Catholic Basics--Moral Issues of Life and Death 2

As promised, I am following up my answers about pro-life issues with excerpts from Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft. This is the book I read that cleared up many of my objections to Catholic teachings. The excerpts for this series began here.

I must stress that this book does not substitute for the Catechism and is best read as an accompaniment to it. Also, I must stress that this book is best read from the beginning as Kreeft, in following the Catechism, provides a logical construct for the reason the Church's teachings exist. That is just precisely the Catechism does, but this book is somewhat easier to understand, especially in its application to specific examples of modern life and the faith. Although this section necessarily addresses other issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia, suicide and more, I will be focusing primarily on abortion and the right to life.

2. The "sanctity-of-life ethic"
The opposite philosophy of life is the traditional "sanctity-of-life ethic," which is taught by all the great religions of the world, is the basis of Western civilization from its Judeo-Christian roots, is presupposed n our laws, and is the basis of all Catholic teaching about the fifth commandment.

There are three reasons for the sanctity of human life: its origin, its nature, and its end.

"'Human life is sacred because'" [a]"'from its beginning it involves the creative action of God'" [b]"'and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator,'" [c]"'who is its sole end'"1 (CCC2258).

"'God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right irectly to destroy an innocent human being'"2 (CCC2258).

If this is not true, then life is not sacred and God is not God. If it is true, then the "quality-of-life ethic" is as serious a form of idolatry as the worship of stone idols, false pagan gods, or evil spirits--all of which in ancient times also manifested themselves in the practice of human sacrifice, especially of children.

3. The sense of the sacred
Not all men throughout history have known the true reason for the sacredness of human life: that one God created all men. But most men and most societies have instinctively intuited that moral conclusion, even without that theological premise, and felt a strong sense of the sacredness of human life. they have often violated it--history is full of murder and bloodshed--but the sense of shame and guilt remained attached to killing, especially killing the innocent. These instinctive feelings--the sense of the sacred and the sense of shame and guilt--seem to be in crisis today.

The loss of the sense of the sacredness of human life seems closely connected with the loss of the sense of sacredness of three other closely connected things: motherhood, sex, and God. Of motherhood, for by far the most dangerous place in the world today in America is a mother's womb during the child's first nine months of life. Of sex, for the "sexual revolution" was a radical change not only in behavior but in vision, in philosophy. Of God, for "the fear of the Lord," which Scripture calls "the beginning of wisdom," is usually thought to be "primitive" and even harmful, even by many religious educators.

1 CDF, instruction, Donum vitae, intro. 5.
2 CDF, instruction, Donum vitae, intro. 5.

Coming next, the basic principle of Catholic ethics of human life.

(Note: you can also find the book as a series of pdfs or podcasts here. My series of excerpts would be found in Lesson 27.)

Movie Review: Earth

"Earth" is an exquisitely photographed and presented film that promises to take us with three animal families through a year. However, this is simply the easiest way that they can market the movie. Actually, the movie does exactly what the name promises, which is to celebrate the planet Earth in its own right. Beautifully narrated by James Earl Jones, we are introduced to the movie with the information that Earth's tilt toward the sun is integral to the planet as we know it. This is basic information for many of us but it sets the tone for our appreciation of the unique life forms with which we share the planet. As well, it sets up the fact that Earth itself is the star of the movie. We see how planetary cycles of water, weather, and sun work together and how they in turn have shaped the forces that living creatures struggle with daily for existence.

Interspersed with fantastic shots of Earth's vistas we are taken into a more personal connection through the many featured scenarios of living creatures in the circle of life. Although there are three main animal families that we watch on a migration adventure, there are numerous sequences where we are treated to many other animals in humorous, dramatic, or threatening circumstances. We are reminded that every day there is so much more to life than we experience in our civilized routines. Especially memorable were the intense night scenes of the elephant herd versus the pride of lions whose roars seemed to split the night. I was also impressed with the scenes of aquatic predators pursuing prey. It never occurred to me that watching a school of sailfish (the cheetahs of the ocean) hunt smaller fish in their darting, elusive school could be as riveting as watching wolves hunt caribou ... and eerily echoing of similar movements. I also will never forget the shots of the great white shark with part of a seal dangling from its mouth like a toothpick.

Amazing in themselves were the many shots of Earth from a great distance in the sky. This allowed us to see changes in desert regions of Africa after the rainy season. Shots of migrating herds taken from such a height that one could see the hundreds and hundreds of animals all wandering in the same direction in a loose formation. In fact the many views from overhead were unusual and gave us a different perspective on the progressions of rivers to waterfalls. Time lapse photography was used frequently to great effect so we could see the overall results of seasons, rain, or other natural phenomenon.


