What's a Catholic Blog Doing With a Horoscope in the Sidebar?

Yukking it up, mostly.

I appreciate the many people who care enough to take the time and trouble to write mentioning that belief in horoscopes is against Church teachings. However, I would appreciate it equally, indeed actually much more, if right before sending that email, those same people would actually read the day's horoscope and perhaps click through to the cited sources: The Onion (warning, site can have explicit content) or Dr. Boli.

They would then see that 'tis all in good fun. Not to mention making fun of horoscopes.

Just in case there are any doubts, here is a random sampling. If they don't make you laugh (or smile at the very least) then we do not share the same sense of humor:

• You'll soon discover three new planets, a dwarf star, and two orbiting satellites—an incredible achievement for someone just trying to peer in on his neighbor.
  
  
• A surprise party looms in your future. Although, technically speaking, the "surprise" has more to do with how few people will show up.
  
  
• You'll stop going with your gut and start listening to your heart, almost instantly ruining your career in public relations.
  
  
• The stars foresee a time of great vagueness and something or other in your future. Also, there will be a chair.
  
  
• Your science-fiction novel will be heralded as a "work of utmost urgency and importance" by critics in a mirror universe this week.
  
  
• A panel of twelve jurors will soon find you guilty of a crime you didn't commit very well.
  
  
• You will lose hours trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, moments after quickly and easily fitting a round peg into a square hole.
  
  
• The stars are sorry, but writing greeting-card messages does not make you a poet. Take comfort in the fact that, since this is America, you'll make the lists anyway.
  
  
• Lady Luck will be on your side this week. Unfortunately for you, Lady Skill, Lady Experience, and Lady Applied Probability Theory won't.
  
  
• The stars are becoming a little upset at your constant pestering about the future. Would it kill you to maybe loosen up a little and live for the moment?
  
  
• A double-inclined plane will—through the application of downward force—drive a wedge between you and your spouse this week.
  
  
• People say you have one of the biggest egos in the world, but what they probably mean is best—one of the best egos in the world.

The true purpose of this post is not to complain, but actually to have something to link to so that I may take the preemptive move of directing people to this explanation before they go to the trouble of writing.

Thank you for your concern!

UPDATE
I thought my post about why I have horoscopes in the sidebar was definitive. Let me say this more bluntly, as it clearly is not definitive for those whose minds are unable to take in more than one concept concerning a subject. I am not endorsing horoscopes. I am explaining why my horoscopes are amusing and a mockery of regular horoscopes. It is not an apologia for the occult as anyone with half a brain can see. Take your soap box elsewhere. Thank you.

Loving Christ and Loving the Church

I probably have had my In Conversation with God books for seven or eight years. Although each entry has three sections and is around 6 (small) pages you would think that I would have absorbed a good bit of it by now so that it is, if not predictable, at least devoid of surprises. Still, on Monday, this paragraph hit me as something brand new. Not that I didn't already understand the sentiment. Just that I hadn't thought of it from this point of view. So I'm sharing it.

Those people who claim to approach Christ whilst leaving his Church to one side, and even causing her harm, may one day get the same surprise as Saint Paul did when he was on his way to Damascus; I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. (Acts 9:5). And, the Venerable Bede reflects that He does not say "why are you persecuting my members, but why are you persecuting me?" For He is still affronted in his Body, which is the Church. Paul did not know until that moment that to persecute the Church was to persecute Jesus himself. when he speaks about the Church later on, he does so in words that describe her as the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27), or simply as Christ (1 Cor 1:13); and he describes the faithful as members of Christ's Body (Rom 12:5). It is not possible to love, follow or listen to Christ, without loving, following or listening to the Church, because she is the presence, at once sacramental and mysterious, of Our Lord, who prolongs his saving mission in the world to the very end of time.

In Conversation with God - Vol. 4 - Ordinary Time, Weeks 13-23

Tradition and Revolution II

Continuing from yesterday, Merton goes on examining the popular concept of revolution as opposed to the revolutionary concept of Christian truth.

Tradition and Revolution (cont'd.)

A revolution is supposed to be a change that turns everything completely around. But the ideology of political revolution will never change anything except appearances. There will be violence, and power will pass from one party to another, but when the smoke clears and the bodies of all the dead men are underground, the situation will be essentially the same as it was before: there will be a minority of strong men in power exploiting all the others for their own ends. There will be the same greed and cruelty and lust and ambition and avarice and hypocrisy as before.

