Teddy and Immigration

Teddy Roosevelt, that is. Via my brother.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Why Refuting Da Vinci Matters

Amy Welborn has her review of the movie up. Interestingly, it varies from most reviews in that she goes into the historical inaccuracies more than anything else. As she already knows, the regular movie critics have taken care of the problems with the movie as entertainment.

For those who say that it's just a movie (or fictional book) and that no one takes it seriously, check out an early comment on that post made by Gabriel. He obviously went to a great deal of time and trouble to post his refutations of Amy's analysis of inaccuracies. Similarly, this bit of email she received shows other ways that criticism of the movie or book can be taken in these politically correct times. I found the email to be the most astonishing, frankly.

Things like this just make it even more obvious that knowing the facts (or lack thereof) behind that particular story do matter very much indeed.

For another review that I found interesting, check out Michael Novak at NRO's reaction.

I think I have never for two-and-a-half hours felt so surrounded by decadence and hostility toward Christ.

Via Insight Scoop.

Graduation, Texas Style

Hannah was one of only three students to present something during graduation. Her theology teacher chose her to select and read a psalm during the invocation at the beginning of graduation. The boy next to her was chosen to write and read a prayer. They both did a beautiful job and were quite poised. Needless to say, we were so proud that she was chosen and she received many compliments both on her presentation and her psalm choice which I thought was a good reflection on what we must remember throughout life.

The third student? Oh, right, well, there was a valedictorian speech which was excellent as well. But what can I say? I'm partial!


These photos are fuzzy because they are still shots from our video camera taken of the Mega Tron, one of two on which the graduation was shown. Yep. Mega Trons. Graduation took place in a mega-church rented for the occasion. It holds 4,000 people and is probably the most comfortable auditorium I have ever been in.

Almost 300 students graduated with every single one of them having a college announced as they walked across the stage ... except for one student. He was the only student who got everyone's full attention (face it, you can't clap full force for every student when there are so many). What he received was prolonged applause, foot stomping, and cheers of approval. He almost got a standing ovation. That boy was joining the Marines. We saw him afterwards walking out with a relative (perhaps an older brother?) whose arm was around his shoulders. That man was in full dress uniform with rows of medals on his chest. What a proud legacy for that boy to carry on. And I was quite proud to have seen him get such whole hearted approval from the crowd.

Afterwards we went to a party at the home of one of Hannah's best friends. I don't know what the other grown ups did. Tom and Rose and I hung out in the living room where all the graduates and their friends were. And we managed to do it without putting a crimp in the festivities. Not bad eh? They were just so much more fun than the people our age so ... we indulged ourselves.

Now, about this church. I don't know if anyone else saw the King of the Hill episode this season when they were looking for a new church to attend and wound up at a mega-church. I was quite curious to see what this church was like, never having been to a mega-church before. We soon found out that mega-churches must have certain characteristics on common with one another because we felt as if we were walking through the King of the Hill episode. There was an elaborate daycare, a cafe, glossy meeting rooms, and that auditorium where services were held ... wow, it was slick! As we said, we could all be quite happy going to a concert there.

As Catholics it was a bit daunting to imagine worshipping there. Rose said that no kneelers and no pews added up to no church for her. We looked at the shuttle signs for far parking lots and the enormous auditorium and Tom wondered, "How does anyone get a sense of community here?" Thinking of King of the Hill, I thought that maybe people formed smaller communities within their larger ones, really just as we do. Our masses are spread across many times and, depending on which one we attend, we will always see someone we know. But it is our smaller community within the larger one of our parish. No big conclusions about mega-churches ... just what we felt and experienced while we were there.

Back to the graduation, it occurs to me that I didn't say anything about the school itself. I have already pointed out the many excellences of Bishop Lynch. What can I say except that we are grateful that they so vigorously support the "Catholic" in the education they are giving their students. For specific examples you can go here, here, and here. Part of that is due to the generally outstanding calibre of teachers they have. Of course, no place is perfect but it is teachers like this who show our kids that you can have a civil level of discourse and strongly disagree without coming to blows, or even disliking each other later on. It hasn't been necessarily easy to afford but Tom and I agree that our best investment to date has been sending our children to Bishop Lynch High School.

