Mary of the Gael

February 1 is the feast of St. Brigid of Kildare, Ireland (†524):
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"Known as the Mary of the Gael, Brigid along with Patrick & Columban are the patron saints of Ireland. The daughter of a pagan Irish chief & Christian mother, she founded a commune in Kildare, which grew into a well-respected Abbey from which Irish missionaries were sent abroad to evangelize... She was known for her purity, compassion, & charity amidst a barbaric, pagan world."
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On my weekend visit to Dublin several years ago, I really, really wanted to make a pilgrimage to Kildare to visit St. Brigid's well, but was not able to. I was glad to find her well-represented in Dublin, however. I could show you a jillion photos from my trip, but here are just a few from ChristChurch (now-Anglican) cathedral (click on photos to enlarge):

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This Norman-style church is quite old & extraordinarilly beautiful & well-preserved. One can only image how beautiful the Holy Mass would have been in ages past at the glorious high altar behind the rood screen. The windows were exquisite, too. I could have spent an hour pondering both artistry of the glass & the Mystery presented in each one.

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I took a stairwell that was off the beaten tourist path & found this jewel of a window presenting the 7 Isaian spiritual gifts of Wisdom, knowledge, fortitude, counsel, understanding, piety, & Fear of the Lord:

Though I did not find St. Brigid's well, my trip was quite a pilgrimage nonetheless. Without knowing why, I have a great spiritual attachment to St. Brigid. May her example & intercession guide us all safely to the end of our earthly pigrimage. St. Brigid, ora pro nobis.

The English Catholic Church

High Church Anglicans & Episcopalians - those who have retained a substantial bit of vestigiae ecclesia of their Catholic patrimony, as opposed to Low Church who are more evangelical - have long described themselves as the meeting point between Protestants & Catholics. Also, they often described themselves as the Catholic Church in England. That was Henry's premise, anyway.

However, Henry's scheme neglected one essential ingredient, which I discussed in yesterday's post: visible union with the See of Peter in the form of acknowledgment of the pope's Christ-instuted role as his Vicar on earth & submission to his will. Repeat: & submission to his will. So, it only takes a couple of logical steps until these ideas of meeting points & churches-in-location all fall apart. It all comes down to authority.

So.... as a card-carrying member of the American Friends of Westminster Cathedral (no, not the Abbey), I nearly fell off my bar stool when I read this. No, really - go there & read that!

I 've longed prayed for the re-conversion of England, & thought God had everything in hand, since Eastern European immigrants have pushed Sunday church attendance for Catholics beyond that of Anglicans.

This just goes to show how great is our God! The TAC is variously estimated to be between 400,000 & 500,000 members, & if this move comes to pass - please, God - then it will surely prompt the consciouses of many others who reseek unity with the Truth & the fullness of the Faith.

These photos are of the Catholic Cathedral in its glorious Byzantine style. The book Christ holds says: Ego sum ostium. Per me si quis introierit, salvabitur, or, I am the gate. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. - John 10:9

The Word of God

Last night, I re-read the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: Dei Verbum (The Word of God). All 16 of the council documents are available on the Vatican website (see here).

Have you read Dei Verbum? It's pretty short; you can read it all in one sitting. Any impressions about it? How does your approach & practice regarding Sacred Tradition & Sacred Scripture - & the Magisterium that protects & interprets both - match up to the propositions held forth in this Spirit-inspired document?

BTW, you may be surprised to learn that all 16 documents are available in Swahili, & an increasing number are available in Chinese.

Important Poll

Please take the poll on the right.

The reults may be critical to the survival of Western civilization & mankind's continued existence on this planet as a whole.

'Preciatecha.

The Media Fog

My fellow religious ed teacher Mrs. Irene recently told me about a man who was driving up & down her street in a car laden with signs exhorting, "No hope in the Pope!"

When you get right down to it, the dividing line between Catholic & Protestant or Orthodox Christans - & on a larger scale the Catholic Church & the world - is the question of authority. Who has the authority to solemnly declare & define truths & how those truths play out in the lives of men. Catholics hold that the pope in his office as Vicar of Christ on earth has this power. Everyone else says it's up to everyone else (It's particularly sad when people inside the Church seize on this line of reasoning, but especially priests. No one deserves to be slapped upside their nappy heads more than clerics who engage in anti-clericalism. Ah, but I digress...).

