What You Need to Know About the War in the Middle East

American Papist has put together a wonderful set of resources. I haven't said much about this because quite frankly I'm not very well informed, so I especially welcome this set of links.

However, I will add these links to Middle East bloggers that I read regularly. Keep an eye on them for commentary as well. If nothing else it gives an interesting insight to more than one side of the conflict.

• Perpetual Refugee who is in Lebanon.
• Sand Gets in My Eyes in Saudi Arabia.
• Middle East Journal, a reporter who has been all over the place.
• On the Face who is in Israel.

Updates

• Against the Grain has some additional news and commentary to add to the links given us by American Papist.
• Spero News has had very good coverage throughout.
  
• GOP Soccer Mom has been waiting for people to remember their history about what people were offered opportunities that they short-sightedly turned down.
• Sand Gets in My Eyes points out an unexpected though welcome reaction from the Saudis.

  In making the statement, King Abdullah clearly condemns Hezbollah for their actions and lays the responsibility for making things right firmly on their heads.
  
  “It’s your mess,” he tells them. “Clean it up.”
  
  Instead of spewing Arab hatred at Israel and questioning the measure of their response, the King publicly reprimands Iranian-backed Hezbollah calling them irresponsible and unaccountable...
  
  And King Abdullah isn’t the only Saudi official speaking out...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Photo of the Week

Via American Papist

I Guess I Misjudged How Much Animals Love Me

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"Nice doggy."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

Via Minivan Mom who shows a certain recklessness that seems about right.

It's Pretty Clear That We Need More Pirates

Since I'm all about saving the environment and everything. Via Listen 2 Your Uncle Jay who I found thanks to March Hare (who you all should be reading!).

The Interior Struggle and Failure

It is really true that how we treat failure in our lives is just as important as how we treat success.

In the interior struggle we will also meet with failures. Many such failures will be unimportant; other will be more serious, but our atonement and our contrition will bring us even closer to God. And if ever we smash into small pieces what we felt was most precious in our life, God will be able to mend that very thing if we are humble. He always forgives us and helps us when we turn to him with a contrite heart. We must learn to begin again many times; with new joy, with new humility, for even if we have caused serious offence to God and have done much harm to other people, we can still later come very close to God in this life and be happy with him in the next, as long as there is true repentance, as long as we make room in our lives for penance, humility, sincerity and repentance -- and begin again.

God allows for our weakness and always forgives us, but we need to be sincere, to repent and to struggle to rise up again. There is incomparable joy in heaven each time we begin again. Throughout our journey on earth we will have to do so many times, because there will always be faults, shortcomings, weaknesses and sins for us to recover from. May we never lack the straightforwardness to acknowledge this and to open our souls to Our Lord in the Tabernacle and in spiritual direction.

In Conversation With God Vol 4

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Powerful Stuff

Rosalind Moss's talk, "Mary, Our Jewish Mother" which can be found on iTunes under Ave Maria University Presents. Not just about Mary but also about her conversion when she accepted that Jesus was the Messiah. Here's the link to their website.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

What Happened Here?

In Mountain Meadows, Utah on September 7, 1857.

Aaargh! Apologies to all ... I mistyped and got the date wrong. Based on the comments so far I think that my brother and Rick Lugari are clued in on this incident.

Answer (in invisi-type)
The Fancher party, comprising more than 120 emigrants from Arkansas headed to California by wagon train, was attacked by a party variously described as Paiute Indians acting at the behest of Mormons, or Mormons disguised as Indians, or a combination of Mormons and Indians. The emigrants were besieged for five days; then a group of Mormons promised to lead them to safety. Instead, on September 11, they shot all but seventeen of the emigrants point-blank in what is now called the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The seventeen survivors, all children under five, were distributed among Mormon families. All but one were later recovered by a federal agent.

To Persecute the Church is to Persecute Jesus

I never thought about it this way ... about how it applies to us today.

Those people who claim to approach Christ whilst leaving his Church to one side, and even causing her harm, may one day get the same surprise as Saint Paul did when he was on his way to Damascus: I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. (Acts 9:5) And, the Venerable Bede reflects that He does not say "why are you persecuting my members, but why are you persecuting me?" For He is still affronted in his Body, which is the Church. Paul did not know until that moment that to persecute the Church was to persecute Jesus himself. When he speaks about the Church later on, he does so in words that describe her as the Body of Christ; (1 Cor 12:27) and he describes the faithful as members of Christ's Body. (1 Cor 2:27) It is not possible to love, follow or listen to Christ, without loving, following, or listening to the Church, because she is the presence, at once sacramental and mysterious, of Our Lord, who prolongs his saving mission in the world to the very end of time.

In Conversation With God Vol 4

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Where'd That Word Come From: Armadillo

This peculiar animal -- noted for its distinctive armored appearance -- gets its name from the diminutive form of the Spanish word armado, which means "armed man." The root word is the Latin verb armare, meaning "to arm."

The Word Origin Calendar

Quickest Movie Reviews Ever

DIE HARD
I waited too long to see this and the genre has passed it by. It is sadly dated. I watched for 45 minutes to give it a fair chance, also since I like Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis ... *yawn*. Predictable. The clever lines ... weren't. Next!

JACKIE BROWN
Lauded by critics everywhere. Written and directed by Quinten Tarentino whose movies I'd never seen. Also, it was based on an Elmore Leonard novel, which worked marvelously well for Get Shorty and Out of Sight. Here's more proof (beyond X3) that the director can kill a good premise in a movie. That's another two hours of my life I'll never get back. Too long, story told in an extremely uninteresting way and a complete waste of top notch acting talent.

Update on My Friend Cynthia

Just got this news from someone who saw her this morning.

She has been moved from the ICU to a regular hospital room (#822). They had just gone through a physical therapy session, with Cynthia walking for the first time (with assistance). Her right side is still only at about 70%, which is a great deal better than the 0% of a few days ago. Her angiogram indicates that the blood vessel sealed itself, so surgery may not be necessary. However, a great deal of rehab will be required.

Praise God and keep those prayers coming!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Second Verse, Same as the First

The socks are done!
Hannah put them on as soon as the last one came off my needles and
I had a difficult time getting her to take them off for this photo. Quite satisfying!

Next up, a pair for Rose using Magic Stripes yarn.

Also, I'm beginning a feather and fan patterned afghan for Hannah to take to school. I'm realistic ... just hoping to get it done before she graduates! I am using Plymouth Encore Worsted because you've gotta be able to throw this in the washer and dryer. She chose Soft Rose for the main color and Cranberry for the contrasting color.

The Whole Scoop on the Holy Grail

Grail Code by Michael Aquilina and Christopher Bailey

I have written about this book fairly frequently so y'all know that I like and recommend it. Upon finishing it, I think that the thing that stands out the most is just how much our age misunderstands the grail story in its entirety, misled by story tellers of long ago who misinterpreted it to suit their times (almost Da Vinci Code style one might say). If you are at all interested in refuting the Da Vinci Code or in the stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail then you owe it to yourself to get the whole story.

