Blog Notes

I'm starting a new discipline - I think, I hope - God willing.

Immediately after morning prayer I will begin painting, rather than writing.  It's a better use of my time.  Then manual work after that and writing later in the day perhaps.  Then a return to painting and evening prayer.  Sounds monastic - but it's not.   

It is mid day now and I just came online.  I checked news and a few other blog sites - not interested in any of it.  If only I could be completely detached from the Internet and go back to life without wasting my time on trivia and gossip - religious and secular.

I checked my old blog, Rome-ing Catholics, looking for an old post I could possibly re-publish.  "How pretentious!"  I said to myself.  The posts are an embarrassment.  There remain comments that those who wrote them could be embarrassed about as well.  Are we certain we want to document every stupid thing we think about for posterity?

A couple of the old commenters have gone on to 'celebrity' status.  They were - are - ambitious... and possibly deluded.

Which reminds me - my painting "Blognic" featuring a few former 'online friends' is coming along fine.  It's taking a long time - but I'm hoping it turns out well. 

Have a nice day.

Warning!

>: The holiday season is upon us. <:

Never, ever purchase products that look like the item shown in the photo.  Never even think about it.

Mass Chat: Chastity in marriage.

Well, it was in the bulletin.

For the past few weeks my pastor has been discussing marriage in the Sunday bulletin.  He began speaking on the true meaning of marriage, followed by pastoral pieces in defense of marriage and what the Church teaches regarding the homosexual condition and why they can't get married.  This week, Father discusses chastity in marriage.

Several years ago I remember getting into a discussion with my sister-in-law about chastity in marriage - I think JPII spoke about it in connection with TOB and my SIL thought the idea ludicrous.  I said, no, no, no and tried to explain chastity in marriage.  Like I really know anything about marriage... maybe I do, maybe I don't.

Without going into detail regarding my opinions on the matter - which may be all wrong BTW and I should never give advice to anyone on anything - I'll share with you what Father wrote in the bulletin.  Although I must say before hand that I think the conjugal act permits far more than what more traditional Catholics might think.  At the same time, I think NFP - Natural Family Planning - though denied as being an approved form of contraception poses some problems regarding the chastity in marriage thing, or me at least.  It's still having non-reproductive sex, albeit open to life.  That said, if single people are expected to refrain from sexual intercourse, why can't married people be expected to refrain from intercourse from time to time, instead of doing all the NFP calculations?

Chastity according to our state in life.

Chastity.  Are the married called to chastity?  Absolutely yes - and so too is everyone else.  Chastity is one of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit that the Holy spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory.  Teaching about the sacredness of marriage, Christ underlines the value of chastity within the marital state.  Chastity within marriage consists of the temperate use of conjugal intercourse.  [...]  In the new Testament sexual purity is the model for the relationship between husbands and wives, analogous to the relationship of Christ to the Church. (Eph. 5:25)  St. Francis de Sales wrote of a sort double chastity placed on the married couple: to abstain absolutely from any sexual activity when they are apart and to practice moderation when they are together.  Within the moral order, chastity is concerned with the progressive integration of human sexuality for both celibates and married people.  Chastity is a moral virtue and one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. - Source

I still think that scene in Meet Joe Black with Claire Forlani and Pitt is a beautiful expression of love between a man an a woman.  "So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'" - Ephesians 5


Editor's Note:  If Mass Chat had an audible theme song, it would be sung to the tune of South Street - substituting the lyric 'Mass Chat' for 'South Street'.

Warning to parents:  Wives, do not fish for change in your husband's pockets in front of the kids - as my parents did - we know what you are doing.  Do not fondle one another in front of the kids - we know what's going on.  Do not make love in front of the kids when you are drunk - no matter how little we are - the moaning scares little kids.  Oh - and don't - never mind. 

Teresa of Jesus

Trouble-maker.

I was watching the excellent Spanish miniseries on la Madre last evening on EWTN.  I know, I just said I don't watch EWTN any longer, but I was channel surfing and came across the film.

The episode dealt with the foundation in Seville and Teresa being called by the Inquisition.

Just a few comments...

I still think Mother's relationship with Fr. Gracian was way too natural.  I know!  Carmelites hate it when I say that.  I didn't like the vow of obedience deal either.  Then I think it is weird that family lived in the monastery with her - but Mother Angelica did the same thing with her mother - "Woo-wee, I'm the superior, anyone can move in!"  One other interesting tidbit is that evidently St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross acted in resistance to various bishops/superiors who got in the way of the reform...  Oh, c'mon - you knew that.

You never really know who's who in real life, do you.  Not a question.

Anyway - whatever the obstacles and difficulties - they became saints and doctors of the Church. 

More Religious Urban-Myths: Making stuff up about Medjugorje...