To borrow an idea from Chesterton, when Luther rejected the idea of an infallible Pope, he ordained every man an infallible pope.

And this idea is in such stark contrast to the world's ideas of authority & moral judgments, that the Church specifically or Christianity in general only make the news when they can be parodied & ridiculed or show to be false prophets & hypocrites according to the media's own version of "the way things should be."

So, I should be neither angry or upset that a horrible piece of reporting aired on NPR this morning. Perhaps no entities on earth are more contrary in their world views than NPR & the Church. A large collection of mostly separate issues were woven together in a tapestry designed to cloud & confuse those issues rather than bring enlightenment to them. Truly, and I mean it, truly one of the worst articles I've ever come across. It's not only bad, it's bad for you.

Is it about the lifting of the excommunications of the SSPX bishops? Is it about the recent re-emergence of a more Tradition- & traditional-minded Church? Antisemitism? Catholic-Jewish relations? Is it about debilitated theologians? The role of Pope in the Church? Is it about a shrinking, more faithful Church? Celibate clergy? Well, it's all mentioned or alluded to, but none of these topics are made any clearer after being mentioned. Rather, they turn into a formless fog.

And the color of that fog is essentially, "Hey, Catholics! Don't listen to that Pope guy. Don't let him tell you what to do & what to believe. Get with the times - this is a brave new world! That religion stuff is all garbage. What is truth? It's all subjective anyway, so just do what you want to do. Better yet, listen to us - we'll tell you what to believe."

One should not be surprised that Benedict is as concerned with unity within the Church as much relations with groups outside the Church. That's one of the primary roles of the papacy - to ensure the unity of the Church. The SSPX doesn't have the same size following in the U.S. as it does in Europe, but I'd say the pope is concerned far more about the souls of that particular flock of faithful than distressing over the negative reactions of the media or other religious groups.

Here's a news flash: the world & its spokesmen will never "get" the One True Church founded by Christ Jesus upon the rock of Peter, & upon which the gates of hell will never prevail.

Personally, I know of nothing else on earth in which I can assuredly place my hope.

Some days...

you just feel like staying in.

7 Deadly Sins

Holy Mother Church knows more about human nature, its needs, desires, & pitfalls than a whole Neyland Stadium full of Oprah's & Dr. Phil's. Though one may not have heard much about them from the pulpit lately, the Church has long held - & continues to hold - that these particular 7 vices are the seeds from which all other sins sprout.
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Making posters for my religious ed classroom (or any other form of sacred art) is a spiritual exercise. My task was simpy to list in a hopefully engaging manner the 7 captial sins. What happened, though, is that I began considering how those seeds may have taken root in my life & what bitter fruit they may have yielded.

It also caused me to think of the ways in which the grace offered to me by Christ Jesus through the Faith, liturgy, & sacraments of his Church have helped me to overcome & leave many of these behind - to be able to choose joy instead of despair, freedom instead of slavery, life instead of death.

True Power

Whilst wondering what I might post today - maybe something about Friday penance - my friend Dave forwarded a quote & commentary on Bl. Mother Teresa from some new-agey site. Below is text of the posted article, but EWTN has the entire text of the address:

...Mother Teresa Has Anti-Abortion Answer At a National Prayer Breakfast in Washington Feb. 3, Mother Teresa of Calcutta delivered the most startling and bold proclamation of truth to power I have heard in my more than 30 professional years in Washington. Before an audience of 3,000 - that included the president and his wife, the vice president and his wife and congressional leaders, among others - the 83-year old nun, who is physically frail but spiritually and rhetorically powerful, delivered an address that cut to the heart of the social ills afflicting America.

...She said that America, once known for generosity to the world, has become selfish. And she said that the greatest proof of that selfishness is abortion. Tying abortion to growing violence and murder in the streets, she said, "If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill each other? . . . Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want."

...At that line, most of those in attendance erupted in a standing ovation, something that rarely occurs at these sedate events. At that moment, President Clinton quickly reached for his water glass, and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore stared without expression at Mother Teresa. They did not applaud. It was clearly an uncomfortable moment on the dais.

...She then delivered the knockout punch: "Many people are very, very concerned with children in India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about all the violence in this great country of the United States. "These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions who are being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today - abortion, which brings people to such blindness."

