Back to Basics: Original Sin and Our Original Parents

I love it when science corroborates Scripture.

More than make connections and relationships, Baptism also washes away original sin, the sin of the original parents of the whole human race: Adam and Eve. The Book of Genesis (1:26-27) says that God created man in his own image and likeness, male and female. The first man was called Adam, and the first women, the wife of Adam, was called Eve. They were the prototype man and woman, and their sin affected all men and women after them. And the Bible says that their sin was disobedience.

Even secular science today uses the name Eve to refer to the first human woman -- the first homo sapien. We want to mention that avowed atheist scientists from Oxford University in England have identified seven ancestral matriarchal groups from which all Europeans appear to have descended. Every European, according to the study, can trace his evolutionary history back to the seven ancestral mother groups, also referred to as the Seven Daughters of Eve. This corroborates the discovery of biochemists Allan Wilson and Vincent Sarich of the University of California at Berkley who've shown that every man and woman on earth, past, present, and future, can be traced genetically to one human woman.

Catholicism for Dummies by John Trigilio

Celebrating the Basic Catholic: My Husband

I think the truest value of various debates I have become involved in within St. Blog's Parish (wearing scapulars, whether Jesus went to school, where does that comma go in what St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, and many more such issues) ... has been to make me appreciate my husband even more.

He is what I suppose many people would call the most basic sort of Catholic ... loves the Church because of the truth (though he says that most people would not call his trust in the Church "love"), follows the rules because they are there for his good, and simply lives his faith better than any other person I have ever known. (He says that he always thought he was a "Catholic Neanderthal." Wrong.)

It might bother many people because Tom doesn't say novenas, say the rosary, wear a scapular or do any other overt signs of devotion. He has a quiet, basic faith that expresses itself every so often but mostly stays hidden.

And he doesn't talk, talk, talk about it. Hardly ever. He just lives it.

I mention this to him. He looks at me and says, "Isn't that what we are supposed to do?"

What a testimony that is to me time and again. When we are asked to give for some worthy cause and I am ready to cheap out, Tom will look at me and remind me of how much we have been given and that we should pass it on. Then he will name an amount that makes me gasp. Sometimes, very rarely, he will say something like, "Isn't this what that story about burying the talents is all about?"

Tom applies thoroughly practical thinking and a dispassionate view of "the big picture" in answering questions like the ones that people in the blogosphere will argue over for days. In one or two sentences he can bring things into a perspective that has been totally lost by people who spill tons of ink (or bytes) on issues. And then ... wait for it ... he lets people make up their own minds.

This is hugely important, and in my view, is one of the key ways that he "lives his faith" to the greatest degree. He trusts the person to think for themselves and make their own decisions. This, largely, is how we also deal with each other in our marriage. One or the other of us will bring something up (oh, let's say what we already know ... I usually am bringing the things up) and we will discuss it and then we will let it drop for each to consider in their own way. He doesn't push me to do things his way and (believe it or not) I don't push him to do things my way. We trust each other to be honest in our considerations and our responses.

It is amazingly effective. And after a day in the blogosphere what a relief it is.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Bartolomo Esteban Murillo. Annunciation.
c.1660-65. Oil on canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. (Source)

On today's feast the Church celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation and, at the same time, the vocation of Our Lady. It was her faithful response to the angel's message, her fiat, that began the work of redemption...

The setting of this feast day, March 25th, corresponds to Christmas. In addition, there is ancient tradition that the creation of the world and the commencement and conclusion of the Redemption all happened to coincide at the vernal equinox.

The Incarnation should have a pronounced and dramatic on our life. This event is the central moment of human history. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Christ the Redeemer "fully reveals man to himself" (Encyclical, Redemptor Hominis). It is only through Christ that we will come to comprehend our inner self and everything that matters most to us: the hidden value of pain and of work well done, the authentic peace and joy which surpass natural feelings and life's uncertainties, the delightful prospect of our supernatural reward in our eternal homeland...

The human testimony of the Son of God teaches us that all earthly realities ought to be loved and offered up to Heaven. Christ has transformed the human condition into a pathway to God. Consequently, the Christian's struggle for perfection takes on a profoundly positive character. This struggle has nothing to do with snuffing out one's humanity so that the divine might shine out instead. Sanctity does not necessitate total separation from worldly affairs. For it is not human nature that opposes God's will, but sin and the effects of original sin which have so badly damaged our souls. Our struggle to become like Christ brings with it a life-long battle against whatsoever degrades our humanity -- egoism, envy, sensuality, a critical spirit ...

In the same way as the humanity of Christ is not effaced by his dignity, so it is that through the Incarnation the human condition preserves its integrity and finds its final end.

In Conversation with God,
Vol. 6: Special Feasts: January to June

The Vocation of Our Lady

Vittore Carpaccio. Annunciation.
1504. Canvas. 127 x 139 cm. Galleria Franchetti in the Ca d'Oro, Venice. (Source)

In the oldest Christian calendars, this Solemnity [The Annunciation of the Lord] is referred to as a feast of the Lord. Nevertheless, the texts do make special reference to Our Lady. For many centuries this has been considered a Marian feast. The Church has traditionally held that there is a close connection between Eve, the mother of mankind, and Mary, the new Eve, Mother of redeemed humanity.

The messenger greets Mary as "full of grace;" he calls her this as if it were her real name. He does not call her by her proper earthly name "Myriam" (Mary), but by this new name: "Full of grace." What does this name mean? Why does the archangel address the Virgin of Nazareth in this way?

In the language of the Bible "grace" means a special gift, which according to the New Testament has its source precisely in the Trinitarian life of God himself, of God who is love (cf I John 4:8) [John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater]. Mary is called "full of grace" because this name expresses her true being. Whenever God changes a person's name or gives him or her an extra one, He destines him or her to something new, or reveals to that person his or her true mission in the history of salvation. Mary is called "full of grace," most highly favored, because of her divine Motherhood.

The angel's announcement revealed to Mary her task in the world, the key to her whole existence. The Annunciation was for her a most perfect light that filled the whole of her life and made her fully aware of her exceptional role in the history of mankind. Mary is definitively introduced into the mystery of Christ through this event. (John Paul II, loc cit) ...

Mary's reply fiat, is rather more final than a simple "yes." It is the complete surrender of her will to what God wanted of her at that moment, and for the whole of her life. This fiat will reach its culmination on Calvary, when standing beside the Cross, she offers herself up with her son.

The "yes" that God asks of each one of us, whatever our path in life may be, lasts for the whole of our lives. Sometimes it will be our reply to small occurrences, at other times to larger, more important events. It will be our reply to each call that God makes and which leads successively to the next. Our "yes" to Jesus leads us not to think too much about ourselves. It should lead us to keep our hearts alert so that we may be attentive to the voice of God, who tells us who belong to him which is the path He has traced out for us. As we lovingly respond to his call we should see how our freedom and God's Will mingle in perfect harmony.

In Conversation with God,
Vol. 6: Special Feasts: January to June

Are Mormons Christian?

Twice within the last couple of days I have come read posts by Mormons (or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka LDS) angrily declaring that they are Christians because of their belief in Jesus and that they do not appreciate being told otherwise.

I know that one of the main reasons for this conflict is that both groups are using one word "Christian" to define two radically different beliefs about Jesus. For example, LDS believe God the Father and God the Son have physical bodies and that the Holy Ghost is a spirit who as yet does not have a body. When one considers how different just this nugget of information is from the theology of the Trinity, it is easy to see where problems in understanding one another begin.

