Breaking News! Fr. Z is having "Monday Supper"

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Instead of the regular Sunday Supper thing.  Father is hosting Monday Supper - with his literary club!  What if he finds out what the hostess in this video did?  Holy....
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***Disclaimer:  No harm to priests or Catholics was intended by this post.  The intention of this post was to send hits to Fr. Z and encourage people to vote for him rather than that loving-hands-at-home-tacky-craft blog.  Furthermore, the characters featured in the video, Book Club Pizza Party are fictitious and bear no resemblance to female Catholic authors and/or readers of Catholic Romance novels.  

"Gangster Government": Seriously, I'm beginning to like this lady...

Michele Bachmann
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The House Tea Party Caucus founder, Michele Bachmann said, "I don't take back my statement on gangster government," a phrase she used at a tea party gathering in April. "I think that there have been actions that have been taken by this government that I think are corrupt," she said during her appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." - Source
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"Gangsta!"  After all, Obama is from Chicago.

And Now - A Song For Cathy!

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While it is true praise might be deceitful - it is very important to encourage one another. 

Mass chat - a day late: Vain praise...

This post may be deleted.
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The Byzantine rite priest I mention a few days ago - accompanied by a video of him in a holding cell, drunk - is now in rehab.  His attorney says he feels terrible and is so ashamed of his conduct.  I know how that feels.  I took the video down because it seemed to me I was repeating the sin of Ham in a way, by showing it - and laughing about it.  Nevertheless - I still think it's funny.  I loved the part where he demands the cuffs be taken off because he is getting a rash.  He is so funny.  The priest reminds me of a friend who used to get so drunk he didn't know what he was doing or saying.  Once he woke up in - well never mind.  Coming from a family of drunks who did really nutty things - I laugh at the behavior - even when it hurts.  So that should take care of anyone who thinks I'm such a good guy.  (OMIGOSH!  Don't ever mention Charlie Sheen though!) 
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John of the Cross quotes Isaiah saying, "He who praises you deceives you."  It seems to me that is always true - for me at least.  Ask all the people who once told me how spiritual my blog is only to find out otherwise, and then dropped me like a hot potato.  Vain praise has caused me so much harm in the past, it is not funny.  (Well maybe a little bit... like when I told off - never mind.)  Though the one who flatters or praises may be sincere, I am still the one deceived.  No matter how much I would rebuff these things, there is always some level of unconscious satisfaction or sense of approbation which often leads to a certain presumption, or at least complacency.
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Maybe that's what happened to the Byzantine priest?  He was praised all around, by everyone it seems.  And now this.  A tough lesson in humility, no doubt - but God loves humility so much he allows dumb things to happen.  He wants us to be what we are.  May he alone be praised.
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Early on in my conversion I received many signal graces.  A prioress of a contemplative community once made the mistake of telling me these signified some sort of arrival or introduction into contemplation.  I did my best to ignore or mortify any temptation to think I was special, but as St. John points out, the beginner cannot help but secretly esteem such praise.  It did me great harm.  I became convinced some priests just didn't understand me, and since it was a time when contemplative prayer was held in little esteem, and traditional piety and devotions were more or less discredited, perhaps I was actually acting prudently  to some extent - but at the same time there lingered a secret intuition I knew better than others.  This particular nun not only overestimated my spiritual state, she also sowed seeds of suspicion regarding other priests and confessors outside her orbit.  The nun eventually left her monastery to pursue her own way of life.
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I esteemed that nun too much.  Just as I esteemed many other nuns and priests.  We need to be discreet in our estimation of others.  Remember the stigmatic Fr. Gino - originally of the Oblates of the Blessed Virgin from San Vittorino, Italy?  He was later found out to be a fraud.  We encounter a similar situation in Fr. Maciel.  These men were praised by the faithful and clergy, and attracted many followers.
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I've pointed all of this stuff out before, so I'm just rambling here and repeating myself.  But I fear people who offer praise.
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I have a friend who used to tell me how spiritual I was.  I always assumed he was teasing me or at least testing me.  Even when I'd tell him not to say such things he seemed to try to convince me otherwise - so at times I thought he was being truthful.  Although his flattery seemed disingenuous, and despite my annoyance at feeling mocked by it, I sometimes took a secret satisfaction in it, and even became his confidant - which also did me great harm.  He's a very good priest, but I needed to avoid him because of that.  I'm the weak one and though I can't believe he was intentionally deceiving me, I couldn't continue to deceive him.
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Somewhere in the Gospel - I think it is John, Jesus tells the Pharisees, "How can you believe when you accept praise from one another?"  It is good to remember what St. John of the Cross says about this stuff, "Never take a man for your example no matter how holy he may be, for the devil will show you his faults."  I continually have to remind myself of that, because I continually make the same mistakes.  I think of the local priests I esteemed so much, who have since been disgraced.  I'm not talking about judgement here, or being suspicious or looking for errors in everyone - but we have to understand that we are all human beings and that we are extremely weak and fallible.
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When the rich young man approached Jesus he called him good and Jesus gently rebuked him saying, "Why do you call me good?  Only God is good."
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Our culture feeds on vain praise and awards and status and winning and tiger blood.  It is all an illusion and a deception.  We set ourselves up for our own fall. 
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PS:  I just did.

