A Reader's Questions About HC's Prayers to End Abortion

A reader writes with some comments that I think might reflect the thoughts of many people so I'm sharing his questions and my answers with y'all. Clearly, we could go much more indepth than I will be doing below for each subject. However, I will do the best I can to cover the basics clearly. Here we go ...

I just wanted to give you some things to think about. Perhaps you've thought about them before, I don't know.

Just to let you know, I'm a Catholic myself and, like you, I'm anti-abortion.

First, I can't help but wonder why you pray for an end to abortion when it's not going to happen, and if it did happen it would be detrimental to society. Governments will never out-law abortion, it's a freedom that we've 'enjoyed' for too long and has become 'the norm' (rightly or wrongly). It would be like giving someone a gift for Christmas, then snatching it back off them in August. Moreover, if they did outlaw abortion then dangerous back-street operations would start taking place, as they did before abortion was legalised. I'm not saying God is powerless to change the situation, I just think that we should be realistic in prayer. Instead of praying for an end to abortion, maybe we should pray for a reduction in the number of abortions?

I must say that this concept had never occurred to me. The God who resurrected His Son from the dead, who has legions of angels all around us, who created the universe ... surely to make sure our prayers are "realistic" is to attempt to leash that God to our limited imagination? I, personally, agree that we probably will not have laws repealed. However, if I do stop to imagine how God could act on this issue in a way I could foresee, it would be to agree with what Bishop Farrell said during his homily at the last Pro-Life March in January. He pointed out that a true culture of life would make it inconsequential if Roe v. Wade were never overturned ... for the simple reason that no one would avail themselves of it. Impossible? It may seem like it but nothing is impossible for God.

The claim about back street abortions is a common one used all over the world to persuade politicians to change the law on abortion. However, there is little evidence to suggest that backstreet abortion is the massive problem some campaigners claim it to be. You may read more here about the exaggerations of those claims. Or read here the admission by someone who was actively involved in lying to the public

"We aroused enough sympathy to sell our program of permissive abortion by fabricating the number of illegal abortions done annually in the US. The actual figure was approaching 100,000 but the figure we gave to the media repeatedly was 1,000,000. Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public. The number of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200-250 annually. The figure we constantly fed to the media was 10,000." (Bernard Nathanson, Confessions of an Ex-Abortionist)

Any back street abortions are terrible, but looking at the number of actual abortions and the number of women dying from them is far from the numbers of abortions we see today. Let's also look at the willingness of the anti-life/pro-abortion drive to falsify right from the beginning.

As our priest has said about deception, "First, the facts are put in doubt. Second, the motivation is put in doubt." That seems a prime example.

I pray for a reduction in the number because, as a Catholic following Catholic moral teaching (as best I can), I believe there are some legitimate reasons for abortion. In fact, Catholic moral teaching supports abortion indirectly. I'm not talking about the doctrine of double-effect, but of Catholic teaching on conscience. Dogma dictates that when a conflict arises between a person's conscience and moral teaching, it is conscience that takes priority. At my Catholic school*, we had the phrase "Conscience is man's most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths." drilled into us in religious studies. It's from Guadium et Spes and is mirrored in the CCC. If after spending careful time reflecting, praying and discussing (perhaps with a Priest) your conscience is telling you to do something then you should do it. In fact it's a sin not to obey your conscience in these occasions, and it's a sin for someone to prevent you doing so as well.

Those points are true ... however ... you knew I had a however for you, right? However, they do not go far enough.

First and foremost, when one depends on one's conscience as a final, deciding factor, then one is under a strict obligation to be sure that one's conscience has been properly formed and informed. This goes far beyond careful reflecting, praying, and discussion with a priest. It goes to reading the CCC on that subject, and then looking further into the reasoning and logic for the Church's stance. On any serious subject, such as abortion, this requires deeper reading and research. I speak from experience as this is what I had to do after I entered the Church to reconcile my secular upbringing and approach to abortion and other social issues. Imagine my surprise at the overwhelming logic of thinking I encountered. It left me with no solid ground under my feet. Believe me when I tell you that no one is more astounded than myself when I look at where I was nine years ago and where I am now, in relation to Church teachings on abortion.

As the reader very properly has gone to the Catechism (CCC) on conscience, let us also go there for abortion.

Abortion
2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.⁷²

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.⁷³

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.⁷⁴

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.⁷⁵

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.⁷⁶

2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"⁷⁷ "by the very commission of the offense,"⁷⁸ and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.⁷⁹ The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:

"The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death."⁸⁰

"The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights."⁸¹

2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."⁸²

2275 "One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival."⁸³
"It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material."⁸⁴
"Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity"⁸⁵ which are unique and unrepeatable.

Now, all this seems very clear. However, in my case, what turned the tide on my understanding was reading Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft. To use one phrase I've read about the book, it puts the muscle on the skeleton of the Catechism. More about that later ...

One more thing, if you pray for an end to abortion because of the destruction of human life (and I'm guessing you do) then you seem to ignore that the senseless loss of human life takes place in many other places than abortions. In the year 2007 alone, there were 17 000 recorded murders -- that's just one country. Think about how many lives are lost to war each year; not just in the wars where our soldiers are fighting, Africa seems to be in a permanent state of war. What about people who smoke cigarettes? Isn't that just state-permitted cancer?

Well, of course I'm not ignoring the loss of human life or the suffering that happens elsewhere. Just as the Pope has a few special prayer intentions every month but does not cover every single possibility of evil that he prays against, or good that he prays for, I also have my special intentions. It seems that God has put abortion as a special intention for my prayer life. I actually have many times of private prayer where I have a glimmer of understanding for those saints who said they felt the heaviness of the sin of the world. Sometimes it really does seem overwhelming. However, as Pope John Paul II said, we are an Easter people and Hallelujah is our cry.

As for those who have fallen prey to addiction, such as cigarettes, alcohol and such things, I have sympathy and pity for them, especially as I have experience with alcoholic friends and family. Also, being allowed to choose to smoke a cigarette is a far cry from being permitted, with the state's blessing, to kill another human being.

However, let us not take our eye off the prize here. Every single one of those people, whether oppressor or oppressed, whether addict or not, whether loving or hating, has had the chance to live. They have the chance to exercise their free will. Sometimes we do it well. Sometimes we do it very badly. However, we all have been given the opportunity that an aborted baby will never have. We are alive. We make choices. A baby killed in the womb never gets that chance. It is totally innocent and pays the ultimate price for everyone else's choices with his or her life.

* In the UK, there is no separation of Church and state which means that our Catholic schools are like 'regular' high schools but with a Catholic ethic; we pray together, have mass together, attend compulsory theology lessons (for which we get a legally-recognised qualification) and there is always something going on in for charity. It's the best of both worlds! I thought I better mention this, just so you don't get the impression that I was schooled by nuns or whatever.

Just a quick comment on this for those who don't know how U.S. Catholic schools are run. They are completely separate from the public school system and very often have as many, if not more, nonCatholics as Catholics because of the superior education they offer. Studies have also shown that they are far more efficiently run than public school systems. As for being schooled by nuns, I'd put Sister Cecilia from Bishop Lynch High School head to head with any hard-headed scientist of any persuasion. Not only is she a nationally respected scientist herself, she's got a logical style that will knock you on your ... well, let's just say you won't be standing.

