The recession and charities.

Give to everyone who begs from you.

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Yesterday I received a letter from a diocesan religious community begging for donations, it was the second such request from the group since the beginning of Lent. Charities seem to be stepping up mailings due to the recession, yet what is so serious about this religious community's request is that they now say their funds are completely depleted - they have no money at all.

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A few years ago a priest was speaking about this particular group of religious and claimed that they had mishandled some of the donations they had received. Later on, working in a Catholic bookstore, I heard other rumors and rumblings about the group, but dismissed the stories as hearsay from the sanctimonious. Then a couple of years ago, out of the blue, a zealous woman I had never met, called me and informed me of a whole host of improprieties associated with the group, assuring me she even informed the diocesan authorities about "what was going on over there". This all occurred shortly after a member of the group left and spread slanderous stories about life in that community. The rumors were picked up by otherwise devout persons and dutifully spread abroad like wild fire, warning the sheep, as it were. To the best of my knowledge, nothing ever came of the accusations, and the community continues to exist with the blessing of the local ordinary.

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I consider all of the stories that were told to be gossip, slander, detraction and calumny. In the first place, it is none of my business, despite the fact I know people associated with the group. Nevertheless, the stories, going as far back to the priest's tale, have stayed with me. Every single time I get a letter asking for money from this group, I am reminded of everything I've ever heard about them. Witness the damage a story told long ago can do.

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Remember your local charities and the poor - people lie about them sometimes, perhaps out of envy - however that doesn't make them any less needy. And remember, amongst Christ followers there was a thief, but that did not mean all of them were stealing.

Nearing the end of Lent: Re-adjusting our focus.

God abandoned by his friends.
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"In the Gospel the very root of sin is the pretense we can save ourselves by our own effort, that we can find security in ourselves and one another." - Olivier Clement: Magnificat daily meditation for 3 April, 2009

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Retablo: The Solitude of Christ. T. Nelson. Acrylic on copper; gilded, carved-wood frame.

Things hidden from the wise and understanding...

It is not the Scripture experts, those who are professionally concerned with God, who recognize him; they are too caught up in the intricacies of their detailed knowledge. Their great learning distracts them from simply gazing upon the whole, upon the reality of God as he reveals himself - for people who know so much about the complexity of the issues, it seems that it just cannot be so simple. - Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth

Desecration and the loss of faith in Europe.

Catholic Church Conservation has a disturbing photo essay on the occupation of the famous Beguinage in Brussels by undocumented migrant workers. The event is the second such occupation, the first being a forced entry, the second by permission of the parish priest, as well as the endorsement of the Catholic trade union. Yet from the looks of it, the church has been used for other profane events as well, such as a contemporary art exhibit last year. The photos are reminiscent of Russian churches desecrated by the Communists in the early 20th century.

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The images ought to outrage all religious people, but especially Catholics, along with members of the art world, since the church contains many historic treasures in addition to being a temple reserved for sacred worship. I expect there are other more appropriate places these people could be lodged, and if the emergency were so dire, the church might at least enforce rules of decorum for the occupants. Unless the church is little more than a museum, in which case I should think the privilege of sanctuary would be invalid.

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At any rate the situation is a disgrace.

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Photo source.

Experiences of a mad blogger.

Our Word invited me to occasionally write a post for their site. My latest, Life Online or Out-of-Line is up today, if you care to check it out.

Another sex scandal at Oprah's South African school for girls.

The Belles of St. Oprah's

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An all girls school in South Africa, founded by Oprah Winfrey - herself a staunch promoter of female self-cultivation - is once again embroiled in a sex-scandal; accusations of lesbian sexual abuse of students. It happens to be the second incident in 18 months. - Story

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Perhaps the curriculum needs to be changed.

Dire Straits

Quote of the week.

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"Again, let us not forget the dire results for those who attack a priest to harm him, to raise their hand (or keyboard or tongue) against the Lord’s anointed."