I wrote asking for the scoop to several ex-LDS who are either Catholic now or quite close to being confirmed at Easter.

All wrote back with good links and saying basically the same thing in different ways. However, Defensor Veritatis has just posted a piece about that very subject so I will send anyone interested to Brad's place.

UPDATE
My friend (and devout LDS) Garry has a good and comprehensive comment about all this for any who are interested.

Luscious!

I don't read the blog being parodied but this is funny anyway. Thanks to Jay for the heads up!

AND the B Team has a wanted poster out for that Lisper ...

Want the Scoop on the Consistory?

American Papist has more links than anyone knew existed about it. I meant to post this earlier but forgot. So there's no time like the present for going over there to catch up.

Some Favorite Podcasts

Chris tells me that he's getting ready to dip his toes in the podcast ocean. I told him that I'd pass along a few of my favorites to help him get started.

These can all be found at iTunes. (Nothing Catholic as that isn't his interest ... check my sidebar under "They Like to Talk - Podcasts" for those.)

MOVIE REVIEWS
Mark Kermode Film Reviews
He's British, witty, irreverent, brilliant and overall great fun. It's nice to hear a viewpoint from outside America as well. An ongoing, amusing game is played with real-time listeners in which they email or phone in a cryptic one-liner movie description which Kermode guesses. Weekly.

Cinecast
Two Chicago movie lovers review current releases as well as have a top five list on different themes. They also usually have an ongoing series which continues for several weeks and allows them to cover great classic movies. Past series have included westerns and overlooked auteurs. The current series is musicals. This show has added a lot of titles to my "must rent" list. I tend to skip listening to readers' responses on this one. Twice weekly.

TELEVISION
Lost
Normally I wouldn't give two hoots about a podcast covering a television show. However, the executive producers are so hilarious when recapping the previous show and the answering questions that it is worth it just to hear them joke around (if you are a diehard Lost fan ... otherwise probably not). Weekly when a new show is airing.

TRAVEL
iPod Traveller
Cheeky Opal and travel guru Nick have great chemistry, wit, and style in this show highlighting European budget travel. Rather than just give basic info about a place, they usually also have interesting travel experiences which is what makes this interesting even if you have no immediate prospects to get to Europe (such as is the case for many of us in America). Weekly.

DRINK
Wine for Newbies
This is a really good basic primer for those who don't know much about wine. Bill Wilson's style is quite formal but don't let that put you off. He has a winning enthusiasm and desire to help newbies really understand wine. No set time for new podcasts.

SCIENCE
This Week in Science -- The Kickass Science Podcast
First of all, this has the best theme song of any podcast I've heard. Kirsten and Justin cover the latest in science news. Occasionally they may interview an author or scientist which I may or may not listen to depending on my interest. Kirsten is a PhD candidate in neuroscience and is very good at giving practical explanations of why stories matter. Justin is laid back and irreverent ("rather like a game show host" as Sigorney Weaver said to Bill Murray in Ghostbusters). It all comes together to make ... well, "kickass science." Weekly.

ANIMATION
The Animation Podcast
Animator Clay Kaytis airs interviews with some of the major animation talent of our time. So far he has had only animators who have worked with Disney one way or another but they have all been fascinating. I advise beginning with the oldest podcasts as it is interesting to see how these animators' paths have crossed at one time or another. No set time for new podcasts.

The Battle of the Reviews

Scott at Nehring the Edge and I have been battling some time over the movie "Millions." He felt it was a commercial laden, banal film. I absolutely loved it.

He has posted my review, which appeared originally at Spero News, and provided a link for his.

Who is right? You be the judge.

As an aside, if you haven't been reading his blog please do give it a try. I agree with Scott much more often than not and find his sharp wit words delightful.

Back to Basics: The Seven Sacraments

You know, I never thought of this correspondence, but it does make sense.

Why do Catholics have seven sacraments? Why not more or less? The easy answer is that Jesus instituted all seven. In the 13th century, however, philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that seven stages of human development occur in the realm of nature, so it makes sense that God created the sacraments to correspond with each of those events. It's not that God had to make seven sacraments, Aquinas said, but it's reasonable to have seven:

• We are born: Baptism


• We are fed: Holy Eucharist


• We grow: Confirmation


• We need healing: Penance


• We recover: Anointing of the Sick


• We need family: Matrimony


• We need leaders: Holy Orders

Catholicism for Dummies by John Trigilio

Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth

At school he [Jesus] was taught Scripture, first the books of Moses, then the rest of the Old Testament, and some of the great commentaries of Israel's scholars. In this matter, as always when we try to picture to ourselves what was actually happening, we are almost giddy at the thought of the boy Jesus reading the Old Testament, learning what it had to tell of the Messiah, of himself in fact. It is hard to think that he did not discuss it with his Mother: children do, naturally. And Joseph, the man of the house, would have been listening to such Scripture commentary from those two as man has never heard, listening and making his own contribution.

As the boy grew older, the talk would be freer. A time would come when he must be told that Joseph was not his father in the way of nature. Is it fanciful to think that his Mother told him not only of her own virginal conceiving but of God's message about the child herself? They were a living family, not a set piece. They were not three figures in a ritual, cataleptically rigid in their muteness about the things that matters most, elaborately pretending that they were just like anybody else, each wondering how much the others knew! A loving family shares everything -- shares knowledge, shares thoughts and wondering. In the beginning Mary pondered in her heart: she would have discussed her pondering first with her husband, then with the boy, as he grew toward manhood.

If family life means anything at all, the story of God's message would have been gone over again and again: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called Son of God." Did those words lead sooner or later into discussion of the Trinity? I cannot pretend to know. I can only record my own feeling that it would have been strange if they did not. Mary was not just a convenience, to get him born, Joseph not just a convenience to keep the neighbors from talking. They were the two people closest to God-made-man. If they come to talk of the Trinity or of Jesus' Godhead, we need not assume that they used the terminology the Church has slowly hammered out -- Jesus had his own luminous experience of these truths and may have conveyed their reality more luminously than the Fathers of Chalcedon could have dreamed -- or even comprehended! If only one knew --!

To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed

Possible Eucharistic Miracle in Dallas? UPDATED

It was quite odd to see this along with the fact that they are waiting on Bishop Grahmann to make a ruling. Isn't this sort of thing really supposed to just happen in Italy? Via The Crescat.

UPDATE
It isn't a miracle ... get the scoop at Spero News. No shock there as the circumstances alone were fairly strange.

Well, I Know I Like to Watch ...

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Via a favorite screenwriter of mine, Karen Hall, who is tantalizing us with the tale of being galvanized into action on her newest book. Hurry up, Karen, I wanna read it!

More About That Episode in the Temple

As to the scene in the Temple [when young Jesus was found with the teachers], the amazement probably did not spread much beyond the group actually present: it would have been a nine days' wonder for a handful of people. Nazareth, one imagines, never heard of it. The boy's schoolteacher would have been mildly surprised if some such account as Luke gives had reached him, and would certainly have dismissed it as exaggerated.

Of one thing we can be fairly sure -- the boy never staged a repetition of the incident in school. If he had, the master would probably have decided that it was high time to flog some humility into him, a masters have done to brilliant boys in all ages. But Jesus did nothing so spectacular, in school or out of it. We cannot remind ourselves too often how startled his townspeople were when his public mission began. It is clear that the thirty years in Nazareth contained nothing to prepare them either for his miracles or for the incomparable power of his mind.