NEXT STEPS
In view of these questions and the importance in my own life of proper formation of conscience, I will be following this up with a series of excerpts from Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft, focusing on abortion and the right to life.

NOTE
Please keep any comments on this volatile subject polite and respectful. Thanks!

Colbert - Defending the Gospel Old School

I'm not sure why any atheist would ever appear on The Colbert Report, except possibly under the theory that any publicity is good publicity. Anyway, this is a hoot. Via the indispensable Anchoress.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bart Ehrman
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Weekend Joke

This seems like a good time for this joke. Thanks to Laura for this one!

Recall Notice

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units, code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B..L.E (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!
GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by "knee-mail.'

A Good Linkaround for Good Friday

Get it at The Anchoress's place.

Get even more at The Paragraph Farmer.

Fast Day and Preparing for the Feast

Don't forget ... as I almost did ... that today is a fast day.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, I'm getting ready to shop and cook in a staged approach to our Easter feast. You can read about Easter food and our feast here.

This Just In ...

An interesting book of essays from Scott Hahn called Spirit and Life. This one looks as if it might be similar to the Letter & Spirit concept but easier for the average gal like me to understand.

Spirit and Life: Interpreting the Bible in Ordinary Time is the newest book by well-known and respected scholar and author Scott Hahn. Published by Emmaus Road, these nine essays provide fresh insights into important biblical themes. Topics in this volume include:

• Scripture as God s symphony
• Pope Benedict s Scripture-based teaching on the person and prayer of Jesus
• The connection of Scripture, liturgy, and the Church
• The liturgical sense of God s Word
• The theme of fulfillment in Matthew s Gospel
• Church authority within a scriptural context
• A biblical approach to the Pentecostal phenomena
• A paradox? Christ as Majestic Judge vs. Christ as the Lamb

Hahn shows that Scripture is not a dead letter but rather a great, living gift from God. Indeed, it is spirit and life to those who will unwrap and embrace it. Spirit and Life: Interpreting the Bible in Ordinary Time provides the reader with a greater appreciation of the Living Word.

SFFaudio is looking for a few good bloggers ... and reviewers ... and ...

I have long enjoyed reading SFFaudio. More recently I have been privileged to be an audio book reviewer for them (what can be better than free science fiction or fantasy books to review?). I even am such a geeky sci-fi fan, that their podcast became a weekly must-listen. All that is not to even mention my pure enjoyment of corresponding with Scott and Jesse, the founders of the sff feast.

Since I've gotten so much enjoyment, I wanted to make sure that anyone interested knew that they're ramping up their efforts. For that they need help.

1. At least one voracious reviewer for Paranormal Romance audiobooks (we get tons of these).


2. A podcast producer for our show (can you host, record, edit and run our podcast?).


3. At least one podiobook/podcast novel reviewer (there are so many great free podcast novels coming out we want to cover more of them).


4. Cool hunters (do you have psycho-crazy-web-searching-spider skills? Can you find the coolest audio out there? If so we want you).


5. Other positions (if you have some other skill or interest you’d like to bring to the SFFaudio table, let us know, we’ll have a serious look at it).

Get all the details here.

Deco Romanesque in Pittsburgh. Huh?

It's hard to see here but this building is a combination of both Romanesque and Art Deco styles. It's easier to see in the close-up below and if you click on the big photo to see the details ... which you can do over at Father Pitt's where you'll find many interesting and arresting photos of Pittsburgh's treasures.

Don't forget, we'll see some of those treasures in person, with Father Pitt as our guide, on the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh this summer. Click through for more details.

A Good Looking Shrimp Recipe for Upcoming Fast Day

The photos and description of this Greek shrimp dish look so good that I wanted to throw this link out to everyone. Though the mention mastic resin gives me some pause as I think of ... however, that must mean it is truly authentic as you can find when you read this interesting article.

Some Quick Stuff

Currently Reading
I have discovered Good Reads and you can see my "currently reading" books there.

Specifically, I always am delighted when I pick up a Kenneth Roberts book. I consistently kick myself for not remembering how thoroughly enjoyable his historical fiction is, while being scrupulously accurate. I'm reading The Lively Lady which is about a privateer captain during the War of 1812. Roberts' books tended to be about young men from New England who always got caught up in some historical events of our country's early days. Highly recommended.

Finished Reading
To Whom Shall We Go? by Archbishop Timothy Dolan. I have said it before and will say it again ... really valuable in terms of examining our lives as Christians. I'll do a more proper review later but wanted to get that out there. This is one worth reading and rereading. As I mentioned a few days ago:

Something grabbed me about To Whom Shall We Go, which is about examining our lives in Christ by using St. Peter as our guide. I kept dipping in different places and being riveted. To Whom is a short book and an easy read ... but I couldn't put it down last night. I love the reminders that focus us on St. Peter's strengths and weaknesses and showing the many ancient and current examples that reflect our own tendencies (or shall I just come clean and say MY own tendencies). Like any extrovert (when did that happen?) there is a lot to see in the brash, quick speaking St. Peter. So I am happy to see the other points there as well.

Space Vulture by Gary K. Wolf and Archbishop John J. Meyers. Wolf is the creator of Roger Rabbit and the childhood friend who he used to read science fiction with is now the Archbishop of Newark. Lamenting the lack of old-style sci-fi, they got together and wrote a completely enjoyable book. Featuring a villain worthy of Ming the Merciless from the old Flash Gordon series, this book takes the reader on a classic space opera journey. We follow heroic Marshal Victor Corsaire, rascally con man Gil Terry, courageous widow Sheriff Cali Russell, and her two young sons as they battle Space Vulture. One plot device was very obvious after two different characters mentioned if from their points of view but other than that, this was a rollicking good time!

Thumbs Up
Lagaan ... an Indian movie about a small village that battles a sadistic British officer during the time of the Raj. You might want to treat this one like a mini-series as it has a length that would make Martin Scorsese envious. However, it is a delightful triumph of the human spirit kind of story, complete with Bollywood dancing and singing that moves the story along in the best musical style. Although, noticing hair as I do, it was rather painful whenever the young villager who pushes everyone on to fight for their rights had his head uncovered. Possibly the worst haircut ever. As Tom said, "He looks like a young Vulcan." Other than that though ... enjoy!

Thumbs Down
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ... ugh. We both had heard ecstatic reviews from a lot of sources on this. All baseless as far as we could tell. An average teen style movie and not worth the time or money spent to watch it. Someday someone is going to cast Michael Cera in something where he doesn't have to play the awkward kid and I am going to enjoy seeing whether he has been unfairly typecast or if that is all he can do. He is absolutely superb in that type, I must say. However, he can't save the movie.

And Now For Something Completely ... Brilliant

Just wait a couple of seconds at this Dutch department store's page and watch what happens.

Don't click on any of the pictures. Just wait. This displays a fine sense of humor and creativity.

Well Said

From The Curt Jester's reflection upon his upcoming 10th anniversary of coming into the Church.