By the way, speaking of the Holy Grail which Valencia has some longstanding claims for, check this out.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Prayer Request for My Friend Cynthia

I was greatly shocked by the news that my friend Cynthia Vasquez is in ICU suffering from an aneurysm. She's a vibrant 30 year old who is loving and giving ... I also have worked with her as a client where she was a dream to work with.

Please pray for her recovery and for her family.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Knit Bit

"Knitting for Britain" was something of an escape from more serious work at a British boarding school during World War II. I suppose therapeutic, perhaps, at a time when life was so tangled. But no one ever thought it odd that a school of 200 boys should be busily whiling away the hours in such an activity as knitting.

"When Knitting Was a Manly Art" by Clinton Trowbridge
from the Christian Science Monitor, December 5, 1997

Get Your Thinking Caps On

From the Mensa Puzzler Calendar.

Find the word that best completes the following sequence.

NINE EIGHT TEN NINETEEN

a) SEVEN
b) TWENTY
c) NINETY

Did I get this? Pfft! No!

ANSWER
Mark Mossa emailed me the answer about 30 seconds after I posted this so I'll go ahead and put it up now...

c) NINETY (each word starts with the last letter of the preceding word).

On Loving Our Enemies

Copying this into my quote journal tonight, I thought of the uproar caused some time ago about a blogger who admitted that she had deliberately passed by a mother and small children whose car was broken down because at the last minute she saw a political sticker she didn't agree with (either Vote Republican or something in support of George Bush ... I can't remember and that isn't the point anyway). Later, I am so happy to say that the blogger repented although many of her commenters were much less praiseworthy in their wholehearted approval of her initial actions.

Then I thought of this post that I read today at The Anchoress. I confess that I didn't go read the original linked commentary because what The Anchoress said made it very clear that this woman was so enraged that she was almost not recognizable as a human through her hatred. I didn't want to read it in the original. I didn't want to sully my mind with words I probably wouldn't be able to forget. Honestly, I felt real pity for that woman who was letting her emotions control her actions so. I am going to pray for her. (You know that prayer by now, right? "Lord have mercy on me and bless her...)

I was going to post this next week but thought that maybe now was a better time. It is a longer version of one of my favorite quotes from one of my very favorite saints ... Augustine ... seems all too appropriate to the situation of the woman who said that her enemy and his child were "no longer human."

Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the 1st Letter of John, 8,10

"It is mercy I desire"

In loving your enemy, you want him to be your brother. You do not love in him what he is, but what you want him to be. Let us imagine some oak wood that has not been carved. A capable craftsman sees this wood that has been cut in the forest; he likes the wood. I do not know what he wants to make out of it, but the artist does not love this wood so that it might remain as it is. His art lets him see what the wood can become. He does not love the rough wood; he loves what he will make of it, not the rough wood.

That is how God loved us when we were sinners. For he said: "People who are in good health do not need a doctor; sick people do." Did he love us sinners so that we might remain sinners? The craftsman saw us like a piece of rough wood coming from the forest, and what he had in mind was the work he would draw from there, not the wood from the forest.

It is the same with you: you see your enemy who opposes you, who overwhelms you with scathing words, who is harsh in his insults, who pursues you with his hatred. But you are attentive to the fact that he is a human being. You see everything that this person did against you, and you see in him that he was created by God. What he is as a human being is God's work; the hatred he bears towards you is his own work. And what do you say to yourself? "Lord, be kind to him, forgive his sins, inspire him with fear of you, change him." In this person, you do not love what he is, but what you want him to be. Thus, when you love your enemy, you love a brother.

Via DGO

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

My Itty Bitty Vacation

Tom and Rose are on the long awaited Father-Daughter trip (marking Rose's achievement of becoming 16). They are having a fabulous time in Chicago by all accounts. The art museum blew them away. They took more than 200 photos, talked to most of the guards by all accounts, and I can't tell you the number of times that Tom said, in awed tones, "World class, really world class!" The pizza crust at Uno's also blew them away (how did they get it so light and not bready but still substantial) while the sauce got lower grades. Today they are off for the boat architectural tour as well as other things not yet decided upon by last night.

Meanwhile, I am loafing. Just plain loafing. Begging off a meeting that was requested (which I never do), watching movies with Hannah (how could I have forgotten just how excellent All That Jazz is?), playing Shadows of Amnh for the umpteenth time (if anyone knows of a similar high quality D&D game that will play on the Mac cube puhleeze let me know!), knitting and listening to podcasts. Getting ready to take Hannah shopping for a few college essentials (doesn't everyone need a Hello Kitty body pillow for their dorm bed?). Reading fluff novels until midnight.

How does this differ from my regular routine you might ask? Well, I am not worrying about what to fix for dinner. Or sticking to any routine ... it probably is not all that different but let's just pretend shall we?

Gandhi, Spinning, and Sacrifice

I think of the poor of India every time that I draw a thread on the wheel. For a person suffering from the pangs of hunger, and desiring nothing but to fill his belly, his belly is his God. To him anyone who gives him bread is his master. Through him he many even see God. . . . Therefore I have described my spinning (a daily activity) as a penance or sacrament. And, since I believe that where there is pure and active love for the poor there is God also, I see God in every thread that I draw on the spinning wheel.

Mohandas Gandhi, Khadi, pages 110-111

Heather at CraftLit has a very interesting essay that I found quite thought provoking. She talks about 9/11 and how the only people who seem to be making sacrifices are the soldiers and their families. She is talking about the sort of sacrifices that the average citizen made during WWII and which we all have heard about whether from grandparents, books, or movies. This then segueways into a discussion of Gandhi and how he spun yarn for half an hour every day as a combination of solidarity, service, and penance for impoverished Indians.

You might ask how it is possible to find God through the spinning wheel. . . . One has to learn to efface self or the ego voluntarily and as a sacrifice in order to find God. The spinning wheel rules out exclusiveness. It stands for all, including the poorest. It, therefore, requires us to be humble and to cast away pride completely. When self is shed the change will be reflected in our outward behavior. . . . Everything we do will be undertaken not for little self but for all.

Mohandas Gandhi, Khadi, page 115

This essay was unusual for several reasons. First, CraftLit basically is a knitting podcast so when a knitter begins ranting I lose interest. It is inevitably about something like the fact that someone has called knitting a hobby or some such other thing that I feel is being way too touchy.

Second, as you can imagine the idea of performing a service as a penance and offering it for others perked up my ears because that entire concept is so Catholic. Then when I heard about the humbling effect of spinning for others I knew it was Catholic ... yes, expressed by someone who wasn't Christian, but it is one of those common splinters of truth that God spreads throughout the world. To hear it coming from Gandhi and then being pulled around and applied to us in the war on terror was fascinating. (And she's right, y'all.)

To find God one need not go out anywhere. He resides in our hearts. But if we install self or ego there we dethrone God. . . . Although He is the King of kings, Most High, Almighty, yet He is at the beck and call of anyone who has reduced himself to zero and turns to Him in uttermost humility of spirit. Let us then become poor in spirit and find Him within ourselves.

Mohandas Gandhi, Khadi, page 115

Third, it actually inspired me to go to the blog and read Heather's 9/11 story (which I strongly encourage y'all to do). She was right in the middle of 9/11, being a teacher at the time in a school that was in the shadow of the World Trade Center. It is a harrowing tale. I also read the piece linked to about Gandhi and spinning which was quite good.