To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed

Episode in the Temple

We have got into the way, some of us, of thinking that the twelve-year-old Jesus was teaching some of the most learned men of Israel. But that is not what Saint Luke says. What was happening was an example of a daily custom in the Temple. Groups would gather round a rabbi, and ask him questions, on theology or morals or ritual. He would give them the benefit of his learning, which would usually be very considerable learning. As part of his teaching, he would put questions to them. It was in one such group that his parents found Jesus.

He was not teaching the doctors, he was "hearing them and asking them questions." It is clear that he was answering the questions put by the learned men who conducted the group: but we must realize that they were not searchers after truth asking him to enlighten them, but teachers using questions as part of their teaching method. His replies must have been brilliant, at any rate for a boy: because Luke tells us that all who heard him "were astonished at his wisdom and his answers" -- and the Greek verb used is a great deal stronger than our word "astonished," they were quite "taken out of themselves!" ...

Mary and Joseph wondered too, and once again the Greek verb is stronger than the English: it was if they had a sort of electric shock. Why? Not, one imagines, because his answers were brilliant. Most probably what startled, almost stunned them,was to see him showing his brilliance.

To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed

A Couple of Literary Notes

NOTE THE FIRST
On Rose's recommendation, I began Uncle Tom's Cabin yesterday and have been surprised to find myself riveted ... to the point where I was propping it open to read while making lunch or washing dishes. I'm in the early stages, needless to say, but let me just say this. All this talk about Uncle Tom and not one person has ever mentioned Aunt Chloe? Well, knock me over with a feather! I only had time to read that she is the cook at the big house and that may be all there is to her information, but still ... it never occurred to me that Uncle Tom might be married.

NOTE THE SECOND
I really love it when Rose sums up these classics for me. She has just begun Madame Bovary. Having read only about 20 pages she told me, "So far the book is only about Charles Bovary."

I said, "That's Madame Bovary's husband?"

She waggled her eyebrows, "He's the loser she runs away from later."

Short. Sweet. To the point.

Hilarious.

Public Service Announcement

ASSISTED LIVING

This movie is the newest recipient of The Coma Award, replacing Schultze Gets the Blues, which while an amazing waste of our time, did not depress us to the point of tears ... and partway through this dreary indie movie I was actually at that point.

The movie distributors obviously knew that this view of a slacker working in a nursing home was a problem as the trailer lied to us by putting together the only two minutes worth of humorous, upbeat footage in the entire piece. The acting is so bad that Tom actually thought it was a documentary for much of the movie, the plot is miniscule, the pace that of a snail, and the only reason we could think that it got any awards was so that the award givers could fool themselves into not feeling shallow.

No wonder everyone loved The Station Agent so much. They'd been watching movies like this one.

Two good things about this movie:

1. It is only 73 minutes long.
2. I now appreciate Deacon Tom and all those who give loving care in a nursing home even more than I did before.

HC rating: * Worse than Godfather III.

More Mensa

To give us "wordies" another chance after most of us failed so spectacularly at the last Mensa word puzzle, here's a little something to get our brains revved up for Monday.

What three words, formed from different arrangements of the same six letters, can be used to complete the sentences below?

The posters were all on one theme: protect our ______. The campaign was meant to ______ an awareness and be somewhat ____ than scare tactics.

UPDATE
Go ahead and put answers in the comments box. If you are still thinking and don't want to know the answers ... stay out until you're ready to know all. You have been warned!

Remembering Terri

Today is the one-year anniversary of when Terri Schaivo's feeding tube was removed. She was not the first and, sadly, not the last to be murdered with the assistance of the courts. Let us keep her in our minds and hearts as we pray and work against this evil.

Blogs for Terri requests:

Bloggers, please join with us over the next 13-days and write about Terri's life and death, honoring her memory by making the argument for why lives like hers should be protected, respected, and loved.

Kiss Me, I'm 45% Irish ...

... actually, that might be just about accurate.

You're 45% Irish

You're probably less Irish than you think you are... But you're still more Irish than most.

How Irish Are You?

Via Alabama Improper.

When German Eyes Are Smiling...

We now interupt the Irish festivities to show this endearing photo of Papa,
shamelessly ripped off from American Papist.

Ok, as you were ... back to all things Irish.

On Seeking Out Mortification and Penance, Part II

As I promised yesterday, here is a follow up reading about the opportunities mortification in our ordinary daily routines.

... It has to mean serving the person one does not get on well with, expecting nothing in return. This is the best way of giving one's life for others, in an effective and hidden way which is hardly noticed, and which enables us to tackle that egoism of ours which deprives us of joy...

To serve others requires mortification, a continuing realisation of the presence of God, and a forgetting of self. On occasion, this spirit of sacrifice will clash with the mentality of those who think only of themselves. For us Christians it is our pride and our dignity. For in this way we are imitating Christ, and in thus serving willingly, out of love, many human and supernatural virtues are brought into play. This dignity is expressed in readiness to serve, in keeping with the example of Christ, who "came not to be served but to serve." If in the light of this attitude of Christ, "being a king" is truly possible only by "being a servant," then "being a servant" also demands so much spiritual maturity that it must really be described as "being a king." In order to be able to serve others worthily and effectively, we must be able to master ourselves, in order to be able to possess the virtues that make this mastery possible (John Paul II, Redemptor hominis, 21).

Lent and Eastertide (In Conversation with God, Vol. 2)

On Seeking Out Mortification and Penance

Sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;

So I said, "Here I am; your commands for me are written in the scroll.

To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!"

Psalm 40:7-9

When the words "mortification" and "penance" come up everyone tends to imagine taking on all sorts of additional, dreadful struggles and sacrifices offered to God. Of course, this is terribly unappealing. Who would want such a thing? However, God knows our hearts. How could doing his will be our delight if the mere words awaken such feelings? This is not to say that penances and mortifications are things that make us dance and sing necessarily but I wonder if they are not necessarily as difficult as we may tend to think.

As our priest reminded us this week in our prayer group, the real key is to look at our intentions. Personally, my life offers more than enough opportunities for mortification and penance just in trying to be a good person in my regular routine.

It is helpful for me to think of penance and mortification as the way they are specifically practiced during Lent. Penance is the "giving up" and mortification is the "adding on." It would be nice to think that I am so sweet and cheerful and self-sacrificing that when I have to give up my plans in order that I instead may accommodate someone else's needs I do not let out an exasperated sigh which makes the person wish they never asked. Or that I will notice that the trash is full and add on taking it out to my evening activities, instead of nagging someone else to do it.

It would be nice. However, I am sorry to report that it does not happen on a very regular basis.

Perhaps that is why the great saints perform penances and mortifications that often stagger our minds. They already have chipped beneath the rough surface to find the diamond below. They are diamonds that need polishing by different methods, although some of those methods (such as living on top of tall pillars) seem dubious to our eyes. However, that is between them and God.

As for me ... well, I still am working on the rough surface, hoping to see a glint of the gem beneath. It takes slow, steady, methodical work and that is supplied by many opportunities sent my way every day. I have noticed that when I do have the right intentions, when I remember these are daily opportunities to serve God and smooth another edge, I do have a joyful heart.

Today, I offer a reading about penance that inspires me. Tomorrow I will offer one about mortification.

We practice a spirit of penance and of sacrifice in our daily lives, in the ordinary events of the day, without having to wait for extraordinary occasions. Penance is fulfilling exactly the timetable you have fixed for yourself, even though your body resists or your mind tries to avoid it by dreaming up useless fantasies. Penance is getting up on time and also not leaving for later, without any real reason, that particular job that you find harder or most difficult to do.