... God has continuously taught me that I can do nothing without him, and unfortunately this is a lesson that I am constantly in need of relearning. For me it was miraculous that some sins were totally taken from me and that I have not been tempted to fall back into them. This was quite a mercy God gave me since I am so weak and I know that this was none of my doing. Just because I got rid of some sins though it certainly did not mean that I am then ready to be declared a saint. Sometimes when you pick up a big rock you find underneath it lots of crawling and slimy things that you did not realize were there. That is what I discovered about myself that when some major habitually sins were gone that there was still quite a lot underneath that had to be addressed with the grace of God. Be holy as your heavenly father is holy does not give you any room to stop and kick back on your laurels.

I see I am just a year behind him and many of his thoughts apply to me as well. Which would explain why though I went to confession as a matter of "should do it," of "working the process" ... it surprised me by having some things bubble up that I didn't realize until I was talking to the priest. And it left me feeling as light as air, as clean as a landscape after the rain, and grateful ... oh, so grateful. There is a good reason for doing what you are supposed to do whether you want to or not, whether you feel like you need it or not. This blessed sacrament is one place where I learn that lesson again and again.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

It was a swift 7 hours to Springfield, and then a swift 7 hours home the next day ... bearing my mother and Emma (the fluffy Corgi who rapidly made herself at home). A good trip and much fun talking with Mom on the way back, occasionally listening to a Nebula nominated story from StarShipSofa ... and then having a video-cam talk with Rose.

Today we are recovering from all the driving. Also, it will be a day of unpacking boxes from the office move which everyone else did over the weekend. Yes, I know how to avoid moving, even if it means 14 hours of driving!

Light blogging this week thanks to the visiting and unpacking and ... you know what I'm gonna say ... Holy Week!

I will have something for us to think about each day though, pulled from last year's offerings. I find these are making me think just as much this year, if not more, than they did last time. I hope they prove fruitful for others as well!

Mosaic

We're packing up the office today as we're moving tomorrow. And I'm driving to Springfield on Saturday to pick up Mom and bring her back on Sunday for a nice long visit. So I'm trading a day of moving and unpacking for two days of driving. Not sure who wins on this ... oh, wait, we all do! Because Mom will be visiting!

Anyway, in the meantime, for your entertainment ...

Hannah tagged me with this ... and I both share it and invite you to try it out yourselves. (Not that the photos that popped up always made sense, but whatever. Also, some Flickr folks have opted out of the Mosaic thing so you might have to rebuild in order to get a full mosaic ... take a tip from me, copy the urls somewhere in case this happens so you don't have to go through the entire process more than once.)

Instructions
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s Mosaic Maker

d. Save the image and post it

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Julie

2. What is your favorite food? Strawberries

3. What is your favorite color? Green

4. Favorite drink? Coffee

5. Dream vacation? India

6. Favorite hobby? Reading

7. What you want to be when you grow up? Author

8. What do you love most in life? God

9. One word to describe you? Faithful

It's First Friday ... Fasting and Praying for an End to Abortion

I'll be answering some good questions that this has prompted ... probably next week. I thought Holy Week might be a bad time for it but our deacon responded that there is never a bad time for truth ... good point, and that's what we'll be talking about.

In the meantime, our focus today is on the lives of the most innocent among us.

A twelve-week old baby in the womb.*

It all began here in Dallas -- in our home town, where we raise our families, where we go to church, where we live, and love, and learn, and work.

We are three bloggers who also live in the Dallas area. We are deeply committed to ending abortion in this country. To that end, we have committed ourselves to the following: On each First Friday for the next eleven months, we will fast and pray before the Blessed Sacrament for an end to abortion. This year's commitment will culminate at the annual Dallas March for Life in January of 2009, where we will join our bishop and the faithful of this city in marching to the courthouse where Roe was originally argued.

Original Joint Announcement

In addition to unborn babies and their families, I will be including all those who work to end abortion, as well as the souls of those who work for abortion in my intentions. Also included will be solid catechesis for all Catholics as that is a key issue to most of the misunderstandings on both this issue and others in the secular world.

For your reading and information, here is an excellent article Why Conception? by Michael from The Deeps of Time. Highly recommended.

*I used to be among those who believed the secular propaganda that a 12-week-old baby was just "a blob of cells." Even after coming to the truth, I never knew just how vividly untrue that was until seeing this image, via Father Dwight Longenecker, who points out that 89% of abortions take place in the first twelve weeks. No wonder pro-abortion activists protest ultrasounds for mothers who are seeking counseling. This is unmistakably a baby.

A Couple of Quick Takes ...

House - watched this week's house (I think it was this week's ...) about the paralyzed patient. Really interesting for several reasons, both from the "interior dialogue" angle and from the fact that this was yet another one where the focus was on whether or not to believe in God. Also, I liked the reason House wouldn't tell anyone that he was far away from home when he had his motorcycle accident. (Trying not to put spoilers here.) Unfortunately, our recording shut off just when Wilson was analyzing why House was where he was and we knew what he'd been doing, House had just gotten into the elevator ... anything big revealed in the last line or two of dialogue? UPDATE: Based on what Christine says in the comments box, this makes me think of my father ... someone who is very unhappy, albeit in a different way than House although he does keep pushing people away, and denies it although everyone else can see it. So sad. Christine also has a spoiler-filled, very good analysis that points out something I forgot to mention, which is that this is a hugely pro-life episode. Again, the writers, whether for the sake of an interesting angle or whatever reason, go against the popular, secular attitudes to explore the alternative. Christine also points out some other good points, though I, myself, tend to think those were coincidences ... but we all know God works through those quite nicely, right?

To Whom Shall We Go? Lessons from the Apostle Peter by Archbishop Timothy Dolan: I'm really liking The Rite (about exorcism) and have been especially interested in the part about Satan that I just finished. However, in trying to tidy the enormous stacks of books in the guest bedroom last night I ran into that perennial problem. I kept finding books I wanted to reread or dipping into books in the "to read" stack. Something grabbed me about To Whom Shall We Go, which is about examining our lives in Christ by using St. Peter as our guide. I kept dipping in different places and being riveted. So The Rite is going on the back burner. To Whom is a short book and an easy read ... but I couldn't put it down last night. I love the reminders that focus us on St. Peter's strengths and weaknesses and showing the many ancient and current examples that reflect our own tendencies (or shall I just come clean and say MY own tendencies). Like any extrovert (when did that happen?) there is a lot to see in the brash, quick speaking St. Peter. So I am happy to see the other points there as well.

WOOHOO! Mom is Coming to Visit for a Nice, Long Vacation!

Not a lot of details on this except that I'm driving up on Saturday and bringing her and Emma (her long-haired Corgi) back home for a two to three week visit.

She's been taking care of my ill father for a long time. Now that he is safely settled into assisted living she can take some time off and kick up her heels a bit visiting family. And we're the lucky ones this time around!

If you consider trying different kinds of Greek yogurt, talking about space opera, and dying Easter Eggs to be kicking up your heels.

Around our place, we do!

I'll say it again ... WOOHOO!

Miracles ... and a Need for Prayer

First the miracle ... sent by Heather's patient liaison person at her hospital to The Anchoress, who has many good observations about this.