...What? Abortion destroys peace and causes blindness toward the sick, the hungry and the naked? Abortion leads to wars between nations? Of course it does, if life is regarded so lightly and its disposal becomes so trivial, so clinical and so easy. Why should people or nations regard human life as noble or dignified if abortion flourishes? Why agonize about indiscriminate death in Bosnia when babies are being killed far more efficiently and out of the sight of television cameras?

...Mother Teresa delivered her address without rhetorical flourishes. She never raised her voice or pounded the lectern. Her power was in her words and the selfless life she has led. Even President Clinton, in his remarks that followed, acknowledged she was beyond criticism because of the life she has lived in service to others. At the end, she pleaded for pregnant women who don't want their children to give them to her: "I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child." She said she has placed over 3,000 children in adoptive homes from her Calcutta headquarters alone. She has answered the question, "Who will care for all of these babies if abortion is again outlawed?"

...Now the question is whether a woman contemplating abortion wishes to be selfish or selfless, to take life or to give life.

St. Agnes Day follow-up...

As a follow-up to yesterday's posting...

Thomas Peters has a feature on his awesome blog American Papist called Papist Picture of the Day. In the comment box of this photo someone wrote:

"I said I wanted an ANGUS burger, not an AGNUS burger!"

I snorted out loud. Brilliant!

Soul Polishing Reprise

I just don't want this to fall away...

Caeli ennarant gloria Dei

Another beautiful sunrise this morning! As a natural sign of the goodness of God, I am always amazed at the glory displayed in the rising sun. No one paints better than God.

Also, the snow-dusted mountains display their own chilled beauty...
While the sun & mountains have figured in man's quest for religious truth throughout all human history, we can be especially grateful that God doesn't just leave us simply with the knowledge that he exists, but rather that he comes to us to draw us into his divine beauty.

Psalm 19 comes to mind. Deo gratias!

Dei Verbum

St. John Neumann parish in Farragut, Tennessee is a bit famous locally for taking on extaordinary projects (see here), so it shouldn't surprise us that they have undertaken the public reading of the entire Bible (yes, ALL of it!).

Take a look at their web site for information on reading or listening (see here).

Behold the Lamb

Today is the feast day of St. Agnes:
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St. Agnes (†304) – Jan 21
Only 12 years old at the time or her martyrdom, Agnes (“chaste” in Greek, “lamb” in Latin) was pursued by suitors for marriage; but when she refused, she was turned over to the authorities as a Christian & executed. The shock of Roman citizens over her death helped bring an end to the persecutions. Her holiness was so highly regarded that Constantine’s daughter built a church over her grave, which still stands today. She is the protector of girls.

Today is also the day that the pope blesses the lambs who will be sheared to make the next archbishop's palliums (see here).

Fr. Z has a very in-depth piece on the relics of this young saint & their history (see here).
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St. Agnes, ora pro nobis!

Book Review: Advent & Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen

I haven't written a book, but I imagine that it's quite a lot like birthing & raising a child. You conceive it & labor to bring it into the world, hoping one day it will find a happy & gratifying relationship with a loved one, & take care of you in your old age.

I say this to acknowledge the effort that must be poured into a project like this. With all that said, I was disappointed with this beautifully produced prayer book by Judy Bauer & Liguori press.

While one might think that any book featuring America's great TV preacher would score an automatic home run with me (see here), & even more so with a William Adolf Bougereau painting on the cover; honestly, I just found it a little too brief to be useful.

The scripture passages, excerpts from Abp. Sheen's works, & concluding prayers are really too short to draw one in or connect the elements together into a single prayerful act as it should. Some days were very good, but others left me going, "huh?" At least for what I was looking for, it lacked depth & cohesiveness.

In the final analysis, I read every page of the Magnificat through the holidays, but the truth is, I didn't finish this book.

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H.E. Rating:

2-1/2 Asperigellum shakes

Shot through, but still going...

Today is the memorial of St. Sebastian, one from whom we can all take a lesson, especially when all those striving to hold the Faith are shot through with the slings & arrows of outrageous fortunes. Perhaps it's more than a bit appropriate that his feast day falls on this inauguration day. Here's a small article I wrote for the bulletin:

St. Sebastian (†288) – Jan 20
Sebastian was an officer in the Roman army & secretly a Christian. He used his position to help the oppressed Church, but when his faith in Christ was discovered, he was put to death. Legend says he was shot through by arrows; but when he did not die & continued to speak out against the persecution of the Church, he was beaten to death. His protection has been often invoked against plagues & he is the patron saint of athletes.