For the revolutions of men change nothing. The only influence that can really upset the injustice and iniquity of men is the power that breathes in Christian tradition, renewing our participation in the Life that is the Light of men.

To those who have no personal experience of this revolutionary aspect of Christian truth, but who see only the outer crust of dead, human conservatism that tends to form around the Church the way barnacles gather on the hull of a ship, all this talk of dynamism sounds foolish.

Each individual Christian and each new age of the Church has to make this rediscovery, this return to the source of Christian life.

It demands a fundamental act of renunciation that accepts the necessity of starting out on the way to God under the guidance of other men. This acceptance can be paid for only by sacrifice, and ultimately only a gift of God can teach us the difference between the dry outer crust of formality which the Church sometimes acquires from the human natures that compose it, and the living inner current of Divine Life which is the only real Catholic tradition.

New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

In Part III Merton will move on to discussing Catholic dogma.

Two (Possibly) Helpful Tips for Dealing with Flies or Mosquitoes

Being as how we live in Texas we've got more than our fair share of these pests.

Tom had been wondering why a local restaurant has these bags of water hanging above their outdoor waiting area. Aha! They repel flies.


I saw the mosquitoes link in the post and that prompted Tom to look further where he found a homemade mosquito trap that we are going to try out. If this works it is brilliant in its simplicity.

"beatification of the great British convert and scholar, Cardinal John Henry Newman, is 'imminent."

Being as how I know I have at least two people who get their Catholic news from this blog (scary, right?), one of whom just told me that and made me feel guilty for not including more breaking Catholic news ... I feel it incumbent upon me to mention this news.

In an interview to be published on Wednesday in the daily Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Saraiva said that among the most important personalities to be beatified "soon" is "the case of Cardinal Newman, a relevant intellectual, and an emblematic figure of conversion from Anglicanism to Catholicism."

Read the news release here.

Insanely Busy and Trying Not to Go Insane

Therefore I beg your indulgence on light posting. I have a post or two that I did over the weekend and other than that ... well, I have lots I'd like to write about. But it shall wait until my work and Beyond Cana retreat obligations get sorted out. Oh, right, and bill paying and suchlike.

Not wanting to be the only Catholic blog neglecting the Holy Father's latest encyclical ...

... I direct your attention to Caritas In Veritate, aka Charity in Truth. "Charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine" says Pope Benedict in the second paragraph and I am looking forward to reading what he has to say on the subject.

Also, I see that Maureen is working her way through this which I am saving to read until after I have read it. I did see that she says:

Also, it’s pretty clear that Professor Ratzinger expects you to read Populorum Progressio as a key to his encyclical. So here’s a link to that. The year is 1967.

Aaargh. Isn't that just like the dear prof? First the homework. Then the encyclical!

Tradition and Revolution I

Our Catholic women's book club read New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton over Lent. Obviously I am very late in sharing some of it with you. Overall, the book was interesting because I'd never been able to get through one of Merton's books before. This one, a series of essays, which Merton wrote for himself as much as anything, contemplates what holiness means for each of us. Oh, as well as contemplation. That too.

I did not always agree with everything Merton said. Although many tend to view him as a saint, I remind us all that he was not. An interesting writer, yes. Striving for holiness, yes. A saint, no. Infallible, no.

That said, I really enjoyed the way that he was able to set examples forth in defense of Catholicism much of the time. This is something that I believe some who enjoy reading Merton may not realize, considering that when I see him quoted it is often to make an edgy point about orthodoxy in the Church.

I have wanted to share this with y'all for some time and perhaps now is the right time since I am finally getting around to it. I think it is definitely an essay that needs to be read in the times in which we are living.

Tradition and Revolution

The biggest paradox about the Church is that she is at the same time essentially traditional and essentially revolutionary. But that is not as much of a paradox as it seems, because Christian tradition, unlike all others, is a living and perpetual revolution.

Human traditions all tend toward stagnation and decay. They try to perpetuate things that cannot be perpetuated. They cling to objects and values which time destroys without mercy. They are bound up with a contingent and material order of things -- customs, fashions, styles and attitudes -- which inevitably change and give way to something else.