Getting Back to Essentials

The ever-essential Anchoress has an outstanding post that looks back on President Bush's accomplishments. She has not been surprised by much of it and what has surprised her just shows how consistently George W. Bush is a man who does what he says he will do. What is heartbreaking about this post is her lamentation, which is right on target, that his base has turned and attacked him for that very consistency to his word.

Imagine that. Imagine being the guy who has given his base one splendid nominee after another, in all manner of posts, make a nomination he thinks appropriate only to find that “base” coming out with both guns, defaming his nominee and directing all manner of insult at himself. President Bush is nothing if not loyal; his loyalty is often his downfall. When he asked for a little trust (which he had surely earned) a little loyalty and a little faith, from “the base,” he got kicked in the groin, over and over again, for daring to think differently, for falling out of lockstep with his policy-wonk “betters.”

That had to be bitter, for him. At that point Bush, unchanged in essentials, might have wondered if his conservative “base” had become a bit over-confident and loose-hipped, so cock-sure of their majority (not that congress used it) so certain of their own brilliance that they were beginning to believe they didn’t need him; that he wasn’t conservative enough, after all, and that the next president was going to be the solid, “uncompassionate” conservative they’d really wanted all along. The president who had delivered one gift after another to his base asked them to trust him, and his base sneered.

Do go read the whole thing if for no other reason than to remember all the great things that he has done.

My Myopia is Showing

I'm very surprised you haven't yet mentioned anything about the Maciel decision by the Vatican which is HUGE news!

The RC has been recruiting among STA parish members. They have a school, The Highlands, in Irving.

Please put something up.

Your wish is my command.

Honestly, I've seen everyone talking about this but haven't read too much of it. It slid under my radar as do many of the Catholic happenings around.

However, now that it has been called directly to my attention, I'll direct y'all to American Papist who have been keeping a close eye on the whole thing with links to all the pertinent commentaries ranging from canon lawyers to news organizations to mainstream news reactions:

• Fr. Maciel Removed From Ministry: Day One
• Fr. Maciel Removed From Ministry: Day Two
• Zenit's Objectivity About Maciel Doubtful?

A Little SEX Problem

Knitting and a love of yarn are often inextricably linked. On the web, shopping for yarn is known by the acronym SEX, which stands for Stash Enrichment eXpedition. The daughter of one passionate knitter had a dream where, after knocking on her mom's door repeatedly to no response, she walked around to the side of the house. There she saw windows breaking out as yarn poured from them. Forcing open the front door, she found the entire house filled almost to the top, with her mom swimming through the yarn.

Knit Bits: 2006 day to Day Calendar
excerpted from A Passion for Knitting.

Thereby proving, perhaps that I am not a hardcore knitter because it is one of the few areas of my life where I am perfectly content to finish one project before getting the supplies for another. Now if only I could stop buying cookbooks...

A Healthy Serving of Guilt

One cannot get the full impact of what is being said here without reading the reference articles by The Anchoress and Dr. Sanity, both linked to below. Please make the effort to do so.

Here's an interesting reaction I received to my link to The Anchoress' excellent post about obedience to God.

"No gay man or woman should have to submit to violence or public scorn and disrespect because they were dealt homosexuality."

Violence no. Public scorn and disrespect...okay.

Isn't this like saying that I was "dealt" a sexual proclivity towards cheating on my wife? If we're removing choice in sexual practices then I can easily make the claim that since men were clearly built to attach themselves to multiple partners that some men are driven to do so at a greater steam than others. Why should they have to be punished by society for the hand they've been dealt? Pedophiles are drawn to children, should they not surrender (although I'm comfortable with violence being brought out on them)? Sexual activity is what it is, an activity. It has meaning and it is important but it is a choice, in most cases two consenting people don't accidentally have relations. It involves intent and through intent one makes choices regardless of their impulses. The above statement seems to state that gays do not have a choice when they do. If no gay man or woman should submit to disrespect or public scorn, then they are held to a different standard than straights since straights are not allowed to ignore their urges.