If you download Episode 11 (which you can do on iTunes or from the CraftLit blog) just listen to the part where she gets on her "soapbox."

I do want to mention that this podcast would be good for anyone who is interested in literature. Although I have described it as a knitting podcast, it doesn't really have a lot of knitting content. There is a bit at the beginning and then the rest is given over to chapters of an audiobook. The idea is that it is something good to listen to while knitting (or washing the floor, folding laundry, driving, etc. ... which are also things we can offer to God ... though whether as prayer or penance depends on how much you might dislike those tasks!).

I find that one of the most enjoyable parts is listening to Heather's commentary on what happened in the last chapters and teasers about what is upcoming in the current episode. She is quite enthusiastic and that makes the book all the more enjoyable. Currently, she is presenting Pride and Prejudice but has been entertaining suggestions as to the next book which range from Tom Sawyer to Tristan and Iseult. If you are at all interested in such things, do go give it a try ... who knows when the next time is that Heather will break loose and give us a good, thought provoking rant? You don't want to miss that, do you? I didn't think so!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The De-Deification of the American Faithscape

Very rarely do I regret not having cable. Watching this clip of Steven Colbert is one of those times. This is hilarious not only for his comment about "the one true faith" but just all round.

Via Mormon2Catholic whose own commentary on all this is well worth reading (welcome back girl, we've missed ya!).

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

What a Puzzler!

From the Mensa Puzzle Calendar.

Our local toy store prices its merchandise according to the owner's whim. A doll costs 70 cents, a train costs 80 cents, a drum costs 70 cents, and a dollhouse costs $1.40. According to this system, how much will a jumping jack cost?

Answer:
$1.90 (vowels are worth 10 cents; consonants are worth 20 cents).

God Did Not Spare His Own Son For Us

This month's Word Among Us articles are all written by one of my favorite homilists, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, who I believe is preacher to the papal household. Everything he says always has such a weight of truth, reality, and beauty for me. You can go read all three articles online but here is an excerpt, lengthy to be sure, from the one I read this morning about the mystery of God's love for us.

“My Father Was Holding Me.” A child who is certain of his Father’s love will grow up strong, secure, happy, and free for life. God’s word wants to do this for us. It wants to restore this security to us. Our solitude in this world cannot be overcome except by faith in God the Father’s love.

Observe a child walking with his father, holding his father’s hand, or being swung around by him, and you will have the best picture of a happy, free child, full of pride. I read somewhere that once an acrobat did a stunt on the top floor of a skyscraper; he leant out as far as he could possibly go, supporting himself on the bare tips of his toes and holding his small child in his arms. When they came down, someone asked the child if he had been afraid, and the child, surprised at the question, answered, “No. My father was holding me!”

God’s word wants us to be like that child. And reminding us that God did not spare his own Son for us, St. Paul cries out joyfully and victoriously, “If God is for us, who is against us? . . . Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:31-37). And Jesus tells us therefore to free ourselves of fear, of all cowardice, of all discouragement. Your Father knows you and your Father loves you, Jesus says. You were not given the spirit of slaves, to fall back into fear, but the spirit of children to cry out: Abba, Father!

Absolute Trust. Before such an incomprehensible love it comes spontaneously to us to turn to Jesus and ask him: “Jesus, you are our elder brother; tell us what we can do to be worthy of so much love and suffering on the Father’s part?” And from the height of his cross, Jesus answers us: “There is,” he says, “something you can do, something I also did, for it pleases the Father: Have confidence in him, trust him against everything, against everyone, against yourselves. When you are in darkness and distress, when difficulties threaten to suffocate you and you are on the point of giving up, pull yourself together and cry aloud, ‘Father, I no longer understand you but I trust you!’ And you will find peace again.”

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Ladies, I Highly Recommend ...

... that if you happen to be in a bookstore and see this edition of Rolling Stone, just pick it up and turn to page 48. Now, there's a sight that'll take your breath away.

Rose is considering putting it on her wall. I might have to start tucking in her in at night again.

UPDATE
Here is Jeffrey Overstreet's review. I'd go see the movie this weekend but will wait until Rose and Tom come back from Chicago.

At the Movies: Quick Reviews

CARS
Everyone knows the story to Pixar's latest hit, right? Hot shot racing rookie Lightning McQueen is on his way to ultimate fame and glory at a race in California. However, he accidentally gets derailed and winds up in Radiator Springs, once a bustling town on Route 66, but little more than a ghost town populated by a few die hard citizens. Yes, the story is predictable. However, it is told so well and with such loving attention to the details (I did say it is a Pixar movie, right?), that predictability doesn't matter in the least. I have heard critics bemoaning the two-hour run time and a slow beginning. We noticed none of those things. By the way, his is where it helps to have a car buff sitting beside you through the movie to point out all the clever details. As with all Pixar flicks be sure to stay until the credits are done. Especially watch the fun they have with the cars at the drive in while the credits are running. Genius, pure genius! (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)

BOTTLE ROCKET
A sweet and light hearted little movie, this is the one that launched the Wilson brothers and Wes Anderson. Owen Wilson plays the relentlessly intent leader of a group of quirky losers who plans a heist and can't see how absurd his plans are. Along the way the group falls under the tutelage of a real crime boss (James Caan). Meanwhile, the other members of the group are learning to deal with love and family members in their own ways. I can't really communicate just how goofy and funny this movie was but we all loved it. (HC rating: Good despite lack of flubber)

SHAOLIN SOCCER
A perfect balance of the absurd and sincere, Shaolin Soccer is the story of an old, lame soccer player who wants to coach and teams up with a young, intense man (Steel Leg) who wants to show that Shaolin Kung Fu can make life better for everyone ... oh, and he also needs work. They gather together Steel Leg's old kung fu brothers and embark on a journey to win the soccer championship against the local reigning champions (need I add that they are evil?). This movie somehow pulls off a sort of wacky cartoonish quality at the same time as sincerely telling a good story. Complete with Hollywood movie references, really funny lines at unexpected times, fantastical martial arts, and unworldly powers, this movie should not be missed. One caveat, the captioning is truly off at times, with such problems as "bald" being consistently spelled "blad" and "the soccer ball" being called "the soccer." However, this is not enough to detract from the magic of this tale which we loved. Now, I can't wait to rent Kung Fu Hustle, also by this director. (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)

INSIDE MAN
Watching this riveting movie made me wish that Spike Lee made more "big hit, mainstream" movies. The trailers sold this all wrong. It really is about watching smart hostage negotiator Denzel Washington play a game of wits with crime mastermind Clive Owen (who never looked better, by the way). We don't know Owen's plan until the very end but our family was thinking out loud with Washington the whole time. This movie takes us for a great ride with a smart plot, great acting, and a welcome lack of violence along the way. The "R" rating is for liberal use of language. (HC rating: Nine thumbs up!)

Trailers that caught our eye...
Most of the trailers that we saw with Cars looked downright bad. "Flicka" especially enraged me as I loved that book as a child and to put a girl in the lead instead of the original boy is the height of political correctness. Aaargh!