The presence of a strong element of human conservatism in the church should not obscure the fact that Christian tradition, supernatural in its source, is something absolutely opposed to human traditionalism.

The living tradition of Catholicism is like the breath of a physical body. It renews life by repelling stagnation. It is a constant, quiet, peaceful revolution against death.

As the physical act of breathing keeps the spiritual soul united to a material body whose very matter ends always to corrupt and decay, so Catholic tradition keeps the Church alive under the material and social and human elements which will be encrusted upon as long as it is in the world.

The reason why Catholic tradition is a tradition is because there is only one living doctrine in Christianity. The whole truth of Christianity has been fully revealed. It has not yet been fully understood or fully lived. The life of the Church is the Truth of God Himself, breathed out into the Church by His Spirit, and there cannot be any other truth to supersede and replace it.

The only thing that can replace such intense life is a lesser life, a kind of death. The constant human tendency away from God and away from this living tradition can only be counteracted by a return to tradition, a renewal and a deepening of the one unchanging life that was infused into the Church at the beginning.

And yet this tradition must always be a revolution because by its very nature it denies the values and standards to which human passion is so powerfully attached. To those who love money and pleasure and reputation and power this tradition says: "Be poor, go down into the far end of society, take the last place among men, live with those who are despised, love other men and serve them instead of making them serve you. Do not fight them when they push you around, but pray for those that hurt you. Do not look for pleasure, but turn away from things that satisfy your senses and your mind and look for God in hunger and thirst and darkness, through deserts of the spirit in which it seems to be madness to travel. Take upon yourself the burden of Christ's Cross, that is, Christ's humility and poverty and obedience and renunciation, and you will find peace for your souls.

This is the most complete revolution that has ever been preached; in fact, it is the only true revolution, because all the others demand the extermination of somebody else, but this one means the death of the man who, for all practical purposes, you have come to think of as your own self.

New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

Part II is here.

Joshua: Why Total Destruction of the Enemy?

Getting back to my basics, I have begun reading Joshua. It was when I was recommending the Navarre Bibles to a friend for their excellent commentary that I realized I had forgotten to read them myself lately. At one time, Rose was reading through the Old Testament using them which gave me the required excuse to purchase a volume here and a volume there. However, I never delved into them myself. I love how the commentaries not only cover the Jewish point of view but also what the Church Fathers have seen as a logical forerunner for Christ and Christian living.

I am supplementing this with my Archaeological Study Bible (which has an adamant "yay Protestant Biblical books choice!" cheering section of the introduction) which I know is deficient in some ways. However, their practically pure archaeological take on things is also eye opening. One must just keep in mind that they may fall short when it comes to Catholic teachings if they happen to comment on those things (which I haven't seen happen yet other than in their stern comments about which books should be in the Bible).

I'll be sharing some eye opening bits with y'all as I go along.

So let's start with this, which suddenly helped me understand the reasoning behind God's orders to raze conquered cities to the ground. Not to mention requiring every person and animal be slaughtered. Never could figure that out and although our weekly scripture studies have gone a long way toward making me see that a loving, merciful God is shown throughout the Old Testament, this issue never squared with that. Certainly I never thought about how that policy might have an inner meaning for me.

But, read on ... for naturally I just wasn't thinking deeply enough. I have italicized the parts that spoke to me but am quoting the entire commentary on this particular verse.

Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 25-26, 13:13-19 and particularly 20:16-18 lays down detailed instructions about the policy of utter destruction (anathema or "ban); Israel is told to obey these instructions to the letter, to avoid being contaminated by the idolatry of the Canaanites. A policy which to us seems quite incomprehensible, savage and inhuman, it needs to be seen inn its historical context and to be set in the framework of the gradual development of divine revelation. Total destruction of the enemy was common practice in antiquity, but the biblical laws about it were very strict; it could actually deter people from ungodly war: if all booty must be destroyed (treasure, livestock, or persons who could be turned into servants or slaves), then there is no point in embarking on war out of greed or for aggrandizement. Even so, we need to bear in mind that this was a temporary law, for that time only, so neither this nor any other passage of Holy Scripture can be used to justify the use of violence or criminal behavior. God's revelation to man was a gradual process culminating in the Incarnation of the Word. The preaching of Jesus is the true reference-point as regards respect for life and for the lawfully held property of others. In the sermon on the mount our Lord said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you maybe sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:44-45).