The parish church across die Strasse from my hotel in Munich, Sts. Peter und Paul, had a fairly graphic statue of St. Sebastian in the German baroque style in the sanctuary. Someone mentioned that all those old European churches seem to have a statue of him. You can see the statue on the right as you face the sanctuary.

Beautiful high altar to the super-Apostles. Sadly, someone seems to have put the credence table in front of it! Also, beautiful side altars to Mary & Joseph. All in a parish church probably seating 250 max! I'm sure all you liturgical progressivists out there are keeling over & grasping to activate your LifeAlert neck pendants about now. Above the high altar, we have a bonus Mama's Boy image:

Ah, but I digress. St. Sebastian, ora pro nobis!

Yes, Deer.

Not everyone was scared away by the temperaure this morning.

I ran across this pair on the driveway to St. Thomas as I was going to take down the Christmas decorations in my classroom (finally).

Of course, they bolted away when I got too close, but it was nice to see them.

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Scripture Study Tips

My St. Thomas the Apostle AFF committee colleagues & I are conducting an experiement:
a scripture study blog.
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While it's not really open for business yet, we have been working on it amongst ourselves to see if & how it might be of service to our St. Thomas parish.
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This evening, I posted this article on some basic techniques for studying the sacred texts.
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Feel free to share techniques that work for you.

Now anyone can be a Father!

(...well, sort of.) We at Happy Entanglements absolutely glory in the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

They were the most intelligent, diverse, ecclectic, faithful, passionate, nearly-crazy, often rude, & occassionaly wrong bunch you could ever find. However, they are the ones who fought the theological battles & hammered out the articles of the Faith that we today often take for granted.

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Go to Mike Aquilina's great site The Way of the Fathers to find out with which Father you most readilly identify by taking a short & rather hillariaous quiz.

Turns out I'm St. Melito of Sardis, with whom I am not familiar. I need to find out more about what makes him & me peas in the same ecclesial pod.

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Like I know jack about jack, but it seems to me that what made them saints is not all the nutty stuff along the way, but that they persevered to the end by clinging to the Lord Jesus & the Church he established as best they knew how.

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St. Melito of Sardis & All You Other Fathers, pray for us!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Just in case one might think that it doesn't get a bit nippy here in the sunny South: that thermometer on the tachometer says "6"! Yes, I know it's colder & snowier elsewhere - & we pray for them - but, "Dang!"

Makes you wonder what people on the street do to survive nights like this. I suppose some don't. That should bother us. And move us to do something about it.

So, don't let the chill quench the Fire. Even though it's Ordinary Time, there's plenty of work to do.

Lied to Again

Hey, what happened to all that snow we were promised?

Help! Help!

All they found was a couple of buttons & fragments of what appears to have been a digital camera.

(Seriously, you try taking a picture of, not 1, but 2 black Labs!)

Soul Polishing

This post at The Anchoress really gave me pause. It's an interview with an Orthodox monk-hermit who shares his insight of how man reaches to & is reached by God (click on the pictures to go to the site & watch the video). People close to God seem to be able to speak volumes in just a few words.

First he begins by stating that nothing impure can really approach God. That is the meaning of ascetism - purification of the body opens the way to purification of the soul. St. Paul says the physical first, then the spiritual.

The soul is purified through prayer - continuous, non-stop prayer. This is the "polishing", as a piece of rough metal is brought to a shine through continuous & repeated pressure from the buffing wheel & abrasives. I've polished up a lot of rusty parts in the garage & inhaled more than my share of buffing compound, so that image really struck me. But initially, I had the image wrong. Now I see that we are the rusty part that God the artisan holds against the wheel. He purifies us & brings us to shine. What abrasives does he use, though? That's the question I contiune to ponder...

Perhaps the abrasives are the resistance we have to prayer. Some mornings, I'd rather sleep in than get up early to pray a whole rosary or read Scripture. Some nights, I'm so tired I just crash to sleep without any prayer at all. However, I notice that the more my prayer life slips, so does my resistance to ol' Stan when he throws things my way.

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He ends with love. The closer our approach to God, the more we love. Rather, the more we become transparent, so that God's love can flow through us to others as through an aquaduct. Love cannot contain itself. Love is explosive. Love demands an other to love. Who is that other person? It's whoever happens to be in front of you at any given moment.