Overall the post and the concepts in it I agree with. This particular section causes me some concern on what you're meaning.

This email came from a person I respect and really like but with whom I usually spar quite a lot although not about subjects of this seriousness. Needless to say, he was quite shocked when I told him that I agreed ... at least basically.

I think that actually what he is getting at is the need to restore guilt to our culture for certain activities which are just not healthy, both for the individual and for society as a whole. This was jump started by my memory of a discussion of shame versus guilt by Dr. Sanity which I found quite enlightening. Here's a bit, but do go read it all because this snippet is not enough to get across the entire point.

Guilt is an emotion that rises after a transgression of one's own or cultural values. Guilt is about actions or behavior; while shame is about the self. There is an important psychological difference in saying to someone that their behavior is bad; as contrasted with saying that they are bad. The former leads to guilt; the latter to shame.

The purpose of guilt is to stop behavior that violates a self, family or societal standard. Guilt keeps score on excesses or deficits of behavior deemed undesirable and is expressed in regret and remorse.

Eventually for the shame-avoidant person, reality itself must be distorted in order to further protect the self from poor self-esteem. Blaming other individuals or groups for one's own behavior becomes second nature, and this transfer of blame to someone else is an indicator of internal shame.

Most psychological theorists (Erikson, Freud, Kohut) see shame as a more "primitive" emotion (since it impacts one's basic sense of self) compared to guilt, which is developed later in the maturation of the self. Without the development of guilt there is no development of a real social conscience.

This is basically what The Anchoress was getting at also; the need to avoid shame for homosexuals. It can be difficult to disassociate shame and guilt, especially when dealing with a hot button topic like homosexuality. However, as my correspondent points out with his examples, we do seem to be able to do it.

To carry the concept further, we seem to be able to do this also with alcoholics and others with addictive personalities. We can and do enact legislation, put into place support programs, and publicly condemn the behavior while supporting the individual in rehabilitation. Where our society becomes disfunctional is about anything sexual which does not show something which we can prove is physical harm. Somehow, even though it can be widely acknowledged that divorce, sexual addition, pornography, and other such behavior is harmful to the individual and their families, it doesn't carry the same social weight of other aforementioned problems. However, these problems and the resultant fallout for the family members are some of the unspoken things that everyone knows. When one gets to bigger issues such as homosexuality and abortion it as if society itself has gone blind, wanting proof, proof, and more proof. And the proof is never good enough.

Would bringing back guilt help keep these things in check? It is an interesting question, even if one could accomplish such a thing, which is an interesting question in itself.

Please note that I am not advocating shame here. I am talking about guilt. It seems to me to be similar to making the jump that we all managed from years ago when a drunk at a party was an amusing spectacle who was often left to weave his way home ... to the attitudes of today where alcoholism is treated seriously as dangerous to everyone but the alcoholic person is viewed with compassion as someone who needs to be helped. Part of that jump is accomplished for the alcoholic by knowing society's views and how he or she is expected to make a serious effort to control those dangerous impulses. As The Anchoress says, we are sometimes dealt a stinking card in life but we still must live with it the best we can. How much easier is this when society lends a helping hand without empowering the destructive impulses?

While pondering all this I read the following in Thomas Dubay's Evidential Power Of Beauty. He was speaking of impediments to perceiving beauty but this equally applies to the questions raised above.

Comments von Balthasar:

The Biblical concept of "making blind" (with all its variations) can have meaning only if it is related to something which is objectively visible, something which could and would have to be seen in the appropriate circumstances. The French expression cela creve les yeaux (It's as plain as the nose on your face — literally, this is so obvious it pulls your eyes out) here acquires an unexpected impact: what dazzles to the point of blinding is precisely what is most perfectly evident and which meets with violent negation. (Cf. Rom 1:20ff). This is important for the understanding of scandal. It is not the object's invisibility which creates uncertainty and finally results in a failure to see on the part of the subject. It is, rather, the prior judgment we make that the thing in question cannot be what it claims to be which responsible. The true scandal is the arrogant attitude that opposes one's subjective opinion to the objective evidence.