Islam's 'holy' war on Christians...

Could all of this be the beginning of World War III?
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Is all the unrest we are witnessing in Islamic countries the beginning of WWIII?  After all, it isn't just happening in one little country.  Perhaps I come off rather alarmist, but it is very disturbing considering how Christians are inevitably attacked after every Middle Eastern regime falls.  It actually began in Iraq after Saddam.  This onslaught against Christians reminds me of the Nazi harrassment of Jews before the WWII.  Yet so many contemporary religious and political leaders in the West appear to be in some sort of denial, constantly trying to persuade us that Islam is a religion of peace.  They claim it is only Islamic extremists and terrorists causing all of the problems.  Oddly enough - that is exactly what Gadhafi has been telling his people, hoping to explain away the rebellion happening in Lybia. 
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What follows are a few recent news stories otherwise ignored by mainstream media: 
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Ethiopia: Muslims shouting "Allahu akbar" burn five churches...
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International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that in the past two days, thousands of Muslims have razed five churches and the homes of two evangelists in Asendabo, Ethiopia. Christian leaders are asking for protection after the Muslim attackers continued burning churches even after the federal police were sent to the town.

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The Muslims started the attacks yesterday after falsely accusing the Christians of desecrating the Qur’an. More than ten thousand Muslims shouted “Allah Akbar” (Allah is great) as they burned down five evangelical churches. The government sent the federal police force to protect the Christians after the Muslims burned down the first three churches. The Muslims overwhelmed the police force and burned down two more churches today. - Source
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Muslims attack Coptic community, a priest and three deacons missing.
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Cairo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A priest and three deacons are missing following an attack last night by about 4,000 Muslims in the town of Soul (30 kilometres south of Cairo) against the local Coptic community. The mob attacked Christian homes and set fire to the Saints Mina and George Coptic Church, ostensibly because of a relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman.

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Witnesses report the mob prevented the fire brigade from entering the village. Father Yosha, the priest of the small parish, and three deacons have been reported missing with different accounts of their fate. Some believe they died in the fire that devastated the church building. Others say they are still held by Muslims in one of the parish buildings.
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When the Muslim mob attacked the church, they exploded five or six gas cylinders inside the church, desecrated the cross and pulled down the domes. - Asia News
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Pakistan Christians bury murdered leader Shahbaz Bhatti..
Mr Bhatti, a Christian, was shot dead on Wednesday by the Taliban after he urged reform to blasphemy laws.
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The law has been in the spotlight since a Christian, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to hang in Punjab last November. She denies insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
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The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Karachi says Mr Bhatti has become a martyr for the local Christian community because of his outspoken stance on the blasphemy laws. - BBC News


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Perhaps a little off topic - but...
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Real, bloody persecution has been sweeping Asia and Africa, and yet the USCCB is so preoccupied with Global Warming the Bishops' Catholic Coalition on Climate Change is recommending fasting from styrofoam cups, plastic bags, paper towels, and incandescent light bulbs for a 'green' Lent.  Do people really get paid for making up that stuff?  - CNS 
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Hello?  Is anybody there? 

Handed over into the hands of sinful men.

"The Mystery of the Betrayer."