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This is a very important video. Taking it's message to heart could save someone's soul. Please watch it & pray about it. While you're at it, pray for me, too. If you leave your name & intention in the comment box, I'll pray for you too. Early.

Another New Beginning

From Whispers:

This morning, Pope Benedict named [vicar general Msgr. Richard] Stika, pastor of the church of the Annunziata at Ladue and director of child protection in the St Louis curia, as the third head of the East Tennessee diocese. Born on the 4th of July, the 51 year-old cleric succeeds Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, who led the 60,000-member Knoxville church -- ranked the nation's healthiest by Crisis magazine in its 2007 report on the state of American Catholicism -- from December 1999 until his transfer to Louisville 19 months ago. [Read the rest here.]

"...the bishop-elect will be ordained and installed on St Joseph's Day, 19 March, in a Mass to be held in Knoxville's convention center."

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We have a bishop! Deo Gratias!

New Sheriff in town?

Could it possibly be so? From Whispers in the Loggia:

"By the sounds of it, we will see the longest-waiting Stateside vacancy -- Tennessee's 50,000-member diocese of Knoxville -- filled in very, very short order."

Keep praying!

Life at the Feeder III

Starting to get a little traffic at the new feeder now.

Something that I'm always curious about - & this may sound silly - is how animals get by in the winter, when it's freezing or raining & food & shelter are scarce. Though keenly aware of its fragility, I'm always taken a bit back by the tenacity of life; perhaps another way of saying: by how the Father takes care of us depite our fragility.

Jesus spoke of as much in his sermon on the mount...

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? ...

"So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Matthew 6:25-34 NAB

Interestng that in maintaing the feeders, I become an instrument of God to help him in this task of taking care of these creatures (yes, even the chipmonks). Maybe that's why we all like gardens, fish tanks, hamster cages (esp. with the big wheel!), & bird feeders - it gives us a taste of what things were like in the beginning. Man as the steward of creation. Just a thought.

Life at the Feeder II

The new feeder is up! Haven't seen any customers, but you can see that somebody's been munchin' on it. Hopefuly, not those birds with ambidextrous hands & bushy tails.

Isn't every year the year of astronomy?

Pontiff Says People Aren't Governed by the Stars;
Reiterates Galileo's Thought on Cosmos
from EWTN News:

The Pope affirmed this Tuesday during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica that celebrated the magi of the east, who arrived to Bethlehem following a star. During his homily he spoke of Galileo's idea that love governs the cosmos.

The Holy Father noted that 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations by telescope. This anniversary motivated UNESCO to proclaim '09 an International Year of Astronomy. The Pontiff spoke of… the passion & the faith of many scientists, who following the steps of Galileo, renounce neither reason nor faith. What's more, they deeply value both, in their reciprocal fruitfulness."

"Christian thought compares the cosmos to a 'book,' -- Galileo himself said this -- considering it as a work of an Author." According to this book, he said, "divine love, incarnated in Christ is the fundamental & universal law of creation. This should not be understood in a poetic, but in a real sense."

"This means that the stars, the planets [&] the entire universe are not governed by a blind force, [&] do not obey only the dynamics of matter," he said. "Therefore, cosmic elements shouldn't be divinized, but on the contrary, in everything & above everything, there is a personal will, the Spirit of God, who in Christ revealed himself as love." Hence… people are not slaves of cosmic elements, "but are free, that is, they are capable of relating themselves with the creative liberty of God."

"He is at the origin of everything & governs everything," the Pope said, "not as a cold or anonymous motor, but as a Father, Spouse, Friend, Brother, as Logos, 'Word-Reason,' who has united himself to our mortal flesh once & for all & has fully shared our condition, manifesting the superabundant power of his grace."

[Note: the error for which Galileo was indicted was not observing the heavens through his telescope – the hierarchy had previously encouraged & subsidized his studies – but in disobedience & breaking his promises. Also, he was wrong. The planets do not “circle” the sun; it was Kepler that determined with great accuracy that they move in ellipses with the sun at one foci.]

Rules to live by...

Now, it is simply a fact that the Reform hasn't been handled well. What was intended to breathe new life into the Church had the immediate consequences of huge numbers of priests & religious abandoning their posts, seminaries emptying, & heretics of every stripe - cleric, religious, & lay - seizing power in the Church at all levels, from cardinals to CCD teachers. With a couple of generations now puréed in the "What's happenin' now" blender, many of the deformations have become an entrenched part of the average Catholic's world view.