This penetrating analysis may be rejected as outrageous by those to whom it most applies. Egocentric people do not enjoy being exposed as being dogmatic, as flying in the face of evidences to which they have no intelligent response. They hold what they hold mainly because it suits their chosen lifestyle or because their dogmatic premises will not allow another answer. Contemporary examples are not lacking. The intellectual bankruptcy of the current pro-abortion movement is plain to any informed student of the question when we compare the competent and compelling scholarship over the years in hundreds of articles and studies in Human Life Review and other pro-life periodicals and books with the meagerness of serious moral thinking in the pro-abortion camp, we find no rational explanation for the latter's refusal to see the light. What we do find are shabby slogans and transparent euphemisms that substitute for thought. It's no accident that abortion has everything to do with sexual lifestyles.

What does it take for our society to drop the blinders on subjects like homosexuality and abortion? Because it is only society that can reinforce a helping of guilt and it does seem to me that a healthy serving of that is what we need.

Media Reporting: Old Versus New

Columnist Steve Blow has been busy defending media against reports of excessive negativity, especially in the case of the Iraq war. To prove his point, he went back and read some newspapers from World War II. Guess what? Oh, you already know. He found much more even handed reporting. Here's a bit but do go read it all (free registration required).

But after several older folks mentioned to me how different the news coverage was back during World War II, I decided to check that for myself. Going into our archives, I looked to see how this newspaper covered that war.

I suspected I would find one of two things -- either unflinching reporting much less rosy than the oldsters remembered, or blatantly soft, upbeat coverage that would never fly today.

But what I found was something else -- both.

Looking back at those old newspapers, I found a combination of unvarnished, often-grim stories and a regular leavening of hopeful, inspiring stories. And I must say, the effect was quite refreshing.

This dovetails quite nicely with a similar discover about science journals made at Lofted Nest. Here's the summary but do go read the findings from this month which are listed.

I wonder, more and more frequently, just what science has become. When my issue of Scientific American comes in the mail, I find myself reading the "50, 100 & 150 Years Ago" section first and enjoying the wonder and optimism of the magazine's past. Articles about underwater photography from 1856, advances in railway engine design in 1906 and the discovery of the antiproton in 1956 show science at its best: captivating, opening frontiers of thought and exploration, drawing our spirit and intellect into the future.

But the current articles, though sometimes interesting, are often the opposite: they no longer captivate, but depress; rather than opening frontiers into the future, they paint a darkened picture of what is to come.

Is this the current mindset of our nation? Are we all so depressed about the future that it is reflected in our media? Or is it a result of the tactics used to sell papers, with more and more shocks and revelations required to gather our interest? Possibly it is a combination of both.

It seems to result in a growing cynicism and lack of optimism that is not healthy at all, whether for an individual or a society. One can easily see why people marvel after going to Third World countries and seeing joy present despite squalor and poverty. It is what Mother Teresa put her finger on when she talked about the spiritual poverty of the West that is worse than the physical poverty of the less fortunate countries.

How does one combat this?

I know of only one answer for that. (Y'all already know this one too, right?) It is to know and love God. It is to trust Him when He says that He has a better way, even if you can't understand what he is getting at when he is remaking you.

It is He who gave me a spirit of optimism and joy when before I fit in all too well with society in my basic reactions to everything. I was mentioning this to the girls last week ... that I used to be automatically pessimistic and cynical about everything. They were quite surprised and Hannah said, "I don't think my friends would believe that." Honestly, it is getting difficult to remember it myself.

However, I think it is a testimony that we can preach through our actions, without words. Living our optimism and joy out where everyone can see it is the best evangelism ever. Not to mention being quite a nice antidote to the poisonous pessimism that is spread by media today.