However, these two looked good enough that we'll be checking out the reviews when they come out.

• Invincible
• Monster House

That Imbalance Rooted in the Heart of Man

"They begged him to leave their neighborhood"

The modern world shows itself at once powerful and weak, capable of the noblest deeds or the foulest; before it lies the path to freedom or to slavery, to progress or retreat, to brotherhood or hatred. Moreover, man is becoming aware that it is his responsibility to guide aright the forces which he has unleashed and which can enslave him or minister to him. That is why he is putting questions to himself.

The truth is that the imbalances under which the modern world labors are linked with that more basic imbalance which is rooted in the heart of man. For in man himself many elements wrestle with one another. Thus, on the one hand, as a creature he experiences his limitations in a multitude of ways; on the other he feels himself to be boundless in his desires and summoned to a higher life. Pulled by manifold attractions he is constantly forced to choose among them and renounce some. Indeed, as a weak and sinful being, he often does what he would not, and fails to do what he would (cf. Rom 7:14ff.). Hence, he suffers from internal divisions and from these flow so many and such great discords in society...

Nevertheless, in the face of the modern development of the world, the number constantly swells of the people who raise the most basic questions or recognize them with a new sharpness: What is man? What is this sense of sorrow, of evil, of death, which continues to exist despite so much progress? What purpose have these victories purchased at so high a cost? What can man offer to society; what can he expect from it? What follows this earthly life?

The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all (cf. 2 Cor 5:15), can through his Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under the heaven been given to man by which it is fitting for him to be saved (cf. Acts 4:12). She likewise holds that in her most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point and the goal of man as well as of all human history. The Church also maintains that beneath all changes there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever (cf. Heb 13:8).

Second Vatican Council
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes), 9-10
Via DGO

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

God Bless America, Land That I Love

Happy birthday, USA!

Some good holiday reading can be found at:

• ... and if not ...
• penni, for your thoughts
• SFO Mom
• Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred

Good holiday listening can be found at:

• Maria Lectrix where Maureen treats us to The Man Without a Country by Edward Everett Hale. I have never, ever forgotten this story, read long ago in school. It made a huge impact on me and if you have never come across it you are in for a treat.

NCR's Eric Scheske Gets Brave ...

... in search of youthful Catholic bloggers and finds out that there are some darned good ones out there. Some are familiar to me such as Shrine of the Holy Whapping and American Papist. However, he lists many I haven't heard of that I have gotta check out (because that's what I need ... more blogs to read ... right?).

You can read the whole column over at Totus Pius, a blog I'm going to be visiting often in the days to come.

I was really happy to see my pal Laura H under bloggers to watch and encourage. She definitely deserves it.

Eric also was extremely kind to Happy Catholic in his reader recommendations. Thanks Eric! His blog is a fairly new one to me but not to those in the know. If you haven't been by there, go check it out.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

C'mon Baby, Don't Fear the Jedi

People bemoan the state of modern society. They lament the seeming stranglehold that secularism, modernism, relativism, pop culture, and ... yes, a new paganism seem to have on our hearts. At times it can seem overwhelming and ... let's admit it ... a bit hopeless.

Let's see how St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 604, instructed St. Augustine of Canterbury when he was faced with similar circumstances in Britain.

To his most beloved son, the Abbot Mellitus:

Gregory, the servant of the servants of God.

We have been much concerned, since the departure of our congregation that is with you, because we have received no account of the success of your journey. When, therefore, almighty God shall bring you to the most reverend Bishop Augustine, our brother, tell him what I have, upon mature deliberation on the affair of the English, determined upon, vis., that the temples of the idols in that nation ought not to be destroyed; but let the idols that are in them be destroyed; let holy water be made and sprinkled in the said temples, let altars be erected, and relics placed. For if those temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted from the worship of devils to the service of the true God; that the nation, seeing that their temples are not destroyed, may remove error from their hearts, and knowing and adoring the true God, may the more familiarly resort to the places to which they have been accustomed.

And because they have been used to slaughter many oxen in the sacrifices to devils, some solemnity must be exchanged for them on this account, as that on the day of the dedication, or the nativities of the holy martyrs, whose relics are there deposited, they may build themselves huts of the boughs of trees, about those churches which have been turned to that use from temples, and celebrate the solemnity with religious feasting, and no more offer beasts to the devil, but kill cattle to the praise of God in their eating, and return thanks to the Giver of all things for their sustenance; to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily consent to the inward consolations of the grace of God.

For there is no doubt that it is impossible to efface everything at once from their obdurate minds; because he who endeavors to ascend to the highest place rises by degrees or steps, and not by leaps. Thus the Lord made himself known to the people of Israel in Egypt; and yet he allowed them the use of the sacrifices which they were wont to offer to the devil, in his own worship; so as to command them in his sacrifice to kill beasts, to the end that, changing their hearts, they might lay aside one part of the sacrifice, whilst they retained another, that whilst they offered the same beasts which they were wont to offer, they should offer them to God and not to idols; and thus they would no longer be the same sacrifices.

This it behooves your affection to communicate to our aforesaid brother, that he, being there present, may consider how he is to order all things.

God preserve you in safety, most beloved son.

This comes via Grail Code where the authors go on to point out that this practical advice is also quite tolerant and understanding of human nature.

The people are used to coming to certain places for worship so let them continue -- but to worship the true God, not pagan idols. The people love their traditional feasts, so keep the feasts -- and use them as opportunities to celebrate the new faith. The very things the people enjoy most about their pagan traditions can be the means of leading them to Christ.

Not only does that give us good information to use when people bring up the fact that Christian holidays are often held at the same time as previous pagan ones, but it gives us a wonderful insight of practical application of that old saw "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Hard upon the heels of reading the above excerpts, I came across Rod Bennet's wonderful talk about the new mythology that is arising from pop culture.

Well, here in the 21st century we really are witnessing the birth of a new mythology. A popular, media-based mythology just as elaborate as that of the Greeks and the Romans -- and for many people (not just kids) it serves the same semi-religious function in life. I'm talking, of course, about the rise--to an almost central role in the lives of our young people--of fantasy films, video games, and literature in our culture.

Most of you spend time with children or teenagers on a regular basis. So I'm sure you know by now, that large continuing fantasy sagas like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokemon and so forth are a major part of cultural discourse these days. Each of these sagas has its own elaborate backstory, it's own body of arcane knowledge, and our kids have made mastering the minutiae of their chosen discipline into something like a private devotion. Anthropologically speaking, it's an amazing thing to watch--and certainly something those of us involved in raising children today ought to be talking about.

That excerpt is just the tip of the iceburg in a wonderful series of posts that touches on modern icons like Superman and Spiderman, modern mythologists like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and ... wait for it ... the Holy Spirit crying to modern hearts from the splinters of light contained in pop culture.