We’ve all been praying for Heather…As you are aware, she had stage 3 cancer under her tongue. Since Heather found out about the cancer at the same time she learned she was pregnant, nothing could be done to address the cancer for several months. Although still pregnant, two weeks ago she began radiation to soften the cancer in hopes that it could be surgically removed after 6 weeks of radiation. Unable to talk or eat, her sole source of nutrition has been an IV tube since beginning radiation.

No doctors gave Heather much hope due to the severity and progression of the cancer. The plan was to complete radiation and then surgically remove portions of her tongue, throat, jaw and other areas affected by the cancer. This surgery was to be performed in St. Louis immediately after delivery of the baby, who will be 30 weeks by the end of radiation treatments.

Today, she went back to begin her third week of radiation. The technicians opened her mouth to position the equipment relative to the tumor. Only…this time…there was nothing there. No tumor. No cancer. Nothing anywhere on her tongue, jaw, throat, mouth…nothing. The only evidence that she ever had that cancer was a small cancerous patch on her lymphnode which the doctors expect to respond well to radiation.

What’s more…well, the unborn baby grew 1.2 pounds over the last 6 days. So, all doctors are thrilled.

Heather declared from the beginning that God would take care of her. She never lost hope or faith. God simply worked a miracle in her life. We serve a God for whom nothing is impossible. Please take a moment to thank and praise Him for this act of miraculous grace. May we all be encouraged and may our faith be strengthened as we consider that this God of miracles loves us and will work in our most challenging circumstances. Hallelujah to our God!

Of course we will be keeping the prayer requests that The Anchoress mentions at the top of our list.

However, now for another, very disturbing need for prayer for Katherine Ragsdale. I saw this at John C. Wright's place. Clicking through on the link I read the entire sermon, which I see is gone today. A little too much attention to keep it up, perhaps? What I read there literally made my jaw drop and also made me feel sick. The gist is well summarized in this bit that John C. Wright had up:

And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion - there is not a tragedy in sight -- only blessing. The ability to enjoy God's good gift of sexuality without compromising one's education, life's work, or ability to put to use God's gifts and call is simply blessing.

These are the two things I want you, please, to remember - abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Let me hear you say it: abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.

I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing - who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes -- in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You're engaged in holy work.

I pray for this poor, misguided woman and for those she has led astray ... and for all like her who have such a disordered sense of what a blessing truly is.

UPDATE
Links to the entire Ragsdale sermon can be found here.

I Will Never Watch the Terribleness That is "The Room"

However, that does not mean I do not appreciate the reason this very, very, very bad movie has gained cult status. My friend Chris discovered the movie as The Cartoon Network ran it for their April Fools' joke ... he sent a clip and a link to an Amazon review that is in itself a tour-de-force in its tribute to The Room's amazingly good badness.

Purely glorious in just how terrible it is ... I present The Room.

The Clip
Which contains spoilers I'm told, but what do I care?




The Review

I have now seen Mr. Tommy Wiseau's cinematic tour-de-force, `The Room' three times. With each viewing, `The Room' becomes more complexly entangled in and inseparable from my own life. I no longer know where The Room ends and I begin.

It is, without question, the worst film ever made. Including movies made on beta max video cameras in special education high school classes. But this comment is in no way meant to be discouraging. Because while The Room is the worst movie ever made it is also the greatest way to spend a blisteringly fast 100 minutes in the dark. Simply put, `The Room' will change your life.

It's not just the dreadful acting or the sub-normal screenplay or the bewildering direction or the musical score so soaked in melodrama that you will throw up on yourself or the lunatic-making cinematography; no, there is something so magically wrong with this movie that it can only be the product of divine intervention. If you took the greatest filmmakers in history and gave them all the task of purposefully creating a film as spectacularly horrible as this not one of them, with all their knowledge and skill, could make anything that could even be considered as a contender. Not one line or scene would rival any moment in The Room. ...

Read it all here.

StarShipSofa podcasts all Nebula Short Story nominees for 2008 In one day!

Yes, Tony did that thing. Get the iTunes links at SFFaudio which has the whole story.

I haven't heard the others, but if you want to try out only one, might I suggest Trophy Wives? It is the one that I read for Tony.

Kudos Tony and thank you!

I Hate April Fools' Day ... and That's No Joke

However, in the spirit of the season (so to speak), here are some links to funny stuff:

• This year's Google April Fools' joke: Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity: Introducing CADIE. Be sure to check out the links. Her home page is my favorite.
• Google's past April Fools' jokes slide show: my favorite is pigeon rankings.
• Classic practical joke origins: from Mental Floss Blog
• My own personal question is about No Recipes blog where the subtitle says "cooking is more fun without them." Ok. But is this guy having us on? Because the delicious looking dishes all have ... wait for it ... recipes.
  

The Psalms Are Songs of Faith - Part 5

Continuing sharing this emphasis on psalms (which began here). It is not enough just to know these things we have learned about the psalms. We must consider what it means for all of us and for us individually.

Reflection

Faith becomes especially evident when people assemble for worship. The worship experience assumes faith. Our words for those who gather for worship are "the assembly of believers." Psalms achieve their ultimate richness when sung by the community of believers. No one person exhausts the wealth of a psalm, nor does any psalm exhaust the wealth of a faith community.

When Christians gather together to sing the psalms, they realize the significance of the Church and witness their faith to the world. These "faith hymns" are not only a glad sound for the world, which may stand back in open-mouthed disbelief. By the power of the Spirit these songs forge deeper belief in the hearts of the singers.

It is the will of Jesus that the attitudes of the psalms will penetrate the hearts of the singers and move them to witness their faith to others. Psalm singing is not meant to be an aesthetic pastime for the esoteric, nor a mere emotional jag. The psalms stand on the plains of battle. They are more than sweet sounds to charm the heavens, or emotional releases for the indiscriminate. The psalms serve as a battle cry to stir the heart of the Christian offering Christ's love and mercy to a reluctant world.

For Dialogue

What has been your experience with the psalms? When you participate in the responsorial psalms at Mass, what impact do they have on you. How much do you experience the psalms as prayer?

What is your favorite form of prayer? How do the psalms compare to it? What would you like to know about the psalms?

Since the psalms are a revealed form of prayer, why might they be a special source of faith for you? If you love the psalms, which ones are your favorites and why?

Prayer

Lord, show me how to pray your psalms with a fervent heart and a willing mind. Remind me that Jesus and Mary regularly prayed the psalms. Open their treasures of prayer to me.

The book of Psalms is a complete gymnasium for the soul, a stadium for all the virtues. All who read it aloud may find the cure for their own individual findings.

St. Ambrose

Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible by Alfred McBride, P. Praem

The. Mind. Boggles.

[Her kid was a brat, so] Ms. Leavey began to practise consensual living, a set of principles designed to help family members understand each other’s feelings and meet one another’s needs.

In the consensual living model, father doesn’t know best. Neither does mom. Instead, parents and children are equal partners in family life, according to the principles laid out at consensual-living.com.

Hmmm. So very different from my theory which was that I needed to be comfortable in my own home. That meant everyone had to help with chores and not annoy others by being a brat. Of course, that also meant Tom and I had to pony up with such unpleasant things as consistent parental guidance. Etc.

