Hurricane Lexy Zoe Has Landed

Oh me, oh my!

A 10-month-old Boxer (Zoe, formerly known as Lexy, who we must still call that until we get her somewhat used to the household) who has a limitless supply of energy being dropped into a household with a 10-year-old reclusive Lab/Dane mix (Pepper) and a 9-week-old Boxer (Wash) is ... well ... exciting to say the least.

The two youngest like to play but Lexy/Zoe overpowers the baby to the point where he is constantly seeking out shelter (under couches, under chairs, between peoples' leg) from the relentless onslaught of fun, Fun, FUN!

The venerable oldster had retreated semi-permanently to his bed in our bedroom to escape Wash. However, when Zoe/Lexy showed up we were delighted to see that he, surprisingly, was interested. All of us have experienced a bit of disorientation when he and she come running into a room as our brains automatically reference the previous pair of Daffy and Pepper and then must shake free to adjust to Lexy/Zoe and Pepper ... and their shadow, Wash. Clearly, Pepper feels that Boxer familiarity also. He was interested enough to follow her outdoors and then to assume his post on "Pride Rock" (also known as the top step into our sunken living room) to keep an eye on proceedings. They occasionally do a sniff-down, "nice to meet you" ritual. Biggest of all, Pepper actually has growled and bared his teeth at Lexy/Zoe when he had a bone and she tried to take it. Perpetually gentle and allowing himself to be bullied by any dog but Daffy, his self assertion was cheered and praised by the family ... and he is accepted by all as king of the pack.

She is a really sweet dog, with good manners (and house trained!) except for the occasional lapse of following someone up onto the furniture in a fit of enthusiasm. At which reprimands, she often just proceeds over the back of the couch onto the other side.

It is like a three-ring-circus but we can already see her quieting down occasionally. If we all live through this huge wind of energy she is injecting until she adjusts to everything, this is going to be tons of fun for everyone in the household. Already we have been laughing our heads off most of the time.

The Other New Member of the Happy Catholic Household

Also joining us will be a 10-month-old female whose family travels so much they gave her up for adoption.

Rose and I will be going to pick her up today for her 5-day trial period, meaning that the check won't be cashed until after that time. She sounds like a dream dog ... still puppyish but house trained (woohoo!)

There was quite a lot of conversation last night about names. In the end, the only set of names we could agree on was either Buster and Lucille (from Arrested Development) or Zoe and Wash (from Firefly).

The winners: Zoe and Wash.

Although calling the puppy Wash does seem rather odd right now.

However, Zoe and Wash do both typify our family's personality (TV-wise) especially since Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog didn't have any memorably named characters that we wanted to be caught shouting in public after our dogs. Not that we're Joss-Whedon-centric or anything. Ahem.

As well, Zoe and Wash's personalities fit the Boxer personality best. Although all this is after-the-moment rationalization. But you knew that already. Right?

The Vendor Client relationship - in real world situations

This is just like some of our clients ... sad but true.

The Newest Member of the Happy Catholic Household

9 weeks old, he is known currently as Boxer Boy since we are trying to decide on a name. As we plan on soon acquiring a worthy playmate in the form of a Boxer Girl, we are looking at names that work well in pairs.

So far here's what we've come up with. These names reflect either Boxer personality traits or our family funny bone. We're waiting for Rose to get home to see if she has anything to add. If y'all have any ideas, just speak up!

• Bonnie and Clyde
• Fred and Ginger
• Ruff and Tumble
• Gomez and Morticia
• Bogie and Bacall
• Mickey and Minnie
• Kang and Kodos
• Tarzan and Jane
• Boris and Natasha
  

2009 Cannonball Awards ...

... are now official!

Even if you don't care about these anti-awards, go read Carolina Cannonball's comments on each category. If you aren't laughing by the time you get through, then you need St. Phillip Neri's intercession to tune up your funny bone.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Eona is known as Eon. She has been masquerading as a boy in order to be eligible in training for a chance to become a Dragoneye. When the ascendancy tranfers from one to another of the 12 energy dragons that protect China, a new Dragoneye is chosen to help direct that power. Eon must hide her secret while simultaneously thwarting a plot to overthrow the throne. As well there is soul searching and a knowledge of self that is examined through several characters, not the least of which, of course, is experienced by Eon.