Penance is knowing how to reconcile your duties to God, to others and to yourself, by making demands on yourself so that you find enough time for each of your tasks. You are practicing penance when you lovingly keep to your schedule of prayer, despite feeling worn out, listless or cold.

Penance means being very charitable at all times moving towards those around you, starting with the members of your own family. It is to be full of tenderness and kindness towards the suffering, the sick and the infirm. It is to give patient answers to people who are boring and annoying. It means interrupting our work or changing our plans, when circumstances make this necessary, above all when the just and rightful needs of others are involved.

Penance consists in putting up good-humouredly with the thousand and one little pinpricks of each day; in not abandoning your job, although you have momentarily lost the enthusiasm with which you started it; in eating gladly whatever is served, without being fussy.

For parents and, in general, for those whose work involves supervision or teaching, penance is to correct whenever it is necessary. This should be done bearing in mind the type of fault committed and the situation of the person who needs to be so helped, not letting oneself be swayed by subjective viewpoints, which are often cowardly and sentimental.

A spirit of penance keeps us from becoming too attached to the vast imaginative blueprints we have made for our future projects, where we have already foreseen our master strokes and brilliant successes. What joy we give to God when we are happy to lay aside our third-rate painting efforts and let him put in the features and colours of his choice! (J. Escriva, Friends of God)

Lent and Eastertide (In Conversation with God, Vol. 2)

RC Mommy says it a lot better (and quicker).

Catholic Trivia: Cassock

Before the Reformation secular clergy wore cassocks buttoned from the waist up and tied with a belt. From the waist down they were open and unbuttoned, like the garb of the boys of Christ's Hospital to this day. This was the true Sarum cassock and is distinct from the double-breasted form which is usually so-called. Moreover, it is more than likely that these cassocks were blue in colour. Bishop Richard Challoner's cassock at Allen Hall Seminary, although of eighteenth-century vintage, retains the Sarum blue colour, with red cuffs, piping and buttons to show his rank. Challoner continued the Sarum tradition, and so this seems reliable evidence.

Purple as the colour for Bishops has only been in vogue since the sixteenth century. The change took place because Pope Pius V (1566-72), being a Dominican, stuck to white. The Cardinals then changed to a papal scarlet, and the Bishops adopted the "sacred purple." However, the original colours in each case are retained in the stripe on the cord of the pectoral cross. The papal soutane was granted to the English Catholic clergy by Pope Pius IX who, when the English clerics asked what cassock they should wear, declared, "Like mine, but black."

Catholic Trivia

Mama T and In This House of Brede

Book #9: In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. The classic, classic story of life in a cloistered monastery, told via the story of Philippa Talbot, a widow and late in life vocation. The book very gently puts to rest any preconceptions about cloistered nuns being "otherworldly" or "hothouse flowers". This is our book club selection for this month, and the discussion should be wonderful. If you have never read this, go NOW, buy and read! It's that good.

This great review will make The Anchoress happy also as she and I bonded long ago over our mutual love of this book. Check out the rest of Mama T's Big Ol' Book Update. I am going to have to read something by Rafael Sabatini now. She had me at Samuel Shellabarger as regular readers of this blog know ...

Gig 'Em Aggies!

Hannah got her acceptance letter today. Woohoo!

Tom can't wait to buy his very favorite bumper sticker, "Honk if I'm an Aggie."

HC Film Festival: Two American and One Chinese

LIGHTWEIGHT FUN
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
This was enjoyable but much simpler than I expected. I did enjoy seeing Robert Redford play a character that was not boyishly likable. The only reason we could think of for movie's extreme popularity at the time was that it was among the first that put modern-style quips in the mouths of characters in an period piece. Moderately enjoyable but not really worth seeking out. HC rating: ** More boring than church.

THE LONG CON
The Sting
The same enjoyable pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as in Butch Cassidy but with a much more interesting and complex plot. I didn't realize until reading the DVD cover that this movie won 7 Academy Awards. Would that The Academy had had such a choice in this year's nominations. Thorougly enjoyable and we plan to watch this one with the girls. HC Rating: **** Nine thumbs up!

O SOLE MIO
Shower
This impulse selection filled my lack of small, foreign language (preferably Asian) movies lately. It is a sweet, charming story of a son who returns home due to a misunderstanding. He has made a successful life for himself in another city while his father and brother have remained in business at the father's bath house.

On one level the story is predictable, revealing the problems of the bath house regulars. As we expect, the returning brother has been somewhat estranged from his family and this, too, is resolved. For instance, I will never again hear "O Sole Mio" without thinking of this movie.

However, on another level, there is complexity that was unexpected. This is provided by the brother who has remained at home and by the father's revelation of his past ... whereby we understand exactly why he loves running his bath house. Quite enjoyable also are the glimpses of life in the father's corner of Beijing.

My one question is ... if anyone has seen this movie ... what is the significance of the story about the grandmother and granddaughter on their pilgrimage? Neither of us really got that. However, we will be watching this with the girls also and perhaps one of them will have an insight. Regardless it is highly recommended. HC Rating: **** Nine thumbs up!

Additional Comments
You know you might have seen too many Chinese movies when you watch the other trailers from the DVD and recognize actors from several favorite movies. Not that I know the guy's name ...

Also, I retain just enough of my one year of college Chinese to have been able to understand a fair number of words in the dialogue. This reawakened a desire to study Chinese, a language I really enjoy, at least enough to be able to pick up more movie dialogue. I went to iTunes and found ChinesePod: Learn Mandarin Chinese which seems to be very good, as of lesson 8 at any rate which I just finished this morning.

More Mensa

Which of the words below is least like the others? (The difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants or syllables.)

• TWIN
• CHIME
• SCORE
• PLATE
• CARE
• HAT
  

Will the Great Whore of Babylon Please Stand Up?

Just a little clarification from Women in the Bible For Dummies.

The Great Whore of Babylon is mentioned in the last book of the Bible, called the Apocalypse or Revelation: "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters" (Revelation 17:1) and "Babylon the great mother of whores and of earth's abominations" (Revelation 17:5). Earlier in the New Testament (1 Peter 5:13), Peter uses the word Babylon as a metaphor for the city and the empire of Rome: "Your sister church in Babylon." Because ancient Babylon was synonymous with imperialism, unbridled power, arrogance, and the persecution of Christian believers, the Roman Empire seemed almost like a reincarnation of the Babylonian Empire for many from the first century AD until the legalization of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine in AD 313 with the Edict of Milan.

There is no actual "whore of Babylon." Rather this term is a concept, just as Lady Wisdom is. Whereas Wisdom is described as a gentle, loving, intelligent, and beautiful lady, the whore of Babylon is associated with infidelity, fornication, lying, cheating, stealing, and idolatry. In essence, the whore prostitutes the faith by ignoring truth and by disregarding God's religious and moral laws.

The Book of Revelation says that the whore of Babylon will eventually be defeated, as will the Antichrist (Revelation 18:1-24). Bible commentaries and scholars believe that, as a place, Babylon usually represents the city of Rome, the Roman Empire, or the secular world at large. When referring to a person, especially in the case of the whore of Babylon, Babylon refers to the believers who have abandoned their faith and polluted their religion with false teaching and the worship of false gods.