Via the hilarious Rachel Lucas, who will not be everyone's cup of tea, but usually is very much to my liking as she is here.

"I'm so excited words fail me..."

So speaks a commenter at The Anchoress's place who will be entering the Church at Easter.

I started my journey to the church about 16 months ago. I had given up on secular life. I knew there was a God, but I just couldn’t find him no matter where I looked. I come in from the desert of 50 years of secular life. I feel I was I knew a lady real well that shined. You know what I mean? She just shone with the spirit. Everything about her life was in order. Eventually I learned the foundation; she was a devoted Catholic. Her daughter was in Catholic school, she sang at the Houston Co-Cathedral choir every Sunday.

That planted the seed. Why not try the Catholic church? Maybe God was there. ...

See how your life can be a beacon to those who are seeking? Without you even realizing it?

God is so good. Go read it all and I cannot help but echo the response a little later on in the comments...

As you receive the Sacraments for the first time, know that those looking on at the Easter Vigil will be smiling with the greatest joy for you in their hearts, just as the angels and saints in heaven are likewise cheering.

Amen.

Thanks to Maureen for the heads up on that!

From Angels to Exorcism

I just finished an excellent book -- Angels and Their Mission: According to the Fathers of the Church by the late Cardinal Jean Danielou which I will review soon. Next up is The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist.

I thought it ironic when it showed up soon after I cracked open the angels book. However, now I realize that the second book is going to be looking at the dark angels from a little closer up. I bring it up because I was interested to read The Curt Jester's great review of The Rite. Go read it.

And while we're talking about exorcism...
It must be the hot new topic. Michelle Johnson from EWTN tells me:

I thought you might be interested to know that EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo is going to interview Father Thomas Euteneuer about his new book on exorcism during “The World Over” this Friday, April 3, at 8 p.m. ET. Father Euteneuer is president of Human Life International and an exorcist. His new book is called “Exorcism and the Church Militant.” Father Euteneueur has been in the news lately saying that Pope Benedict feels there is a greater need for exorcism today and that he desires more priests to be trained as exorcists. Should be an interesting interview!

I am not necessarily interested in exorcism per say and on top of that I don't have cable ... however, if you are interested and do have cable, it could be a good show!

Matt Harding - Dance Around the World ... and What He Learned From It

The Dance

What He Learned From It

Listen or read it on NPR's This I Believe.

Another Video of The Dance

(I know I saw the Bean from Millenium Park in Chicago in there)

This video found at Deacon Greg's (yeah, it's a viral kind of thing we've got going on today).

The Psalms Are Songs of Faith - Part 4

Continuing sharing this emphasis on psalms (which began here). Why are the psalms the central prayers of the Church? This is a nice summary reminding us of all that the psalms are for us.

The Psalms Are the Central Prayers of the Church

The psalms hold a privileged position in the history of prayer. They serve to show us how to pray. As part of sacred Scripture the psalms are God's revealed prayers sun by faith-drenched poets and saints. The Church has chosen the psalms as the centerpiece of the Liturgy of the Hours and having an honored place in every Mass as seen in the "responsorial psalms." For over fifteen centuries monks and nuns in monasteries have made the psalms the central prayers of their lives. In the psalms, God has revealed prayer.

Psalms show us that in singing our prayer we are totally involved in it and yet lifted our of ourselves. They help us see that poetry and symbols in prayer lead to the throne of God. Finally, they remind us that all prayer reflects real life both on earth and in the heavenly realms. The psalms are rooted in the shouts, tears, smiles, and noises of a real world. Psalms are a theological commentary on the life of the people who sang them.

Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible by Alfred McBride, P. Praem

Next: Reflection

From a Spider's Web to the Resurrection

Yes, I admit it now. Winter is over. Ice hands, palms up in a final supplication, melt away.

Just as Lent will end and the Resurrection will be proclaimed. The natural year and the Church year cycle together. If the natural year is a circle, the liturgical year is a spiral: it is Lent again, yes, but conversion is ever ascending toward the light. Or maybe it is ever-descending into the depths of the darkness that is God.

The photography isn't the only thing to admire at Paula's House of Toast. Go read her meditation that goes from a spider's web to the resurrection.

Much thanks to Paula for giving permission for me to share her photos with you. You will be seeing them show up here on a regular basis, I'm sure.

Weekend Joke

DR. BOLI’S ALLEGORICAL BESTIARY

No. 16.—The Chihuahua.

THE CHIHUAHUA IS a demonic creature of Aztec mythology, somewhat resembling a dog but impossibly tiny. It was the tutelary spirit of Toltec royalty, and adopted from them by the conquering Aztecs, who never stopped to think that it might have done the vanquished more harm than good. It was said that, if an Aztec prince was attacked, the high-pitched yelping of his tutelary Chihuahua would shatter the skull of his opponent. Indeed, the many solid-gold earplugs which Díaz del Castillo records as having been melted down after the Conquest attest to the pervasiveness of this myth among the Mexican upper classes.

Many curious stories about the Chihuahua are told by the superstitious Spanish missionaries. One writes of his failed attempt to exorcise a Chihuahua whose incessant yelping deprived the friars of their slumber for weeks on end; another reports having seen a Chihuahua with his own eyes as it gleefully tore apart the sumptuous tapestries in the governor’s palace. We may spare a smile for the benighted credulity of the monks, but we ought not to suppose that our own age is entirely free from such superstition. The Mexican state of Chihuahua was named for this mythological creature, which local lore insists still inhabits the arid wastelands of the Chihuahua Desert.

Allegorically, the Chihuahua represents Entropy.

Of course, from Dr. Boli!

Win $100 Gift Card for the Cutest First Communion Photo

Now this looks like a good deal! Send in those photos, y'all!

The Catholic Company, the market leader for online Catholic books and gifts, has just announced a First Communion Photo Contest. What a great excuse to pull those photos out of the photo book and show them off again. Bloggers, podcasters, and webmasters can also win a $50 Gift Card for referring the winning entry to the contest, so be sure to spread the word!

French director Jean-Luc Godard: "a work of extraordinary psychological insight and aesthetic perception."

What movie was he talking about?

The same one about which British film critic Robin Wood wrote, "If I were asked to choose a film that would justify the existence of Hollywood, I think it would be [this one]'"

The same one that Quentin Tarantino, uses to test a new girl friend, " -- and she'd better like it!"

Brace yourselves. Here it comes.

Rio Bravo.

Yep. You know the one. John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Rickie Nelson ... so purely Western, so funny, and just about perfect.

It's 50 years old and hipper now than when it was made. We love it in our family ... glad to know we're in such illustrious company.

Read all about it here.

In Advertising, Those Ads Are Called "Fear of Death"

In science, evidently it's called "fair and balanced."

Give me a break. Although it does sound like something Dean Koontz might write. I do like a good "end of the world" piece of science fiction.

IT IS midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.

A year later and millions of Americans are dead and the nation's infrastructure lies in tatters. The World Bank declares America a developing nation. Europe, Scandinavia, China and Japan are also struggling to recover from the same fateful event - a violent storm, 150 million kilometres away on the surface of the sun.

