Show Me You Exist

... when we lift our minds and hearts in humility and say to God: "Please show me that you exist. ... Give me some sign that you are really up there somewhere" he is only too happy to respond -- sometimes with a speed that can astound us. ...

No matter how God decides to answer this prayer, your reaction is going to be "How in the world did that happen? How could this possibly have come about? It just doesn't make sense. I didn't plan it. I didn't do any work. I didn't make any phone calls. I didn't do anything." There will be a growing conviction in your mind and in your heart that there must have been some other force at work. And more important, there will be a growing conviction of the presence of this force.

This is a critical point to understand. The wonder that you'll feel when this prayer is answered will not be the same as what you feel when you experience an ordinary, everyday "coincidence." Everyone has experienced coincidences and weird occurrences in their life. This will not be like them. This will be a direct experience of God's grace, and, as such, it will piont directly to the one who is behind it -- God.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life's Most Difficult Problems
by Anthony DeStefano

Yep. That's pretty much how it was for me.

A Closer Look at Sacramentum Caritatis

I have to admit that when I read Sacramentum Caritatis, I did it as more of a "duty" than anything else. Consequently, I zipped through it, marked it off my list and moved on.

Shame on me.

Our church began something new this week ... the first of a series of weekly excerpts that made me read slowly, think carefully, and realize the beauty and truth-packed goodness of this document. I'm not sure if anyone else read it but I certainly was glad that I was forced to take another look. I am going to put the excerpt up here and share with y'all as well. (And yes I typed this ... that is how much I love y'all!).

Loving Us to “The end”

The sacrament of charity (1), the Holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God’s infinite love for every man and woman. This wondrous sacrament makes manifest that “greater” love which led him to “lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus did indeed love them “to the end” (Jn 13:1). In those words the Evangelist introduces Christ’s act of immense humility: before dying for us on the Cross, he tied a towel around himself and washed the feet of his disciples. In the same way, Jesus continues, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, to love us “to the end,” even to offering us his body and his blood. What amazement must the Apostles have felt in witnessing what the Lord did and said during that Supper! What wonder must the eucharistic mystery also awaken in our own hearts!

-------------------------------------------------------

The reverent and tender words above call us to reflect on the Eucharist as Jesus’ eternal love for us in this offering of his body and his blood.

We might expect to find this sort of inspirational commentary in a devotional. What a surprise, then, to find that this is the introductory paragraph of Pope Benedict’s recently released report on the bishops’ synod on the Eucharist held in 2005. Or as it is more formally titled:

POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS*
[Sacrament of Charity]
OF THE HOLY FATHER
BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,
CONSECRATED PERSONS
AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE EUCHARIST
AS THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT
OF THE CHURCH’S LIFE AND MISSION

As formidable as that title sounds, this introductory paragraph shows us that we are being given an intimate look into how Pope Benedict and the bishops reflect upon the Eucharist itself. As the Holy Father says, further into the exhortation:

... I wish here to endorse the wishes expressed by the Synod Fathers (11) by encouraging the Christian people to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the eucharistic mystery, the liturgical action, and the new spiritual worship which derives from the Eucharist as the sacrament of charity. Consequently, I wish to set the present Exhortation alongside my first Encyclical Letter, Deus Caritas Est,** in which I frequently mentioned the sacrament of the Eucharist and stressed its relationship to Christian love, both of God and of neighbour: “God incarnate draws us all to himself. We can thus understand how agape*** also became a term for the Eucharist: there God’s own agape comes to us bodily, in order to continue his work in us and through us” (12).

That is much more what could be expected as an introduction and yet it comes five paragraphs into the exhortation. Clearly Pope Benedict wishes to first plunge us into the heart of the matter which is the complete and self-sacrificing love of Jesus for each of us through the Eucharist. Which is exactly as we should wish also.

(1) Cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III, q. 73, a. 3.
(11) Cf. Propositio 1.
(12) No. 14: AAS 98 (2006), 229.

* Sacrament of Charity. (Caritatis, meaning “charity,” is from Latin and translates in this case as “Christian love..”)
** God Is Love.
*** Agape is from the Greek and was used by the early Christians to refer to the self-sacrificing love of God for humanity, which they were committed to reciprocating and practicing towards God and among one another. One example of this is found in Matthew 22:37-41, when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment and answered “’Love (agape) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love (agape) your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This is the first of a series of weekly excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis. You are encouraged to read the entire document. The Vatican link to that document as well as to Pope Benedict’s first encyclical can be found on the website, www.stthomasaquinas.org.

Siggy and the Butterbell

He went a-Googlin' and found ... this!

Red Beans and Ricely Yours*

Louis-Armstrong.com

The New Orleans Jazz Festival is going on right now and that works out thematically with music and conversation in our household over the last couple of weeks. Rose's innovative English teacher (the one that had the movie assignment about Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Underdogs) wanted them to examine how one thing leads to another. They have been examining that in literature and he wanted them to look at it through music.

There was a list of artists to choose from whether by genre or decade. Each student had to choose one to write a paper about and also work with a group to put together a presentation featuring six artists. Five had to be from the provided list and one could be added by the group. Rose absolutely loves jazz and chose Louis Armstrong for her paper. They wound up discussing Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Glenn Miller (the addition because there was no "big band/swing" artist which was the commercial element of the genre). Admittedly Sinatra and Davis aren't really jazz but the list was deficient in that area (at least from our point of view, but then when are we ever happy with a list?).

So we have been getting a lot about Louis Armstrong's life. I already loved him but now also respect him immensely. As for Sinatra, I had a somewhat tarnished view of his life so it was nice to hear of his devotion to his children, immense charity (he gave away around a million dollars in his life ... when asked why, he said something like, "I keep throwing it out there and God keeps giving it back..."), and so on.

Rose's love of jazz began years ago when she heard the Smithsonian set, The Jazz Singers 1919-1994, that I got for Tom one year. The older and scratchier ... the more authentic ... the more she loved it. She had plenty to draw on for her report and we heard plenty of jazz around the house all week.

Consequently, I can't get Jazzola out of my head; a very early song that is a favorite of ours ... and very catchy too...

Come, jazzers, gather 'round,Photo of Jim Europe
Jazz lovers from every town,
I've got something that I'd like to introduce you to,
It's new!
It's got a funny name
That's sure to win its fame;
With your kind attention
I will mention
Its many charms to you:

They call it "Jazzola!"
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How good you'll feel!
My old granddad heard the news,
Dropped his cane for dancing shoes!
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

Just take your sweetie sweetPhoto of Noble Sissle
Out for a jazzy treat,
And she'll love you like she never did before;
What's more,
No need of fine wine,
You'll have a much better time,
Get those jazz musicians,
Choice positions
To play it o'er and o'er!

Just ask for "Jazzola!"
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How grand you'll feel!
Old men who are out of step
Find Jazzola gives them pep;
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

Jazzola!
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How good you'll feel!
Old men who are out of step
Find Jazzola gives them pep;
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

J-A-Z-Z-O-L-A, Jazzola!

New Orleans Jazz - Art Knowledge News

* How Louis Armstrong signed letters.

"Of course, if you give a beggar a dollar they call you a chump."

Ever since I saw this photo at Barcelona Photoblog I have had the feeling that I'd soon be reposting my soap-box speech about giving to the poor.

Then today I read:

• Internet Monk asks (rhetorically one assumes since he then goes on to answer his own question): “Question: “Should I give money to people on the street who ask for it?” You know it isn't a good sign when someone ends up apologetically with "I know I sound like Scrooge ..."
• Today at the Mission sees his point but does not agree.

As for me, St. John Vianney said it in a nutshell.

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

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

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

For the long version (that would be how I say it), you can read Welcome to My Soap Box.

(Before making any comments contrary to St. John Vianney's, I request that you read my post linked to above to see how I came to my position on this subject. Thanks!)

LOST: When Shamans Can't Perform

Here's what I want to know.

Why is Locke so danged freaked out that when Ben keeps mocking him for not being able to kill his father, that he can't think of the real reason that a perfectly decent man wouldn't do that ... because he's better than The Others, than Ben, and they've devolved into Ben's little cult.

Try throwing that in his face! Whether true or not, at least it gives him a moral superiority edge.

But no ... they didn't do that.

They turned Locke into a wuss.

I also have to say that Rose LOCKED (ha!) it ... she figured out practically instantly that Locke's father was the con artist that ruined his parents' lives and Sawyer's as well.

Also, how stupid Locke's father, the original Sawyer, was. He just couldn't keep his big mouth shut, could he? Just had to show Sawyer how he could keep pushing those buttons. Of course, then his button got pushed ... forever.

It's First Friday!

Time to cowboy up for the littlest victims.

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 will culminate at the annual Dallas March for Life in January of 2008, where we will join our bishop and the faithful of this city in marching to the courthouse where Roe was originally argued.

We ask anyone reading these words to join us. Fast and pray with us each First Friday, no matter how far removed you are from Dallas. Spend some time in Eucharistic adoration, and implore Christ to end this curse. We especially ask other Dallas area bloggers and residents to join us, at least in spirit. If you would rather not fast, then pray for those of us that do.

A Joint Statement

Dorothy Day and the Little Flower

For those who don't know, St. Therese of Lisieux's promise to send roses as a sign of her intercession from heaven led to the affectionate nickname, the "Little Flower." It also reflects her devotion to the little way (that we cannot all do great deeds but all can be holy in the little things in our lives). The flower that she sends most often as a sign are roses.

But the psalmist also says, "In death there is no one that is mindful of thee." So it made me happy that I could be with my mother the last few weeks of her life, and for the last ten days at her bedside daily and hourly. ...

One morning I prayed to the Little Flower, whose picture is over the foot of my bed, that she would especially look after my mother. I reminded her of her own grief at her father's long dying. That night Julia Porcelli brought me some dried blessed roses. The next day, a friend brought a tiny bouquet with lace paper about it made up of roses and carnations, and my mother greeted it with a smile and held it in her hands a few times that afternoon.

A week later, when I went to Poughkeepsie to visit my three aunts, one of whome is a Catholic, and to go with them to offer up a Mass of thanksgiving for my mother's most peaceful death, we came out of St. Peter's Church that misty morning to be greeted by a brilliant roes in the garden next to the church. And when we arrived home for breakfast, there was a bouquet telegraphed to us from Florida, and in the center of the fall flowers were two lovely roses. The Little Flower was prompt and generous indeed in her message.

I wrote the account because I like to show my gratitude by telling others of such favors. Perhaps, too, it may comfort others who have sore and lonely hearts over the approaching death of a near one. "Life is changed, not taken away," and what a glorious change in these sad times, after a long and valiant death.

On Pilgrimage by Dorothy Day

Tornado Sirens Should Only Be Sounded if There is a Tornado.

Not that you'd think this is something we'd need to tell the City. But there you go. High winds, nope. Dark skies and driving rain. Nope. Even hail. Nope.

It is a tornado siren!

That makes two storms in the past three weeks where some idiot has sounded the siren ... with no tornado being sighted within earshot. Last night a tornado wasn't even on the weathermen's minds.

This Kansas gal is mighty tired of bolting for the safest spot in the house when whoever-it-is jumps the gun.

Enough with crying wolf, already!

Reminder: Tomorrow is First Friday

Time to those of us who are joined in this commitment to fast and pray for an end to abortion. Get ready to cowboy up, y'all.

Reading: 5 Practical Skills

As a voracious reader it never occurred to me that a guideline to reading would be necessary. Even when there was that great series of ads about reading that featured tips about reading, I read someone's guidelines about skimming (maybe it was Bill Cosby?) and already was way ahead of them on the technique.

However, for those to whom reading doesn't come quite as easily, there now is a very handy guide from Nick Senger at Literary Compass called ROMAN Reading: 5 Practical Skills for Transforming Your Life through Literature. This is a free e-book that can be downloaded as a pdf. It is simply but attractively formatted and has some very good ideas to improve reading habits. (Ok, I will probably never do the outlining idea, but it is an idea worth knowing about should one be doing a more serious study of a book than I tend toward).

He also has set up a blog devoted to ROMAN Reading that is worth checking out.

Here is a bit of one of the tips ... and yes, I already did everything in here but I had to figure it out for myself. You have this handy guide to help you along.

Here are five ways to improve marking in books:

1. Use a pen, not a highlighter. You can't write words or sentences with a highlighter, they're too thick. As I mentioned in ROMAN Reading, my preferred pen is the green Sanford Uniball with the microfine point.
2. Use the white spaces. Those empty spaces on the title pages and at the beginning and end of chapters are perfect for recording notes, outlines, summaries and various thoughts about what you're reading.
3. Use symbols and shortcuts. Try using an exclamation mark (!), asterisk (*) or question mark (?) in the margin to save time.
4. Mark entire paragraphs with brackets. If you want to mark an entire paragraph, don't underline the whole thing, just draw a bracket or a set of vertical lines along the side. That way you can still circle certain words or phrases within the paragraph.
   
5. Don't overmark! One reason to mark a book is to be able to find things again. If the entire book ends up being green, you've defeated the purpose.

Just Because I Love These Two Photos ...

That Jules took.

Math Monday ... on Tuesday

Click on the photo to enlarge.

Surprised by Prayers

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life's Most Difficult Problems
by Anthony DeStefano

... One thing that you learn as you progress in the spiritual life is that God is a God of perfect timing. Since he is able to see the "big picture," he knows just when you should move on and when you should stay where you are. And sometimes before you move on he has to "arrange" a thousand different details in order to make that move possible. That arranging takes time.

People who travel frequently on airplanes know just what I mean, because they have experienced the frustration of "circling." Usually this happens near the end of the flight, just when you're most anxious to get off the plane ... you've gone into the dreaded holding pattern... The point is that, despite the frustration of the passengers, and despite the pilot's ability to freely control his aircraft, another entity -- air-traffic control -- has made an over-riding decision to prevent the plane from landing. And there's just nothing that anyone can do about it.

The very same thing often happens to us in life. We can decide what we want to do and where we want to go, but God is still in charge of "air-traffic control." He sees everything on his omniscient radar screen -- the weather, the airport, all the other planes in the area. Sometimes, for reasons he may or may not disclose, he decides that the best thing for us to do is remain in a "holding pattern." While we're busy circling, he's busy clearing obstacles, solving problems and moving people around until things are just right. Then and only then does he permit us to come in for a safe, smooth landing.

I received Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life's Most Difficult Problems by Anthony Destefano in the mail about a week ago. At first glance, the title made me think it was another of those "Gospel of Prosperity" books. You know the sort I mean. The ones that tell us if we only pray this special prayer or act in a certain way that God will reward us with piles of money and riches.

I almost didn't pick it up.

In my insular way, actually my way of protecting myself, I didn't like the fact that it was endorsed by Christians I'd never heard of, except for Cardinal Martini who I had heard of but not for anything that I liked in the way of interpreting scripture.

This raised my alarm level even more.

However, I recalled the many times that I have almost rejected a book that I later found to be full of spiritual riches, so I ventured to read the introduction. Looking in vain for scriptural references in the text (another alarm bell going off), I flipped to the back where I found an entire section of end notes consisting of nothing but one scriptural citation after another. After that was a bibliography. True, it did have a Rick Warren book listed (yet another alarm bell clanging) but many more references were to writings by St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and others who I trusted to be sound spiritual advisers if taken properly in context. Additionally, looking through the acknowledgments section, I saw that Destefano's parish priest who he admired greatly was Fr. Pavone who I also trust to be a sound guide.

Somewhat reassured, I gingerly began reading, fully on alert and ready to toss the book at a moment's notice if my fears of being led astray came true.

What a pleasant surprise to discover that this was not only engagingly written but decidedly on track in terms of leading us to God through what God wants for us instead of the other way around. In fact, by chapter two I was reading with a pen nearby to mark significant sections and telling Tom that, so far, I wanted him to read it ... and the book club ... and everyone I knew.

It takes an extraordinary book to turn my fears into such enthusiasm in a short time. I soon realized that all the things that rang my alarm bells, beginning with the title, were specifically designed to call out to the very people who tended to be attracted by the "Gospel of Prosperity" books. In fact, I could think of two people who this book would be perfect for as it take those "I want" impulses and turns them outward so that we are focusing on what God wants instead of what we might think is best.

I had a couple of things that I thought might be problems for those reading the book and wanted to bounce them off of someone else. Luckily, Tom was interested and began reading it. He is about halfway through and the really interesting thing is that our various objections were things that the other person always thought were not a problem. For instance, I was somewhat amused that the chapter about the prayer "God, outdo me in generosity" talks almost exclusively about ... money. DeStefano does point out that God may repay you in other ways than monetarily but he always comes back to the cold, hard cash in the end. However, Tom didn't have a problem with this as he thought the author had adequately offset possible moneygrubbing with talk about intentions and motives.

Tom, on the other hand, was bothered that he didn't know what authority the author was basing his claims on. This was among the things that had sent me early on to the end notes and bibliography which had greatly reassured me. Furthermore, as I read on with increasing approval I never found anything that went against the Church's teachings. (So, for what it's worth, it has the "Julie D." stamp of approval.) Tom didn't have anything specific to mention on this front, just that he wanted to know where these ideas were coming from (I told you he's Catholic to the bone, haven't i?). By the way, this book was specifically written to be able to be used by Christians in general, not simply Catholics. Any Catholic comments found within are simply in reference to the author's own experiences or some similar situation.

All in all, we could find nothing wrong and a great many things right in this book. Furthermore, Tom also could think of a couple of people right off the top of his head that might benefit from it. (As can The Anchoress; check out her review.)

So often the dreams we have are all about us and our desires and insecurities and vanities. They don't take God's wishes into the slightest account. Everyone has heard stories about unhappy movie stars, drug-addicted rock stars, disgraced public officials, and suicidal authors. All these folks achieved their dreams and yet they all came to the same unfortunate end. Why? One of the reasons is probably that their dreams did not coincide with their real purpose. They wanted something so badly -- maybe it was fame, maybe it was riches, maybe it was power -- but they failed to consider that perhaps this was the last thing they really needed, the last thing God had destined them for. Instead of trying to ascertain God's will through prayer and discernment, they essentially "forced" their key into a lock it was never meant for; they twisted it, struggled with it, pushed and jammed it -- until finally it broke off.

There's no need for that ever to happen to us. God knows the deepest desires of our hearts. He knows what will give us the greatest pleasure and the most profound happiness. Remember, he's the one who created us -- he's the one who crafted the key -- so he knows best what kind of lock it will fit into.

Happy Birthday, Dear Tom!

I'm making a Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Malt Frosting ... are we all seeing the theme here?

First, however, we will go out for fried chicken ... not sure where yet. And, of course, after cake will be gifts, none of them good enough for the most wonderful husband and father ever. But it's what we can do and, luckily, since he is so very wonderful and understanding ... it will be enough.

Movie Night Report

We had a blast. Three other couples made it, laden with appetizers, salads, and dessert. We provided a Chinese noodle main dish, with peanut sauce option for our vegetarian member ... and we had plenty of libations of all sorts.

The movie? Shower, a charming little Chinese movie (my review here) that everyone seemed to like a lot. In fact, we actually had quite a bit of conversation about it later. (Whew!)

I'm really looking forward to the next one and to seeing what sorts of movies people choose to show.

The entire evening format is highly recommended!

As an added bonus, we had to rearrange the living room to move the TV in from the back room where it normally "lives." We moved the TV back the next day but liked the rearranged living room so well that it may stay that way. Tom and I are still playing around with it ... one of us will walk through and find a few things moved around a bit, make our own further adjustments, and move on again. Yes, I'm easily entertained.

For the Students I Know

Catholic Mom has posted a prayer for students, which I am putting here as well. Check out her spot for more info about St. Joseph of Cupertino.

O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino
Who while on earth did obtain from God
The grace to be asked at your examination
Only the questions you knew,
Obtain for me a like favor in the examinations
for which I am now preparing.
In return, I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked.

Through Christ, our Lord,

St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for Us.

Amen.

Around the House

Quick news for those who have been asking ...

• Hannah comes home in about a week and a half. She has been loving A&M but is so ready to come home that she's trying to figure out when her last final is so that we can be waiting outside with the motor running and the door open when she's done (joking, joking). But she always has been a "home" girl and is ready to have some time off from school.


• Aggie Parent's weekend was fun although due to the complete lack of hotel rooms any closer than 1-1/2 hours away (which would put it 1-1/2 hours away from home) we opted to drive down early Saturday morning and then back late Saturday night. It was all lots of fun. We went to a barbecue held by her Christian women's club and it was great to meet some of the girls that Hannah talks about, then we went to a scrimmage football game (I was so right to back White, y'all!) and did our best to keep up with the cheers, saw the rock wall where she spends most of her out-of-class time, walked through a little museum in the MSC which had some interesting glass collections and Western paintings (reaffirmed there is a reason that acclaimed art "masters" are so named, thanks to the wide variety there), and went to Lane's for chicken fingers. Mmmmm, chicken fingers. Then we hung out at Starbucks for a while and mocked their "contest" which apparently gives the lucky winners 10 days picking coffee beans so they can feel close to the earth (or some such malarkey). Got home at 11:30 ... a very full day but lots of fun, as I said.


• Rose got back her PSAT results and is a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist because she is in the top 3% of those who took the test nationally. Doesn't it just figure that she is so good academically but wants to go to Columbia College and study film editing? Which she would be brilliant at, don't misunderstand me, as she is very creative also ... but they don't give a flip about academics and only give one academic scholarship. Ah well ... we'll have to see how all that falls out ...


• Rob Duncan from Spero News (as well as from Navarre University where he actually is employed) was in town and so we went out for TexMex, meeting up with our lovely and talented Laura H. as well. Rob is soft-spoken, tall, interesting, and funny ... we had a great time albeit too short together.


• Tonight we will be having our first Movie Night with a few couples we know. The idea is that it will rotate to different houses, everyone will bring potluck (a rather coordinated potluck), and we'll watch a movie of the hosts' choice and then talk about it (which is at least half the fun) over dessert. The first movie is a favorite of Tom's and is going to be a surprise to everyone (no, we haven't told them anything about it, wanting no one to form impressions before seeing it). However, as a semi-coordinated theme I'll be making a Chinese noodle dish (and I bet that no one guesses this movie as it is not commonly known). I'll let y'all know how it goes but now must go grocery shopping, movie renting, etc. in preparation. For one thing, we have to move the television into the living room as it "lives" in a back room out of the way (y'all never would have guessed that would you, what with my passion for television?).

So now I'm outta here until Monday. Have a good weekend y'all!

"Jesus never said that we didn’t need a spine."

St. George and the dragon from The Roving Medievalist

We most truly serve the common good by having the courage to be disciples of Jesus Christ. God gave us a free will, but we need to use it. Discipleship has a cost. Jesus never said that we didn’t need a spine. The world doesn’t need affirmation. It needs conversion. It doesn’t need the approval of Christians. It needs their witness. And that work needs to begin with us.

Archbishop Charles Chaput gave a speech in Philadelphia last week about religion and the common good and boy, howdy, what a speech it was. I read it through twice. He ranges from Nietzsche’s Will to Power Bars to Georges Bernanos to Frank Sheed to Flannery O'Connor and yet always stays on target in this powerful speech.

I usually copy the text from long posted pieces and dump them all into a text file that I print out and take home to read at my leisure. It functions like a personalized magazine in a way. Homesick Texan's musings on biscuits will be followed by Orson Scott Card's thoughts on walking everywhere to save gas. At any rate, I was reading along in this piece and by the time I worked my to the statement below I was taken by surprise.

First, I’m tired of the Church and her people being told to be quiet on public issues that urgently concern us. And second, I’m tired of Christians themselves being silent because of some misguided sense of good manners. Self-censorship is an even bigger failure than allowing ourselves to be bullied by outsiders.

I blinked. Who wrote this? I looked back at the beginning. Yep. Archbishop Chaput. That's the spirit I like to see in our bishops. More power to him.

Much of it follows theme developed by Georges Bernanos in his seemingly prophetic "The Last Essays of Georges Bernanos."

As Bernanos explains it, big ideological systems “mechanize” history with high-sounding language like progress and dialectics. But in doing so, they wipe out the importance of both the past—which they describe as primitive, unenlightened, or counterrevolutionary—and the present, which is not yet the paradise of tomorrow. The future is where salvation is to be found for every ideology that tries to eliminate God, whether it’s explicitly atheistic or pays lip service to religious values. Of course, this future never arrives, because progress never stops and the dialectic never ends. ...

Time and freedom are the raw material of life because time is the realm of human choice. Bernanos reminds us that the Antichrist wants us to think that freedom really doesn’t exist, because when we fail to choose, when we slide through life, we in effect choose for him. Time is the Devil’s enemy. He lives neither in the eternity of God nor in the realm of man. Satan has made his choice against God and he is forever fixed in that choice. But as long as man lives in time, which is the realm of change, man may still choose in favor of God. And, of course, God is always offering the help of his grace to do just that. If the Devil can sell us the idea that history is a single, determined mechanism; if humanity’s freedom of will can be forgotten or denied; then man will drift, and the Antichrist will win.

There is much more to ponder in this speech and I encourage everyone to go read it at least once.

Which is Your Favorite Picture of Joy?

Laura H. asks that question for those who watch this really great slideshow from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. You can see my choice ... I love the way these brothers are laughing and clasping hands.