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I wonder if the same warning applies to priest on bishop, or priest on priest?

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(Only if the victim is traditional, I suppose.)

A couple of notes from Pope John Paul II.

On the Internet:
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The Internet is certainly a new “forum” understood in the ancient Roman sense of that public space where politics and business were transacted, where religious duties were fulfilled where much of the social life of the city took place, and where the best and the worst of human nature was on display. It was a crowded and bustling urban space, which both reflected the surrounding culture and created a culture of its own. This is no less true of cyberspace, which is as it were a new frontier opening up at the beginning of this new millennium. Like the new frontiers of other times, this one too is full of the interplay of danger and promise, and not without the sense of adventure which marked other great periods of change. For the Church the new world of cyberspace is a summons to the great adventure of using its potential to proclaim the Gospel message. This challenge is at the heart of what it means at the beginning of the millennium to follow the Lord's command to "put out into the deep”: Duc in altum! (Lk 5:4). (n.2)
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And:
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Furthermore, the Internet radically redefines a person's psychological relationship to time and space. Attention is rivetted on what is tangible, useful, instantly available; the stimulus for deeper thought and reflection may be lacking. Yet human beings have a vital need for time and inner quiet to ponder and examine life and its mysteries, and to grow gradually into a mature dominion of themselves and of the world around them. - JPII
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I'm a little gun-shy lifting quotes from other blogs, but these come from Fr. Finigan at The Hermeneutic of Continuity.

Politics and religion, and the Notre Dame invites President Obama fight.

Separation of Church and State - and yet...

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Elena of Tea at Trianon, has an interesting post regarding the 2007 installation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy as an honorary Canon of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, she writes, "This honor was not bestowed upon President Sarkozy due to his personal merits or personal wealth and power, but solely because he is the French head of state."

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Elena summarizes the history associated with the honor, originating with the conversion of Henry IV, and adds, "The Kings of France who followed Henry IV were accorded the same honorary office of canon, as have some of the French presidents, including Sarkozy. It is not because of the personal prestige of any of those men, rather it is clear that the Holy See has seen the importance of emphasizing the tie between the Lateran basilica, the Pope's own Church, and the people of France." Elena continues, " The tradition of making the French head of state an honorary canon of St. John Lateran may seem to some to be an empty gesture in these times of declining faith. It is more than just a gesture, however, for it symbolizes an ancient pact and a tie which, in spite of revolution and apostasy, has never been entirely severed." - Tea At Trianon

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So I don't get the huge uproar over the University of Notre Dame following tradition and inviting a seated President to make a commencement address? Especially considering how the French President, and those who received the honor of Canon before him, like President Obama, hold political and moral views in opposition to Roman Catholic teaching, yet the honor of Chanoine was awarded them.

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The elephant in the room.
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If anything, I believe the real issue most people are ignoring regarding the invitation to President Obama is that this situation exposes the fact that many Catholic institutions have dissented from Catholic teaching for decades. They have not only tolerated, but sought out progressive and dissenting voices at variance with the Magisterium as lecturers and teachers, diminishing, if not deconstructing Catholic identity and doctrine. Our Catholic colleges and universities, and in many cases, high schools have operated thus with impunity, even while many Bishops sat on their boards. There you have the real disgrace people. The hens are coming home to roost. If anything, perhaps this fiasco can be the catalyst necessary to reform Catholic education.

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PLEASE NOTE:
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I have linked to Elena's post at Tea At Trianon so that readers may locate her statements in the context she intended them. I simply cited these particular statements because they evoked my personal considerations regarding the Obama/Notre Dame controversy. I ought to stress that Elena does not in any way endorse the invitation or the award to be bestowed upon President Obama. I would also like to clarify that Elena sees no parallel whatsoever with the honor bestowed upon the French Head of State and the invitation to President Obama. My sincere apologies if I gave that impression.
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(Surfing for a photo to use in this post, I came upon one of a graduate student from a previous Notre Dame commencement, kneeling, praying the rosary, with his back to President Bush in protest of the war.)
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Update: Archbishop Nienstedt of Minneapolis/St. Paul has written the president of Notre Dame protesting the invitation of President Obama, whom the Archbishop Nienstedt identified as "an 'anti-Catholic politician' and whose 'deliberate disregard of the unborn' does not deserve Notre Dame’s 'public support.'” - Source
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That settles that.