And correcting this ain't easy. I have run-ins on a daily basis with people who simply will not accept & live by what the Church definitively teaches. And I'm talking basic stuff, like fasting before Mass, or sometimes just going to Mass at all! It's extremely tempting to just reach out & knock somebody upside their nappy head, as we used to say in the neighborhood.

At the same time, I am indescribably overjoyed that so many strong & faithful bishops have emerged of late, just when we need them. With their solid teaching & faithful leadership, such as that provided by our gloriously-reigning Pope Benedict XVI, the tide is turning & real faith is beginning to bud & blossom in the Church.

In light of the need for both a renewal of faith & mission in the Church & strong leadership from our bishops against the world, I was grateful to come across this post at Te Deum about handling conflict within the Church. [I've edited them down for brevity; visit that original post to view the archbishop-elect's complete comments on each of the 10 points.]

I pray for such a strong shepherd for the vacant see of Knoxville.

10 rules for handling disagreement like a Christian
By Bishop Vigneron, former bishop of Oakland, archbishop elect of Detroit

1. The Rule of Charity: “Charity is primary.”

No matter how wise my insights or astute my plans, they count for nothing if I do not offer them with love. [That] does not mean that such speaking can only be weak, but it does mean that whatever is said ought always to be offered respectfully & for the genuine service of others... [I'm trying.]

2. The Rule of Publicity: “Think with the mind of the Church.”

Sentire cum Ecclesia... The criterion for our deciding our disagreements is not one’s own private opinions, but... what the Church thinks. Measure everything against the authoritative documents of the Magisterium... the writings of the Councils & the popes... & her Fathers & Doctors.

3. The Rule of Legitimate Freedom: “What the Church allows is not to be disallowed.”

In situations where the Church says that a variety of views or opinions is legitimate, I should not impose my option as a mandate on others. [That said, some options for the glorification of God & sanctification of the faithful are better than others. Not everything that is permitted is most beneficial, & what is currently practiced may not be best simply because it is familiar.]

4. The Rule of Catholic Freedom: “There’s something for everybody, but not everything is for everybody.”

“It’s a big Church.” God has given gifts of grace in an almost dizzying variety... Nobody has to live the Christian life exactly the way I do... [so] respect every practice or approach that has a legitimate place in the life of the Church. [Really, I'm trying]

5. The Rule of Modesty: “Not all of my causes are God’s causes.”

Some of my agendas are mine. It’s right to embark on projects with a zealous desire to give God glory, but... there are cases when it’s not his will for everyone else to join me.

6. The Rule of Integrity: “To do evil in order to accomplish good is really to do evil.”

Breaking one of God’s commandments is not the way to advance his Kingdom, ever.

7. The Rule of Realism: “Remember that Satan is eager to corrupt my efforts to build up the Kingdom, & he’s smart enough to figure out a way to do it."

The more common name is “humility.” My cause may be right or my view may be true, but I have to watch that their goodness is not corrupted by my infidelity. [I trying, I'm trying...]

8. The Rule of Mystery: “Not all the habits & attitudes which belong to a society governed by a representative democracy are appropriate in the Church.”

While the Church is, yes, a human reality, she is also a divine reality, a mystery, unlike any other community every known in the history of the world... She is... the Lord’s own creation, constituted according to his will & plan.

9. The Petrine Rule: “Nobody ever built up the Church by tearing down the pope.”

The Holy Father’s leadership is part of the Church’s constitution from Christ... .The pastoral care we receive from the Holy Father is a great grace, St. Peter’s own service of his fellow disciples continuing to this very day. A great pope makes us a better Church. [Amen!]

10. The Eschatological Rule: “The victory is assured; my job is to run out the clock with style.”

Christ is risen[!]... He has conquered sin & death & all the forces that threaten us. Whatever is at stake in our trials or conflicts, the certainty of Christ’s victory is not in doubt.... & his victory will be ours as long as we abide with him in his Mystical Body... Our mission is to serve the Lord in fidelity & hope, & be ready for him...

Don't wait on this bus!

I've added Fr. Longenecker's site Standing on My Head to the Favorite Blog list. Click here for a short, but thought-provoking entry.