Over the course of history, several individuals and even entire religions have been unjustly and unfairly identified by their opponents as being the Whore of Babylon or the Antichrist (called the best in Revelation 13:1 and 17:3). For the most part, however, biblical scholars and theologians consider the whore of Babylon to be a metaphor for only those believers who have lost or given up the faith. These include men and women and their assemblies that no longer preach the Gospel, no longer teach the truth, and no longer practice the Christian faith (by following Christ's commands to love they neighbor, turn the other cheek, and so on.)

Another HC Film Festival On the Horizon

Yes, the girls are working musical crew for a last weekend and that means that we once again have the freedom to choose whatever we want. Woohoo!

Definitely on the plan are Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Can you believe I have never seen it? What a crime! Although I have seen the ending about a thousand times and the bicycle ride only slightly less I am still looking forward to it.

A nice double feature with that (thanks to Chris who works with us for the suggestion) is The Sting. I watched it long ago (yes, when it first came out at the movie theater ... and we're not gonna start counting backwards now). We're both wondering if we'll remember much of the plot, except once again I know the end, but don't care.

The third movie is more up in the air.

• Mirror Mask. As a Neil Gaiman fan I've always been interested in this movie and after reading Jeffrey Overstreet's review am keenly interested.
• Monsoon Wedding. I have seen this but can't remember exactly why it has an "R" rating, so would be screening it to see if the girls could watch it. Also, Tom just hasn't had enough Bollywood in his life (poor guy).
• Shaolin Soccer. This would be the lightweight fun entry. 'Nuff said.
• Love Actually. Recommended highly by Penni and also by Chris. They are different enough that this intrigues me highly. And as it has been recommended by a guy then possibly Tom would like it also.

Real Life Simpsons

This is too, too funny.

Technorati Tags: The Simpsons

Changing My Lenten Reading

What Jesus Saw from the Cross just isn't hitting me right this Lent so I am switching to a favorite book that I had forgotten about until The Curt Jester mentioned it, To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed.

Sheed looks at Jesus' life by weaving together all four Gospels. He also takes into consideration the times in which Jesus lived, how the people then would have interpreted Christ's teachings and witness, links to the Old Testament, teachings of the Chruch Fathers, archaeology, and more. The goal of all this is to give us a richer, deeper understanding of Jesus since to know the Father you must know the Son ... and there is nowhere better to meet him than through the Gospels.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Novena Prayer

Divine Jesus, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." Behold me kneeling at Your feet, filled with a lively faith and confidence in the promises dictated by Your Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary. I come to ask this favor: (Mention your request).

To whom can I turn if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You, Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.

Dear Jesus, I firmly believe that You can grant me the grace I implore, even though it should require a miracle. You have only to will it and my prayer will be granted. I admit that I am most unworthy of Your favors, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercy, and You will not refuse a contrite heart. Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of You, and Your kind Heart will find in my miseries and weakness a reason for granting my prayer.

Sacred Heart, whatever may be Your decision with regard to my request, I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and serving You. My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of perfect resignation to the decrees of Your adorable Heart, which I sincerely desire may be fulfilled in and by me and all Your creatures forever.

Grant me the grace for which I humbly implore You through the Immaculate Heart of Your most sorrowful Mother. You entrusted me to her as her child, and her prayers are all-powerful with You. Amen.

Offering

My God, I offer You all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads and offers Himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving for Your favors, in reparation for my sins, and in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the needs of our holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the relief of the poor souls in purgatory.

Read more here

Why I Pray for the Souls of Our Bishops

Dom at Bettnet reported a few days ago about the mass expulsion of Catholics from their parish in California.

Their crime? Wanting to kneel at the Agnus Dei. This is actually what the Vatican wants everyone to do but Bishop Tod Brown has decided to be disobedient to Rome in this matter and to punish those who will not obey him. Dom also has a follow up post here.

Just as Dom says in the article, the Vatican says that kneeling is the preferred posture. However, when it comes to some of these bishops ... well ... I tell you I pray for their souls because some of them are so very proud and cause so many to turn away from their faith. Sadly, I learned that the hard way a few years ago during a confrontation between our own bishop and our parish.

I often remember that I read somewhere, maybe in Triumph by H.W. Crocker III, that disliking bishops is a time honored tradition in France because they abused their positions so much throughout history. It surprised me at the time but I see that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

It makes me think of the story, which I can't find right now and so will retell badly, about the man who visited Rome and came back a Catholic convert. This astonished his friend who asked the man if he didn't see all the corruption there? "Yes," the man replied, "and I knew if the Church was still going strong after all that those men were doing, then God Himself must be keeping it going."

I remember all that, pray for the bishops and for those who they are hurting, and keep on going.

UPDATE
Secret Agent Man covers this much more thoroughly than I could ever hope to. Essentially, it turns out that the "allowed" kneeling I was thinking of is right before and after Communion, not during the Agnus Dei. However, he also makes an excellent point that if the bishop can't handle this properly in about a minute, then there's a problem there also. All in all, this probably sums it up best, "The only thing that's clear to me is that tempers and vanity are running so high that nobody's yet interested in authentic dialogue about what's happening."

Some good links on kneeling in general that I am moving here from the com box:

Knees to Love Christ by Bishop Olmsted

Liturgical Norms and Liturgical Piety by Cardinal Arinze

Cardinal Responds to Questions on Liturgy: a Q&A with Cardinal Arinze

The Theology of Kneeling from Cardinal Ratzinger's Spirit of the Liturgy

Abortion Providers Aren't Feelin' the Love

Unbelievably, they evidently feel it necessary to have a national appreciation day.

National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers
Monday March 10, 2003

On this day -
Stand up with your abortion services providers and say:
Thank you for your heroism, perserverance, courage, and commitment to women.

* Step up to the front lines and be a volunteer clinic escort.
* Ask your local provider how you can help.
* Praise clinic staff and doctors with postcards of appreciation.
* Write your local newspaper, call talk shows to express support.
* Take out ads in your newsletters and local newspapers.
* Organize local appreciation day events.
* Use your imagination, creativity and dedication to help create a climate at clinics where women, doctors and staff can hold their heads high without feeling shamed or fearing assault.
Source

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. A more repugnant "appreciation day" I can't imagine.

I honestly was stunned at the attitude that these people are oppressed. They feel they are victims? Go figure. I guess I've been in the habit of thinking of those murdered babies and deceived parents as the victims.

I saw this at Ramblings of a GOP Soccer Mom who had an excellent countersuggestion:

Why not write your local crisis pregnancy center and thank them for the opposite? Tell them how much you appreciate them helping women avoid abortion and choose life for their children.

Go here for information about CPC's in your area. If you start now, they'll get the letter in time for Friday.

Even if they don't receive the letter by Friday, I'm sure they'll appreciate the letter no matter when it arrives.

UPDATE
Jean at Catholic Fire has the answer ... we're probably too late for that march but surely can pray for the conversion of these abortion providers' souls.

Some Good Guidelines for Confession

... The use of too many words frequently denotes a desire, whether conscious or not, to flee from direct and full sincerity. So as not to fall into this we need to make a good examination of conscience.

Concise: Confession with few words, just the words that are needed to say humbly what we have done or have failed to do, without any unnecessary elaboration or adornment.

Concrete: Confession without digression, without generalities. The penitent will suitably indicate his situation, and also the time that has elapsed since his last Confession and the difficulties he finds in leading a Christian life (Paul VI). He declares his sins and the surrounding circumstances that have a bearing on his faults so that the confessor can judge, absolve and heal.