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Every time I receive Holy Communion in the hand, or I'm called upon to repose the Blessed Sacrament after adoration, I think of this prophecy of Jesus, "The Son of man will be handed over into the hands of sinful men."  I shudder when I recall being allowed to bring Holy Communion to my mother during her last few months on earth.  The pastor of a local church permitted me to take a consecrated host each day after Communion, placing it in a pix which fit into my watch pocket.  The Blessed Sacrament was with me sometimes all day long, until I had the chance to visit my mother in the hospice after work.  That happened in 1982. 
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The following is taken from the Pope's new book: 
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'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'
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John notes how Jesus goes on to quote Scripture, saying "'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'"
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"This is Jesus' classic way of speaking," the Pontiff reflected. "He alludes to his destiny using words from Scripture, thereby locating it directly within God's logic, within the logic of salvation history. [...]

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"Jesus must experience the incomprehension and the infidelity even of those within his innermost circle of friends and, in this way, 'fulfill the Scripture.' He is revealed as the true subject of the Psalms, the 'David' from whom they come and through whom they acquire meaning."
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"Jesus took upon himself the betrayal of all ages, the pain caused by betrayal in every era, and he endured the anguish of history to the bitter end."
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Benedict XVI observed how the evangelist gives a "new depth to the psalm verse."

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"[I]nstead of the expression given in the Greek Bible for 'eating,' he chooses the verb trogein, the word used by Jesus in the great 'bread of life' discourse for 'eating' his flesh and blood, that is, receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist," the Holy Father explained. "So the psalm verse casts a prophetic shadow over the Church of the evangelist's own day, in which the Eucharist was celebrated, and indeed over the Church of all times: Judas' betrayal was not the last breach of fidelity that Jesus would suffer. [...]
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"The breach of friendship extends into the sacramental community of the Church, where people continue to take 'his bread' and to betray him."
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Citing Blaise Pascal, the Pope added that "Jesus' agony, his struggle against death, continues until the end of the world. [...] We could also put it the other way around: at this hour, Jesus took upon himself the betrayal of all ages, the pain caused by betrayal in every era, and he endured the anguish of history to the bitter end." - Pope's New Book, Zenit
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Icon:  Extreme Humility

A sober reminder.

Camp Synagogue, 1941

Felix Nussbaum

Narrative:  Four men wrapped in prayer shawls stand praying near a desolate shack. The make- shift synagogue at Saint Cyprien concentration camp, was located in the French Pyrenees where Nussbaum was held as a prisoner. To the right, a man stands alone. The lone man may be Nussbaum himself, who was ambivalent about his Jewish identity, like many young men of his time. Arrested for being Jewish, Nussbaum moved back hesitantly to his Jewish heritage. A gray gloomy sky fills the background, and a black cloud blocks the sun for the Morning Prayer, while ravens hover overhead. In the foreground are scattered a shoe, an empty tin can, a bone, and some barbed wire, all of which are symbols of the harsh conditions at the camp. The painting was executed in Brussels, after a drawing done in St. Cyprien, shortly following Nussbaum's successful escape from the camp. - Yad Vashem 

The wound of malice.

Egoism and inordinate self-love.
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I think we always need to return to that interior 'cell of self-knowledge' as we approach Lent, and to examine ourselves more closely, because frequently we are so distracted by everyday life, television, entertainment, the Internet in all of its manifestations, that our understanding of what we are can be obscured.  Unfortunately this obscurity can be attributed to our lack of a sense of sin, and oftentimes our acceptance or tolerance of habitual sin - venial or mortal - to such an extent that we no longer understand ourselves, much less understand the meaning and purpose of life.  I'm spot reading Garrigou-Lagrange these days - not a good way to study, but helpful in making a good examination of conscience before Lent.  I want to share this:
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The principal defect of the will:  Self-love.
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"Since original sin, we are born without sanctifying grace and charity, with our wills turned away from God, the supernatural last end, and weak for the accomplishment of our duties even in the natural order.(3)