It sounds ridiculous. Surely the sun couldn't create so profound a disaster on Earth. Yet an extraordinary report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in January this year claims it could do just that. ...

Read it all here

Now, wait. Is this the same sun that many scientists deny could be causing global warming?

Just wanna make sure I've got my theories straight ...

Via New Advent.

The Psalms are Songs of Faith - Part 3

Continuing sharing this emphasis on psalms (which began here). We don't tend to think of the Israelites as people privileged to see God's presence in nature. I, for one, think of them as turning to false gods when nature becomes involved. However, some of my favorite psalms are the ones that talk about such things as hills dancing or rivers singing ... and I am happy to see that it comes from our elder brothers in faith.

The Psalms Celebrate Events as Mighty Acts of God

It is true that we in the Western world love to reason, but this love need not exclude poetic experience. The psalms in deed revel in such vivid images as: mountains that dance, seas that howl like animals, clouds that ride in the sky as noble horsemen of God, and lightening that writes like a pencil God's presence into the hollows of the earth. When we can admit that these descriptions are real and not just fanciful ways of talking about God, we can accept the message of the psalms.

It was characteristic of the Israelites to find the presence of God in nature and history. It was the unique privilege of the Israelites to see and know that God was really doing something in this world. It has, after all, always been his world, but it takes a long time for many to admit it.

We owe a tribute to Israel for being perceptive enough to know that the events of nature and history are not just simple happenings, but the very acts of God. In the psalms we see that the Israelites had the original insight into God's presence in the movement of history. Put in another way, it was the Israelites who were really the first ones to see the divine purpose in history. As they saw the unfolding of historical events, they came to understand their history as salvation history. They learned to attribute these events to the presence of God.

Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible by Alfred McBride, P.Praem

Next: The Psalms Are the Central Prayers of the Church

Ad of the Week

From the incomparable Dr. Boli, of course.

The Psalms Are Songs of Faith - Part 2

Continuing sharing this emphasis on psalms (which began here). This is the part that really struck me, especially considering that I don't like free verse poetry no matter how old it is! However, the logic of rhyming ideas ... now that I like.

Israelite Poetry

The poetry of the Israelites is somewhat different from our ordinary idea of what poetry should be. There is no rhyme nor fixed rhythm in the sense we would normally expect. It's true that the free verse movement has given us a broad idea of what poetry can be. Israelite poetry might be summed up in the saying: never say anything once that you can say twice, and better still three times. The rhythm of the psalms is a rhythm of ideas. The psalms rhyme thoughts. In the following examples see how the second line parallels the idea of the first:

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us.

Psalm 67:1

Thy solemn procession are seen, O God
the processions of my God, my Kind, into the sanctuary.

Psalm 68:24

How long, O Lord? Wilt thou be angry forever?
Will thy jealous wrath burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5

The rhythm of the poetry of the psalms is a rhythm (and rhyming) of ideas. An idea is stated and then repeated with different shades of meaning. It is the balanced drumming of a declaration that arises form the heart of one who has known the miracle of God and now speaks out of the ecstasy of response. Some psalms are the result of the experience of miracle and ecstasy. By miracle we mean the appearance of a mighty act of God, such as the Red Sea victory; by ecstasy we refer to the joyous, human faith-experience of God's work. Other psalms reflect the quiet presence of God experienced by a solitary shepherd, a religious experience when applied to God as the shepherd who protects us from harm even when we are in the valley of the shadow of death.

Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible by Alfred McBride, P.Praem

Next: Psalms Celebrate Events as Mighty Acts of God.

Mmmm, Mmmm, Turkey Bone Gumbo!

Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

UPDATED: Petition against Notre Dame's invitation to Obama to be their commencement speaker and to receive an honorary doctorate

The campaign to stop Obama speaking at Notre Dame commencement is gathering pace. Tonight over 45,000 people have signed the petition asking ND to disinvite this most pro abortion President from speaking and receiving an honorary degree.

We invite you to sign the petition here. I would also ask you, if you are a blogger, to link to this site and encourage your readers to sign. At this site you will also be given email and postal addresses for your involvement.

If you are a non-Catholic reading this blog, network this through to our separated brothers and sisters who share with us the horror at the crime of abortion in our land. Please ask them to sign the petition and voice their own views.

Wording via Fr. Dwight Longenecker. Scandal against Church teachings by celebrating someone so inimical to life ... provided by Notre Dame, to their shame.

UPDATE
Seen all over the place: Bishop D'Arcy will not attend Notre Dame commencement ceremony.

On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation.

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith “in season and out of season,” and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions.

My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life.

I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for. ...

Read it all here.

2nd Update
Get Religion has an excellent piece about the media's portrayal of those opposing Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama as "strict Catholics." Read it all.

So the “strict” Catholics oppose the invitation to President Obama, as opposed to what other kinds of Catholics? There is an answer to that question that reporters should include in their articles. It would be interesting to see the definition attached to those Catholics. See here for Tmatt’s summary of the four types of Catholics of which reporters should be aware:

• *Ex-Catholics. Solid for the Democrats. GOP has no chance.
  
  
• Cultural Catholics who may go to church a few times a year. This may be an undecided voter -- check out that classic Atlantic Monthly tribes of American religion piece — depending on what is happening with the economy, foreign policy, etc. Leans to Democrats.
  
  
• Sunday-morning American Catholics. This voter is a regular in the pew and may even play some leadership role in the parish. This is the Catholic voter that is really up for grabs, the true swing voter that the candidates are after.
  
  
• The “sweats the details” Roman Catholic who goes to confession. Is active in the full sacramental life of the parish and almost always backs the Vatican, when it comes to matters of faith and practice. This is where the GOP has made its big gains in recent decades, but it is a very small slice of the American Catholic pie.

3rd Update
Notre Dame student groups protesting the President's speech. Contrary to popular media belief, there actually are Catholic students at Notre Dame who know and practice their faith. I know some of them.

4th Update

• Bishop of Phoenix accuses Notre Dame president of disobeying U.S. Bishops
• Bishop of Austin says, "... in this case the University of Notre Dame does not live up to its Catholic identity in giving this award..."

In Bruges: Violent, Profane, Funny ... and Yet a Perfect Lenten Movie

Ken: Coming up?

Ray: What's up there?

Ken: The view.

Ray: The view of what? The view of down here? I can see that down here.

Ken: Ray, you are about the worst tourist in the whole world.

Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

In Bruges is one of those quirky art movies that there is no way to describe well. A tale of contrasts, it follows two hit men, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleason), who have been told to hide themselves by traveling to Bruges. Part of the contrast comes from that fairy tale town with these violent men in it. Ken is delighted by the historical aspects and spends all his time sight seeing. Young, callow Ray is bored stiff and only interested in chasing pretty girls. Eventually we find out why the hit men are hiding out and see that Ray has hidden depths, which Ken feels makes him a person worth a second chance. Eventually we also are introduced to their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), who provides yet another contrast. The contrasts provide plenty of opportunities for humor as well as pathos.

Along the way, Ken and Ray see Hieronymus Bosch's art (see below) and the movie becomes almost a mirror of the painting in some ways. Which is to say that while we think we have a grasp on it, there are also surreal elements that are hard to integrate into the whole.

I liked it but was unable to know how to think about it until we watched some of the DVD extras where the actors talked. They had been very thoughtful about it. One remarked that she liked it because Hollywood treats extreme violence so casually and this movie showed that no matter what these people did they were still human beings who were affected by their actions. Well put. In short this is a thoughtful, interesting movie about sacrifice, redemption, and above all what it means to be human.

Warning: it is R-rated for violence and language. The violence is well telegraphed so that I was able to look away every time. As well, the language is frequently and extremely profane. This is a sign of the times, naturally, but one gives a bit of a sigh for the days when coarse hitmen could be portrayed without saying, "f***" every other word. No one who grew up in the home of my youth would be surprised by that word, but I do feel it shows an extreme lack of creativity. Ah well ...

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, 1500-1505

Click through and look at this close up. I would swear there are some space ships in there.

The Psalms Are Songs of Faith - Part 1

I've been reading a section a day of Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible. It is just enough to make me both review different books of the Bible and think about it's place in the overall scheme of things. Which I think is the point. I was struck by this emphasis on psalms. It is something that our priest has pointed out in Bible study before but I like how this is said. So I'll be sharing it over the next few days.

The Psalms Are Songs of Faith

Psalms 1-150
Sing to the Lord a new song.

Psalm 96:1

For some reason, we don't ordinarily picture a soldier writing Church poetry. But that is exactly what the warrior King David did. He did not write all of the 150 psalms, but so great was his influence on the composition of psalms, that the book of Psalms has borne his name as the author ever since. The psalms are prayers, but people today sometimes find it hard to really think of them that way. Here are some considerations that might be helpful in understanding the psalms.

He Who Sings Prays Twice

St. Augustine says that he who sings prays twice. It is too bad that most peple regard the psalms as a text to be read silently. The psalms are the "songs" of faith: war chants, victory songs, enthronement anthems, hymns about nature. In the shadow of the temple, fraternities of musicians gathered to compose melodies for the psalms.

There has been a revival in psalm singing, prompted by the work of Father Joseph Gelineau and Father Lucien Deiss, French priest-musicians and many other composers. The popularity of the guitar has an impact on the singing of psalms, not just because David used a stringed instrument, but because it suits the vigorous rhythm of the words and the excitement of the situation.

Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible by Alfred McBride, P.Praem

Next: Israelite Poetry.

You'll Be a Man, My Son

Just caught up this weekend on last week's Bones. That episode is a fine example of the times that the show rises above being a guilty pleasure. It took on the issue of personal responsibility and looking beyond the pleasure of "the moment." Especially touching was the end where Booth realizes that someone must teach a high school boy about how his current actions translate into the man that he will become. The boy's parents are never shown but Booth takes on the required task of pointing out just what it means to be a man. That is always a pleasure in today's society where men in general tend to be denigrated in the way that Bones does during the conversation that leads Booth to his realization.

As Tom pointed out, the show avoided the temptation to have an unnecessarily convoluted murder plot in order to spend the time necessary on the other message. Refreshing and nicely done.

Which leads us back into Kipling whence came the phrase that titles this post. And some other reflections on being a man.

Back on the Soap Box

It has been a while since I pulled out my soapbox and a conversation with a friend made me this of this post. She commented that ever since a beggar asked her for some of her pizza and she gave him all the cash she had ... she saw God's hand everywhere in her life in terms of people helping each other donating clothing, food, and services where needed simply because they were asked.

Since it is Lent and we are to not only fast and pray but to give alms, this seems timely. For the short, straight forward version, go read Mike Aquilina's excellent piece on the subject. For the longer, more anecdotal version, just keep on readin' ...

Photo from Barcelona Photoblog

As my long-suffering husband well knows, from the fact that when he gave a handful of change to an Australian man sitting outside a London tube station years ago ... the man shouted after our family, "God bless you mate! Thank you!" My husband muttered, under his breath, "Don't thank me, thank her; I had nothing to do with it" as I gave him a thank you hug. This does not even compare to when he is driving and we come upon a corner with a homeless person ... now he has three people in the car all urging him to roll down the window and hand out granola bars.

GIVING TO THE HOMELESS, FACE TO FACE

The first time I ever saw a beggar was in Paris, 18 years ago. She was across the street and Tom said, "Don't look at her." Of course, I did and she began screaming invective and shaking her fist at me. It's a good thing my French wasn't very fluent or I'm sure my ears would have burned. Everywhere we went there were beggars. It was deeply troubling for someone like me who had never seen such a thing before. Tom, whose family lived in London for several years, was more blasé. He taught me to ignore them and that they were making plenty of money off of the population at large. I did make him give to a couple of WWII veterans who were playing music for their coins but at least they had sacrificed something for their country ... they had done something to deserve our charity.

I wasn't Christian then; I wasn't even sure if God existed. Nothing other than popular thought occurred to me in those situations. That was saved for 15 years later in 2001 when we went back to Paris and London with the girls. I had converted by then, we attended Mass weekly, and they went to Catholic school with religion lessons every day. It was fairly common to see the homeless on street corners but we were insulated by the car and traffic flow. These up close encounters with beggars in Europe were different. Tom and I gave the standard "making money off the crowd" explanation but it didn't sit very well, especially with the Christian precepts that had taken hold by then.

Then, one evening, I read this quote.

There are those who say to the poor that they seem to look to be in such good health: "You are so lazy! You could work. You are young. You have strong arms."

You don't know that it is God's pleasure for this poor person to go to you and ask for a handout. You show yourself as speaking against the will of God.

There are some who say: "Oh, how badly he uses it!" May he do whatever he wants with it! The poor will be judged on the use they have made of their alms, and you will be judged on the very alms that you could have given but haven't.

St. John Vianney

You certainly couldn't get much clearer than those words. St. John Vianney covered pretty much every objection I ever thought of for giving to the poor. That was my wake-up call and the end of ignoring beggars. We were supplied with handfuls of coins that were distributed at large as we went through the subway stations. When I got home I stocked the car with granola bars and bottles of water. I passed them out at every street corner we stopped at. I never have any cash on me and they almost always had signs saying "Will work for food" so it seemed a good match.

Then Dallas passed a law against any panhandling on street corners and, for the most part, the homeless disappeared from sight. I had gotten used to being on the lookout for people to give my granola bars to and now the corners seemed very empty.

About that time, I was the leader of a Catholic women's group that met weekly. One evening our discussion became a debate over two strategies of giving to the homeless. One group believed in giving to people as they were encountered. The other countered with stories of scam artists and believed in giving to organizations who would distribute goods and cash in the most beneficial way to the needy. Two things stuck with me after that meeting though. The first was that my friend, Rita, said she was troubled by those who didn't want to give face to face because "they don't know what blessings they may be depriving themselves of." Once again I remembered St. John Vianney's quote.

The second thing occurred to me as I listened to the debate. Jesus never said anything about helping the poor by giving to the local temple or soup kitchen. He said:

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me."

Then the righteous will answer him and say, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?"

And the king will say to them in reply, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25: 35-40

Tom and I do support organized charities and I know they reach farther than I ever could personally. This is not an argument against those organizations. However, I think that we cannot rest with those contributions. I believe that if we have a personal encounter with the needy it is because they have been sent to us for their good and our own. If we turn them away, then we are turning Christ Himself away and what blessings are we sending away with Him?