Clear: A Confession where we make ourselves understood, declaring the precise nature of the fault, manifesting our wretchedness with the necessary modesty and delicacy.

Complete: Integral Confession, without leaving anything out through a false sense of shame so as not to appear bad in the confessor's eyes.

Lent and Eastertide (In Conversation with God, Vol. 2)

I realized a confession or two ago that I have a big problem with the "concise" category and not just because I like to go on and on and on. It was because I was putting in all the reasons excuses for my sins. It is a big struggle to go in there, confess my sins fairly baldly and just let it lie. If the priest has any questions, he'll ask them. Otherwise, God (and all the angels and saints, as someone once reminded me) already has watched me "in the act" so I just have to let it go. In writing this I just realized that once I started doing that I quit getting so many little lectures and the penances went down too ... interesting.

Again, I will mention that I always pray for my confessor while I am waiting; that he is open to the Holy Spirit, that God will use him to speak to me in the way I need (and I've had a few distinct surprises that way), and I have rarely been disappointed. It is truly a wonderful Sacrament.

Bloggers Just Wanna Have Fun

If you haven't dropped by Amateur Catholic you are missing a real treat.

There is a lot of creativity and ... surprisingly ... passion in these "application" posts. Also I am astonished at how many blogs there are that I have never heard of although I suppose I shouldn't be since there are 700 or 800 Catholic blogs out there from what I have heard. So there is also a lot of good reading to be had from checking out all the different blogs. Check it out.

Bleg

I was asked by a friend to look into video presentations on sexuality appropriate to show to Catholic teens for a youth retreat. I'm going to have a section in my sidebar for these but thought I would share what I found ... and ask for any other suggestions, which don't have to have videos but could just be good spots for teens on the subject.

Pure Love Club

Phil Chalmers

Real Love - Mary Beth Bonacci

Catholic Trivia: Spilling Salt

This was held to be unlucky (it was thought that the person had been jogged by the Devil), hence salt was thrown over the left shoulder with the right hand (to put salt on the tail of the Devil). In Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper Judas is shown spilling the salt. Salt was used in Baptism to symbolically cast out evil. It is an emblem of purity, and hence it has been put in coffins to ward off the Devil.

Catholic Trivia

About That Infallible Decision That Women Can't Become Priests

When Jay from Living Catholicism laid this out for us before I heard from a few people about it not being an ex cathedra pronouncement. Therefore, they said it would not be considered infallible. You know, I didn't have a clue about that one way or the other though Jay's info seemed authoritative to me.

So it was with great interest that I came across this when reading Catholicism for Dummies.

Since Vatican II, however, the content and context of the document determines the degree of authority and not just the type of papal document. If the pope intents to definitely teach the universal Church on a matter of faith or morals, then that is his supreme authority as head of the Church being expressed. When John Paul II issued his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis in 1994, he officially declared that the Catholic Church has no power to ordain women. Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was not an ex cathedra papal statement, but it's part of the Ordinary Magisterium, and thus, according to the Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the teaching is infallible.

Kind of ironic that it was Vatican II that made that possible, isn't it?

I also liked that the book goes on to point out that encyclicals are equally infallible.

Encyclicals are the routine, day-to-day, consistent teaching of the Ordinary Magisterium, which is equally infallible when it concerns faith and morals and reiterates the constant, consistent and universal teaching of the popes and bishops. Their content requires religious submission of mind and will of faithful Catholics around the world. So-called dissent from papal teaching in encyclicals isn't a part of Catholic belief. The Catholic faithful willfully conform to papal teaching and don't dispute it.

Which links quite nicely with this article from the Boston Globe. It asks the question, "Should liberals leave the Church?" I have seen various positions around St. Blog's parish, the most popular being that the liberals should change their positions to agree with Church teachings. I agree and that is my prayer for them.

However, if they really, truly believe that the Church is wrong on these fundamental issues then they are being untrue to their consciences to stay in the Church, as St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out. In many cases, they do not want to fully consider the Church's position, history, and teachings on these issues. In which case, they are in the wrong place purely from the point of view of furthering their own relationship with God, to say nothing of the discord they are bringing to everyone else ... and they should go.

Part of the B Team ...

... and proud of it!

Der Tomissar has the B-Team's proud history. And a nice photo of me ... so I've been outed.

HC Film Festival: the Good, the Bad, and the Intense

I'll look at these in the order we watched them:

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS MEETS BIG BUSINESS
Network
A television network coldheartedly exploits a crazed news anchor to drive up the ratings and make profits. This movie is all about dehumanization by big business and the fact that everybody has their price ... even (most amusingly) the "Angela Davis" character who rants about the Communist party not seeing a dime until her series goes into syndication.

Tom was fascinated to see how much of a time capsule the views of this movie represented (his summing up is the title for this section). He views this as an indictment of big business by a hippie who was enraged and betrayed that their movement didn't actually change anything. Tom also was interested to see that Chayefsky's view of media was so unreal based on the changes of the last 30 years. Network's bleak view was that companies get bigger and bigger and dehumanize everyone, while in reality what happens is unpredictable because as people get squeezed out they go and start new ventures which often upsets the apple cart.

My own view was amazement at the stiltedness of the dialogue. It was like a Woody Allen movie without any of the self-deprecation or acknowledgement that people really don't talk like that. It was painful to listen to at times. I also realized that when I viewed this in college I was not hit by the wholesale rage that was seething throughout. I viewed it as clever and powerful but didn't really feel Chayefsky's fury the way I did watching it this time through.

I felt as if I'd been to film school when it was done. We were both worn out by the intensity when it finished. Recommended to those who haven't seen it or who study classic films.

HC Rating: *** (Liked it despite the absence of flubber...)


WANDERING WITHOUT A MORAL COMPASS
Sideways
Well, there are another two hours of my life I'll never get back. It is difficult to express just how much we both hated this movie.

Weak, whiny, and neurotic Miles takes his licentious friend, Jack, on a week-long tour of the wine country as a wedding gift. Jack constantly thinks of nothing but how much sex he can get (or encourage Miles to get) ... face it, he's a pig. Miles evidently knows right from wrong but lacks any moral fiber and so just stands back and watches Jack's escapades. The lessons that either man learns are extremely limited and of little long term value either to the viewer or to the characters.

The only good thing about this movie is that, as far as I could tell, the wine information was correct, which is no reason to watch the movie. If you are that hard up to learn about wine, go to iTunes and subscribe to Wine for Newbies. Or get a good, basic book.

HC Rating: * (worse than Godfather III)


TRUE TO LIFE
The Paper
An ensemble cast headed by Michael Keaton and directed by Ron Howard examine 24 hours in the life of a tabloid newspaper. The overall plot turns on beating rival newspapers to the story proving the innocence of two teenage boys who have been arrested for killing two out-of-town businessmen. However, it is the subplots about the various characters' lives that makes us care about the movie. Specifically the story focuses on Michael Keaton as the hard-bitten editor who doesn't want his paper to get beat to the big story and Marisa Tomei as his hugely pregnant wife who is a former reporter and is terrified that she will lose her personality when she becomes a mother. Robert Duvall's attempt to reach out to the daughter he neglected because of his newspaper job and Glenn Close's cold-fish money oriented manager both sound a contrasting cautionary note about perspective.

The characters were strong and knew what mattered in life, the plot was engrossing, and it worked because it didn't ignore the human element that messes up life just when we least expect it. Highly recommended.