"Enjoy your life"? If you're standing among a universe of things that exist, ask an atheist what they believe in, & they respond, Nothing", are you going to trust that person as to how you should enjoy your life, let alone you eternal destination!?!

Sick & Sad. But not unpredictable, especially if you are familiar with the modern British mindset.

Catacombs, I tell ya, catacombs...

Here comes the sun

Somewhat more promising than yesterday, no? But that's the nature of things. Every storm passes. Then comes the sun. And it's alright.

Remember, until January 11...

Merry Christmas!

Puzzled

Clicking on some of the posted photos on this blog will allow you to view a larger image. Clicking on others does not, but just give you a little toolbox with an option to Save, Print, etc. I can't discern a rhyme or reason as to why which does what when.

When I originally uploaded the Mama's Boy photo below, it would not allow enlargement. So I deleted it & reloaded it without any settings changes, & now it enlarges fine. Many others have acted similarly.

As was famously said, "Any help you could give would be most, er, helpful."

et noluisti...

Fr. Christian's post here prompted me to dig up this photo:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Mt 23:37

Pray for peace in the Holy Land.

Stormy Morning

A sign of things to come this year?

Mama's Boy Photo No. 1

Here we have the inagural Mama's Boy Photo, taken at the North Doors of Westminster Abbey in London back in 2005, I believe. Here is a close-up:

This image shows the entire North fascade, including flying butresses & rose window. The Abbey is properly called the Church of St. Peter & you can see an inset of the first pope in a little nook just above the doors.

Below are the more recognizable West towers. To the bottom-right there is a row of statues - the ten Martyrs of the Twentieth Century, which included Martin Luther King & more surprisingly (though not really) St. Maximillian Kolbe. Ora pro nobis!

One is not allowed to take photos inside the Abbey, but if one has a very small digital camera & doesn't use one's flash, one can snap a few without being chastized by old, grumpy men in red robes. On a column to the left is a large icon similar to Our Lady of Kazan. This was the first icon I ever really recall seeing & was quite taken with it (I keep a small icon of Kazan on my desk at work).

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Consider it a Mama's Boy bonus photo!

St. John Neumann

Since I gave away my copy of the Magnificat & haven’t acquired a new one yet, I was unawares until this evening that today is the feast day of St. John Neumann, whose parish church in Farragut I have haunted with some frequency since moving to the Knoxville area over 17 years ago from Lilburn, Georgia, where my old parish church was, well, St. John Neumann.

Some years ago, I began attending the “indult” Traditional Mass at the old building in Farragut, which really kick-started something of the faith in me. After a few months, I joined the choir. Some time later I began learning to sing.

So, I have a lot of fond memories of the old building. Baptisms tended to occur after Mass, so when I arrived early to warm-up a bit & run through the day’s Propers, I was privileged to witness the initiation of many an infant into the Body of Christ. I also frequently went to Confession there. It was good to arrive pretty early, because there was always a long line. Hmmm… Perpetual Adoration & long Confession lines. Adoration 1 day a month & short Confession lines. Coincidence?

Anyway, the new SJN building has a glorious rose window in the choir loft depicting the life & ministry of St. John Neumann. The full story on each “petal” can be found here. Like him, though somewhat earlier, my family came to the U.S. from Germany (though he was Czech) through Philadelphia. I have every confidence that through the intercessions of St. John Neumann the new building will continue to provide surprising new opportunities of God’s grace.

St. John Neumann: Ora pro nobis ad Dominum.

Life at the Feeder...

I recently hung a bird feeder near the house. Like the bird bath, it took about a week for the little critters to find it, but now that they have, it's like Bird Wars 2009! They drained the entire feeder in an afternoon. The cardinals don't seem eager to join the fray; they just sit in a nearby bush & observe.

Unfortunately, the little birds are very wasteful & scatter most of the seed on the ground. The Law of Unintended Consequences has thus provided a means of sustenance for some other little critters that I'd prefer to be without...

I'm thinking of trying out the "brick" style feeders, so the little darlings can't scatter as much. Interestingly, the squirrels haven't bothered it. I think they're just biding their time. I suppose they could chew through the cord holding it on the tree & drop the whole thing to the ground.

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A few years ago, I gave my dad a nice "varmit-proof" bird feeder for Christmas with stained-glass panels on the top. The squirrels chewed through the lead to dislodge one of the panels to get to the seed!

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Hopefully, Tennessee squirrels are dumber than Georgia squirrels!