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Without falling into the exaggeration of the first Protestants and the Jansenists, we must say that we are born with a will inclined to egoism, to inordinate self-love. This is called the wound of malice; (4) it often manifests itself by a gross egoism, against which one should guard, an egoism that mingles in all man's acts. It follows that the will, which has become weak by reason of its lack of docility to God, no longer has absolute power over the sensible faculties, but only a sort of moral power or persuasion to lead them to subject themselves.(5) Doubtless after baptism, which regenerated us by giving us sanctifying grace and charity, this wound, like the others, is in the process of healing; but it also reopens by reason of our personal sins.
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The principal defect of the will is the lack of rectitude, called self-love or inordinate love of self, which forgets the love due to God and that which we should have for our neighbor. Self-love or egoism is manifestly the source of all sins.(6) From it are born "the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life." (7) The sensible appetites, which are no longer firmly led, incline man to thoughtlessness, feverish eagerness, fruitless agitation, selfish search for all that pleases, flight from all that is painful, nonchalance, discouragement, in which he sees that his will has lost its strength, and to all sorts of bad examples. (8)
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It is clear that self-will, which is defined as that which is not conformed to the will of God, is the source of every sin. Self-will is extremely dangerous because it can corrupt everything; even what is best in one may become evil when self-will enters in, for it takes itself as its end, instead of subordinating itself to God. If the Lord perceives this will in a fast or a sacrifice, He rejects them because He sees therein a divine work accomplished through pride in order to gain approbation. Now, self-will is born of self-love or egoism; it is strong self-love that has become imperious." - THE PRINCIPAL DEFECT OF THE WILL: SELF-LOVE (Three Ages of the Interior Life, PART 2 - The Purification of the Soul in Beginners)

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We should pray as follows: "My God, make me know the obstacles which I more or less consciously place to the working of grace in my soul. Show these obstacles to me at the moment when I am about to place them. Give me the strength to remove them, and, if I am negligent in doing so, do Thou deign to remove them, though I should suffer greatly. I wish only Thee, Lord, who alone art necessary. Grant that my life here on earth may be like eternal life begun." - Garrigou-Lagrange
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Art:  The Soul in Mortal Sin - T. Nelson

Right now! Right this very minute!

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Cathy is having a brunch.  Larry was NOT invited.  I was, but I said no.  I told her, "If Larry's not invited, then I'm not going either."  Besides - weekend or not - I never drink before cocktail hour at 5 PM sharp.

Blaming the devil.

Born this way. -Gaga
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Years ago I was convinced I was either being physically assaulted by the devil, or at least helplessly addicted to a particular sin.  I eventually found a wonderful spiritual director who reminded me that we were each endowed with free will, and as baptized Christians we were placed in the state of grace.  Grace can be lost by sin, yet restored by the sacrament of penance.  With the help of the sacraments, prayer and mortification (penance) nothing is impossible for God, and the soul can realize a certain liberty of spirit - or the freedom of the sons of God.  Although it can take many years of struggle, encountering setbacks, falling and rising; sustained by perseverance in prayer and penance and faithful use of the sacraments; the soul finds solace in Christ.
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While it is true some of us can become physically addicted to substance abuse and possibly sins of the flesh, these issues can be treated, frequently with the help of professionals.  It is also true that ones moral responsibility and culpability is often times compromised due to the addiction and or the severity of temptation.  All of this should be matter for the penitent and the confessor to work out, therefore I'm not delving into all the nuances involved in such discernment.
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My point is to make clear that despite all of the various excuses human nature poses in defense of bad behavior - media influences, drugs, alcohol, addiction to porn and sex, or the very Catholic 'the devil made me do it' - none of these excuses completely negate one's personal freedom and responsibility.  We are responsible for our sins, no matter how much we or others deny it or make excuses for it, or even blame the devil for it.  I think we delude ourselves into excusing bad behavior with the excuse someone or something made us do it.
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I think we Catholics need to relearn the importance of the practice of the virtues in the spiritual life, and come to an understanding of the passions.  We need to appreciate the role concupiscence and fallen human nature  plays in causing our down falls.  Of course, while we are very much assaulted on all sides by the world, the flesh and the devil, it seems to me that our loving the world and its pleasures - and ourselves inordinately - plays a larger role than we imagine in our moral failures.  It seems to me that our lack of penance and mortification have left the door wide open to the world and the flesh - even before the devil gets onto the front walk.
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I think we need to stop making excuses all of the time, and always placing all the blame on the devil - or even claiming we were born this way...
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I might be wrong however. 

"Don’t get trapped by partisan politics." - Archbishop Chaput

Feb. 25, 2011 (Fargo, ND) - Archbishop Chaput addressed laypeople of the Diocese of Fargo, with a presentation titled “Building a Culture of Life.” Archbishop offers a few “dos” and “don’ts” for building a culture of life, based on what he has seen in the American prolife experience throughout the past 38 years.