HC Rating: **** (Nine thumbs up)

Coming Highlights

The girls are still working late hours on the musical crew so Tom and I are having a mini-movie marathon. Coming on Monday ... the reviews of:

• Network: does it still hold up as the hard hitting movie we both remember loving when it was first released?
• Sideways: everyone loved it and many have recommended it to us. Is it more than just two slackers drinking their way through the wine country (which is what it always looked like to me)
  
• The Paper: another blast from the past. We remember really liking the performances and engrossing plot. Will it hold up years later? And why the "R" rating? Because I think the girls would like this movie if it is only for language (a la This Is Spinal Tap).
  

At least that's why we rented these ... results on Monday.

I have a crush on Cardinal Arinze. Am I going to Hell?

I've seen the logo around for this podcast but just didn't have time to check it out. And, frankly, the idea of listening to what I could only figure must be old recordings of Cardinal Arinze ... well, that just didn't sound like fun. Soporific ... yes. Fun ... no.

Do I have what it takes to listen to a cardinal, no matter how respected, droning on about the Faith? Oh, let's face it. I have no tolerance for that sort of thing at all.

Talk about a pleasant surprise.

Let's start with Rob, the actual podcaster, who hosts the show. He is energetic and in love with being a Catholic. It is refreshing to hear someone enthusiastically and vigorously say, "There isn't a better time to be a Catholic than 2006."

Also he has a wonderful Australian (?) accent. Excellent.

Rob is just the warm up for the main attraction, Cardinal Arinze. The episode I listened to was an interview with someone going through a bit of the Catechism and the Cardinal explaining the basics. The very basic basics ... such as why the Catholic Church is "one," "holy," and "apostolic." And, y'all, it wasn't boring.

First, he's got that fantastic African accent ... combined with a command of the English language and vocabulary that is nothing short of astounding.

Second, in all those articles about his orthodoxy and fabulousness, why didn't anyone mention that he is funny? Listening to him talk about cafeteria Catholics going down the line picking this belief, but not that one ... well, I was laughing out loud.

Third, he has an passionate love for our Catholic faith. Even in simple explanations, Cardinal Arinze communicated so well the joy and love that God extends to us through the Church.

Finally, he has a gift for explaining very simply but clearly how the faith is grounded in the truth that is Jesus Christ. Which is quite inspiring.

I think I'm in love.

UPDATE
No podcast in the works yet for Pope Benedict XVI but he now has a Nano. Can't wait for a photo of him with that!

This One's for Tom

The perfect game for someone who loves sets and matching ... Set Game. Enjoy!

Me? Oh, I do it because I love torturing myself.

Anguished English: Headline Howlers

XRAYS OF DEAN'S HEAD REVEAL NOTHING

MAN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING FACES BATTERY CHARGE

NEW STUDY OF OBESITY LOOKS FOR LARGER TEST GROUP

ASTRONAUT TAKES BLAME FOR GAS IN SPACECRAFT

KIDS MAKE NUTRITIOUS SNACKS

ARSON SUSPECT IS HELD IN MASSACHUSETTS FIRE

BRITISH UNION FINDS DWARFS IN SHORT SUPPLY

KIDNEY PATIENTS TO GO ON THEIR OWN

More Anguished English

You Are Embarrassing the Angels

"You are embarrassing the angels." This is what I intend to say for the next 40 days whenever I see someone who is hurting the culture, hurting human dignity, denying the stature of a human being. I mean to say it with belief, with an eye to instruction, but also pointedly, uncompromisingly. As a lady would. All invited to join in.

Read Peggy Noonan's article

I will be joining in. Pass it on.

The Anchoress ably expands on this theme. Amen, sistah! Preach it.

UPDATE
Laura H. has some actual info about angels (as opposed to that "in the news" stuff featured in this post). Check it out.

A Tale of Two Priests

-from In Conversation with God

The person who abandons mortification is inevitably ensnared by his sense and becomes incapable of any supernatural thought.

Those are some really tough words--but they aren't so difficult as you might imagine if you really understand what mortification is. Mortification is the abanonment of self in the spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice in the service of another and in the love of God. When you put up with Ms. Whiny-voice and even welcome her into your home or office, you are excerising the spirit of mortification. When you eat less of what you would like, or allow your children to have the last piece of whatever, you are in the spirit of mortification. The possibility of mortification is pervasive, we need merely reach out to touch it and take advantage of it. We mature in our faith through self-denial and little sacrifices.

Steven Riddle

Our parish priest talked about the public nature of wearing ashes and how it reflects what is in our hearts. He talked about sin. Talked about how it became unfashionable in religion a few years ago to talk about sin, to talk about responsibility, to talk about the state of our souls. He pointed out that each one of us is partially responsible for the sin in the world; partially responsible for the arrogance, the hate, the ugliness that is in the world because of our own sin and our own actions. This is a time to look that personal sin in the face and see where God wants to take us.

It made me think of earlier in the week at a prayer group when he talked about Jesus being driven into the desert by the Spirit. He said that the desert is a hard place, a scary place. We don't want to go, we have to be driven, but it is where we need to be ... and when we are there we can know God.

“You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is: never try.”

“Trying is the first step to failure”

“If at first you don't succeed, give up.”

Homer Simpson

By contrast, Rose was totally disgusted with the high school's priest who talked about how he would fast on Fridays. Then one Friday, after being in a bad mood because of fasting, he got into an argument with someone who had cut in the gas line in front of him. He said that was when he realized that the very thing that was supposed to bring him closer to God ... the fasting ... was not doing any such thing. So he quit fasting ever.

Quit. fasting. ever.

Nice lesson to tell 1,200 high school kids isn't it? Too hard? Give up.

Rose said, "He didn't say anything about being sorry and trying harder. Or even realizing that fasting wasn't the right way for him and looking for another way to get closer to God. He basically just gave every person there permission to never try."

Hannah said, "Well, he did say that if they were smoking then they should think about quitting. Or using alcohol or abusing drugs then they should really think about quitting."

I said, "Think about quitting."

She smiled wryly, "Well, that's because he started that part by saying, 'I can't tell you what to do.' So, yeah, he basically gave every single person there permission to never try anything if it was too hard and that they should think about stopping bad behavior."

Way to go, Father. Homer Simpson would be proud.

What Do We Know About the Bayeux Tapestry?

Evidently not very much.

It isn't from Bayeux (that's the French side of the story we've been given all this time ... it was made in England)

It isn't a tapestry (I've seen it. It's embroidery, y'all.)

It isn't celebrating King William's glorious victory over the English (evidently there are layers upon layers of secret info that actually are dissing King William!)

This and more mind-bending, history-changing info was given to me by Tom last weekend during our lunch date (do we know how to get romantic or what?).

He's reading 1066: The Hidden History In The Bayeux Tapestry and actually this is all a theory, but what an interesting one! I gave him the book for Christmas because when we first went to France, many years ago, he insisted on going to see the Bayeux Tapestry. I'd never heard of it but was fascinated when we finally were at the exhibit.

Among the other fascinating details was that William the Conqueror was the kinda guy who would have made Hitler proud. No one rose against him after he beat King Harold not because they were lackadaisical about who ruled them (which was how I'd always thought of it) but because he had this habit of obliterating little towns who stood against him. It was also the last time that Britain was conquered, which I'd never really thought of (despite William's title which I know he liked better than his previous one, "William the Bastard") because I always knew that William had some claim, however tenuous, to the British throne. However Wiliam's behavior definitely was that of a conqueror.

