasons behind having a terrible temper; family upbringing/dynamics/history is part of it, I'm sure. I don't remember a time when I didn't struggle with my temper, to be honest.)

This book chronicles his life and his struggles and relapses and details the ups and downs of a real faith life. I think that's what was so appealing to me as I read this book. Even up to the end of his life, when he was the head of a hospital, he struggled with conquering his anger. This was actually an enduring image for me - he got so angry about a merchant cheating the hospital that he threw out 22 200-pound sacks of flour out on the street, but that was after he knocked the unscrupulous merchant around first!
     What a model he can be for me! My temper often gets the best of me - instead of me being its master. The first thing I though of when I read the midday reading for Liturgy of the Hours:

Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it (1 Cor. 9:26-27a)

 I suspect that my anger will be my cross to bear my entire life, that I must master it, instead of being a slave to it as I have been.
     I look forward to having another patron in my arsenal against sin, against the devil's temptations, and against my own weaknesses.

St. Camillus, pray for us. 

In some weirder news

Someone got to my blog by searching for 'pelosi boobs.' Now, either they were looking for pornography or they were looking for examples of Pelosi being a boob. Either way, I'm slightly disconcerted.

Addendum: I've probably just opened myself up to whole 'nother host of problems by making a whole post about it. Wow.

Drink Thursdays (Sorry It's Late)

This Drink Thursday is actually a follow-up on a previous Drink Thursday guest of honor. It's okay. I'll wait right here while you go read that piece really quickly. Okay, now that you are up to speed, I'll catch you up on meeting John Zmirak, eating a couple of meals with him, listening to him for two 'formal' talks, getting his autograph on two books (!), and generally getting to find out a little bit more on this funny Catholic writer, speaker, and teacher.
     One of the reasons I went to the Christ and the New Media conference was specifically because John Zmirak would be giving two talks during the conference. Yes, I was interested by the other speakers (and subsequently intrigued by the talks they gave), but I jumped at the chance to possibly meet John Zmirak.

Now before I go any further, I want to give you an insight of my preconceived notions of this conference. I thought, there's going to be a whole bunch of people - perhaps hundreds! All of them will be really important and stuff, and then there will be little ole me! Pair both of these notions with my overall tendency to freak out over trivial matters and you begin to see that I was a neurotic basket-case before this event.
     In reality, while there were two conferences going on at the same time (ours & the Way of Beauty conference), total participants for both conferences was probably around 50 people. Just our conference had a total of, I think, 17 participants. So - no huge crowds for one thing, which was a comfort and a curse. Yes, I might have had plans to 'hide' in the midst of a lot of people and not really stick my neck out.
     The other part of my concern was a little more valid, I think. Yes, I run internet operations (I just gave myself that title, fyi) for my father-in-law's business. Yes, I run this very teeny blog. But the people there were smart, funny, and hugely more important than myself. (Me, a tendency to be self-critical? Say it ain't so!)

At any rate, I never thought that I would get the chance to actually converse with these amazing speakers, let alone with JOHN. ZMIRAK. (Sorry, I'm still geeking out over this fact.) I mean, you never know when you meet a celebrity or author if they will be as cool as they seem, or if they will be humorless, dour people. Happily, that is not the case with Mr. Zmirak, as he is even more funny in person, with off-the-cuff zingers that cut straight to the point (much unlike this post, I've just realized).

John's first talk was "How to Lose an Argument Online Even When You're Right." He suggested using the 4 Cardinal Virtues to judge rightly on the title topic. A quick run-down:

1. Prudence - which is, essentially, practical wisdom. This means, don't write 'in the heat of the moment' and don't give in to a moment of emotional catharsis just because it feels good and you may be right. You're right, but at what cost to another?

2. Justice - a proper balance of self-interest to interests of others. If you act unjustly, it will reflect unjustly upon your own reputation. It means to give each man his 'due'. Always think the best of others and their intentions instead of the worst.

3. Temperance - a sense of restraint; self-control. How much are you online? Are you sacrificing other, rightful duties for being online? There is an attitude of detachment that you must have when online. (I'm still working on this!)

4. Fortitude - strength, courage. Don't be rash or too stubborn; don't be timid or cowardly. 

Of course, mixed in with each of these virtues were examples from John's own life and his struggles - all of which were very funny. To know that I wasn't off-base in my pick for a Drink Thursday episode was really exciting, and I'm hopeful that I didn't come off as too geeked out or annoying. Beyond his humor, John was gracious, self-effacing, and charming. So, once again, John, cheers to you!

Last Words - Death Comes Suddenly

This is a series, Last Words, quotes from the book Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners, by Paul Thigpen.

The next quotes come from chapter 18: "That Day and Hour No One Knows: Death Comes Suddenly."

In the final words of those for whom death comes as a surprise, the last remark is often about some trivial matter. The end arrives with no time for sad good-byes, profound observations or even one last, heartfelt prayer. ...

Sometimes the last words are more poignant. Those about to die may attempt to reassure loved ones, and perhaps themselves, that everything is just fine. Or they may express an innocent expectation that the routine will continue, the work will be done, the loved ones will be seen again. Tomorrow seems guaranteed. ...

In each case of sudden departure we hear words that well could be our own one day, a sober warning that death continues to appear unannounced. These declarations press us to consider: how would I spend this hour if I knew it was my last?

Saint John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860) was the Bohemian-born Redemptorist bishop of Philadelphia. He said to a friend only hours before he dropped dead on a city sidewalk: "I feel as I never felt before. I have to go out on a little business, and the fresh air will do me good. A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it."

Knute Kenneth Rockne (1888-1931), the famous American football coach for the University of Notre Dame, was a late convert to the Catholic faith. He said to a fellow passenger boarding a plane: "I suggest you buy some reading material. These planes make an awful racket and just about shut off most conversation."
     The plane crashed. His body was found with a rosary in his hands.

Roger Touhy (1898-1959), an Irish-American mobster and bootlegger, was gunned down in Chicago soon after his release from prison. As he waited for the ambulance, he said: "I've been expecting it. The bastards never forget!"

Total Surrender ("Suffer Me Not")

Guest post by Micah Murphy

...Ne permittas me separari a Te...

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee...

A more accurate rendering of the Latin would read "do not permit me to be separated from Thee." Here we call to mind the total surrender of will any Christian must strive to have, if he wishes to enter heaven. It is not a matter of asking for Christ's help, as if we primarily reach heaven ourselves and only need a leg up. No, totally conscious of our fallen sinfulness, we beg Our Lord not to permit that we should commit any mortal sin or die without the grace of final perseverence. Let us never be separated from Him.

It goes further, though, because it would be possible to abuse a request for final perseverence - to paraphrase St. Augustine, "Lord, conform me to Thyself, but not yet! Let me be saved later, even in my final hour!" Here, this is not the request. We request instead never to be separated, and to ask that implies that we are in union with Him already, and that here and now, we denounce all sin, and wish never to offend Him whom our hearts love and adore. Do they love Him and adore Him? Let us beg Him to make it so!