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...[T]he fast pace of party politics, and the illusion that politics rules the “commanding heights” of our society and can satisfy our Christian social obligations, makes political life very addictive. And this illusion gets dangerous when defending the unborn child is too closely identified with any particular political leader or, even worse, one specific party. The more prolifers tie themselves to a single political party, the less they can speak to society at large. Here in the United States, Catholics -- both on the left and the right -- have too often made the mistake of becoming cheerleaders for a specific candidate. - Archbishop Chaput, Building a Culture of Life
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"Here in the United States, Catholics -- both on the left and the right -- have too often made the mistake of becoming cheerleaders for a specific candidate."  Ain't that the truth. 

Jean-Baptiste Henri-Dominique Lacordaire

"Henri Lacordaire 1802-61 at Sorreze"

Louis Janmot

Isn't this a cool portrait?
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H/T Jamie

Bishop of Rochester says gay seminarians are just fine with him...

Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester:
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There was, as you know, a lot of attention given to that by the Holy See over the years, and one of their statements left the impression that under no circumstances could a person of gay orientation be ordained a priest. And that's not so.
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If a person's sense of himself as a gay individual inevitably leads him to campaign against the Church's formal teachings or live a lifestyle that is upsetting to the community or scandalous, such a person would not be an apt candidate for the priesthood. But if a person understands that and lives a lifestyle that is compatible with what we ask of all of our priests, then I'm happy to receive them.
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And then, and then....
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“The fundamental concern of formation for a life of celibate chastity is for sexual maturity, not sexual orientation,” he said at the time. “Good seminary formation needs to provide an environment in which both heterosexual and homosexual candidates can grow to commit themselves wholeheartedly, even joyfully, to chaste and faithful celibacy.” - Source
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It's always worked out so well in the past.
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Editor's Note:  I removed the video of the drunk priest.  My apologies - it was a huge error in judgement.  I actually thought it was funny - which will most likely scandalize my readers even more.  It wasn't my intention to make fun of the priest but rather to use it as a commentary on Bishop Clark's defense of ordaining gay men.  I made a mistake in doing so, my sincere apologies.
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Homosexuals have always been part of the clergy.  According to some, the post Vatican II Church has been over-run with them.  Perhaps there are more today due to sexual liberalism, although it is more likely because homosexuality has become acceptable.  But homosexual priests were around in the 'old' Church as well.  One priest noted recently that it is the homosexuals who make fun of traditional liturgies and vestments, which struck me as the 'pot calling the kettle black' - because the trads have their share of gay priests too - just like the Byzantines and High Church Anglicans (some of whom even get married to women).  So who is zooming who?
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Anyone who knows gay priests and bishops, abbots and rectors, most likely already know all of this:  Bishop Clark's attitude/policy has been pretty much SOP in the Catholic Church stateside.  There are always a few exceptions of course - but apparently relatively few.  Even some very trad-loving Archbishops silently agree with Clark and continue to give a free pass to ssa individuals to Holy Orders - albeit on a case by case basis.
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H/T Pewsitters

Fame and celebrity.

The worthless are prized highly by the sons of men. - Psalm 12: 9
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For the wicked man boasts of his heart's desires;

the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
In his pride the wicked says: "He will not punish.
There is no God." Such are his thoughts. - Psalm 10: 3-4
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Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished;
truth has gone from the sons of men.
Falsehood they speak one to another,
with lying lips, with a false heart. - Psalm 12:2-3
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No truth can be found in their mouths,

their heart is all mischief,
their throat a wide-open grave,
all honey their speech. - Psalm 5: 10
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They wear their pride like a necklace,
they clothe themselves with violence...
They scoff; they speak with malice...
So the people turn to follow them
and drink in all of their words.
Look at them, such are the wicked,
but untroubled, they grow in wealth. - Psalm 72: 6-12
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God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if any are wise,
if any seek God.
All have left the right path;
depraved every one.
There is not a good man left,
no, not even one. - Psalm 52: 3-4
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The worthless are prized highly by the sons of men. - Psalm 12: 9
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'Lord have mercy on me,
heal my soul for I have sinned against you.' - Psalm 40: 5

Tired of the incessant "NEW" translations?

The USCCB and the New American Bible.
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The newer translations very often confuse readers and diminish traditional understanding of Biblical texts.  Case in point, the USCCB 2011 translation:
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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said its 2011 translation of the Bible will omit the word "booty" from a verse and replace "virgin" with "young woman."
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The bishops group, based in Washington, said the latest edition of the New American Bible, due out March 9, will be more accurate and more accessible than previous versions, 
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Among the changes in the new version, which was compiled by a team of 50 scholars and translators assisted by language experts, theologians and bishops, is the replacing of the word "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 with "the young woman," explaining the original Hebrew word, almah, may or may not refer to a virgin.
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"We needed a new translation because English is a living language," said Richard Sklba, the retired auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee and part of the New American Bible's review and editing team. - Source 
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I think it is erroneous and ridiculous to replace the word 'virgin' with 'young woman' - especially in our day when virginity is so often scorned.  I wonder what else they skewed the meaning of.  I'll bet Sklba isn't all that happy with the new Roman Missal translation either.  Yet he praises the Anglican Book of Common Prayer for the elegance of  it's 500 year old English...  Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  500 year old English - shouldn't it be revised?
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I wonder if some church-people are not perhaps enriching themselves with these periodical revisions and new translations?
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H/T Pewsitters

A good Catholic man.

Maj. Gen. Raymond Charles Bonnabeau Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
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Physician and Soldier Husband, father, grandfather, General, Franciscan, explorer, actor, photographer, disc jockey, friend. Raymond passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on February 26. Survived by wife, Mary; sons, Christopher (Carey) & Raymond (Rhonda); daughters, Mary (Dan) & Margret; grandchildren, Drew, Rees, Ella, Louie, Nora, Nick and beloved cat, Jill. Preceded in death by parents, Ella and Raymond Bonnabeau, Sr. He earned a BS from Fordham University (NYC), MD from the State University of New York, and Ph.D. in Surgery from the University of Minnesota,becoming a clinical professor ofsurgery, participating in pioneering work in heart surgery with Dr. C. Walton Lillehei. Alumnus of the Army War College and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He served in the U. S. Army: in Vietnam as chief of surgery at the 95th EvacuationHospital (China Beach); commander of the 73rd Combat Support Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the 5501stArmy Hospital in Fort Snelling, MN; the 30th Hospital Center in Chicago; and Deputy Surgeon General of the Army for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, retiring in 1994 as a Major General. He went to the Antarctic in 1960 as physician for the University of Minnesota Geological Expedition which discovered the Jones Mountain Range, after which a mountain was named for him: Bonnabeau Dome. Until his death he was a physician at the Minneapolis VA Hospital and loved the veterans, saying it was a privilege to serve them. He was a 3rd Order Franciscan and honored and humbled to be a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. He loved the Cathedral of Saint Paul, where he served the Saturday vigil Mass. His friends will miss Saturday evenings with him at Moscow on the Hill.Visitation Thursday 4-8 PM at O'Halloran and Murphy Funeral Home, 575 S. Snelling Ave. St. Paul. Vigil service 6:30 PM. Mass of Christian Burial 10 AM Friday at the Cathedral of Saint Paul preceded by 9 AM reviewal. Memorials may be sent to the Mary M. and Raymond C. Bonnabeau Jr. Endowed Scholarship at Fordham University, 888 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York, 10019, or to donor's choice. 651-698-0796. - Source
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Dr. Bonnabeau was a very humble and kind man, an exemplary Catholic.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
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Thanks Nan for letting me know.

Fr. Z at his best.

Check out his review of the Pope's new book, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol II.  There had been a publisher's embargo on using the text - Father received a preview copy - but today the embargo was lifted for specific chapters.  The Holy Father's text and Father's review is excellent.  Click here:  Review: Some thoughts about the Pope's new book - part 1

March madness...

Oddly enough my computer is working just fine today.  Go figure.
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And Charlie Sheen.  Go figure.
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I watched the interview last night.  I have no idea how he passed all the drug tests they say he took, but he sure looked stoned to me.  It must be brain damage talking, or busted out ego.  The other day I called him trash and someone said "God doesn't make trash!"  That is true - we trash ourselves - and wallow in it.  For the sake of the kids I hope Sheen's latest ex-wife gets full custody of the twins.  The interview should help her do that.  Imagine raising 2 kids with two porn stars as step-mothers?
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I wonder why we feel so sorry for people like this and continue to reward their bad behavior?
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If you are interested:  The Sheen File

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

My Internet access has been denied.  I'm using another computer to post this.  Looks as if I have some malware problems.  I have a feeling the problem entered through an email.  A day or so ago I opened an email from a person I thought was a commenter on the blog - the message was "Help me."  Nothing else.  So be careful.

Lent: Catholic Rehab

"What am I Lord... and Who are You?" - Prayer of St. Francis
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I've been looking forward to Lent so much so, that up until last Saturday I thought tomorrow was Ash Wednesday.  Even though it is only a week away, I think I will start my Lent early.  I've come to think of Lent as a sort of rehab for the soul.  I suppose someone else might expound on that thought, but those who need it do not require an explanation.  Except perhaps to say, it's a good reminder not to look down on those who find themselves in and out of real rehab - since every year all of us are required to go through Lent - Catholic rehab for the soul.  Actually, it's a really good time to stop looking down on any one...
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To be what we are before God, Who is Love.
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(My apologies to Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson.)

Medjugorje Daily

Spirit Daily reports favorably on the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje all of the time.  I usually ignore the stories but occasionally I'll skim through to see if there is anything new.  The site actually promotes the apparitions, although the authors usually claim to simply report on developments there.
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I remember a conversation several years ago with a young woman who was convinced the apparitions were authentic.  She was praising the faith of the pilgrims who continued to journey to Medjugorje despite the war at the time.  I asked how she could believe Our Lady was there, telling secrets, while so many people were being killed.  I reasoned, "Certainly the secrets would have something to do with all the horror taking place in that region!"  As typical of Medjugorje devotees, the young woman became very defensive and suggested I was being blasphemous.
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Yet today the apparitions are said to continue, and supposedly not all of the secrets have been told to 3 of the seers.  Daily the world grows more uneasy, global unrest increases, we've lived through the very worst crises in the history of the Church, post-Vatican II reforms, including the ongoing drama of clerical abuse and corruption...  And yet the apparition hasn't finished revealing the secrets to all of the seers, and nothing is ever said in the ongoing messages regarding what has been happening in the Church and the world.  Advocates or promoters of the Medjugorje tourism and lecture industry insist one has to go there to actually "get it".  Get what? 
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As far as all of the secrets having been revealed to half of the seers, one of them claims to have each secret written down - but they are invisible for now.  "Seer Mirjana Dragićević Soldo (says) that her secrets are written on a mysterious piece of parchment that is only visible, right now, to her. That was allegedly given to Mirjana after her last daily apparition in 1982. States her spiritual director, Father Petar Ljubičić, "When the time comes, the contents of the first secret will become visible to me on the parchment and after seven days everyone else will be able to read it because it will cease to be a secret. This will happen until all ten secrets have been revealed and their consequence." - Spirit Daily

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Even Michael Brown thinks that is weird.

Sexual Orientation... So this is what it's coming to.

Pedophilia a ‘sexual orientation’ experts tell Parliament.
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When homosexuality was declassified as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973, it was for all intents and purposes subsequently labelled a sexual orientation - a natural variant of human sexuality.  Now experts in Canada are arguing pedophilia is not a disorder but a sexual orientation.
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OTTAWA, Ontario, February 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a recent parliamentary session on a bill relating to sexual offenses against children, psychology experts claimed that pedophilia is a “sexual orientation” comparable to homosexuality or heterosexuality, a definition that was questioned by one Member of Parliament who was present. - Source 
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For those of you not around in the 1970's, whether unconscious, too immature or just doped up - this is exactly how we got to where we are today regarding homosexuality.
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BTW:  A toldyaso moment.
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Remember when I said gay marriage is actually anti-gay?  Marriage is so ordinary, right?  And who wants to be confined to an institution - marriage?  Besides, it is much too bourgeois for the avante garde homosexual.  A lesbian writer and her interview subjects appear to agree with me - kind of:
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"There's the unsettling possibility that we've spent the past couple of decades fighting to fit into an institution that doesn't necessarily fit us." - Natalie Neusch Source

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So don't fall for the Hollywood hype of "The Kids Are all Right" and "Modern Family".  It is just as fake as the family shows of the 1950's,  "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Father Knows Best".