Secondly, we need not despise nor fear "the Jedi religion"--any more than St. Justin despised Platonism. As Justin did, we can respect it, even enjoy it--without actually believing in it. We need constantly to remember that our students, our friends, our neighbors are not turning to things like "the Jedi religion--out of perversity or sheer cussedness...they struggle along on these thin hopes because they have, for whatever reason, despaired of any rational religious hope. Possibly they've never heard the Christian Gospel at all. Also: the multiplicity of competing, contradictory sects in America is enough to make anyone conclude that it's all just human opinion...nonsense. And the Church's own shortcomings contribute to this. We ourselves make the Faith hard to believe--every time we leave a scandal uncorrected, an abuse unreformed. These modern myths are not so much rivals to the true Faith as very imperfect substitutes for it. Stop-gap measures. And if no Christian ever comes to shepherd these longings to a happier conclusion--whose fault is that? Certainly not the poor pagan's...struggling along with his "conflicting thoughts." Our attitude should be that of Chesterton: "[The mythmaker does not speak] with the voice of a priest or a prophet saying 'These things are.' It is the voice of a dreamer and an idealist crying, 'Why cannot these things be?'

Please do go read all five of these posts. The New Gods, Romance Is Religion, Good Dreams, The God-Shaped Vacuum, and Conclusion. I think you will find it well worth your time. (Via Way of the Fathers.)

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Feast of St. Thomas, apostle

Andrea del Verrocchio. Christ and Doubting Thomas.
1467-83. Bronze. Orsanmichele, Florence, Italy.

Thomas is known for his disbelief in Christ's Resurrection prior to the apparition of Jesus to the Apostles. The stunning encounter provides us with an occasion for strengthening our own confidence in the historical fact of God's definitive conquest over death.

The Gospels offer us the clearest insights into the life of St. Thomas. We know through tradition that he evangelized India. The mortal remains of the once incredulous Apostle were moved to Edessus on July 3 in the sixth century and ever since then his feast day has been celebrated on this day.

In Conversation With God Vol 3

I am quite fond of St. Thomas, the famous "doubting Thomas" who wants absolute proof before he'll believe his fellow apostles' stories of Jesus' resurrection. For one thing, who among us has not felt the same at some time? You know, "God, why can't I just see this clearly? C'mon already!"

For another, he is quite a fitting namesake for my own dear Tom, although Tom is not named after this particular Thomas. That's not all a bad thing you know. I have many friends who believe mystical and miraculous stories at the drop of a hat. I realize it is rather ironic for me to be saying that when I am prone to do so myself all too easily. It is nice to have my own "doubting Thomas" nearby for reality checks. Surprisingly, he often will not rule out the miraculous, but he is not at all shy about pointing out just plain "rules of the universe" in action. We have a good check and balance system going I think.

What does all that have to do with the real St. Thomas? Nothing perhaps but it is just what crosses my mind whenever that bit of the Gospel comes around.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

It Was Love at First Sight

We managed to pull off getting the new car last night. Officially it is a "crossover" vehicle but let's all just say what we know is true ... it's a station wagon. Just what I wanted and the car companies won't make (unless you are looking way above our price range into Lexus territory) because it doesn't have the right image.

Considering that our "youngest" car until yesterday was ten years old (with the van having been 12 and Tom's Honda being 16) having a new car is very exciting. Probably the biggest noticable difference is that it has a "variable transmission" so you never feel any shifting happening. I noticed I was subconciously tensing up every now and then, waiting for the shift. But it glides like butter!

Now I will be spending my time looking for parking places with no one on either side. Which should be good for increasing my walking every day, right?

God Bless America!

You Are 83% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Via ukok who shouldn't have been surprised at her 29% result ... she is British after all!

Now Where Did I Put My Sunglasses?

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Exactly right, with a nice large umbrella, comfy chair, good book, and a margarita while the sound of crashing waves and seagulls make soothing background noises. Via Quoth the Maven who is in the chair just down the beach from me.

I Think That's Called Enabling an Addict

MARIA LECTRIX
Six days a week of public domain audiobooks — mystery, history, adventure, devotion — for people with Catholic tastes.

Maureen's audiobook recordings include Church Fathers, sci fi, mysteries, essays, novels ... and most of them I've never even heard of. Can't wait to start downloading these babies ... long may my knitting flourish while listening!

Update
I see that by following her sidebar link to RSS feed you can get to a spot where a mere click of the button gets you subscribed through iTunes. Sweet!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

What I Have Learned From Knitting One Sock

1. Sock-knitting enablers (yes, you ... Donna and Julie) don't tell you that knitting socks is like being on crack. An obsessive high that leads to someone who can't sleep getting up at 4 a.m. to "just work on the toe a little." For shame, ladies!


2. Someone who has never felt tempted even a little to acquire a stash (of yarn) suddenly becomes empowered by the fact that lovely, unique sock yarn is fairly inexpensive ... and I also have a long list of people that I'd like to make socks for. I had to confess to my husband that I now have yarn for three other pairs of socks heading our way.


3. Once again ... never say "never." I remember when I began listening to podcasts that Jeff Miller commented that there are even knitting podcasts. *yawn* Could anything be more boring? I did begin listening to Cast On but could justify that under the grounds that Brenda Dayne is essentially a terrific story teller who just happens to use knitting as a springboard.
   
   However, when knitting last weekend in the hotel I was listening, coincidentally, to a Cast On essay about knitting socks. There was something so ... connected ... about listening to someone talk about knitting the same sort of thing that I was doing. So, I have to admit that I now have found two other "pod-worthy" knitters. One is KnitCentric by a young American wife and mother who lives in Okinawa and has many of the same idiosyncrasies that I do ... such as skipping practically every song that anyone puts into a podcast and building a stash only of sock yarn (this is where I recognized that dangerous tendency arising in myself).
   
   The other is CraftLit by an English teacher who recognizes that what we all really need while knitting is someone to read to us. She obliges by downloading some of Pride and Prejudice from Librivox every week (free audiobooks y'all!). Both have good, practical reviews of yarn, books, and techniques which I have found very helpful.
   
   I hold KnitCentric strictly to blame for 2/3 of the yarn winging its way to me now. CraftLit gets the credit for the fact that I have downloaded Treasure Island from Librivox and was distinctly frustrated this morning when it ended with a cliffhanger ... and subsequent chapters were on my computer at work.

Hannah has had her eye on "the sock" since I began. She's grooving on the colors and tried it on this morning, triumphantly waving her foot at me, "It fits!" Whew. I can see all sorts of imperfections but what the heck. No one else will (at least much). I'll begin the other sock tonight and see how that goes. I'd have posted a photo but ran out of time. Perhaps when I have the complete pair, eh?

Tags: Knitting

Will They Know We are Christians by Our Love?

Historians talking about first century Christians always remarked on how they showed love for each other. They knew they were Christians by their love (dreadful song but an instructive saying nonetheless). Could they say as much these days? Sometimes I see the witness not of love but rather of "leave no one alive" infighting. This is not just between denominations (which is bad enough).

A recent example spilled over into my comments boxes lately. The origin was an uncharitable assumption made by someone who did not use the most diplomatic phrasing. This prompted an upset, defensive response. The cudgels quickly were taken up by others.

This is such a human thing and I have been there myself more than once. It is so easy to make an accusation rather than phrase something as a mild question. Definitely it is my knee-jerk reaction to fire back a defensive answer rather than meekly admit that perhaps I could have worded something another way. Luckily, I know my weaknesses. As I told someone asking what the difference was between my public blogging face (Julie D.) and my true self, "Julie D. is much nicer than I am."