At about an hour and a half in length I never found the movie to lag and was always captivated by the remarkable photography and subject matter. Although there are tense moments and clear victories by predators there is never a violent coup de grace or bloody tearing at a corpse. Shots are always cut short just after we understand what happened. This makes it appropriate for younger children as long as they don't mind the tension of hunting scenes. The music, which is beautiful and grandly recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic, was occasionally over the top in setting a sentimental scene. As well, I found the infrequent comic scenes a bit over the top musically. However, from the response of the audience, this was more a matter of personal taste than anything. I did like the fact that there wasn't any attempt to find reasons for planetary warming or other conditions that might make life on a changing planet riskier for animals. The statement that the planet is warming was repeated a tiring number of times when talking about polar bears, however, there was no guilt-trip put on humans because of it. Sometimes a clarifying comment would have been welcomed, such as pointing out that predators miss their prey most of the time or that most animals in the wild live large parts of their lives hungry. This would have helped cut through a bit of the sentimentality present, but it was not really a big factor in the movie.

I saw this with my mother, who also thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Her one serious objection is one that I shared. The narration continually called the animals "Mom" and "Dad" when looking at family groups. This anthropomorphizing was jarring. However, I must point out that it was a far cry from the shameless example found in March of the Penguins and actually was a fairly minor point.

I also was occasionally left wondering, "just how on earth did they get these shots?" Naturally, I was very pleased when we are shown some footage from the photographers' experiences during the movie credits at the end.


For any person of faith this movie also serves to make us appreciate even more the diversity, creativity, and beauty that God has given us in this beautiful planet. Marveling at the scenery and incredible living creatures I saw, I was again moved to thanks that God's ways are different from ours. We are just not imaginative enough to come up with the marvels that are all around us. I was left at one point thinking just how unimaginable was the mind of God to be able to come up with evolution as a developmental tool that still left life so free to find its way to the incredible variety that was displayed in this movie. In fact, the ingenuity, curiosity, and appreciation of nature that we saw in the clips of photographers during the credits also left me with an appreciation of the human spirit.

"Earth" opens on Earth Day. As has been noted before, I'm not a fan of Earth Day as it tends to bring out the least attractive features of many environmentalists in treating it as a religious day of observance. However, I'm a big fan of Earth itself and watching this movie will remind you just what an incredible home we have. It lends itself to appreciation on many levels and I encourage you to go.

Highly recommended.

This 'N' That

Knitting ... Baby Bobbi Bear. Had a heckuva time getting the pattern as the local yarn store kept getting shorted on their order but finally I began it yesterday. Cute as can be, although this organic cotton yarn is a bit thick seeming ... but we shall see.

Great podcast for music lovers ... Lyrics Undercover (iTunes feed here). Gives the story behind pop song lyrics and interesting info about the musicians as well. A new discovery of mine but Tom is really loving this. Each is something like 6 minutes long.

Movie watching ... going to see a screening tonight for the upcoming movie Earth from Disney's new Nature division. This looks fantastic.



Reading from my in-box... Dappled Things has their new issue up.

It’s funny—eerily funny, some might say—how Lent falls upon you just as you’ve finished reading that last story, savoring that last poem from the Advent/Christmas issue of Dappled Things. What follows? A desert: a literary desert of forty-plus days that you must endure before rejoicing at last in the glory of Easter—and the delights of the new issue that comes with it! Dear reader, your days of penance are over: the Lent/Easter 2009 edition of Dappled Things, our most exciting issue to date, is now available online!

Music from my in-box ... Jade Music Offers Free Music Downloads through MyCatholicVoice.com ... click through the links to check out all the offerings.

Site members can download free songs each week through June 10;

Partnership provides online venue for Jade Music’s complete song collection

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – April 15, 2009 – Jade Music has partnered with MyCatholicVoice to offer a featured free music download each Wednesday through June 10.

From a deep catalog of sacred and classical music, these free downloads will include works by Giulio Caccini, Hildegard von Bingen, as well as chant recordings by the Benedictine Choir of Santo Domingo de Silos, and the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, among others...

Movie from my in-box ... when I read this email I began looking around for reviews and was interested to see that this movie has garnered many awards at festivals.

This week, our movie distribution company is releasing a new Catholic-themed feature film called SINNER. The film is a thoughtful and poignant look at the Catholic sense of forgiveness and redemption.

SINNER is just the type of movie that we seek out. It has won numerous international film festivals, has been praised by theological luminaries, and presents an honest exploration of serious Catholic issues. Here is a quick synopsis:

Hidden away in small town America, in an anemic parish on the brink of bankruptcy, Father Anthony Romano finds himself at a mid-career crisis in the wake of both his personal conflicts and the real world scandals that have left the Catholic Church an anathema to so many. When his junior colleague, a fundamentalist named Stephen, clashes with a prostitute who preys on Catholic priests, Anthony finds his private world invaded and his deepest secrets exposed by a modern day Mary Magdalene.

DVDs will be available from our website. To view a trailer and other press materials for the film, go here.

Catholic Basics--Moral Issues of Life and Death

As promised, I am following up my answers about pro-life issues with excerpts from Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft. This is the book I read that cleared up many of my objections to Catholic teachings.

I must stress that this book does not substitute for the Catechism and is best read as an accompaniment to it. Also, I must stress that this book is best read from the beginning as Kreeft, in following the Catechism, provides a logical construct for the reason the Church's teachings exist. That is just precisely the Catechism does, but this book is somewhat easier to understand, especially in its application to specific examples of modern life and the faith. Although this section necessarily addresses other issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia, suicide and more, I will be focusing primarily on abortion and the right to life.