Secret sins.

The downfall of the perfect.

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"Pride, when left unchecked, can easily destroy the soul of one who is otherwise very holy. It leads them to believe more about themselves than they should, to believe that they have overcome when they have not; having climbed to such a great height, the fall is even worse than any other. 'Our eighth struggle is against the demon of pride, a most sinister demon, fiercer than all that have been discussed up till now. He attacks the perfect above all and seeks to destroy those who have mounted almost to the heights of holiness. Just as a deadly plague destroys not just one member of the body, but the whole of it, so pride corrupts the soul, not just part of it.”' St John Cassian, “On the Eight Vices,” pgs. 72 - 93 in The Philokalia: The Complete Text. Volume One.

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Footnotes from Henry Karlson: The Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

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Icon: The Ladder of Divine Ascent of St. John Climacus, whose feast is observed on March 30.

Obama going to the G-20 with an entourage of 500+

More than 500 officials and staff will accompany the president on his tour this week - along with a mass of high-tech security equipment, including the $300,000 presidential limousine, known as The Beast.

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In addition, a team from the White House kitchen will travel with the president to prepare his food. As one official put it: "When the president travels, the White House travels with him, right down to the car he drives, the water he drinks, the gasoline he uses, the food he eats. America is still the sole superpower and the president must have the ability to handle any crisis, anywhere, any time." - Source

Covering sacred images...

At home?

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Having grown up with the practice of shrouding statues and crucifixes in churches during Passiontide (the two weeks before Easter), I understand the practice and appreciate it. However, I did not realize some people did this at home as well. I don't do it, but I suppose it can be a nice recreation for some who like to decorate their personal oratory.

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It reminds me of the Jewish custom of covering mirrors during shivas, so as to avoid taking the focus off of the deceased and the prayers for the dead, as well as to avoid distraction by one or an others reflection and appearance.

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The Catholic custom in churches, in part, symbolizes how Jesus went into hiding and made the final journey to Jerusalem in secret, while serving the practical purpose of insuring the faithful are free to participate with attentive devotion in the Church's liturgical commemoration of the Passion of Christ. I suppose it's kind of like a shiva during the new Passover. Kinda.

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Photo: Covered Paso statues, Granada, Spain.

Through the envy of the devil...

The mean reds. (Another interpretation.)

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Miss Manners ;), rather Elena of Tea at Trianon has an excellent sub-post with a passage from Fr. Lovasik on envy and jealousy. Elena correctly points out that it was envy and jealousy which killed our Lord. Envy and jealousy arise from pride, and although often undetected by ourselves, and generally mistaken for some other vice in our neighbor, these sins are at the root of many other sins, which we seem to feel justified condemning in others - while missing the log in our own eye. At least I know I sin in this way, and just when I think I am over that stuff, I get all mean again.

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Envy disrupts social life generally. It sets the child against the father, brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, and nation against nation. It kills friendship, undermines business relationships, and hinders reconciliation. It is one of the chief sources of misunderstanding, criticism, hatred, vengeance, calumny, detraction, and perverse attacks upon private life.

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Jealousy goes a step further than envy; it not only tries to lessen the good opinion others enjoy and criticizes those who are praised and rewarded, but is characterized by an excessive love of our own personal good and brings on a fear that we will be deprived of it. Jealousy prefers to see good left undone rather than lose a single degree of praise. Read the rest here.

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Ultimately, these sins reveal our lack of charity.