Fatima Visionary Saw and Confirmed the Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje

Really?  That supposedly is what Sr. Lucia's nephew said she said, and he told Sr. Emmanuel who included it in her book, and then, and then JPII knew about it and now Christine Watkins is writing about it!  She says she said he said:

According to Sister Lucia’s own nephew, Father Salinho — a Salesian priest who lives in Portugal — Sister Lucia continued receiving visions of the Virgin Mary long after 1917, and some of these apparitions of the Virgin spoke to Sister Lucia of the Madonna’s continued work in Medjugorje. This report of Father Salinho’s was documented by the French author Sister Emmanuel Maillard in her book Medjugorje, Triumph of the Heart! (Queenship, 2004), a revised edition of Sister Emmanuel’s earlier popular work, Medjugorje: the 90s. Pope John Paul II met with Sister Emmanuel, was given a copy of her earlier book, and therefore this knowledge – between Fatima’s main visionary and the apparitions in Medjugorje – may not have been foreign to the Vatican.
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The coherence is evident. Now there is even a report from a Catholic priest and a family member of Fatima’s main visionary, that Sister Lucia herself experienced apparitions of Our Lady speaking about her work in Medjugorje; and, therefore, Sister Lucia reportedly confirmed the apparitions of Medjugorje through her own private revelations of the Virgin. - Source

I object - pure speculation and hearsay.

If I remember correctly, Sr. Lucia was asked about Medjugorje - she said she had no revelations concerning the matter.  If indeed she had experienced - co-apparitions, as it were, we all would have known about it before now, I'm sure.  And no ma'am - I cannot prove my claim any better than you do.

Lesson Here:  Don't put words on Our Lady's mouth.

Photo:  Supposed solar miracle at Medjugorje.  Whatever these 'signs' are - the Miracle at Fatima was unique and so far unequalled.  

Andy Rooney 1919-2011

I really loved this guy.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

Jesse Ventura - he's just so darn funny!

He says he's leaving "Fascist America"!

So now this country is fascist?  I always thought Jesse was a fascist (along with Ross Perot) - so what up with him no liking it?  On the other hand - I was under the impression that Tea Partiers and Independents like Jesse believe Obama-nation has become Socialist Amerika? 

The former Navy SEAL said he had lost his patriotism.

"I will never stand for a national anthem again. I will turn my back and I will raise a fist," he said. - Source

One of the really big problems with American politics is that anyone can run for office - even those who talk politics without understanding a word they are saying.  Let's start naming names....

Jesse Ventura
Sarah Palin
Howard Cain
Morgan Freeman
Sean Penn
Lady Chatterly
Shelly Bachmann and his wife Michelle
Nancy Pelosi
Alec Baldwin
Charlene Pittman
Tonya Harding
Joy Behar
John Corapi
Hilda Phistter
Rick Perry
Barrack Obama
Joe Biden
Julie Andrews
Barbara Streisand
Kim Kardashian
All Poodles

Don't get me started on allowing everyone to vote.
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Disclaimer:  No one was demeaned by this post - everyone is a winner - I'm singing, "This is my country..." right now as I write.  No derogatory language or names were used - such as scum bag, pond scum, idiot, retard, ass-face, punch-drunk loser, and so on.  No insulting terms were used against Jesse and his ilk - except for 'ilk' of course. 
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We love you family! - Bob and Penny Lord.

The devil in the black box prophecy.

Religious urban legends and Catholic parents over the line...

I just got an email warning people not to watch Glee. Sheesh!  I thought everyone knew that anyway.

Included in the email was the alleged quote/vision attributed to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that went something like this:

“Every American would have a black box in their home through which the devil would enter.” *

Crossed eye roll...

I had to chuckle, because when I first returned to the Church - before Mother Seton was even canonized - the same vision/prophecy was attributed to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.  Maybe they both had Dish? 

Somewhat related - Here is another interesting factoid:  Before the printing press became really, really popular, St. Rotundenburger had a vision of the devil printing Bibles on a copy machine.  Something like that...

Throw out your kids - keep the TV's!  Just kidding!
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Warning to parents:  Seriously, never ever watch Glee, no matter what the show is about.  Kids in band and choir and theater are queer - err, different - anyway.  They either need to be bullied to shape up or forced into sports.

Have a great weekend!

*Another version of the prophecy: "And there was a box in every home and the people were sitting around the box. In the box was a flame and the devil was speaking to the people from the box and no one was doing anything about it."  I believe this version is attributed to Ronnie Lueken, the occult visionary of Bayside, NY.

Many Trads just blame the Jews. 


What?

Trying to imagine purgatory.

The soul doesn't die.
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I've been trying to imagine purgatory these past few days.  Last night while trying to sleep, without intending to do so, I visualized a huge tunnel, the entrance of which appeared in a landscape, murky and dimly lit, revealing bare, broken trees and fallen monuments as in a cemetery that had been vandalized.  Light seemed to break through what seemed to be a dense fog, only to illuminate figures wandering about, as if floating in mid air,  only to dissipate into nothingness as clouds so often do in the winter sky.  The light that shone was cold and steely, causing the shadows to be more more grey to blue than black.  Some figures became more illumined and therefore distinguishable as they neared the great light at the end of the tunnel, where they were soon absorbed by that light.  Faces suddenly appeared very close to my own, apparently - albeit inaudibly - discussing the tunnel and those souls who left the darkness.
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It occurred to me, as if the concept was a new realization, that when we die, nothing earthly remains with us, rendering us unidentifiable to one another in the same way we experienced on earth.  I'm speaking here principally of our outward status and position, high or low.  For instance, amongst those I imagined, one could have been a king, a celebrity, or a prominent man on earth, yet he was indistinguishable from the poor man, the failure man, the ne'er do well, who may have been standing right next to him.  In other words, human respect and esteem, along with the concerns these generate, did not exist there.  It was no longer possible for the soul to to envy or feel jealousy, just as it was no longer possible for the soul to feel superior to any other. 
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I know we are taught similar things - but I think it is good to meditate them - frequently.
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Art: Hieronymous Bosch

The long loneliness...

I recently told someone I envy that title from Dorothy Day because it could well describe my life as well.

He and I.  I have nothing else.

Last night at adoration it was all about that.  I, alone, with the Alone.  I had to acknowledge I am an unprofitable servant - I have never even done my duty.  How completely alone that feels...

Jesus, I trust in you.

Feel Good Story....

These people steal our parking spots!

Larry had one (a 'feel good' post) and no one commented.

I thought the post was rather discriminatory myself.

What?

Howard Cain...

There are so many topics I could post about today...
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I love screwing names up - calling Herman Cain, Howard Cain for instance.  He's not going to make it BTW... I have a feeling he's a prevaricator regarding the sexual harassment suits.  Any and every person who has ever been in any level of management remembers all the details of sexual harassment accusations that cross their desks.  It is something one doesn't ever forget - be ye the accuser or the accused. 
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Thrown under the bus.
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I don't like politics.  Wasn't it just last year or so when people were campaigning for Bachmann and or Palin and if you didn't like those ladies you were a bad man?  So these two women, at some point in their careers decided to run for office.  They traveled the nation to gain converts and raise money - a lot of money - to fuel their campaigns.  And now the men in their party have pushed them aside and are fighting their way to the top over their dead campaigns.  What a waste of time, money, and attention.  I'm against it.
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Other stuff:
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Did the devil make people gay?  Nope.  Adam and Eve did.  All disorders came from mums and dadums.  I'm against it.
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Occupy Oakland, Occupy Seattle, Occupy Whatever - I'm against it.

St. Martin de Porres

His dad was a Spaniard of some rank, and his mom, a Negress and former slave.  Martin was illegitimate and his father soon abandoned the boy along with his mom and his sister. 
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When Martin was canonized I recall them making a big deal of the fact that he was of mixed race.  I remember thinking that his race made no difference to me - I simply admired him as a humble lay-brother saint I hoped to imitate one day. 
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Read more on St. Martin here.

What I did last evening.

After adoration I stopped at the store.  Parked next to me was a van with a poodle sitting in it.  A standard poodle.  I talked to him but he was watching someone getting into a car on the opposite side.  I wasn't at all offended that he ignored me.

I couldn't agree more...

This Occupy madness has gone too far now...  The atheists amongst them tried to take over the Cathedral in Vancouver recently.  Their anti-Christian/anti-Catholic agenda is beginning to show now.
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O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for those who do not, especially the enemies of the Church.
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H/T to Ray for the link to this photo source.

Quick stuff here...

Please pray for Dorothy Anderson - she's the adoration lady at my parish - she fell and fractured her hip - I know that sounds like nothing but she is 90 and is still recovering from the hip she broke last year. 
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Please pray for Nan's mum - she had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and needs prayers.
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Thanks.

All Souls

If I make it to purgatory I think I will yell "Jackpot!"  And start singing "Amazing Grace!" right away.  If we make it there, at least we will know without a doubt that we are saved.  Seriously - it will be the happiest day of my life at that point.
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Another advantage is that we will get to see Our Lady once in awhile as she frees souls from purgatory on First Saturdays.  "Like - I think it's really, really mystical down there, ya know?  Yeah."  (Imagine Cyndi Lauper saying that while twirling her gum.)

This strikes me as unusual and a tad inappropriate...

Fr. Amorth on Medjugorje:  "After more than thirty years! More than thirty years! Now if it is the pagans who don’t listen to Our Lady’s words, then that I can understand. But be you a Christian, it is not forgivable. Be you a Christian!” - Read the full story here.
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I remain open to Medjugorje - awaiting what the Church says, in the meantime, I try to live a faithful Catholic life. I've chosen not to say anything good or bad about Medjugorje any longer, so as not to offend God in either instance.  Nevertheless,  I find it confusing when priests such as Fr. Amorth make statements like this.  After all, Fr. Amorth is just a priest - he is some bishop's exorcist - but he's not pope nor head of the CDF. 

All Saints

I'm going to Mass in the evening.
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Happy feast day.