You Can't Always Get What You Want ...

I am not proposing that the whole world take a look at the cards in their hand and “fold.” To surrender is not to fold. It is to play the hand you’ve been dealt - to take it as far as you can, in faith and obedience (there’s a word you never hear anymore…)

Sometimes you have to play aggressively and even radically. No child born should have to “surrender” to racist treatment because they were dealt a skin shade others may not appreciate. No gay man or woman should have to submit to violence or public scorn and disrespect because they were dealt homosexuality. But perhaps part of our whole human experience is meant to contain a moment wherein we say, “okay, God, you dealt me this hand. I don’t particularly appreciate it - it’s not the hand I would have chosen. Therefore, I’ll let you play it, I’ll follow your lead and trust that it will not come up a stinker.

Tough to do…it goes against our every instinct. And yet, this is what Christ lived out for us. His trial, torture and death were NOT what his followers had in mind. It did not meet their expectations. It thwarted all their plans and turned their desires into nothingness. And they had no choice, they had to just deal with it, accept it, live through it. And on the third day, Christ rose, and the entire world was made new, due to that surrender - due to playing a hand no one really wanted to see dealt, faithfully, and to completion.

If I quoted all I wanted to from this truth-filled post that boldly speaks what so many do not want to hear, then I'd put the entire thing here. Go see what The Anchoress reveals in The Dangerous Prayer of Blessing.

ADDITION: Speaking of Ignoring the Truth
Check out this revised liturgical form being discussed by Episcopalians ... for God, Our Mother. I guess this is an example of what happens when we keep chipping away at the truth of things to satisfy ourselves. Ick.

Proud Mom Alert

Yesterday was the high school convocation for seniors. Hannah found out that she had the highest biology test results of the entire school in the Science League tests. Now, that was unexpected! And a wonderful surprise. It's looking as if she may be right on target in wanting to become a zoologist.

Here's Hoping for At Least 22 More Wonderful Years

I remember when the storm blew in during our wedding reception. The sky turned black and it was raining cats and dogs.

Raymond and Thelma, my grandparents, came hurrying over to us and said, "We want you not to worry about this storm. It's a good omen. It poured rain on the day we got married too."

Now that made it a good omen. You never knew a more compatible, devoted, and loving couple than my grandparents.

I think it is an omen that has come true for us. My mother-in-law once said that she had never seen a more compatible couple than Tom and me.

All I know is that I love him more and more with each passing year. I pray that our daughters can find husbands who bring out the best in them the way that Tom has done for me just by being himself ... cheerful, sunny, funny, smart and loving. If so then they each will feel like the luckiest woman on earth, just as I do.

The "Heroic Minute"

Many good Christians develop the habit of giving their first though of the day to God. The "heroic minute" follows: it facilitates the Morning Offering and getting the day off to a good start. The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and ... up. The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body. If, with God's help, you conquer yourself, you will be well ahead for the rest of the day.

It's so discouraging to find oneself beaten at the first skirmish. (Josemaria Escriva, The Way)

Although we don't have to follow any particular formula when saying the Morning Offering, it's good to opt for some habitual way of living this practice of piety. Some people like to recite some simple prayer they learned as children or as adults...

Apart from the Morning Offering, it's up to each of us to decide what other prayers we'd like to say when we get up: perhaps some other prayer to our Lady and a prayer to St. Joseph and to our Guardian Angel. It's also a good moment to call to mind the resolutions we made at the examination of conscience the previous night, asking God for the grace to put them into effect that day.

Almighty Lord and God, protect us by your power throughout the course of this day, even as you have enabled us to begin it: do not let us turn aside to any sin, but let our every thought, word and deed aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight. (Divine office, Morning prayer, Monday, Week 2)

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

Why is it that getting up on time should be so very difficult? It truly is a heroic thing for me. The times that I really concentrate on this, I usually have to ask my Guardian Angel to help me remember to get up. It works every time ... but of course you have to keep wanting to get up in the morning!

It's a Girl!

Congratulations to Dom and Melanie!

And Now For Something Completely Different

This actually is for Rose who has been known to reverently utter, "Absolutely gorgeous" when watching Prison Break.

She's not the only one.

He is solar-eclipse hot (don't look at him straight on -- you'll go blind!). With a heritage listed as African, Jamaican, English, German, French, Dutch, Syrian, and Lebanese, he's like an Exotic Ken doll come to life.

We first saw him on Popular and Joan Of Arcadia, where he made us feel seriously uneasy. We couldn't quite put our finger on it, but he was somehow too perfect-looking to crush on. (We like our men hot, but not too hot, and with some flaws we can relate to, thank you very much.) With that vacant stare and almost robotically calm voice, he didn't seem quite human...

So just how essential is it that we have one more wicked-hot actor walking the streets? Would we really miss Miller if he went back to his home planet? Prison Break -- the show that finally realized the only way to make a guy that scary good-looking less frightening is to lock him up in maximum security -- goes on summer hiatus today. We're about to get a taste of how bad Miller withdrawal would be.

We also first saw him on Joan of Arcadia where he played the devil's cohort. It was the only time we've seriously had to worry about cheering for evil.

Again, let me say ... just doing this for my dear daughter ... and I'll toss in ... revering God through admiring His handiwork.

Thank You God ... For My Big Mouth

... knowing that Christ has given me gifts now to be used for Christ. So he gives me gifts, I use them for Him or I use them for myself. I used to use them for myself and I realized that I get much more joy trying to use the gifts for Christ because He gives us all different gifts. Some people have the gift of prayer, healing ... I was given a big mouth. So I could either use it for myself or for Christ. I find it's better to use it for Christ. And I think that's why He gave me a big mouth.

This quote is from a very engaging Irish fellow, John Gunn, interviewed on EWTN: The Journey Home podcast (you can find it on iTunes). He is honest and forthright ... and I love his big mouth! It makes me feel better thinking that my propensity to speak up is a gift. Hopefully I will use it always, as Gunn says, for Christ.

How Does She Do That?

Once again, The Anchoress says what I'm thinking ... but so much more eloquently. Nice to know someone who calls it like she sees it, even when it means disagreeing with those like Michelle Malkin.

Pruning That the Rich Man May Enter Heaven

Just a train of thought that came to me and not intended for anyone else ... unless it strikes you personally. In which case, help yourself!

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

John 15:1-8

This was the gospel reading last Sunday and is again today. Between our Bible study and the Sunday homily many concepts were discussed: that Jesus is the living sap that feeds us, how branches intertwine to make community, etc.

However, I was truly struck by this commentary from Father Cantalamessa, preacher to the Pontifical Household, about pruning. It takes a totally different route and was quite enlightening to me. He is a consistent favorite of mine and perhaps this will strike y'all as well. Do go read it all but here's my favorite part.

One must have the courage to make choices, to put some secondary interests to one side to concentrate on the primary. To prune!

This is even truer in the spiritual life. Holiness is like a sculpture. Leonardo da Vinci defined sculpture as "the art of removing." The other arts consist in adding something: color to the canvas in painting, stone on stone in architecture, note after note in music.

Only sculpture consists of removing, of taking away the pieces of marble that are in excess, so that the figure can emerge that one has in mind. Christian perfection is also obtained like this, by removing and making useless pieces fall off, namely, desires, ambitions, projects, carnal tendencies that disperse us and do not let us finish anything.

One day, Michelangelo walking through a garden in Florence saw a block of marble in a corner protruding from the earth, half covered by grass and mud.

He stopped suddenly, as if he had seen someone, and turning to friends, who were with him, exclaimed: "An angel is imprisoned in that marble; I must get him out." And, armed with a chisel, he began to work on that block until the figure of a beautiful angel emerged.

God also looks at us and sees us this way: as shapeless blocks of stone. He then says to himself: "Therein is hidden a new and beautiful creature that waits to come out to the light; more than that, the image of my own son Jesus Christ is hidden there, I want to bring it out!" We are predestined to "be conformed to the image of his son" (Romans 8:29).

Then, what does He do? He takes the chisel, which is the cross, and begins to work on us. He takes the pruning shears, and begins to prune us.

Certainly, in my mind, it goes hand in hand with Rick Lugari's comments about how we are blessed beyond our own knowledge. I think that oftentimes we feel we are being pruned or carrying a heavy cross when we truly are just experiencing regular daily life for which many people of the world would give a lot to be able to live as we do. Not that God will not prune us using daily life. Of course, He will and does. However, I think that oftentimes what we, in our luxury, mistake for deep pruning is just cutting a few twigs.

I'm not complaining...not at all. The reason I'm painting the picture (perhaps more than I would normally care to) is to point out that I still think we have it easy. Very easy, indeed. It's not like we don't feel overwhelmed more often than not, but in comparison to much of the world and throughout history, it's a cake walk.

And here's some proof that all of us in this conversation have it far more easy than we think: We're all sitting here at a keyboard reading and typing away. Everyone should ask themselves just how much time they spend at their computer doing leisurely things like reading and writing blogs, etc. throughout the day. How about going to the movies, restaurants, watching TV, watching sporting events, reading books...?

We all have it made...we're just spoiled brats (certainly I am...if that shoe doesn't fit any of you, don't wear it).

That is why we must be careful to discern with dispassionate eyes and minds, just what is happening in our lives. I think that ours is what I recently heard called a "dry martyrdom" ... one that is all the more difficult because it is so internal. We must struggle against secular society, against the riches that tempt us to idolize them, against our own laziness or various temptations. No wonder Jesus said that it was difficult for the rich man to enter heaven. In his time so many of us would have been labeled as rich. And we know those struggles, understand why he said it.

All the more reason for me to remember to cling to that vine to which I have been grafted, to ask (even though with fear and trepidation, for I am no braver than anyone else) for God to chisel away what does not reflect Jesus Christ in me. Lord, hear my prayer.

Lord Hear Our Prayer ...

Let us pray to the risen Christ in whom all thirst is slaked:

R: Give us living water to drink!

You are the vine, and we the branches: bear in us the fruit of life - R

You are the rock in the desert from which the waters flow, and we the thirsty: cool our weary souls with the living waters of your Holy Spirit - R

You are the living Word, and we those who hunger to hear: bring life to those who grope for a sense of purpose in life - R

Our Father ...

Ever-living God, you have given us the water of life to drink through our risen Savior, vine, rock, Word. Make us so thirst for him that we will turn aside form all lesser thirsts, through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

May Magnificat 2006

Personal intentions:

• Maureen's friend
• Little Jack, 8, who has brain cancer
• The Anchoress' health
• MaryAnn with brain cancer
• My brother's job
• Klaire's CRHP team, readying themselves for discernment
• General intention: the too-busy and stressed-out
  

Lord Hear Our Prayer ...

In a world divided, let us pray for the Spirit of peace:

R: You hear your children's appeal

God of peace, make peace among those at war: R

God of justice, make right what we have made wrong: R

God of goodness, make holy what we have turned to our own selfish ends: R

May Magnificat 2006

Personal intentions:

• Maureen's friend
• Little Jack, 8, who has brain cancer
• The Anchoress' health
• MaryAnn with brain cancer
• My brother's job
• Deb's request for little Emma
• Klaire's CRHP team, readying themselves for discernment
• General intention: families

Well Why Didn't You Just Say So: &

The "ampersand," a familiar keyboard symbol, represents a shortened version of a cumbersome phrase. As the phrase was first used, it was "and per se and," or more literally, "and in itself and." In a much simpler form, this just means "and." The symbol derived from the Latin word et, which means "and" — its form evolved from the two separate letters, E and T, gradually merging into a single new character.

The Word Origin Calendar

And I for one am grateful that it did. "and per se and" ... cumbersome is not the word.