Chapter 7
The Fifth Commandment: Moral Issues of Life and Death

1. The "quality-of-life ethic"
Throughout the twentieth century, Western civilization has witnessed a titanic struggle between two radically opposed philosophies of human life: the traditional "sanctity of life ethic" and the new "quality of life" ethic." This new morality judges human lives by the standard of "quality," and by ths standard it declares some lives not worth living and the deliberate "terminatino" of these lives morally legitimate. ("Termination" is the usual euphamism for killing) Life Unworthy of Life was the way it was described in the title of the first book to win public acceptance for this new ethic, by German doctors before World War II--the basis and beginning of the Nazi medical practices.

The criteria by which a human life is most often judged in this "quality-of-life ethic" today are:

• a. Whether it is wanted by another. Today this is usually applied to unborn children, to justify abortion: if the baby is "unwanted" by the mother, or predicted to be "unwanted" by "society," then it is thought morally right to take that life, in other words, to kill it. In other places and times, other "unwanted" groups have been denied the right to life, such as jews (the Holocaust), Blacks (lynching), and people with the wrong political or religious beliefs (in totalitarian states).
• b. Whether it has "too much" pain. Today this is usually applied to justify killing the old. But there is an increasing pressure to justify and legalize medically assisted suicide at any age.
• c. Whether it is severely handicapped, mentally or physically. Of course, there is no clear dividing line between more and less "severe" handicaps, or between "much" pain and "too much" pain. And with no objective criteria, the decision of whether it is right to kill must be baed on subjective feeling and desire.
  

Coming next, "sanctity-of-life ethic."

If You Have a Loved One with Alzheimer's ... You Need This Book

Creating Moments of Joy: A Journal for Caregivers, Fourth Edition

When a person has short-term memory loss, his life is made up of moments. But if you think about it, our memory is made up of moments, too. We are not able to create a perfectly wonderful day with someone who has dementia, but it is absolutely attainable to create a perfectly wonderful moment; a moment that puts a smile on their face, a twinkle in their eye, or triggers a memory. Five minutes later, they won't remember what you did or said, but the feeling you left them with will linger.

Tom's mom recently was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, delusional. In her case, that also means she is increasingly angry and hostile because of imagined situations that we can't predict. It is a big challenge for everyone to deal with.

One of the biggest helps for Tom and me is the recommendation of this little book. I find the description to be somewhat misleading as it is not about creating moments of joy together in the way we interpreted it initially, which would be for those great little moments of laughing together. Much more helpful is that this book gives many examples for helping you understand more about where your loved one is mentally. This allows you to come much closer to making them happy which consequently makes you happy as well.

For example, understanding that an Alzheimer's patient tends to regress mentally in age would help a son whose mother screams when she sees him but can talk to him happily on the phone. Hint, mentally she is in her forties and her mind's eye of her son is not a 50-year-old man but a young fellow in his twenties. His voice sounds the same even though in person she thinks he is a strange man who has broken into her room. Another idea would be that someone further along in Alzheimer's may be mentally about three years old. Therefore, they would be proud that they dressed themselves and not understand the distress of a daughter upon beholding her mother with her bra and underwear on over her dress.

These are some of the simplest examples but they give a flavor of the very helpful scenarios and advice contained in this gem of a book. We are both midway through but are continually finding ourselves bringing up examples to help in trying to figure out how best to deal with Tom's mom. And when I say "deal with Tom's mom" I hope that you understand what I really mean ... is to make her happy.

Highly recommended.

The War on Condoms

The Pope’s comments that the distribution of condoms “increases” the problem of AIDS caused a media and diplomatic storm across the globe. In an investigation spanning three continents, Mike Webb spoke to the world’s foremost Catholic theologians and AIDS scientists to discover why the Pope said what he did, and whether the lastest research might, controversially, support his claims.

The Alligator has an interesting story that talks to many experts about this issue. For me the crux of the matter is contained in Webb's ending summary "the real morals of the story." I do not necessarily agree with this portion of his first conclusion, which states:

First, the Pope should not make claims that can be interpreted as being scientific. Whichever way he meant it, the statement that condoms “increase” the problem of AIDS was seen by the world as a assertion of fact: namely, that the distribution of condoms causes the disease to spread...

I know where Webb is coming from but I do not think it is too much for the Pope to expect that reporters speaking to him remember that he is a religious authority only. After all, it is within that context that he is being questioned. Granted, I also realize this is my idea of a "perfect world" ... that people actually think about their jobs as they do them.

However, I can wholeheartedly agree with his other conclusions and appreciate someone's desire to look thoroughly into an issue rather than accepting sound bytes from either side of an issue.

Bridge of Sighs

Bridge of Sighs, taken by Father Pitt ... just one of the charming sights to be seen in Pittsburgh, where you may recall we will be going on pilgrimage (if we can get enough people signed up). Check it out, as well as Father Pitt's other great photos of this little known treasure.

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.