The English language went underground at that point, which I had heard before, as Norman French became the standard at court and speaking English was forbidden. As English servants waited on Norman courtiers more and more French became incorporated into the English language.

However, what I hadn't really ever thought about were the examples that the author gives to show how the language separation worked, and also how rich English became in synonyms. Animals "on the hoof" (so to speak) were known by their English words while the food when it got to the table was known under the French name. This really struck me when Tom said, "So cow became beef." I suddenly thought, "Boeuf ... which is French for beef."

Cow .... beef (French - boeuf)
Chicken ... poultry (French - poulet)
Sheep ... mutton (French - mouton)
Swine or pig ... pork (French - porc)

If you want to tour the tapestry this site will take you through bit by bit with the story translated.

Want to Know More About Scientology?

Rolling Stone has the scoop from a 9-month investigation. Astounding. I must have read about a third of this very long, but very informative article aloud to Tom.

Question, The Second

Secret Agent Man asks, "A true fast (water only), or the so-called squishy fast that they have these days where you're allowed one big huge meal and a couple of smaller ones??"

My answer is in the comments box. And remember, y'all, we're not here to judge each other ... God is judging our hearts and that is it.

UPDATE
As always, Steven Riddle has good advice for us.

Question, The First

Stella asks, "What's the best Stations of the Cross method/book?"

One person recommended The Way of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori.

Any other recommendations?

Lent

This season was introduced by Pope Felix III in the fourth century. Originally it lasted for thirty-six days, but four days were added in 487 to make up the forty days Our Lord spent in the wilderness. The word "Lent" is taken from "Lenctenid," which is Old English for spring-tide and the Saxon name for March because of the lengthening of the days. As Lent falls in March, it is fittingly named.

Catholic Trivia

I Think They've Worked With Microsoft Before...

Check out this fantastic parody of what would happen if Microsoft packaged the iPod. Maybe you have to be in advertising (or computers) to appreciate it but it's perfect.

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

You Are Blonde Highlights

Men see you as flexible and versatile - you fit in to every situation You've got the inner glow of a blonde, the intensity of a redhead... And the wisdom of a brunette.

How Blonde Are You?

Via Miss Cellania.

A Little Fun for a Sunday Afternoon

Go to The Doctor is In and read his praise of standard poodles. If you aren't interested in reading much, be sure to scroll down and check out the photographic proof of poodle superiority.

Goodbye Sophie Grace

I just found out that little Sophie who was born to a family that embraced life despite doctors' urgings to do otherwise, died on February 2.

What a sorrow that must be for this family. What a blessing Sophie had in them, who loved her and cherished her while she was here for that short time.

Please pray for little Sophie's soul and for the peace and grace of God to be with her grieving family.

Lent-ish Links

An examination of conscience from Zenit. Via Holy Fool.

A history lesson on what Lent used to be like. Via Mrs. Darwin.

Doing Nothing or Nothing Doing? from Confessions of a Hot Carmel Sundae isn't precisely Lent oriented I suppose except that as I have exactly the opposite nature it made me begin thinking about what God wanted me to do ... which translated into Lenten thinking.

How the Seven Deadly Sins All Start From Good Things by TO. Another that isn't specifically for Lent but I found quite it made a good contribution toward pondering what to keep an eye on in my life and, specifically, in terms of Lenten practices. You might like it that way too.

What Would We Do Without Dick Cheney to Laugh At?

Some hilarious stuff is popping up.

Quail Hunting School: the game that trains you for quail hunting. Thanks to Alex for this one.

White House Had Prior Knowledge Of Cheney Threat: the Onion is working their usual irreverent magic.

In a Presidential Daily Briefing given to Bush in August 2005, the CIA warned that the vice president was a potent threat to the senior population at large, and in particular "possessed the capabilities and intentions to spray a senior citizen with projectiles fired from a shotgun or other weapon." A second brief identified the population at risk as those "between 70 and 80 years of age," and warned that the vice president posed the greatest threat to "seniors in close proximity to the vice president when he is armed."

And this cartoon: Day by Day.

Back to Basics: Getting to Heaven

The only thing that really matters in life is getting to Heaven.

Among all the achievements of our life only one thing is really crucial. It is attaining the goal — Heaven — set for us by God. We must be ready to give up everything, if necessary, to achieve this goal. We must also be ready to set aside anything that even gets in the way of our achieving it, no matter how valuable or appealing it may seem. Everything else has to be subjected to that one supreme objective in our life — possessing God. If anything becomes an obstacle rather than an aid to this end, then we must be prepared either to set things straight or to put the obstacle aside completely. Eternal salvation — our own or our neighbor's — comes first. Our Lord tells us so in the Gospel of the Mass (Mark 9:40-49): If thy hand is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off! ... And if thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off! ... And if thine eye is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off! ... It is better to enter into the kingdom of Heaven maimed, lame or lacking an eye, than being physically sound to be cast into hellfire, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. It is better to lose something as necessary as one's hand, one's foot or one's eye than to lose Heaven, which is our supreme good, implying as it does the beatific vision of God for all eternity. How much truer this is, if, as is usually the case, what we need to put aside with no more than a bit of determination on our part is something that would otherwise not result in any significant harm to us....

Often the obstacles we have to set aside will not be tremendously significant ones. In the life of a Christian who is striving to please God in all things, this will usually be the case. What will have to be set aside and cut out are our minor whims and preferences. We shall take prudent steps to correct small breaches of temperance where Our Lord asks us to mortify our temper or our moods, to overcome any excessive concern we may have about our health or comfort ... All of these more or less habitual failings need very much to be taken into account, even though they may not be ore than venial sins. They slow our pace and can trip us up — or worse: they can gradually lead to or bring about more serious falls.

If our struggle is generous, if our goal in life is clear in our sight, we will be decisive not to say ruthless, in striving to correct these situations so that they cease to be obstacles and are turned into advantages. This is what Our Lord often did with his Apostles. From Peter's hot-headed impetuosity He formed solid rock on which He would build his Church. From the vehement impatience of John and James (who He dubbed sons of thunder) He fashioned the apostolic zeal of untiring preachers. From Thomas' skepticism he molded a strikingly articulate testimony to his divinity. What has been previously a crippling liability becomes a powerful asset.

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time, Weeks 13-23)

Can you tell I've been thinking about Lent? Actually Lent really began coming to mind a couple of days ago, so that's a week ahead. Just about the right timing for me to mentally prepare for the blessings that God will bring from this time. Despite my preference for Ordinary Time I treasure all the seasons that God gives us and Lent is no different.

First is this period of self-examination, where we contemplate the time to come, remember our ultimate goal (as stated above), and then ask where God wants us to go in order that we may meet Him more fully.

In my case, I have a pretty good feeling that it calls for some giving up and adding on.

Giving up: mortification of the flesh (which would be giving up dessert).

Adding on: focusing on "back to the basics" in my life (which means sticking to my daily schedule properly). A daily schedule may not sound like much but it can mean the difference between laziness and prayer time, between selfishness and serving my family through a clean house and nice meal on the table.

I'll also be contributing to a Lenten prayer blog which is an amazing ecumenical project begun by a couple of bloggers who want to truly celebrate Lent fully. There are around twenty people who will be sharing their prayers throughout Lent and I fully expect that I will be blessed by their prayers much more than I will be contributing any of my own. However, be that as it may, please drop by often as no one seems to be waiting for Ash Wednesday and are popping in to introduce themselves and often say a prayer or two.

More later about the books I'll be reading.