This sounds cliche but don't let that stop you. Some of the plot elements are predictable. For example, it was not difficult to guess what the problem was with the Mirror Dragon. Nonetheless, this book is anything but a cliche, I assure you. Set in a mythical land with echoes of ancient Japan and China, Alison Goodman has created something unique and compelling in this YA story that deserves to be read by adult fantasy readers as well. I originally read about this book in a review by Orson Scott Card that I encourage you to read as well. He describes more of the plot though without spoiling it and said:

"It's a terrific first novel in a fascinating world, fully realized by a writer who knows her craft and can spin a story.

... Eon deserves to be a smashing success."

I concur.

Memorial Day: With Many Thanks to Those Who Gave All For Us

I can only offer my whole-hearted thanks and gratitude to those who gave their lives for their country.

Here are some past pieces from others that may interest and inspire. (I will add to these as I see more current pieces.)

Today our nation celebrates Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday started spontaneously in 1866, when a drugstore owner in Waterloo, N.Y., sought to honor those who died in the recent Civil War. Townspeople joined Henry Welles' cause to commemorate the fallen, and they decorated the graves with flowers, wreaths and crosses.Today our nation celebrates Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday started spontaneously in 1866, when a drugstore owner in Waterloo, N.Y., sought to honor those who died in the recent Civil War. Townspeople joined Henry Welles' cause to commemorate the fallen, and they decorated the graves with flowers, wreaths and crosses.

In short order, others joined around the country and by 1868, according to the History Channel: "Children read poems and sang Civil War songs, and veterans came to school wearing their medals and uniforms ... Then the veterans marched through their hometowns followed by the townspeople to the cemetery." Soon enough, heroes from other wars were honored as well, and the day became Memorial Day.

Abraham Lincoln described our country, in his message to Congress in 1862, as the "last best hope of earth."

Dallas Morning News 2007

• Moving tribute from an Englishman (via The Anchoress who also has some other very good links that you should read):

  ... when the Americans speak of freedom, we should not imagine, in our cynical and worldly-wise way, that they are merely using that word as a cloak for realpolitik. They are not above realpolitik, but they also mean what they say.
  
  These formidable people think freedom is so valuable that it is worth dying for.

• 10 Things to Remember About Memorial Day comes from Mental Floss
  
  
• Lines and Colors has a good post featuring an artist who brought home a depiction of what our soldiers suffer in protecting us at home.

  Art depicting the horror or war is not often brought to the fore, even in museums where major pieces are part of the collection, so it often falls to places like the Hall of Remembrance to keep it on display.
  
  Actually, it’s up to us to look up and remember the images with which artists have tried to impress on us the inhumanity and tragedy of war, particularly when we are asking our friends, neighbors or sons and daughters to face it for any reason.

Once Again, Let Us Celebrate the Third Most Important Day of the Year

First is Easter, then is Christmas, then is ... my birthday!

As I have mentioned before, some people ignore their birthdays or don't want much fuss made. Not me. I OWN my birthday ... just something about it. Everyone in the household knows it too. (To be fair, they all regard their birthdays to be the third most important day of the year.)

You notice that only Jesus trumps this day for me ... so then imagine the place He holds to overcome a lifetime of "most important day of the year" before I became Christian.

Hannah showed the proper spirit several years ago when she was filling out a job application on Sunday and asked me what the date was. Then she answered her own question with, "Oh, wait. It must be the 22nd because I know Wednesday is the 25th." Yep, just like Christmas. All other dates are figured around this one.

I think that I am going to make a French strawberry tart. A very short crust, vanilla custard on the bottom, whole strawberries placed atop that, then brushed with a thin glaze of currant jelly (melted and cooled). Then refrigerated briefly to set the glaze. With some whipped cream perhaps? Yes, perhaps.

Also it is St. (Padre) Pio's birthday which is very cool. I couldn't find anything online that communicates the sense of joy and light-heartedness that I received while reading a biography of him. It was a photo of him with his head thrown back laughing that first made me notice him. I thought, "Now there is someone I could talk to..."

While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata on 20 September 1918, the first priest ever to be so blessed. As word spread, especially after American soldiers brought home stories of Padre Pio following WWII, the priest himself became a point of pilgrimage for both the pious and the curious. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. Reportedly able to bilocate, levitate, and heal by touch. Founded the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. In the 1920's he started a series of prayer groups that continue today with over 400,000 members worldwide.

And it is the Venerable Bede's saint day which is also very cool. You will never read a better death than that of the Venerable Bede ("Write faster!").

Even on the day of his death (the vigil of the Ascension, 735) the saint was still busy dictating a translation of the Gospel of St. John. In the evening the boy Wilbert, who was writing it, said to him: "There is still one sentence, dear master, which is not written down." And when this had been supplied, and the boy had told him it was finished, "Thou hast spoken truth", Bede answered, "it is finished. Take my head in thy hands for it much delights me to sit opposite any holy place where I used to pray, that so sitting I may call upon my Father." And thus upon the floor of his cell singing, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost" and the rest, he peacefully breathed his last breath.

Update
Many thanks to those who commented or emailed with birthday greetings!

The French Strawberry Tart was indeed divine and I am going to post the recipe soon. My loving family gave me some movies and books ... all much coveted with one surprise movie that I'd never heard of thrown in there. And dishes were washed, trash taken out, and many small favors done. I was Queen for a Day.

ALSO, now that we were back from our big summer trip, Tom put into action our pet search. We love Boxers and thought it would be great to have two of them at one time so they could truly play as they love to. Our first Boxer, Tory, was paired with our Chow Chow, who was a great dog but certainly didn't play the way she did. The second Boxer, Daffy, was paired with Pepper who, as a Black Lab-Great Dane mix, also didn't play the way she did. Through Craig's List we got a line on a sweet little 9-week-old male who we picked up yesterday evening. He is adorable and clearly is a people puppy from the get-go. When tired he loves nothing more than draping himself over someone's foot and conking out completely. This morning he continued to charm us with the fierce way he conquered a little nylabone ... jumping at it, sharply barking and growling at it, and then throwing himself on it to chew. Of course, there is the less charming fact that babies aren't so good at knowing when they are going to need to wet, but he's partway trained there so we just have to keep a good eye on him.

Next up, seeking the female to make up the pair ...

May 24 is a Day of Prayer for The Church in China

I have always had a particular interest in China and more recently a conviction that I should be praying for Christians there so I was delighted to see Pope Benedict's declaration that today is a day dedicated to prayer for the Church in China.

Dear Pastors and all the faithful, the date 24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China. This day is dedicated to the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.

I would like that date to be kept by you as a day of prayer for the Church in China. I encourage you to celebrate it by renewing your communion of faith in Jesus our Lord and of faithfulness to the Pope, and by praying that the unity among you may become ever deeper and more visible. I remind you, moreover, of the commandment that Jesus gave us, to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, as well as the invitation of the Apostle Saint Paul: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:1-4).

On that same day, the Catholics of the whole world – in particular those who are of Chinese origin – will demonstrate their fraternal solidarity and solicitude for you, asking the Lord of history for the gift of perseverance in witness, in the certainty that your sufferings past and present for the Holy Name of Jesus and your intrepid loyalty to his Vicar on earth will be rewarded, even if at times everything can seem a failure.

Pope Benedict XVI, Letter to the Church in China

Here is the prayer that Pope Benedict composed for this day.

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title “Help of Christians”,
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said “yes” in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

For those interested in Our Lady, Help of Christians, and May 24, here is some good info.

Amy Welborn also has oodles of good links about this entire subject.

Why the "Road to Emmaus" is One of My Very Favorite Stories

Here's the thing I have newfound appreciation for: In spite that instruction from the Master on a seven-mile walk to the village, it wasn't until "the breaking of the bread" that "their eyes were opened" and they recognized Jesus.

There they were, with the best teacher in the world literally giving them chapter and verse from God's own word, but they didn't or couldn't connect the dots until they stopped to eat in precisely the fashion that Jesus had commanded when he said "Do this in memory of Me."

And we all said, "Amen!"

The Paragraph Farmer has this "aha" moment in a very specific context that hadn't occurred to me. Go read it.

Just in case we don't get it ...

... The Crescat mentions that this is the last day to vote in the Cannonball Awards and then goes on ...

It's the anti-award, absolutely not to be taken seriously... at least not as seriously as those other "real awards". Why people get all worked over blogger awards always baffled me... maybe it's because I never have a shot in hell in winning a coveted "real award". I digress. You know the type of blog I am referring too, the one where the administrator is pimping their readers for votes... every. single. day. in every. single. post. ...

It's a celebration of great blogs written by regular people. It's a poke at ourselves and own desperate need for affirmation and recognition. It's a chance to discover a new blog or two. It's a chance to not take ourselves so seriously and just have a good laugh.

Who could find fault with those intentions?

Not me!

Though we all know that I love nothing more than a good blogger's race to the finish line. Check out the awards and vote today for your favorite blog. I have been remembering to drop by maybe twice a week and have been getting a great deal of enjoyment from the updates and "fruits."

A Contest I Will Be Entering

Okay, this is big, so pay attention:

Ever wanted to become an audiobook narrator? Ever had someone tell you you’re an amazing storyteller, that you’d be a natural at reading books for a living? Ever listened to an audiobook and thought, “Hell, I can do that”? Well, if so, then this is your chance. I’m officially announcing the beginning of my new contest: Share The Experience. The winner will find themselves plucked out of book-reading obscurity and dropped into the world of audiobook employment.

Heck yes!

Maybe it piques your interest as well? Then waste no time. Read all about it here.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Angelic Brother

Angels of God
The Bible, the Church, and the Heavenly Host
by Mike Aquilina

Angels are persons. They can think, love and make choices. Like us, they have intellect and free will -- though their intellects make our own seem hardly worthy of the title; and their will is perfectly aligned with God's (at least in the case of the good angels), whereas our wills tend to veer and waver.

The fixity of the angelic will is the reason why we pray, in the Lord's Prayer, that God's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Here again, heaven means the realm of the spirits, not the expanse of the galaxies. We're praying not that we might be more predictable, like planets and asteroids, but that we might be as morally sure and true as the angels are.

Suffice it to say that it was easy to understand without dumbing it down. Altogether an informative and fascinating read about the angels and their relationship to us. It makes a good accompaniment to The Angels and Their Mission. There is some duplication of information but a surprising amount in both books stands as complements to each other. Some of that is due to their different foci in the authors' intentions for their books, naturally. For that matter, it also would be a good complement to The Rite. Although that book is about exorcism it is essentially about angels, albeit fallen angels. Reading Angels of God would be a good counterbalance for too much worrying that could come along with reading about a dark subject.

Although the subhead makes the book sound a bit dry, nothing could be further from the truth. With his customary clarity and thoroughness, Mike Aquilina not only enlightens us about angels but actually makes us realize that our angelic brethren are just that ... our brothers.

We are companions to the angels! As incredible as it seems, the Incarnation has lifted us up to a kind of equality with the powerful spirits of heaven. When people of the Old Testament fell on their faces in front of angels, the angels were often content to leave them there. But when Saint John bowed before an angel, the angel told him, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God" (Revelation 19:10).

This should be amazing enough: angels calling themselves "fellow servants" with us puny humans. But in some ways we have even more than equality with the angels.

In Christ our humanity is assumed to God. "If we endure, we shall also reign with him" (2 Timothy 2:12), and so we render judgment with him. And whom do we judge? "Do you not know that we are to judge angels?" Saint Paul asked rhetorically (I Corinthians 6:3). It's an amazing idea: We, mere creatures of flesh and blood, will judge powerful spirits!

And if that weren't startling enough, Saint Peter talks about "the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look" (I Peter 1:12). It seems that we know things that weren't revealed to the angels!

I also especially appreciated that the book contains entire excerpts of scripture or other works where it is referenced. Too often the reader is left to seek out another work in order to get the whole picture. In my case, I must admit, I usually skip looking up anything. Aquilina does not leave us stranded in that way and it makes a huge difference.

Highly recommended.

Texas Constructs U.S. Border Wall To Keep Out Unwanted Americans

"These Americans are destroying the moral and social fabric of our state," said Rep. Chris Turner, who added that he worries when he looks around Texas and sees people from places like Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Vermont. "The man who used to repair my truck was replaced by some mechanic who moved in here from Kansas. Lately I can't go to the store or the bank without running into all kinds of these foreigners. This wall is the only hope we have of keeping Texas safe."

"The truth is, Americans are just different from us," Turner added. "We don't even speak the same language."

From The Onion where else? (site may contain explicit material)

Now I am turning away to dab a tear of longing from my eyes ... and, yes, I'm as bad as everyone else. Now that I'm here, let's shut that border down, people.

ABCs of Me

Tagged by Kelly on Facebook. But answering here in Blogger. Because that's just the kinda gal I am. "S" is for stubborn.

A - Attitude: Optimistic

B - Born in: Aurora, IL

C - Cat's name: no cat now but we have had in the past Puff, Truffles, and Calico

D - Dog's name: Pepper

E - Excited by: Tom (!)

F - Field: advertising

G - Grateful for: my faith

H - Hates: Negative Nellies!

I - Into: books, movies ... basically stories ... and talking about stories!

J - Job title: co-owner

K - Kinfolk: Davises, Austins

L - Loves: my family, my many hobbies, my (yes, you know where I'm goin' with this, right?) faith.

M - Music: bluegrass, blues, rock, classic country

N - Nickname: Julie (nickname for my nickname ... Jules)

O - Outstanding achievements: a happy life and marriage (hey, that's hard work, folks)

P - Pastimes: blogging, podcasting, knitting, cooking, movies ... and lots and lots of talking about all of them!

Q - Quirks: LOVE using our office paper shredder.

R - Relaxes by: reading, knitting, watching TV

S - State of residence: Texas

T - Telephone type: ??? I have no clue

U - Usual breakfast: last night's leftovers

V - Vices: woah, that's for the confessional! Though I do admit to a lot of procrastination when working on podcasting.

W - Wearing: tank top, jacket, slacks, flats

X - X-ray you last had: teeth

Y - Yummy dish you make: Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Malted Chocolate Frosting

Z - Zoo favorite: hippos

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We now have the house with kids again. Love it! Pepper, our old black Lab/Great Dane mix is beside himself with happiness.

We did tons of stuff. These are just a flavor of the trip:

• Dinner at an original Route 66 diner the first night out in Litchfield which we happened upon while trying to avoid McDonald's and the like. It was an odd mix of excellent and mediocre food (for instance using canned green beans in the Greek Green Beans should never be done). But fun overall and a good meal.
• We went to Chinatown in Chicago as Rose showed us around a few favorite spots in what is now "her" town.
• Manifest was fun despite the cold and driving rain that permeated the day. Hence, outdoor sites with bands had to shut down and the parade was canceled. Still, we saw some fantastic photography, heard good music as Buddy Guy's opened itself to host music, made sure we saw the knit cam-car (photos to follow), and more.
• We discovered that Panera's and The Corner Bakery are the new McDonald's as they saved us on several occasions: when we ducked into one in desperation to avoid that afore-mentioned rain, had an egg-bread sandwich thingy when nothing else was around for breakfast and lunched at The Field Museum. (By the way, seeing Sue at the museum was a highlight ... although those Arctic/Northwestern people's totem poles were absolutely my favorite. No one ever told me that they were so huge, so very tall! Impressive.)
• Also at The Field Museum store, I saw many knitted animals done by Kenyan women, using their homespun wool. Examining technique, I saw that it was exactly the same as for the Baby Bobbi Bear, excepting noses, ears, and (possibly) manes. Which I had suspected. I'd already been pondering making a monkey or lion instead of a bear. In a related note, by knitting on the way up and back, I have another bear to the "stuffing point" beyond which I could not pass, not having any stuffing with me.
• We met Rose's roommate for next year (adorable) and her parents (quite enjoyable to talk to), saw the new apartment they'll have in The Roosevelt Hotel building (a historic landmark and now renovated inside for student apartments). Very nice indeed.
• Went to Mass in the cathedral's auditorium (the actual cathedral's renovation after the fire should be done by the next time we are there). I never heard such a squeaking as when everyone stood and sat.
• Glimpsed Obama on CNN at the Notre Dame commencement and actually they played quite a bit of his speech, which sounded as if it was his typical was his usual smooth double-talk which leaves everyone thinking he agreed with them. Just enough to let Catholics who want to agree with him say, "See? I told you so ..." Proudest moment was seeing senior Emily Toates' sound byte, which was articulate about why she was boycotting the ceremony. She is from our parish.
• Visited Mom and Dad in Springfield on the way home. It's been way too long since they saw the girls. We dined at Ocean Zen which is fusion cooking that has a Pacific Rim flair. Truly it is worthy of any large city in sophistication and deliciousness! Altogether an enjoyable time.

And then there was the reading. I finished four books:

• Angels of God by Mike Aquilina. Suffice it to say that it was easy to understand without dumbing it down. Altogether an informative and fascinating read about the angels and their relationship to us. It makes a good accompaniment to The Angels and Their Mission. There is some duplication of information but a suprising amount in both books stands as complements to each other. Some of that is due to their different foci in the authors' intentions for their books, naturally. Highly recommended and I will be posting excerpts in the days to come.
• The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. The first espionage novel and I loved it. Even the yachting information was clear enough for me to follow and that is quite a feat.
• A Safe Place for Dying by Jack Fredrickson. A fast paced, enjoyable noir-ish mystery set in Chicago. I didn't really think about the setting until I discovered I was reading it while IN Chicago. Which made a nice additional twist for me.
  
• Operation Terror by Murray Leinster. Audiobook. Couldn't wait for Mark at SciPodBooks to finish feeding me this one before I left. So I pulled it from Librivox where Mark also uploads his readings. I listened to the last four chapters while driving the first day. By the time we were done, Tom had caught the gist and we were both guessing at the solution to the puzzle. Both wrongly as it turns out. There was a final twist that caught us both off guard. Great book and great reading by Mark as always.
  

Worth a Thousand Words

Suryia the orang-utan and Roscoe, a Blue Tick hound

Via Rachel Lucas, who rightfully says, DON'T TELL ME THIS IS NOT AWESOME. She's got the story (language warning) which is also everywhere or so it seems.

Happy 25th Anniversary to Us

Just got back in from Chicago ... but had to drop in to say that I am certainly the happiest woman who ever got married in a nightgown (or in a regular wedding dress, for that matter). We're looking forward to working on the next 25 years of wedded bliss ... and more!

Ray Bradbury and Manifest

Rose's college does an urban art festival as part of their end of school graduation event. Open to the public, it draws around 20,000 people from the area. I have been looking forward to attending this since I heard about it at her orientation last year. (Manifest Urban Arts Festival)

Looking around the site, I was naturally drawn by Ray Bradbury's name to this video about how his story characters have inspired costumes for their parade. I already was looking forward to it but, as a lot of you know, Bradbury is one of my favorite authors. It is going to be interesting to match up costumes with stories.



By the way, we leave for this tomorrow ... oh, and also to pick up Rose and bring her home for the summer. Yes, of course ... that too!

I won't be back until next Wednesday and will be taking a blogging break, most likely, during that time. I have put up daily quotes in advance but that will be it. Unless something comes along that is just so good I can't resist. We'll see ...

The Rite Gets It Right

The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio

While exorcists admit that their ministry can sometimes be a heavy burden, it would be a mistake, they say to overstate the power of the Devil. As Father Amorth writes, "A priest who is afraid of the Devil is like a shepherd who is afraid of a wolf. It is a groundless fear." The Devil," says Amorth, is already "doing us as much harm as he possibly can."

And so rather than fear him, exorcists say, it is better to emulate saints such as Teresa of Avila, who proclaimed, "If this Lord is powerful, as I see that He is and I know that He is, and if the devils are His slaves (and there is no doubt about this because it's a matter of faith), what evil can they do to me since I am a servant of this Lord and King? Why shouldn't I have the fortitude to engage in combat with all of hell?"

It is a funny thing. A friend of mine is creeped out by any sort of horror story. I mention Stephen King or Dean Koontz and she shudders. However, she is the one who recommended heartily a book by Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in Rome. Three pages into it, I had to put the book down because I was so freaked out. When we compared notes later we discovered that fictional evil scares her but real life examples of Satan don't bother her a bit. While, as we can tell, I am just the opposite. Not that a zombie movie (or dream) might not freak me out, but the real life evil is what truly bothers me.

That might make you wonder just why I agreed to read this book. There's something fascinating about the idea of exorcism, don't you think? Also, I was intrigued by finding out just how objective this journalist was. What I found was an objective journalist who did his homework, a sincere priest going through exorcism school in Rome, and that the real-life examples of evil given didn't bother me nearly as much as I thought they would. One can hardly read how matter of factly the priests in this book deal with extraordinary activity of the devil and not be impressed enough to do likewise.

Essentially journalist Matt Baglio followed Father Gary from California as he began training to become an exorcist. Father Gary became the apprentice of an exorcist in Rome in order to get some sense of exorcisms outside of the classroom lectures. We are taken on the journey as well. Additionally, Baglio's accounting of the information from classes amounts to a brief catechism of Church teachings about anything to do with this subject including among other things. angels, free will, God's power, and human ailments. Skillfully interwoven with this are Father Gary's experiences and thoughts about the process every step of the way, and real life stories told by people who have been exorcised of a demon. (I did tend to skim or skip these. Too much of a strain to my already active imagination.)

While it's technically true that any priest can perform an exorcism, not every priest should. Guideline thirteen of the Ritual states that the bishop can only nominate a priest who is "distinguished in piety, learning, prudence, and integrity of life." In addition, "The priest [...] should carry out this work of charity confidently and humbly under the guidance of the Ordinary.

[...]

The importance of nomination by the bishop comes from the power of the prayer being tied to the Church as well as to the obedience of the exorcist. As the current president of the International Association of Exorcists, Father Giancarlo Gramolazzo, says, "I always use this phrase: The prince of disobedience is the Devil and you beat him by being obedient, not by your own personality, or charisms." According to Father Gramolazzo, if a priest were to perform an exorcism without the approval of his bishop, the prayers would still work to some extent because of the power of Jesus Christ's name, but they wouldn't have the same effect on the demon because essentially the exorcist would be praying the Ritual in a state of disobedience and the demon would know it. "Some priests have tried to perform an exorcism without the bishop's permission and the demon said to them, 'You cannot do it, you are outside your diocese and you don't have permission,'" says Father Gramolazzo.

It is clear that Baglio is a serious journalist as he examines what popular culture takes as truth and corrects misconceptions. As well, he thoroughly examines many of the questions that occur to any logical person when faced with the idea of demons and possession in modern times. To this end he interviews psychologists, doctors, and other specialists for information. All this is told without ever inserting himself into the book which allows the focus to stay on the subject and on Father Gary, whose journey yielded spiritual growth in several ways.

This book was fascinating and I read it in a matter of a few days. Highly recommended.