It is so hard to swallow one's pride, back down, and be charitable and humble, not caring what others think. So very hard.

"Julie D." can do it only because I have cultivated defense mechanisms. I go to my husband, trusting that he'll stop me in time (and, God bless him, he does). I make myself wait for a period of time before answering something that upsets me. I read my answer aloud ... somehow once spoken the harshness of those unspoken words comes through in a way that does not sound so clever. And, all too often, I rush in, doing none of those things, and then am embarrassed later. Quite a good way to remember my humanity and great need for humility. (Whether I want to or not and I assure you I do not.)

The greatest and most effective tool I have is to recite this really good prayer.

"Lord have mercy on me and bless that person."

When I say it (quite often through righteously clenched teeth) I am forced to remember all the times that I have annoyed people just as greatly as I am now being annoyed. I remember that in asking God to bless that person that it is also an invitation to me to love and forgive them as St. Augustine mentions here.

That your enemies have been created is God's doing; that they hate you and wish to ruin you is their own doing. What should you say about them in your mind? "Lord be merciful to them, forgive them their sins, put the fear of God in them, change them!" You are loving in them not what they are, but what you would have them to become.

That prayer works. By the time that I have repeated it several times not only have I calmed down but I am able to practice a much truer form of charity than I would have by merely mouthing nice words while being madder than a wet hen.

If I was a better person I would only have to remember what Jesus has asked of me. I'm working on getting to that point.

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

John 15:12

Maybe this is why I have such a fondness for Scripture and quotes that remind me to have a more charitable outlook. I know my need for help in this area. Here are some that have resonated with me and perhaps y'all will find them useful as well if you suffer from a similar weakness.

Since you have forsaken the world and turned wholly to God, you are symbolically dead in the eyes of men; therefore, let your heart be dead to all earthly affections and concerns, and wholly devoted to our Lord Jesus Christ. For you must be well aware that if we make an outward show of conversion to God without giving Him our hearts, it is only a shadow and pretence of virtue, and no true conversion.

Any man or woman who neglects to maintain inward vigilance, and only makes an outward show of holiness in dress, speech, and behavior, is a wretched creature. For they watch the doings of other people and criticize their faults, imagining themselves to be something when in reality they are nothing. In this way they deceive themselves. Be careful to avoid this, and devote yourself inwardly to His likeness by humility, charity, and other spiritual virtues. In this way you will be truly converted to God.

Walter Hilton

++++++++++++++++

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, New American Bible

++++++++++++++++

Human beings are very much like icebergs -- we only see a small portion of them, and nothing of the hidden currents which drag them this way and that.

I fancy that we would not sit and judge our neighbor so frequently as we do, did we but ponder well over the small amount of data we possess. We perceive only the external act, but nothing of the motive activating it.

Father David McAstocker

++++++++++++++++

Some people change every food they absorb into a bad mood, even if the food is healthy. The fault does not lie in the food but in their temperament, which changes the food. Even so, if our soul has a bad disposition, everything harms it; it transforms even useful things into things that are harmful to it. If you throw a little bit of bitter herbs into a pot of honey, won't they change the whole pot by making all the honey bitter? That is what we do: we spread a little of our bitterness and we destroy our neighbor's good by looking at him according to our bad disposition.

Other people have a temperament that transforms everything into a good mood, even bad food. Pigs have a very good constitution. They eat pods, date seeds and garbage. But they transform that food into succulent meat. In the same way, if we have good habits and a good state of the soul, we can benefit from everything, even from what is not beneficial. The Book of Proverbs says it very well: "The one who sees with gentleness will obtain mercy." And in another place: "For the foolish person, everything is contrary."

I heard it said of a brother that if, when he went to see someone else, he found his cell in a state of neglect and in disorder, he told himself: "How happy is this brother to be completely detached from earthly things and to carry his spirit on high so well that he doesn't even have the time to tidy his cell!" If he then went to another brother and found his cell tidy, clean, and in good order, he told himself: "This brother's cell is as clean as his soul. As is the state of his soul, so is the state of his cell!" He never said of anyone: "This one is untidy," or: "That one is frivolous." Because of his excellent state, he benefited from everything. May God in his goodness also give us a good state so that we might benefit from everything and never think badly of our neighbor. If our malice inspires us to pass judgment or to be suspicious, let us quickly transform that into a good thought. For with God's help, not seeing what is bad in our neighbor brings forth kindness.

Dorotheus of Gaza (around 500 - ?),
Monk in Palestine, via The Daily Gospel

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

It Sure Would Be Great to Be Driving Around Chicago Right Now

Then you'd get to see one of these banners using humor to sell My Life with the Saints. They're trying to get drivers' attention on the busy Kennedy Expressway in Chicago to take a new look at the saints in their lives. The campaign starts officially today at 3:00 p.m.

Check it out.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Being the Salt of the Earth

The first Christians were true salt of the earth, and they preserved people and institutions -- the whole of society -- from corruption. What can it be that has happened in so many nations? Why is it that Christians should now be giving the sad impression that they are unable to slow down and halt that wave of corruption that is burning in on the family, on schools, and on institutions ...? The Faith is still the same. And Christ lives among us now just as He did previously. His power is still infinite -- divine. Only the lukewarmness of so many thousands, indeed millions, of Christians, explains how we can offer to the world the spectacle of a Christianity that allows all kinds of heresies and destroys the strength and endurance of the Faith, and is the soulmate, in both a personal and a collective way, of compromise and of a spirit of comfort-seeking (P. Rodriguez, Faith and Life of Faith). It is difficult to explain many of the things that happen nowadays at a personal and at a public level, if we do not bear in mind that so many people who should be awake, watchful and attentive have allowed their Faith to fall asleep; love has been snuffed out in so many hearts. In many spheres, the "normal Christian" now generally means someone who is lukewarm and mediocre. Among the first Christians the "normal Christian" meant one who lived the heroism of every day, and when the occasion presented itself, accepted martyrdom itself: it could and did mean very often the surrender of one's very life in defense of the Faith ...

Let us fervently ask God for the strength to react. We will be the true salt of the earth if we keep up our daily conversation with God and if we go with ever-greater faith and love to receive the Holy Eucharist. Love was, and is, the moving force in the life of the saints. It is the whole raison d'etre of every life dedicated to God. Love gives us wings with which to soar over any personal barriers to our advance, or any obstacles presented to us by our surroundings. Love makes us unyielding when confronted by set-backs ... Love for God ... makes a molehill out of a mountain; it transforms the soul, gives it new lights and opens up new horizons for it; it makes the soul capable of achieving its highest desires and gives it capacities it had never as much as dreamed of possessing.

In Conversation With God Vol 3

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Wanted: One Good Man

Kat is using all resources at her disposal to find herself a man. I've gotta admire that initiative.

Funny, smart, orthodox , good housekeeper, lousy cook, and I love monthy python movies and sports. I am the whole package. Who wouldn't want me as their loving loyal wife?

And she's not kidding ... check it out y'all!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

St. Joseph says construction takes patience

Get the scoop on Monday.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

St. Ignatius encourages Mass transit

What is this?