This was reinforced for me during a retreat I attended a few weeks ago. Somehow the debate over how to give to the homeless came up along those old familiar lines, not just once but twice. Each time I trotted out my St. John Vianney quote. Then my friend, Mauri, said that when she looked at those unfortunates she saw people she knew. For instance, she has a schizophrenic nephew who doesn't want to take his meds so he has been found wandering only in his boxers in a Chicago suburb. A confused old lady at the bank reminded her of her mother and Mauri found a discreet way to help her while preserving her dignity. She reminded me of the worth and dignity of each of these people. She later sent me this story which is the perfect example of looking past the surface to the real person that is there in front of us.

Today at the post office I saw this man going through the garbage -- I think looking for food as he was going through a discarded fast food bag and picked out left over bun from the bag, emptied the bag of the other garbage, and then used the bag to neatly wrap up the left over bun and then placed it in his satchel. You could tell that he still had his pride as he looked well kept, although worn and a bit "dusty". He was not begging in any way. Just walking through the strip center where the post office was.

I wanted to help as I sensed that he was hungry, but he was not asking for help and he did not approach me in anyway. I was so worried to bruise his pride, but could not stand the thought of him only having the leftover bun for food. I got out of my car with $5 and asked him if he was hungry. He said he was fine but hesitantly. I gave him the money and told him that I had many of times when I was hungry but didn't have the cash on me to go through McDonalds or grab a sandwich. I told him to take it for when he might need it. I don't think I hurt his pride. His eyes were so kind.

I only wish I had asked his name ... He looked like he might have been mid 60s. I should have given him more money. I can't get him out of my mind. He could have been someone's grandfather, father, etc.

I am so grateful to Mauri for bringing me to this phase in my awareness of the homeless. Each of them was some mother's baby, a tiny toddler learning to walk, a laughing boy or girl at school. We must remember that when we are looking at these people who can seem so frightening or strange or manipulative. I pray that someday I can look at these people and find my vision is perfect ... I hope that someday I can look at a homeless person and see Jesus Himself. In this quest I think we can not do better than to take the advice of someone who achieved perfect vision and sought out her beloved Jesus in the homeless.

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

UPDATES

• 40 Day Giveaway ... a young man who is giving away something every day of Lent.
  
• Under the Overpass is an excellent book to read about the homeless. It is about two young men who took Jesus at his word and went to live as homeless in different American cities for a six month period. If you have any questions at all about the homeless I highly recommend this book. It will open your eyes. They have specific advice about giving to the homeless which seems to support my granola bar and water hand out policy. However, I will add that I still do give cash if I am out of those. (reread St. John Vianney's quote for my reasoning in this)
• How could I have forgotten my encounter with this homeless man?

Laetare Sunday Means Our Priests are Pretty in Pink

The fourth Sunday of Lent is rather unique; like the third Sunday of Advent ("Gaudete Sunday"), the fourth Sunday of Lent is a break in an otherwise penitential season. The vestments for this day will be rose, as they are on Gaudete Sunday in Advent, and flowers may adorn the Altar. This day is called "Laetare Sunday" (also "Rose Sunday" ), and takes its name from the opening words of the Mass, the Introit's "Laetare, Jerusalem"...

It really did lighten my mood this morning to see the rose colored vestments and stop to think about the joy that awaits us at Easter ... and that can be found in the midst of this penitential season.

A bit more info comes from Fr. Dwight Longenecker:

The Rose color was made from the very rare crimson dye taken from a tiny gland in the murex mollusc (a kind of sea snail) found only off the coast of Lebanon. Thus, in the ancient world that particular rose color was a sign of great wealth, and royal status. The High Priest in the temple in Jerusalem used it in his vestments. It came to be used on the two refreshment Sundays in the penitential seasons to perk people up.

But there is more to it than that. The rose vestments in Lent, remind us of the royal and priestly status of Our Lord. The priest in persona Christi presents an icon of Christ the King and great High Priest. The fact that this image is stuck in the midst of the two penitential seasons reminds us that locked into the austerity of this world, robed in the squalor and simplicity of human flesh, there lies hidden the Great High Priest of the New Covenant, Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Harvard AIDS Expert Says Pope is Correct on Condom Distribution Making AIDS Worse

Pope Benedict recently said that condoms will not combat the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and actually could exacerbate it. Naturally, although I am not sure what they expected what with the Pope being Catholic and all, this brought down a firestorm of scorn.

Interestingly, however, this expert agrees with the Pope.

Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, has said that the evidence confirms that the Pope is correct in his assessment that condom distribution exacerbates the problem of AIDS.

"The pope is correct," Green told National Review Online Wednesday, "or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments." ...

What? He is considering evidence? Shocking!

Read the rest here. Via The Practicing Catholic who features an article that nicely sums up both good and bad response to the Pope's statement.

Update:
A very good article on the subject by Green himself. Thanks Meg for the heads up!

Catholic Heroes of the Faith - Animated DVD Series

“Catholic Heroes of the Faith” is a new, animated DVD series which presents true stories of people who have made a lasting impression on others by their example of service to Christ and His Church.

These heroes have lived truly great lives—lives marked by moral depth, strength of character, physical courage, and an unswerving commitment to Christ and His Church.

By seeing how they struggled to serve Christ and his Church, and how they succeeded so gloriously, we are all challenged to live lives like theirs. Pope Benedict XVI has said of the saints, that we look to their “shining example to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family. And this is the vocation of us all.”

Geared primarily to children ages 8-12, each episode uses traditional animation to entertain and inspire children and their parents and anyone who wants to know about the great Catholics of the past.

Each DVD also features:

* Activity guide for church, school or home use
* Parent’s and teacher’s guide for church, school or home use

This animated series is an excellent resource for parochial schools, CCD classes and home schooling.

And don’t forget to check out our documentary section! A great resource for Catholic high school religion classes and RCIA programs.

Their first dvd features St. Perpetua. I am a sucker for the stories of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity and this looks good. Also, (and here's the one that piques my interest) Mike Aquilina does the documentary about St. Perpetua. I am not sure it can get much better than that. Check it out.

When Government Overthrows Conscience

The American Center for Law and Justice is collecting signatures on a petition. They explain it this way:

The Conscience Clause was implemented by former President George W. Bush to give physicians and nurses the choice to act according to their conscience — to not participate in abortion procedures if it conflicts with their personal convictions. If President Obama makes this damaging move, if he reverses the Conscience Clause, pro-life doctors and nurses will be forced into performing abortion procedures, despite their individual beliefs.

The announcement was made Friday, March 6, 2009. Since the official announcement was made, the public now has 30 days to file comments with the White House ... so we’ve got 30 days to make our voices heard at the White House.

Make a difference in this nation and stand for the freedom to act according to your conscience. Sign the online “Petition to Protect Pro-Life Doctors” below now. It will be delivered and filed at the White House no later than April 8, 2009.

Here is the link:

• Be Heard, where you can sign the petition
• American Center for Law & Justice

From John C. Wright who has some other comments with which I agree as well.