In mystical writing we find allegorical interpretations of this commandment to the effect that the soul needs to be detached from everything in order to draw closer to God. Thus. St. John of the Cross comments that this order about total destruction is given "so that we may understand that to enter into union with the divine, everything that lives in the soul must die, what is great and small, of much worth or of little, and the soul must remain without lust for it all" (Ascent of Mount Carmel, 1, 11, 8).

Joshua 6:21
The Navarre Bible, Joshua - Kings

Worth a Thousand Words

Civil War Women
from Old Picture of the Day

This makes me soooo grateful for modern conveniences like plumbing, stoves, and air conditioning.

Skeptoid: Sarah Palin is Not Stupid ... and He Sticks Up For Bill Maher Too

Skeptoid points out some of the main problems with an ad hominem attack on those you disagree with. Here's a bit. You can listen to this podcast at the link or read the transcript.

Today we're going to delve into the minds of those who actively promote misinformation, political oppression, terror, conspiracies, and anything else that detracts from the public good. What drives them to do so? Are they right in their own minds, or do they know that what they do is wrong? More importantly, what should we know and understand about these people? I'm going to go out on a limb and start with a concept that may seem shockingly politically incorrect to some: I'm going to disagree with the popular perception that Sarah Palin is nuts.

Let me tell you something about Sarah Palin, but first with the understanding that I don't know any more about her than you do; I've never met her either; and I didn't vote for her. Stupid people don't tend to attract contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates. ...

Update
Coincidentally, The Anchoress discusses "Why Do They Hate Sarah Palin?"

Catholic Bible Dictionary, edited by Scott Hahn

INK Ancient forms of ink were made from wood, ivory, or other materials burned to create carbon that was then suspended in a gum or glue solution. Ink is mentioned specifically only in Jer 36:18; 2 Cor 3:3; 2 John 12; and 3 John 13.

I don't know about you, but flipping across this reference had me going to my Bible to find these ink references. This one small entry contains not only Biblical references but archeological information that sent me mentally back to those long ago days. I had never thought about ink, imagined what it would take to make it, or pictured those scribes refilling their supplies. Until I read that entry by chance while looking for something else.

Such is the power of a good reference book. We all know the enjoyable pursuit of idly following one reference to another, having our eye caught and then beginning on a new trail. These days with search engines we find those habits almost lost. However, this Biblical dictionary has been both informing me and provoking thought about faith and the word of God. As well, it has been a valuable reference. I learned all about Ezekiel (and his book) in preparing for attending scripture study on the readings for next Sunday's Mass. I looked into the excellent entry on the Ten Commandments for something I was writing for our church bulletin, as well as delving into the issue of covenant in a related set of writings. This has proven to be an invaluable resource in merely one week of having it in my hands.

There are over 5,000 entries which include key information about books of the Bible, archaeological information, language and imagery, ancient civilizations, sociological info about Biblical life and times, people and places, Church teachings and theology, and detailed maps. Information about books of the Bible always include thorough coverage of an overview, authorship and date, contents, and purpose and themes. These entries may cover many pages but are always clear and easy to understand, within the context of how difficult the subject matter may be.

The layout is easy to read and follow. There are clear sets of subheads to help follow the reasoning presented as well as make it easy to find a particular topic within each entry. The cross-indexing is excellent. I have never failed to find something I was looking for. The scriptural references, as one would expect, are thorough. It is easy to track the reasoning for the entries through the Bible and the Catechism. As well, the book itself is handsome. The jacket image is actually printed on the hardback cover, which impressed me. This is a book that is designed to last and be useful.

In short, this is an impressive reference designed for frequent, easy use. I highly recommend it.

I will leave you with another short entry. Notice how much information is packed into it while still keeping it easy to understand. Especially take note of the last sentence which provides us with good food for thought in considering Jesus' sacrificial role.

HYSSOP A plant noted for its dense leaves and its habit of grown on walls (1 Kgs 4:33; cf. Lev 14:6; Num 19:6; Heb 9:19). Scholars believe that the hyssop in Scripture was the herb we call marjoram. hyssop was used especially in liturgical rites for sprinkling the blood of the Passover on the doorposts in Egypt (Exod 12:21-22; cf Num 19:18; Heb 9:19). Hyssop was used also in the purification of lepers (Lev 14;4-6) and the house of a leper (Lev 14:49-52). John (John 19:29; cf. Matt 27:48; Mark 15:36) makes mention of a branch of hyssop used to offer Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar. This is probably an allusion to the use of hyssop in the Passover, dipped in the blood of the Paschal lamb.

Envoy Magazine - They Found the Beef

At the conference, we were all given a free Envoy magazine. I used to be a faithful subscriber and then they went away for a while. Upon returning, they sent me a copy and looking through it I thought it was too "basic" for my reading needs. Still good, but I was just past needing that Catholic 101 info.

Imagine my pleased surprise upon looking through this latest edition and finding it seems to be more substantial, "beefier" if you will, than before. It is changing from bimonthly to quarterly but if that means material like that I have been reading then I welcome it.

Although, that layout. Really guys? What if we didn't love Peter Kreeft so much that we would risk eyestrain to read his writing? Please. Help us out here.

Of course, regular readers know that layout is something I'm sensitive to...

It's All Downhill from Here

A little midweek humor from the 2009 winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

"Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the "Ellie May," a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests."

David McKenzie
Federal Way, WA

For those not in the know ...

An international literary parody contest, the competition honors the memory (if not the reputation) of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). The goal of the contest is childishly simple: entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels. ... Bulwer-Lytton opened his novel Paul Clifford (1830) with the immortal words that the "Peanuts" beagle Snoopy plagiarized for years, "It was a dark and stormy night."

Go read all the winners and runners up in various categories. Via the always alert Anchoress.

First Martyrs of Rome ... and a new series the family can enjoy together

I want to give this a longer and better review, however as I'm working on a large-ish project for the rest of the week I didn't want to miss directing your attention to a very good series that is a natural tie-in with the Church's remembrance today of the first martyrs of Rome.

Suffice it to say that I was surprised by the quality of story-telling in this animated tale of St. Perpetua (and yes Felicity is there too). I meant to watch a couple of minutes and wound up engrossed in watching almost all of it ... until pulled away by two young Boxers chewing up sticks in the living room.

The animation is similar to that which I remember from the long-ago Gargoyles series (and I don't know why I keep thinking of that in comparison to this; I just do).

You can see more here about the Perpetua dvd I sampled.

Here is what the series is about in a nutshell:

Catholic Heroes of the Faith - dvd series

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

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

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

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

Each DVD also features:

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

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

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

Catholic New Media Awards

I have just been reminded by The Curt Jester:

By the way this is the last day of voting in the Catholic New Media Awards, so vote for your favorite blog, website, podcast.

Sheez. That means I've got to pay bill and do the payroll too! Deadlines, deeadlines, deadlines ...

Ancient illusions and hokey philosophies are no match for a barbarian horde at the gate, kid.

I already have part 1 of the BBC's The Last Days of Shandakor on my iPod (thanks to Radio Downloader ... love it!).

But that cleverness from Free SF Reader made me both laugh and move it to the top of my queue.

Worth a Thousand Words

Found at Catholic Eye Candy

On the way out the door, I also met the director of the little choir that could ...

We are the little choir that COULD! From three members who stood up once a month at Mass, in vestments, singing in two parts, to traveling America with this great group of young adults, it's been a journey of hope and inspiration...Cantate Domino! ...

The St. Richard Youth Choir was founded in 2003 by three seventh-grade girls, and has since grown to fifteen members. While traveling to Pueri Cantores Festival Masses across the Unites States, the choir serves as ambassadors for Jackson, Miss. on the national stage. Known for hard work and raising their own operating budget every year, the members put in countless hours in the pursuit of excellence in service and music.

I heard an inspirational story of kids from Mississipi with no resources but enormous talent and dedication. They're fund raising to try to attend the International Congress of Pueri Cantores in Rome to sing with 6,000 children from all over the world at a special Papal Mass with Benedict XVI.

If you're in Chicago, they'll be there July 3-7 to sing at the invitation-only Pueri Cantores Evening Prayer Festival at the beginning of the National Pastoral Musicians Conference.

You can hear samples at their website here and also find out how to contribute to their effort if you are moved to do so.

Are You Catholic? There's an App for That.

This was shown at the convention. That Paul Camarata ... what a creative guy!