Find out Monday...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Whoop!

We're back ... not quite bleeding maroon when we're cut yet but not because the A&M Freshman Orientation didn't do their best.

A quick tour of the highlights and then I'm outta here ... probably until Monday (anyone who I responded to about links, etc. don't worry ... they will happen but next week).

A&M ... Gig 'Em!

• Texas A&M has a great campus and everyone was so friendly that I began to liken it to Hannah's high school mentally ... that good culture being aggressively cultivated so it actually works. I can't count how many times I was surprised to be just passing people on the sidewalk and have them look over, smile, and say "Howdy." (The official Aggie greeting and one which Hannah may eventually say naturally but I never will.)
• The weight of tradition is heavy there. It is almost Catholic in their number of devotions, probably multiplied by having the Corp of Cadets there. However, like Catholicism it seems that one can pick and choose favorite devotions and they all contribute well to making you an Aggie (although that "12th Man" thing about standing through an entire football game? That's just nuts...).
• Hannah spent most of the time wanting to go home, except when she was choosing classes ... her philosophy teacher will be ecstatic to get Hannah's email about her planned minor in philosophy. Zoology and philosophy from a traditional Catholic ... now that's gonna be an interesting mix. We likened her lack of enthusiasm to that first huge plunge into the cold pool. A big dose of "really leaving home" reality. Rose told me, "Mom, you've been too nice to us and made it too cushy." New resolve: begin cruelty measures to make her want to leave. (ha!)
• However, on the way home, Hannah became more cheerful as we talked about all the things to do to make a dorm room more homey ("I saw a 'Hello Kitty' body pillow when I was working the remodel at Target," she said.), the high school friends that are also going there, and her excitement over getting to take rock climbing for PE.
  

Traveling Notes

• A sock is indeed the perfect "road" knitting project (even for a total newbie like me) except don't rush off so fast that you leave all your instructions and any extra yarn. You then stall after finishing the ribbing and heel flap, remaining frustrated until you can begin turning the heel.

Auto Notes

• Note to self: when both you and your husband are having niggling "maybe we should check the oil" thoughts, especially for no apparent reason ... just go ahead and check the damned oil! That way you might not wind up stranded in Waxahachie with the motor frozen up because the (again damned) oil light didn't light up until after the oil was all gone.
• The good news is that we made it to a gas station, coasting in as the motor seized ... thanks for those prayers answered, guardian angel mine!
  
• More good news is that when no one was home who we called for a ride, there was a wrecking service very close by with a tow truck ready for the next assignment with no waiting.
  
• Extra good news was that he had a double cab and could give us all a ride home (we were about 30 miles out of Dallas). He was one of those good, old country boys who are my favorites ... laconic but smart and with a wry sense of humor that deliver low key punchlines and watch with a twinkle to see if you get it. We did and had a great trip home.
  
• Of course, the bad news ... the van is 10 years old and according to our mechanic it is a toss-up as to whether it is worth spending $3,500 on a new engine. So now we have to begin trying to decide what to do.
• Luckily, the immediate solution to such an adventure after being gone is to order a large pizza and watch last week's taped Hell's Kitchen and a few of the Ghost Hunter episodes (1st season DVD lent by a friend). While grabbing sock instructions and turning the heel, y'all!
  

UPDATE
Yesterday morning we discovered that Tom's car won't start either. Good thing we have the car formerly known as "Hannah's car" ... now known as OUR ONLY car.

The Demands of Christ and Joy of Heart

This is worth keeping in mind for every time one encounters the reasoning that Jesus wouldn't hold us to particular standards because he was so loving.

Dear Youth, you tell me that you often think the Church is an institution that does nothing but promulgate rules and laws... And you conclude that there is a deep discrepancy between the joy that issues from the word of Christ and the feeling of oppression that the Church's rigidity gives you.. But the Gospel shows us a very demanding Christ who invites to a radical conversion of the heart, to detachment from the goods of the earth, to forgiveness of offenses, to love of the enemy, to patient acceptance of persecutions and even to the sacrifice of one's own life out of love for our neighbor. Where the particular area of sexuality is concerned, we know the firm position he took in defending the indissolubility of marriage and his condemnation even as regards the simple adultery committed in the heart. And could anyone not be impressed when faced with the precept to "tear out one's eye" or to "cut off one's hand" when these members are an occasion of "scandal"? ...

Moral licentiousness does not make people happy. Similarly, the consumer society does not bring joy of heart. The human being only fulfills himself to the extent to which he is able to accept the demands which flow from his dignity as a being created "in the image and likeness of God" (Gen 1:27). That is why, if the Church today says things that are not pleasing, it is because it feels obliged to do so. It does so out of a duty to fidelity...

So is it not true that the gospel message is a message of joy? On the contrary! It is absolutely true. And how is that possible? The answer can be found in one word, one single word, one short word, but its contents are as vast as the sea. And that word is love. It is perfectly possible to reconcile the stringency of the precept and joy of heart. The person who loves does not fear sacrifice. And he even seeks in sacrifice the most convincing proof of the authenticity of his love.

John Paul II
Discourse to young people in the Netherlands, May 14, 1985
Via The Daily Gospel

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Strength, Security, and the Beatitudes

For all our technological advances, people haven't really changed much since the time of Jesus. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way most people view the Beatitudes. Then as now, they represent what the world would consider weakness and softness. After all, who wants to be poor, meek, and persecuted? ...

But when we look at Jesus, we realize that he is the both the perfect example of the Beatitudes lived out and also the strongest and most secure person who walked the earth. Jesus was nobody's fool and he was certainly no shrinking violet. At the same time, he was constantly mourning over those who didn't know God. In silent strength -- meekness -- he taught his disciples by example, by parable, by reaching out to everyone who would accept him.

Perhaps if we thought more about Jesus, or tried to place ourselves among the crowds who heard him teach and saw him minister, we would change our point of view... We might see that living the Beatitudes requires a good amount of strength and decisiveness.

Word Among Us

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Set Your Drinks Down ...

... and go visit Upper Canada Catholic for these two gems:

• Stupid People Ask Dumb Questions (I like his slow and slower typing.)
• I Believe It's Spelled with a "P" Though (I don't think I have to spell out what I like about this one ... get it? ... spell out ...)

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

2,996

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

... the tributes should celebrate the lives of these people–kind of like a wake. Over the last 5 years we’ve heard the names of the killers, and all about the victim’s deaths. This is a chance to learn about and celebrate those who died. Forget the murderers, they don’t deserve to be remembered. But some people who died that day deserve to be remembered–2,996 people.

Sign up here. Via My Domestic Church.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

How to be a Good [and Happy] Blogger

I have been hanging onto this link to My Domestic Church until I could get a few minutes to jot some thoughts down. She has eight basic guidelines for effective blogging.

As opposed to the blogging tips that you usually read that are designed to get you the most page hits (as if we're getting paid for each hit or something), Elena has really hit the nail on the head. Her reward? I'm shamelessly stealing them and then going to adapt them. Sorry girl! But thanks for the idea!

