VOTF publishes demands to Pope

"Please accept this letter as a request for your help," the letter begins.

It should've stopped there.

However [sigh], we are next treated to the introduction:

Our organization represents 32,000 faithful, active, and mature Catholics in the United States. We ask that you help us to better serve the Church we love by putting into place processes and procedures that enable more lay participation in the administration of the Church at the local level.

The key word here would be "mature." "Aging baby boomers" would do just as well. And, uh..."32,000" members? The organization started four years ago with...30,000 members. Only 2,000 have joined since then?

Your papal ministry has given us hope as we deal with the crisis in the American Church.

No kidding? Then I must've been dreaming when, a year ago last April 19, I saw some of these same people crying at the notion that Cardinal Ratzinger was the new Pope!

Modestly, the letter continues:

Because we are a group who is well educated and who have been active in the life of the Church, we were gratified when you chose the name Benedict because it disclosed your own model for your new ministry. We are encouraged by your first encyclical and by your welcoming treatment of Hans Küng.

Good grief.

For more idiocy, feel free to follow this link. And do pray for these folks.

Everybody needs prayers. Even the most able among us.

We indeed are competent in many areas that could serve our beloved Church during this time of crisis. We are particularly competent in the areas of the development of children and their needs. We are also highly competent in the various areas of financial expertise as well as in the management and administration of institutions. This has been demonstrated in our schools and hospitals for decades.

After a bulleted list of demands — sorry, "requests" — I think we sorta get to the meat of the letter:

One more request would be to ask the bishops to remove all bans that they have instituted prohibiting the concerned Catholics who make up local Voice of the Faithful affiliates from meeting on church property.

Sheesh.

We need your help and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to heal the Church here in America.

Unless, of course, you get all "Catholic" on us...in which case kindly disregard this letter.

Crazy Christians

From the first reading for the Mass on the memorial of Saint Justin, martyr:

"For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles..."

It struck me today that, yes, the world — much of it, perhaps most of it — thinks we're nuts.

Yesterday, in what I fear was a fit of idiocy, I tried to comment on Eric Muller's blog, "Is That Legal?" Specifically, the post I was interested in — sorta — was one called "The Pope's Disastrous Speech at Auschwitz."

Leaving aside the post by Professor Muller itself — except to say that he not only refused to call the Holy Father "Pope" or even "Benedict" (except for the post's title) but instead repeatedly misspelled the pontiff's Christian name (it's "Joseph," professor, not "Josef") — I was struck by one comment in particular, from someone called "Just Wondering":

"At Auschwitz the Pope said "Where was God in those days? Why was He silent? How could He permit this endless slaughter,this triumph of evil?"I find this statement most revealing. I would expect that Pope Benedict XVI, The Vicar of Christ,should have rather said "Where was Jesus Christ in those days? Why was He silent? How could He permit this endless slaughter, this triumph of evil?" I leave it to the imagination of each reader to speculate on the meaning of this subtle difference in phrasing. I wonder if the God he was referring to was the "Old Testament" God of Israel. If that was the case, then the answer to the questions is obvious isn't it? I refer, of course, to the old Doctrine of Supercession."

This struck me as being...strange. And also...weird. As if the commenter was — albeit, tortuously — implying that the Holy Father was blaming the "Old Testament God of Israel"...in other words, blaming the "Jewish God."

Stupidly, I tried to respond:

Uh...Just Wondering? You can stop wondering. See, the thing is, the pontiff believes that Jesus Christ is God. (Me too.)

Anyway, some translations have it as "Lord," and "Lord," referring to Jesus, is all over the New Testament.

Besides that, you might recall one of Jesus' last prayers -- and I believe the Holy Father was praying in your referenced statement, by the way -- before dying, quoting from the Psalms: "My God, my God, why have you foresaken me?"

I hope this is helpful.

Evidently it wasn't. Helpful, I mean. The response:

Dear Kelly Clark: Helpful indeed! You claim, (and you include The Pope in your claim) that Jesus IS God. So I ask you: When Jesus, in His dying moments prayed "My God, My God, Why has't Thou forsaken Me?" to Whom was He praying? To Himself? Also when Jesus, The Son , died, Did God, The Father, also die? If "yes" How could He pray to a dead (or dying) God?; if "no", how could God the Father be alive when God the Son was dead if they are one and the same?

Wow.

I was, no doubt stupidly so, stunned that the dogma of the Trinity was apparently unheard of. Now, naturally I wasn't about to try to explain the Trinity! But I did try to suggest that the "Wondering" poster maybe google The Apostles Creed, or the Nicene Creed to get a glimpse of what Christians believe.

Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to post, for some odd reason.

Which is why I put my answer here. There didn't seem to be any way to email any of the commenters privately.

Gee.

Today we remembered a brilliant man who died rather than worship Roman idols.

We preach that God chose to (A) become man, (B) become a rather humble fellow and, insanely enough (C) die an ignominious death.

Add the fact that we believe in One God in Three Divine Persons, and I can see why we're seemed as "foolish."

Which is one reason why I love this line, again, from today's first reading:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Amen.

Mary, the first Tabernacle: The Feast of the Visitation

From the sermon I heard today, inspired by John Paul II's Ecclesia de Eucharistia:

In a certain sense Mary lived her Eucharistic faith even before the institution of the Eucharist, by the very fact that she offered her virginal womb for the Incarnation of God's Word. The Eucharist, while commemorating the passion and resurrection, is also in continuity with the incarnation. At the Annunciation Mary conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of his body and blood, thus anticipating within herself what to some degree happens sacramentally in every believer who receives, under the signs of bread and wine, the Lord's body and blood.

As a result, there is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel, and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the body of the Lord. Mary was asked to believe that the One whom she conceived “through the Holy Spirit” was “the Son of God” (Lk 1:30-35). In continuity with the Virgin's faith, in the Eucharistic mystery we are asked to believe that the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, becomes present in his full humanity and divinity under the signs of bread and wine.

“Blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:45). Mary also anticipated, in the mystery of the incarnation, the Church's Eucharistic faith. When, at the Visitation, she bore in her womb the Word made flesh, she became in some way a “tabernacle” – the first “tabernacle” in history – in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed himself to be adored by Elizabeth, radiating his light as it were through the eyes and the voice of Mary. And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?

Source: Encylical Letter: Ecclesia de Eucharistia

He died with his men: Sainthood cause begins for "The Grunt Padre"

On May 21 in Washington, the cause for canonization of Father Vincent Capodanno, who died heroically in Vietnam on September 4, 1967, was officially opened.

"Stay calm, Marine...God is with us all today."

Ray Harton remembers the September day when Father Capodanno, a military chaplain, reassured the wounded Marine. The chaplain had been seriously wounded himself.

“Just by him touching me, I believe that really had something to do with me still being here. I do believe that the second Father Capodanno leaned over and touched me, that was God touching me through him,” he said. “When he said ‘Stay calm, someone would be there to help and God is with all of us there that day,’ I believe he was – through Father Capodanno.”

Minutes later, Father Capodanno was called to minister to another fallen soldier. Machine gun fire killed them both.

Read the whole story here.

Father Capodanno, Servant of God, pray for us.

"Memorial Day Weekend"...

...is upon us.

May I humbly suggest that, before firing up the grill, packing up for the beach, and in general getting ready to enjoy our extra day off...

Warning! Parenthetical comment ahead!

(Memorial Day used to be celebrated on May 30...as a day of memorial. As a day to remember those who gave their lives to allow us to take a day off, sip beer and/or chablis, and, in many cases, trash the country they died for.)

...we take a moment to remember.

Some "memory jogs":

Kathlena Peebles 1996 Memorial Day Essay

Taps

Dennis Prager's Letter to a Soldier in Iraq

A Son Returns to His Father

Fr. Todd Reitmeyer returned to his Father on May 24th at 12:30 PM in the year of our Lord, 2006.

His death occured as the result of a boating accident while Fr. Todd was vacationing in Austin, TX.

His family and friends request your prayers.

This information was posted today, Ascension Thursday, on Father Todd's blog by a family member or friend.

If you read his latest blog entries, you'll learn that Father Todd was greatly enjoying his vacation, being with his family and friends, and celebrating a Mass in which a young relative received her First Holy Communion.

The family will be reading the comments on his blog, for anyone wishing to offer prayers and support.

Requiest in pace.

Novena to the Holy Spirit

The first novena took place between the Ascension of Jesus (Ascension Thursday) and the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

Begin this powerful prayer tomorrow, on the Feast of the Ascension. It needn't be elaborate. It needn't be public. (Although it certainly could be.)

It could be as simple as praying The Lord's Prayer, an Ave, a Glory Be, and ending with the simple request: "Come, Holy Ghost!"

Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Can I breathe now?

I haven't been near my computer all day today but it looks like somebody apologized, sorta, for smearing Boston priests (see post below).

Father Bob Carr apparently got into a communication from somebody from the Associated Press...but has anybody seen an apology? (A public one, I mean.)

It's always a priest...even when it isn't

ABC News and the Associated Press (and only the Lord knows how many members of the MSM have picked up on this screaming headline):

SEX CHARGES LEVELED AGAINST BOSTON PRIEST

Uh...guys? The "hugging and kissing" accusations haven't been leveled at any priest, Boston or otherwise.

It's a story about Doctor Robert Haddad, who heads up a hospital system here which happens to be run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. He's not a priest.

Sheesh.

Anybody holding his or her breath for an apology to every priest in the Archdiocese of Boston?

Father Neuhaus on Father Maciel

"The most precise statement of what has happened, I believe, is that, in the judgment of CDF and the pope, it is in the best interests of the Church, the Legion, and Fr. Maciel that he relinquish his public ministry and devote the remainder of his life to penitence and prayer. It should be noted that “penitence” in this connection does not connote punishment for wrongdoing. The Vatican statement also says that “the worthy apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and of the association Regnum Christi is gratefully recognized.”"

Worth reading the whole thing.

"You know when a movie's a dud...

...when even its self-flagellating albino killer monk isn't any fun. "

Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee

And I love this from Victoria Alexander at FilmsInReview.com:

"I’ll say it: It is anti-Jesus and anti-Catholic. Unintentionally though, it is a recruiting film for Opus Dei. Where do I sign up?"

More fun from Da Rotten Tomatoes!

Fun movie to see this weekend

"Over the Hedge"

The cool thing about it? It's really Fiction!

You can tell, because it's a cartoon. I mean, a real, honest-go-goodness, up-front, in-your-face, non-apologetic "I am a cartoon" movie.

(As opposed Da Other cartoon opening this weekend which pretends to be A Real Movie.)

"Dragging my Mother through the mud...!"

I didn't see it, but I kinda think an early morning inteview with Dan Brown might've stuck in the priest's craw today.

The sermon started conventionally enough.

As you know, the first readings during this season focus on the earliest days of the Church...and the earliest days were fraught with controversy. Father spoke about this, nicely linking the passage from Acts to the Gospel.

And then he...well, he narrowed his eyes and seemed to leave his prepared remarks.

"This man, this Dan Brown, said this morning that the Church has survived many things. And indeed She has. And She will certainly survive this...this thing that he has created.

"But I will tell you one thing. I would not — ever — spend even five minutes reading or watching something that drags my Mother, and your Mother, through the mud! Not five minutes! Not one minute!

"This — ah, he calls it `fiction' and indeed it is `fiction,' yes — but it is abominable `fiction.' Ah, yes, he says `this is just a story,' hah!

"I tell you: I will not spend even a minute of my life participating in this `story' that drags my Mother through the mud!"

The chapel was silent. The priest seemed to try to compose himself for a moment, but then laughed, as if composure was a silly thing.

The congegation laughed with him...because, I think, composure is often a silly thing to try to attain. Especially when somebody "drags your Mother through the mud." Or tries to.

For today's sermon, I give Padre two thumbs up.

Welcome, Isabella Marie Bettnelli!

Almighty Father, we thank you for the gift of life!

Go say hi...she's gorgeous!

"It's only fiction!"

Dale Price nails the reason why Catholics are upset at Dan Brown's fictional (yes, we know it's fiction) attack on our Mother — Holy Mother Church — in a clever satire.

From Dale's "submission letter to Random House:"

Yes, though fictional, it is based on aspects of the life of your hottest author, Mr. Dan Brown. Consequently, that will prove to be a useful hook to piggyback sales and simplify the promotional campaign.

The essential thesis of my fictional work is this: It was Mr. Brown's mother, Constance, who starred in the controversial film Deep Throat, not Linda Lovelace.

Ironically enough, a commenter, angered by the "attack" on Mrs. Brown, perhaps inadvertently put his finger on what, indeed, the fuss is all about.

Da Vinci. Da Dud.

Snippets of reviews from the secular press:

"There's no code to decipher. Da Vinci is a dud -- a dreary, droning, dull-witted adaptation of Dan Brown's religioso detective story ..."

Rolling Stone

"... The Da Vinci Code may be controversial and even heretical -- but worse, still, it's plodding, tedious, deathly dull."

Philadelphia Inquirer

"A jumble of historical myth, religious symbology and international thriller-action makes for an unwieldy, bloated melodrama."

Hollywood Reporter

"... it's not very good -- long (2hr.32min.) and mostly inert."

Time Magazine

More at Rotton Tomatoes.

So. You planning on seeing it this Friday?

Wilted flower, Precious Blood

Angela Messenger posts a beautiful image from Kel, who was received into the Church this past weekend. Go see!

On Mother's Day...

If you're a mom, or a mom-to-be;

If you're a mother-in-law, a stepmother, a foster mother or an "honorary mom;"

If you're a godmother, a grandmother, or a great-grandmother;

If today you are regaling your mother...or remembering a mom who is no longer with you...or wondering what your mom was like...

Then please know that I prayed for you today. And look forward to continuing to do so.

May Jesus continue to bless you. And may His Mother — and ours! — continue to show us the way.

Thank you, Eternal Father!

Today is the anniversary of my Baptism...Deo Gratias! What a joy it is to write this:

I, Patricia Kelly Clark, who through the tender mercy of the Eternal Father was privileged to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus to share in the dignity of His divine Sonship, wish now in the presence of this same loving Father and of His only-begotten Son to renew in all sincerity the promises I solemnly made at the time of my holy Baptism.

I, therefore, now do once again renounce Satan; I renounce all his works; I renounce all his allurements.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was born into this world and who suffered and died for my sins and rose again. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

Having been buried with Christ unto death and raised up with him unto a new life, I promise to live no longer for myself or for that world which is the enemy of God but for Him who died for me and rose again, serving God, my heavenly Father, faithfully and unto death in the holy Catholic Church.

Taught by our Savior's command and formed by the word of God, I now dare to say:

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

A day that will live in infamy

This Day in History: May 9, 1960:

Here's how the History Channel puts it:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the world's first commercially produced birth-control bill--Enovid-10, made by the G.D. Searle Company of Chicago, Illinois.

Development of "the pill," as it became popularly known, was initially commissioned by birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger and funded by heiress Katherine McCormick. Sanger, who opened the first birth-control clinic in the United States in 1916, hoped to encourage the development of a more practical and effective alternative to contraceptives that were in use at the time.

(Thereby making it even easier to "control the population" of undesirables...like blacks and mentally ill folks.)

In the early 1950s, Gregory Pincus, a biochemist at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, and John Rock, a gynecologist at Harvard Medical School, began work on a birth-control pill. Clinical tests of the pill, which used synthetic progesterone and estrogen to repress ovulation in women, were initiated in 1954. On May 9, 1960, the FDA approved the pill, granting greater reproductive freedom to American women.

(Hey, let's not forget American men! "The Pill" — along with abortion — are among the greatests gifts selfish men could ask for.)

Not incidently, thanks to — and prayers for — the good folks who held a Rosary Vigil today at the former Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology (now called the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research) for the twelfth consecutive year.

The Church in Belgium?

I can understand empathy toward immigrants. Some of my best family members are from somewhere else.

I'm not too sure I understand the bishops in Belgium, though.

Am I missing something?

(Thanks to Amy for the link.)

Vatican says "no" to condom use

Here you go.

Related stories:

Ice is cold!

Water is wet!

Gravity makes things fall!

More at eleven.

(Sheesh.)

What's "political" about the words "Choose Life?"

A lady in Wakefield, Massachusetts is trying to garner enough support to enable the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue a license plate with the words "Choose Life" on it.

Three years ago, Nordeen, who opposes abortion, contacted the Florida-based group, Choose Life Inc., that promotes the special plates, sunny yellow with ''Choose Life" written in a child's handwriting above a crayon drawing of two children. If she is successful in bringing them to Massachusetts, she said, she hopes the Registry of Motor Vehicles will allow the same design.

If the Choose Life plates are approved, $12 of the $40 fee would go to the state. The other $28 would go to the groups supported by the Massachusetts Choose Life chapter, headed by Nordeen and her husband, Kenneth, who are the parents of six children. Nordeen said the group would award the money to antiabortion organizations that submitted grant applications, from pregnancy counseling groups to agencies that place children for adoption.

Planned Parenthood has a problem with this.

"Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts believes that state government should not be sanctioning political messages on license plates," Dianne Luby, the group's president and chief executive, said in a written statement.

The plates seem to be doing very well in other states.

Nationally, the plates have raised $5 million for pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and nonprofit adoption agencies. About $4 million came from Florida residents who have chosen the license plate, the country's first, since it became available in 2000, said Russ Amerling, national coordinator of Choose Life Inc.

Helping moms-to-be and their unborn babies...of course Planned Parenthood objects.

Source: The Boston Globe

Update: to find out more about these license plates, go here. Be sure to read it carefully.

Education, work, and the May Day "boycott"

In your neck of the woods you might have felt the impact of Monday's "boycott." I didn't, and I live in an area chock full of immigrants. The immigrants I know — Asians and Latinos for the most part — took it as just another day.

Apparently lots of folks did boycott school and work.

Parenthetical comment warning...

(Duh! You mean to tell me that kids, given a chance, to — with adult kudos, to boot — skip classes for the day would pass on that?)

Anyway, I was pretty impressed by a letter written by a Dedham, Massachusetts lady about the whole thing. I'm reprinting it here, just in case the link to the Boston Globe editorial page doesn't last:

"The two most important keys to success in America are education and work. Without each the immigrant is doomed to remain in the lower socioeconomic levels of American society.

"On Monday hundreds of thousands of immigrants abandoned either work or school to participate in demonstrations for improved status. They made a point of rejecting, for the day, the two things that have made Americans the success they are. I think they're missing an important connection.

"BEVERLY A. CAWLEY, Dedham"

Source: The Boston Globe Editorial Page, May 3, 2006

"Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May"

Happy May!

I know today is the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker — whom I revere! But I couldn't help remembering my grammer school days, when we sang this song as we processed to the statue of Our Lady with flowers. Do you remember this song?

(Ahem...)

Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.

(Then sing along!)

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!

(Next verse, which I didn't remember:)

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh, thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh, thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

(Join in!)

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!

(Another verse...this is good!)

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mary to win.
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.

(C'mon! Don't be shy!)

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!

(One more verse!)

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As pure as the lilies
We lay at they feet.

(Everybody SING!)

O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!

Well, I enjoyed this...I hope you did, too. Thanks!

Oh, Mary conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Catholic hierarchy kills people: James Carroll

Former Catholic priest and muddled media darling James Carroll accuses the Catholic Church (that would include me) of murder.

"For more than 20 years, the hierarchy's rejection of condom use has been killing people. Even were the Vatican to change its position now -- and pray it does -- Catholics must still reckon with that betrayal. "

Here's the entire piece of trash.

Most of Carroll's tripe wouldn't bother me, except for the way he keeps referring to himself as a "Catholic" spokesman. He may be Catholic (that's up for debate) but his the way he demonstrates his knowledge of Catholic doctrine makes my Lutheran niece look like an ace Canon lawyer.

"Yet as a Catholic [?] I respond to this news with complicated feelings. It is one thing to toss out the doctrine of Limbo, say, or to drop regulations about abstaining from meat on Friday. The issue raised here is graver."

First of all, "Limbo" was never a doctrine. Ask then Cardinal Ratzinger who said back in 1984 that Limbo had "never been a definitive truth of the faith."

Second, nobody every "dropped the regulations about abstaining from meat on Friday." We're all required to do penance every Friday. One way is abstinence from meat.

And speaking of "abstinence..."

Let me repeat: abstaining from sexual relations with an AIDS/HIV person is a real good way to protect yourself.

Could, perhaps, someone in the "murderous hierarchy" care to publicly point this out to Mister Carroll and his readers?

Thank you.

Condoms "are acceptable" say most UK Catholic priests

Two-thirds of Roman Catholic priests in England and Wales believe that the use of condoms could be acceptable.

This isn't good.

In a survey of clergy conducted by The Sunday Telegraph, 65 per cent of those questioned said that they thought it morally defensible to use condoms in order to curb the spread of HIV.

This is worse.

A further 43 per cent said that it was time for the Catholic Church to "rethink" its stance on contraception.

What's next? That we should "rethink" our stance on abortion? On murder?

How about stealing, adultery, lying...after all, each could be seen, albeit twistedly, as "morally defensible."

"I robbed a bank to fund an orphanage." "I killed some orphans to make room for some poorer orphans." "I slept with another guy to help the orphanage (he's rich). "Then I lied about it to save my marriage." And so on.

Sheesh.

This is good! This is hopeful!

Pro-life lady Gianna Beretta Molla was canonized just two years ago. Yesterday (April 28) was her memorial.

Ask her to intercede. Because her prayers — and yours and mine! — are needed.

Thanks!

(Source for UK survey)

New (to me) blog!

I mentioned, in my last post, The Digital Hairshirt. Very nice blog!

"...the musings, rantings, postings, and self-help psychiatric sessions of a devout Roman Catholic lawyer who likes matters of faith, family law, digital photography, and creating alternative realities in Adobe Photoshop."

Go say hello! The pictures alone are worth the price of admission!

Death Roe

Thanks to The Digital Hairshirt, who got it from Amy, for this site.

Born after January 22, 1973? You're a Death Roe survivor.

Born before? Doesn't matter...you really should check this out.

Breaking news: God is "nonjudgmental"

I can't imagine what South African Bishop Kevin Dowling must go through in ministering to a population rife with AIDS sufferers.

However, I also can't imagine where he's coming from with this statement regarding his notion of a change of the Church's teaching on the use of condoms. (Which are contraceptives. Which prevent conception. Which interfere with LIFE.)

"You should come up with a position which makes sense and which is in sync with the values we espouse, a nonjudgmental God and the infinite worth of a human being," Dowling said. "Moral injunctions do not help people. I think all this calls for a rethink and the acceptance of an authentic pro-life stance. The issue becomes: How do you protect life in this pandemic?"

:::::::waving hand wildly:::::::::

I know! How about...abstinence?

More on that in a sec.

My question is, where does Bishop Dowling get the idea that God is "nonjudgmental?" A seductive thought, but not true. At least, the last time I recited the Apostles' Creed — that would be today — I could swear I heard others, not just me, confess:

"He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead."

Moral injunctions do not help people? Odd. I somehow thought the commandments handed down to us by God through Moses were moral injunctions designed by our Creator to...help people.

Oh yeah. About abstinence.

Bishop Dowling:

"Abstinence is fine as an ideal, but it does not work in all circumstances," he added. "We have to try a more holistic approach, a theology and possibility for people to encounter God right within their situation."

Fancy that. Abstinence doesn't work in all circumstances! The sheep shouldn't be called upon to lead the shepherd, but this lamb has a bit of news for the bishop:

Abstinence works just fine in preventing AIDS, aside from the non-sexual transmission of the virus, e.g., tainted blood transfusions. And in the latter case, I'm afraid a condom wouldn't do much good.

Please pray for those people and their families suffering from this hideous disease...and for no doubt well-intentioned but severely misguided bishops.

Source: The Washington Post

Christos Anesti!

Alithos Anesti!

Forgive my tardiness in this...(and any misspellings)

To my Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ: Kalo Pashcha!

Divine Mercy, Divine Judgment

I learned something very important today about sin. It's deadly.

"No kidding, Kelly!"

Wait. I don't mean what we — or at least I — consider grevious or mortal sin. I mean any sin.

Lemme explain, or at least try to.

Today, Exposition and the Divine Mercy Chaplet preceded Mass. Now, it'd been about a week since my last Confession, and, as far as I could remember, I hadn't done anything awful.

But as I began to lose myself in adoration, something I did today began niggling at me. I tried to shake it off, but nothing doing. God, evidently, wasn't having any. At the conclusion of the chaplet and Benediction, I realized I had about 25 minutes before Mass began. There were still a few priests waiting to hear confessions. Plenty of time, I decided, to confess my one, itty-bitty sin, pray the expected Hail Mary or two, and get a decent seat for Mass.

My confession lasted maybe 30 seconds, tops.

My penance? A Rosary.

The priest, without mincing words, told me to immediately pray the five Glorious Mysteries after making my Act of Contrition. Dazed, I walked into the Blessed Sacrament chapel and began to pray.

An amazing thing happened as I ended the first decade and began the second.

While contemplating the Ascension of Jesus, the sorrow for my sin began to build. I threw myself upon His mercy, and that of the Holy Spirit as I began the third mystery. As I reflected on the Assumption and Queenship of Our Lady, I found myself begging for her intercession...and begging the Triune God for the grace to never commit that sin again.

By the time I'd finished my penance, I knew I was forgiven. I also knew that God had changed me...that He'd shown me that what I'd considered a "minor infraction" wasn't minor at all. It was a sin.

And sin is deadly.

God's love is everlasting. His mercy endures forever. But — as Bishop Allue reminded us in his sermon — the judgment of Jesus is just.

Do you think the unexpected penance had anything to do with this revelation?

I do. Oh, I know that I'd have been forgiven for my sin no matter how small my penance had been. But I somehow don't think my sorrow would have been as profound...nor do I think I would have begged so fervently for the grace to renounce that particular sin. (Which I realize now is — please God, had been — a fairly habitual one.)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good"

And His Love is everlasting. Once again He proved this to me today...by reminding me of something important Saint John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote in today's second reading:

"For the love of God is this,
that we keep His commandments."

Thanks a million to the Curt Jester

Jeff Miller's blog, the Curt Jester, reached a million hits yesterday. A one-time atheist, Jeff embraced Catholicism big time and was received into the Church on Easter, 1999. His conversion story, "The Soul Is Not Just Metaphysical Idea," is well worth the read. As are his everyday musings and observations.

The guy cracks me up!

Boston archdiocese initiates "conversation" with the Boston Globe

It made the front page.

The conversation, which was initiated by the archdiocese in an effort to improve communications with the general public through the news media, marked the first time a Catholic archbishop has visited the Globe since 1997. O'Malley said he saw such outreach as part of his job as archbishop of Boston, a post he has held since the summer of 2003.

''I think that a newspaper has a very special responsibility and an opportunity to help build community and to bring people together, to inform them, mostly to encourage positive initiatives," O'Malley said. ''And so, we do want to be in communication with the Globe and the rest of the Boston media."

I wonder when the Boston Herald gets its chance.

"It is challenging [said the Cardinal] to teach in this environment, but this is a very important environment for the church to be involved in teaching in. Here we have so many intellectual centers, this is the Athens of the West, and they say that St. Paul's most eloquent sermon was given in Athens and it's the one that had the least impact," he said, chuckling.

I wish I felt like laughing.

I wish, really, I knew what to make of this performance. I read the transcript, several times, and still don't quite get it. That, I'm more than ready to admit, has more to do with my ignorance than anything else. Feel free to comment...here's the transcript.

More imporant? Feel free to pray!

Thanks!

What a gift I received today!

Just before the 4:45 Mass at Saint Francis Chapel, I noticed that the (very tall) Easter candle hadn't been lit. Realizing that the only priest on the premises — and, no doubt, the celebrant — was a very young-but-elderly priest (you know what I mean), I murmured to a friend that somebody should light the Paschal Candle for him.

Quick as a wink, my friend scurried up toward the candle and grabbed that thing that's a combination of snuffer and lighter (what's that thing called, anyway?), just as the priest entered the sanctuary.

A whispered conference — which everybody heard — ensued.

Priest: "This thing doesn't work."
Friend: "We'll make it work."
Priest: "Okay."

A few minutes later...

After discovering that the...thing, after several failed attempts to light the candle, indeed, did not work, priest and friend decided (rather sensibly, in my opinion) to remove the candle from its holder, thereby eliminating the need for the whatever it is.

(I'm not kidding...what do you call that thing that lights tall candles and, when turned around, extinguishes them?)

Problem. The candle was stuck fast in the holder.

By this time, were I in charge, I would've frankly skipped the Paschal Candle lighting altogether. But priest, friend, and a fellow worshipper were of a different mind.

"Lower the candle!"

Somebody in the congregation suggested this, and it worked. Priest and friend gently grabbed the candle holder and lowered it about 90 degrees. From that vantage point, it was relatively easy to light the candle, and then carefully return it to its original position.

(A nearly ecstatic sigh wafted from the congregation at this point.)

And so, Mass was to begin.

As is customary, the priest, after making the Sign of the Cross, announced the intention for today's Mass.

"This Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for..."

And, incredibly, I heard MY NAME!!!

Not just "Kelly Clark," but my whole name ("Kelly Clark" is just two thirds of my real name...this announcement contained the whole thing!)

I was stunned! Somebody — and I have no idea who – took the trouble to give me the most precious gift...a Mass offered for ME!

I'm still stunned. And grateful beyond words.

Long, long, time ago, Cardinal Law told me that a Mass offered for someone is "a gift beyond price." Since then, I've been delighted to arrange for Masses to be celebrated for people as gifts.

But heck, I always send a card notifying the recipient! (I'm nothing if not an eager-to-receive-thanks sort.)

This gift came as a complete surprise and, although the giver is unknown, believe me...he or she is the recipient of my prayers. I don't know if this is theologically possible or not — I'm just a lady in the pew — but I offered my Mass today to the one who arranged the Sacrifice to be offered for me. (Does this make any sense to you at all? It does to me.)

With God, all things are possible.

So I'm asking you. In your prayers, would you ask God to remember that person who arranged for a Mass to be said for me? He'll know who you're talking about.

Thanks!

How to make lay distributors of Communion earn their keep

Okay, so yesterday I was annoyed as bleep. But I think I've got a good idea out of the whole thing. Especially realizing I'm never going to win most folks, including pastors, over to the "Extraordinary-Ministers-of-Holy-Communion-Should-Be-An Extraordinary Sight" point of view.

While visiting someone at the hospital yesterday, I met a woman...

Her son was hospitalized with a brain tumor. She — at 80 years old — had flown to Boston from South Dakota to be with her son, along with her husband who is suffering from cancer. The couple are staying at their son's apartment, which is near the hospital. She attends Mass at her son's parish.

She explained that while she was grateful that her hospitalized son was able to receive Communion (from the overworked folks in the chaplaincy), she'd been trying, vainly, to have the Sacrament brought to her invalid husband on Sundays. (Did I mention he has cancer?)

The priest was too busy...

Which she — and I — understood. But when I asked her if she'd considered approaching any of the lay people who distributed Communion at Sunday Mass, the lady looked rather sad.

"They're all too busy, too."

Probing further — is it just me or are South Dakota folk a taciturn lot? — I finally ascertained that the parish where she attended Sunday Mass boasted at least eight lay distributors of Holy Communion. At least eight! And all of them were "too busy" to travel a half block or so to bring the Blessed Sacrament to a sick man?

I think not. So here's my suggestion.

In addition to (dare I say in repayment for?) the gratitude many parish priests tend to vocally express to our "wonderful ministers of Holy Communion" at the end of Mass, I propose that these folks be given the names of those people in the parish who are unable to attend Mass, and to be charged with the responsibility of bringing the Sacrament to them. It would be a privilege for them!

I know that some parishes already do this.

My proposal is that all parishes who insist on utilizing lay people to supplement (notice I didn't write "supplant") ordinary ministers of Holy Communion (that would be priests and deacons) do it. Quietly. With no fanfare. And no gratitude expressed, save for that of the communicant...and of Jesus.

Please keep this courageous family in your prayers. Thanks!

Happy Anniversary, Papa!

"Take away the Pope and the Catholic Church would no longer be catholic. Moreover, without the supreme, effective and authoritative pastoral office of Peter the unity of Christ's Church would collapse. It would be vain to look for other principles of unity in place of the true one established by Christ Himself...We would add that this cardinal principle of holy Church is not a supremacy of spiritual pride and a desire to dominate mankind, but a primacy of service, ministration and love. It is no vapid rhetoric which confers on Christ's vicar the title `Servant of the servants of God.'"

Pope Paul VI, "Ecclesiam Suam"

The above, to me, quite aptly applies to the papacy of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI.

It's been a year! Do you remember what you were doing when the shout "Habemus Papam!" rang out?

Holier than moi

Maybe it was began yesterday, when I prayed for the third day's intention of the Divine Mercy Novena: "For all devout and faithful souls." It seemed to me that the prayer was meant to be for — well, for those who were praying the Novena!

"Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It." [my emphasis]

"Us?" What's with this "us?" I'm not holy nor am I "devout." I try to be faithful, but too often I fail utterly. Anyway, today I realized — and accepted — a somewhat hard to swallow fact.

Every person I know is holier than I am.

Today, after the Rosary which we pray after Mass, a man approached me (please pray for him...and thank God too, because he was brought into full Communion with the Church this Easter!) and said the most astonishing thing:

"You pray with such holiness."

Let me explain.

The way we pray the Rosary is this: five different people, and they vary, lead each decade. The man who coordinates the whole thing opens the Rosary, and, after the fifth decade, leads everybody in the "Hail Holy Queen" and "Saint Michael" prayers. My job — when I'm there — is to start the closing prayers, and to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, the Archdiocese of Boston, and the Cardinal Archbishop. That's it.

The man's comments made me squirm.

I know that they were well meant, but I felt like a fraud. Holy? Balderdash. This man — no doubt because he's a holy guy — mistakenly assumed that the fact that I've got a reasonably pleasant voice (and know all the words) somehow implied piety.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Everybody I know — and this certainly includes those who aren't Catholic, those who are Catholic but don't practice the Faith, those people who, for reasons of their own, dislike me intensely, and many atheists — is a holier person than I am.

And you know...that's why I hang out with them!

Tennis, anyone?

I'm miserable at the game, myself, but friends who are good all advise the same thing: if you want to improve your game, always play with people who are better at it that you are.

I realized tonight that the fact that I'm the least holy person I know isn't an altogether bad thing.

Oh, it's bad that I'm not holy, of course.

But at least I play, and live, with those who are far better at this holiness business than I am.

And because of that — and, of course, because of the help of the Risen Christ — there's hope for me yet!

Pray for me. I pray for you every day.

Thanks!

Alleluia!

He has risen!

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice!

Happy Easter to you!

(And a happy birthday to the Holy Father, too!)

The Longest Day

Today I did what I usually do on Holy Saturday...tromp around the city, looking into Catholic Churches.

Even if people are there, they are empty.

He isn't there. There is no Sacrifice this day...there is no Eucharist.

This is the longest day of the year.

"Fishers of Men:" the perfect Easter gift for a priest

I watched, again, the film "Fishers of Men," appropriately enough today, the anniversary of the first ordination...the first Eucharist.

Once again, I was astounded and moved by this salute to one of the most precious of all God's gifts — that of the priesthood. Only seventeen and a half minutes long, the impression it makes is timeless.

No spoilers, but some quotes:

"It's the priest who brings the soul home to God."

"It's not natural to be a priest. It's supernatural!"

"Every priest gives his priesthood — and his victimhood — to the Blessed Mother."

"You have to be a real man to become a priest."

The message is clear. The message must get out.

But how? So many of us are in parish situations that have become so feminized that even a powerful tool like "Fishers of Men" seems destined to remain in its DVD case. Who should see this film, experience this film?

The producer offered an idea:

"Show it to any priest you can."

He continued: "It is our hope and objective that it will renew his priesthood, as well as motivate other young men to consider the call."

Here's what I'm asking you to do:

Buy "Fishers of Men." Watch it. (You deserve to...you're paying for it!) Then, give it to a priest.

And pray. Pray for the priest you give it to. Pray for young men to answer the call.

And pray that current and future priests receive the grace to shepherd as Jesus did.

The Catholic priest gives up his life for Christ, in Persona Christi. And, as one priest warmly testified: "It's worth it all!"

It's certainly worth twenty bucks. Go here for the trailer and for purchasing information.

Thank you!

Divine Mercy Novena

A blessed Triduum to you!

Just a reminder...please plan to begin the Divine Mercy Novena tomorrow. The Novena begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter).

Each day, petitioners bring to the Lord different souls. Tomorrow, for example, we pray for "all mankind, especially sinners." (This particular intention shows that I have a vested interest in folks participating in the Novena!)

See this site for the Novena prayers...it also contains a link to the Divine Mercy Chaplet which is prayed in conjunction with the Novena.

Thank you!

Confesssion and confessors: strange priests before you?

Dom's hosting an interesting discussion on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, noting an article that seems to say that, contrary to common wisdom, people are taking advantage of this wonderful gift.

He adds something I found interesting:

I know lots of people who don’t go to confession at their home parish. For some, it’s because the times are inconvenient, but for many it’s because they don’t want Father to know their sins. As fewer and fewer people go to confession, it’s easier for the priests to recognize the individuals, I think.

Me, I prefer if possible to confess to a priest who knows me...for a number of reasons. Number One being, my confessors, simply because they know me, can, I believe, discern the relative seriousness of my sins. Too, they can offer (I think, anyway) pertinent guidance in avoiding occasions of sin, along with the best part, absolution.

The fact that any given priest knows me — is perhaps even a friend of sorts — has never bothered me. I truly believe that he (whoever he is) sees me as a soul to be saved, not Kelly Clark Who Commits Such Sins Sheesh.

As we're in the midst of Holy Week, when confessions (please God) increase, I think this is an interesting topic. So I'm wondering...would you rather confess your sins to Jesus via a priest who knows you or doesn't? Or does it matter?

Hey, as long as I've got you here, please know that you are in my prayers for a blessed Holy Week and a spectacular Easter.

Thanks!

One knee or two?

I'm extraordinarily blessed with the opportunity to spend time adoring Jesus in the exposed Sacrament during the week at Saint Francis Chapel, Boston. Exposition begins following the 12:45 PM Mass, and continues until Benediction at 4:30, just prior to the 4:45 PM Mass.

Upon entering the chapel, I genuflect, kneel in a pew and pray until the priest comes out for the Benediction rites.

Today I'm afraid my eyes wandered...

And — as in the past — I was struck by the beautiful way many worshippers greeted the Exposed Sacrament. They kneel — not just genuflect — and bow for a few seconds before rising and slipping into their pews.

Which do you do...genuflect or kneel? The question really intrigues me.

Thanks!

VOTF(tm) redefines Christ

Funny how just yesterday I blogged on "secular humanism" and called it an oxymoron.

On that note — the moronic one — I give you:

::::::::::drum roll ::::::::::::::

Voice of the Faithful(tm) and its amazingly dumb
"Palm Sunday Vigil for Accountability."

We start, of course, by denying the Divinity of Christ. And put a woman in charge.

"Through dialogue, a foreign woman, moves Christ to change his mind. Her faith opens his heart and mind. Because of her, Christ sees his mission in entirely new terms."

Not content with Sunday's readings, the group takes a truly wonderful piece of the Gospel of Matthew (15:27)...and totally misconstrues it.

Distorting the message further with a bit of character analysis, we proceed.

The Canaanite Women…faithful, persistent, not one of the chosen.
Jesus…open to change
Disciples…protective of Jesus, why?

Then we do our best to totally mangle Salvation History.

Early on in Matthew's [sic] Jesus sees his mission to the Jews alone. But the woman persists and her arguments about the crumbs of Jesus' teaching that have fed her, change Jesus's [sic] outlook.

Who's the hero in this peversion?

Certainly not Jesus. He's "open to change," ostensibly by the persistence of The Woman. They took an incredibly beautiful part of God's Divine Word, for Heaven's sake, and tried to portray Jesus as a girly-guy!

Certainly not the evil, "protective disciples."

Ah...the heroines (modestly) reveal themselves:

VOTF must act out of our combined faithfulness. Then conversion can occur. When we come up against those who will not dialogue, are surrounded by protective disciples, think of the Canaanite woman. Persistence in faith. In this passage, Jesus is revealed as open to change, and being greatly affected by faithfulness.

Listen, o' "Faithful Ones."

1.) Jesus Christ is God. He is not "subject to change."

2.) From Genesis (that's the first Book in the Bible...you really outta check it out sometime) on, it is clear that the Messiah (that would be Jesus) was always to be the Savior of all nations...not just the Jews.

3.) Kindly stop trying to rewrite Salvation History...or at least wait until you've read about it to give it a go!

If you think I'm making this all up, I don't blame you. Here's the source.

Please pray for these people. Thank you.

Secular humanism smashes self

"Secular humanism," as you know, is the philosophy that advocates human, rather than religious values.

Leaving that (in my opinion) oxymoronic definition aside, let's look at both today's Gospel (John 8:51-59) and the often held secular humanistic view that Jesus, (if He even existed) was, while certainly not divine, certainly was, for want of a better description, "a good guy."

After all, He (sorry, "he") was all for loving your neighbor, clothing the naked, feeding the poor, healing the sick, and all that good stuff. Miracles? Ah, well, they were reported by his fans, misguided folk that they were. Still and all, Jesus (if he existed) was, all in all, a nice guy. A humanist.

One problem with this. Jesus claimed to be God. (And God is Divine.)

"Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

So. Jesus was (is):

A.) A liar
B.) Insane
C.) God

There is no other explanation for His (His!) extraordinary statement.

In today's sermon, the priest suggested something I believe to be well worth contemplating. As we near the days when we remember the utter humiliation, agony, and human misery of Jesus, let us concentrate on the fact that this Man is, was, and ever will be...God.

May He continue to bless you.

Mister Ed and Jeff Jacoby. (And me, in a way)

Mister Ed cracks me up. (You can watch his show on TV Land...check local listings.)

But what I really like about the show is this part of the theme song:

"People yakkity yak a streak and waste your time of day
"But Mister Ed will never speak unless he has something to say."

In today's Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby puts what I feeling about blogging and punditry in general into words. The column — "Hold that Opinion" — is worth reading.

(In my opinion.)

Here's a job for Saint Jude!

As you know, Saint Jude is the patron of seemingly hopeless causes. Prayerful devotions to Saint Jude are, traditionally, made on Thursdays. I don't know why.

I do know something, though. Saint Jude is being abused and has been for a long time.

Here's a good thing.

Saint Jude can be a power ally when we mortals are faced with what we mortals perceive as "hopeless and desperate cases." Nothing is "hopeless or desperate" to God, but the Lord understands that we're not divine and has been good enough to give us a saintly friend to support us when we believe we are in an impossible situation. That's good.

Here's a bad thing.

I don't know about you, but probably once or twice a month, at least, I find a bunch of xeroxed copies of a prayer to Saint Jude in a church. Nothing wrong with that...until one starts to read the "prayer."

It ends with an "instruction" to the praying person. And it's not good.

The language varies, but the gist is always the same. The petitioner is generally instructed to make a novena to Saint Jude using the scripted prayer. That's not bad. What's bad is that, following the novena instruction, the reader is told to make X amount of copies of the prayer, distribute X amount of copies to X amount of churches, and do any number of weird things in addition, from "making a wish" to repeating some mantra X amount of times.

I fully expect, one day, to read that one must also, in order to "receive Saint Jude's attention," do the hokey-pokey and wave around a dead chicken in one's back yard.

Stop with the superstition!

Awhile back, I bemoaned the existence of "chain e-mail letters." This abuse of Saint Jude falls under the same category: idolatry.

If you find yourself in an impossible situtation, by all means, do ask the good Saint for his intercession. But keep it to yourself! And never mind the extraneous nonsense.

If you find a stack of "prayers" to Saint Jude with instructions similar to what I've described above, toss them. Do pray for the misguided person who left them there.

And ask Saint Jude to stop the superstition being perpetuated in his name. Sheesh, it seems like a hopeless cause to me!

Do you know where your Poor Box is?

I'm in the middle of reading a mystery novel...

(parenthetical comment: this is one reason why I don't post a list of "What I'm Reading Now")

...and one of the bad guys just got away with stealing from the Poor Box of a Catholic church.

It made me remember...

[insert Memory Harp Sound Effect Here]

...when I was a kid. The Poor Box was rather a big deal, especially during Lent, but actually all through the year. We were — I guess "trained" is the right word — not to leave the church without putting some money into the Box. As a little kid, this usually meant dimes and quarters. As I grew older, the expected contribution was in the form of the foldable currency type.

My parish church has a Poor Box...sorta.

It's actually a long, skinny, tubular-shaped affair, with a slit on top that might accommodate a half-dollar, if half-dollars are still even in currency. Nothing about it stands out in any way. In fact, I probably pass by it most of the time without even noticing it. Nobody talks about it. A visitor wouldn't even see it.

Does your parish have a Poor Box?

If so, do you know if it attracts donations? Is it in a prominent place? Is it mentioned in your bulletin, or from the pulpit?

Do you know how the money it receives is allocated?

Thanks.

Karol Wojtyla

Ioannes Paulus PP. II
16.X.1978 - 2.IV.2005

Remember him.

April 1 Public Service Announcement!

The lady in the pew is happy to make this public service announcement on Saturday, April 1, 2006:

SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK!!!! YOU GET AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP TOMORROW!!!!

Thank you. And remember: "Spring back, Fall ahead."