1. If you have comment sections - MANAGE THEM!
   Don't let commenters beat each other up, and don't let the majority opinion beat up on a dissenter. If someone is being inappropriate and rude, delete their entries, edit them or and ban them. Have a comments guideline and stick to it.


2. If you don't have a comments section ... for Pete's sake make your email easy to find.
   Or make it clear that you're incommunicado with no email at all. When I think of the time I've wasted looking for email addresses ... usually to simply ask a question or give a compliment. And if you have a separate email address for your blog, CHECK IT often. Don't make correspondents wait for weeks until you remember that other address.


3. Don't keep changing your URL.
   It's fine to do it every two years or so if you absolutely have to, but other than that it's a pain to keep changing the dead links and keeping up with you!


4. Have a sense of humor.
   There's a reason Jeff Miller has 92 blogline subscribers. He takes the news and finds the humor to it. Remember it's just a blog...


5. Share a bit from your life.
   I'm always fascinated when The Anchoress gives us the scoop on Buster. Everyone in St. Blog's was able to watch with pleasure while Dom Bettinelli got engaged, married, and became a new father. Mike Aquilina recently broke away from the Church Fathers to talk about his own father. It doesn't have to be a lot but that is what gives dimension to the blogger behind the posts.


6. Write about what you want to and damn the hits counters.
   I see people agonizing over their status in the Ecosystem or worrying about hits on the site meters. Again, people, it's not as if we're getting paid for these things. If you love the blogging then it doesn't matter if you have 1 regular visitor or 100. It is not a popularity contest and although some people seem to be keeping score I find that they tend to be the less happy bloggers out there.


7. Have a point.
   I can't believe Nehring had to mention this one but he's absolutely right. Whether your passion is movies, your family, geeky gadgets, or .... hmmm, let's see ... your faith, you need a focus. You can veer away or come back to it but your interest or passion for your subject is what will make your blog interesting and worthwhile for you to spend time on (and for others who drop by to read it). Oftentimes in watching people find their "blog voice" aka the focus of their blogs, you will also be watching them realize what adds zest to their lives. It's interesting that way...
   


8. Have fun!
   If you're not enjoying blogging then quit or change what you're doing. But don't sit around complaining about it. Your blog is entirely in your control and life is too short to let it control you.

I'm sure I'll be adapting these myself somewhat but that's a start...

Hot on the Trail of Malachi 1:11

For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; For great is my name among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

NAB, Malachi 1:11

Who knew that Malachi 1:11 was so popular? Not me, considering I never heard of it until I went to see where one of the new pieces of the liturgical translation might originate.

However, I inadvertently hit upon a favorite of the early Church Fathers and that leads us to ... Way of the Fathers, where else?

You'd think it would end there with Mike Aquilina's interesting observations, but no. He, in turn, influenced biblicalia who is now busy translating Malachi.

I'm almost afraid to see if the trail goes anywhere else ... eventually I'm not going to be able to keep up with all this high-level thinking! Do go check those blogs out though.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

We're on a First Name Basis 'Round Here

Specifically, Cathy Ward is asking do know your guardian angel's name?

Why yes. Yes, I do. Though I don't think I'll be broadcasting his name.

In fact, I believe may even have met him once.

Go give Cathy the scoop on angel names.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Like sands through the hourglass ... so are the Days of Our Lives

PHASE ONE

Joey: Look, there's nothing I can do for him right now, he's still in his sweat pants, that's still Phase One. Y'know? I'll be back for Phase Two, I would never miss Phase Two.
Monica: What's Phase Two?
Joey: Gettin' drunk and going to a strip club.

Without delving into painful details let it just suffice to say that Hannah was thrust into Phase One about a week ago. Seeking to provide distraction, the rest of us were struck by the realization that it is quite difficult to find a movie that doesn't contain some sort of love story. They do exist but they are few and far between. For our own convenience we made a list of "safe" movies in the house:

• Hunt for Red October
• Ghostbusters*
• Cowboy Bebop
• Men in Black*
• School of Rock
• Aliens
• Indiana Jones (Rose was quite annoyed that Hannah and Boyfriend had just watched the first movie a couple of days before the break-up ... "now we can't even watch The Last Crusade," she lamented.)
  
• Galaxy Quest*
• Toy Story*
• Monsters Inc.*
• Apollo 13
• The Incredibles
• Iron Giant
* The token romance was deemed comic enough not to count.

I know there are others but the staggering amount of stories with love at the center really surprised me (yes, I'm slow). Even when the romance is so slight it is hardly worth noting (just take a gander at all those asterisks in the list) it is still included. Talk about evidence that we are programmed to find the ultimate love (and yes for me it always comes back to God ... so sue me).

PHASE TWO

God gives us a heart, a human heart like Christ's. I don't have one heart for loving God and another for loving people. I love Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit and Our Lady with the same heart with which I love my parents and my friends. I shall never tire of repeating this. We must be very human, for otherwise we cannot be divine.

Human love, the love we experience on earth when it is really genuine, helps us to savor divine love. That is how we grasp the love by which we rejoice in God and which we will share in heaven when the Lord is "everything to everyone." If we begin to understand God's love, we will feel impelled to become increasingly more compassionate, more generous, more dedicated.

We must give what we receive, we must teach what we learn. Very simply, without any kind of conceit, we must help others to share in the knowledge of God's love.

St. Josemaria Escriva

I saw this vividly displayed in Hannah's friends' generous behavior. These kids have got heart y'all! They rallied round to distract her, support her, and keep her too busy to dwell on her problems too often. Just when she'd be sinking very low, one of them would be on the phone or at the door with another plan of action ... a movie, a cd made just for her, swing dancing lessons, going shopping, whatever it took. I was so grateful that she had such good friends who obviously cared so much. (Because, let's face it, nothing her family could do was going to have the same effect.)

SECOND VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST...
We're back where we started before Phase I thanks to Boyfriend seeing what a fool he'd been and contritely coming back. Smart boy that he is he seems rather afraid of us right now but he needn't worry. We knew he wasn't malicious, just clueless.

However, the mark has been left on our family because we're still asking that question as we watch movies, "Is it safe?"

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Mind's Eye Moment: Transformation from Geography to Time

From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name...

Becomes in the new translation:

…you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure oblation may be offered to your name”

In Mass this week I noticed a few of spots that will be changed when the new liturgical translation is used. One was the above quoted "east to west" line.

I suddenly thought of "from the rising of the sun to its setting." In my mind's eye I could suddenly see the Earth as a globe, slowly turning with continents coming under the sun's glow and fading away as they went into night. It turned that prayer for a moment into the eternal Church, praising God around the globe without ceasing.

It was a beautiful image and one that I hope will be merely the first of many when we actually begin using the new translation.

For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; For great is my name among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

NAB, Malachi 1:11

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Father's Day Movie List

On Father's Day, let Dad have a movie he can really enjoy. Nehring the Edge has a nice little selection to choose from. What will the dad in your household choose? The Great Escape or The Magnificent Seven? The Shining or The Fugitive? Dirty Harry or The Dirty Dozen?

I have a feeling at our house it will be a choice between two that I don't see on that list but that are among Tom's favorites ... Apollo 13 or Hunt for Red October.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity