+ Fr. Matthew Kelty OCSO +

Two friends inform me that Fr. Matthew Kelty of Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky died today.  He was 95.  He persevered in the monastery 51 years.  Blessed is he who dies in the Lord.  May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

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Since he clings to me in love, I will free him;

protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: 'I am with you.'

I will save him in distress and give him glory.

With length of life I will content him;

I shall let him see my saving power.

Psalm 90

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H/T: Thank you Michael and Jeron.

Blessed Giovanni of Fiesole (Guido di Pietro) - AKA, Beato Fra Angelico

Pope John Paul II beatified Fra Angelico on October 3, 1982 and in 1984 declared him patron of Catholic artists.
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Angelico was reported to say "He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always". This motto earned him the epithet "Blessed Angelico", because of the perfect integrity of his life and the almost divine beauty of the images he painted, to a superlative extent those of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - Pope John Paul II
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Fra Angelico is among those privileged few who have been beatified without a miracle.
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"We, with sound knowledge, bearing in mind the considerable merits in the Church of Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, exclusively for the good of souls, of Our own initiative and with Our apostolic authority, concede as a sign of special grace that his birthday, with the title of "Blessed" in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the Eucharist may be celebrated, with an obligatory degree of remembrance, in the basilica of S. Maria sopra Minerva, where his body is buried, and with a facultative degree of remembrance throughout the Order of Preaching Friars."  - Ven. John Paul II, Moniales OP

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Art:  B. Fra Angelico, thanks to Moniales OP

Friday is a day of penance...

Please pray for priests.

Coma and Government Collapse...

What's the deal with all the deposed dictators falling into comas?  First Mubarak, now Tunisia's Ben Ali. 
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Maybe Wisconsin's GOP Gov. Scott Walker could succumb next.
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Photo: Wisconsin public workers protest at State Capital in Madison.  In Minnesota - especially Minneapolis - taxes are skyrocketing - and property values falling.  We need a tax revolt. 

H/T Drudge

Rumours and fear mongering over Summorum Pontificum

Strange, violent, and dark forces wish to derail the application of Summorum Pontificum.
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Late last night I received a couple of links to stories concerning rumours circulating that Summorum Pontificum is in danger of being sabotaged.  Some bloggers are asking for prayers and fasting to prevent anything like this from happening.  The rumours and fears and conspiracy theories seem to have originated with an otherwise credible blog.
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I can't believe how shell-shocked traditionalists remain, despite the fact the Extraordinary Form of Mass has been 'liberated' and permitted by Papal decree - Summorum Pontificum.  Just yesterday I posted photos of Cardinal Burke presiding over the ordination of deacons for the Institute of Christ the King.  Along with Burke, Cardinal Ranjith is a proponent of the traditional liturgy, as are many other influential prelates, including abbeys and monasteries - traditional safe houses for the liturgy.  Such rumours are unsettling and foment suspicion amongst the faithful.  This form of liturgical gossip was once limited to seminaries and rectories or chanceries, as well as the whispers in the loggia of the Vatican.  It was bad enough then, yet now days, when everyone is an expert, this crap spreads like wildfire across the Internet.  And not a few people jump on these stories and use them to criticize anyone who just might happen to adhere to the liturgical reforms of the Novus Ordo - not the abuses of course - but the proper celebration of the Ordinary Form of Mass.
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To my mind this rumour mongering and alarmist fears indicates a lack of faith and trust in God.  It is evidence that some uber-Catholics believe they can dictate to others the mind of God - the mind of the Church; that they can force God to arrange everything to their tastes.  It is an insult to God to say the Novus Ordo is not a licit Mass, or to rip it apart and condemn it as less holy than the Extraordinary Form.  It is akin to saying that  the 40 years since the Council, God has abandoned his people - that he left the faithful to wander in the desert.  'What father would give his children stones when they asked for bread?'  In effect, some of these traditionalist rebuke God as the Israelites did when they asked, "Is it possible for God to prepare a table in the desert?"  God has never abandoned the faithful - he continues to nourish us with the bread of angels - 'conforming to every taste' - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  No one is going to undo Summorum Pontificum.
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In today's Gospel, it strikes me that the Holy Spirit seems to speak to those who would pull Christ aside and rebuke him, saying, "Get behind me... you are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
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Again - no one is going to undo Summorum Pontificum.
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St. Joseph

Cardinal Mahony recently blessed a handsome sculpture of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, by Christopher Slatoff.  "This life-sized bronze sculpture --- the newest artistic addition at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels --- not only depicts the loving relationship between St. Joseph and Jesus, but also the challenges of fatherhood and of being a Christian, according to his creator, Christopher Slatoff." - Source
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I like it. 
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H/T Spirit Daily

Me thinks some guys like this stuff much too much...

Too grand.
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I really believe many of the reforms regarding liturgical/ecclesial wear which evolved as a result of Vatican II and Paul VI and JPII were needed.
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(If that statement doesn't reduce my Follower count to zero nothing will.)
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Photo credit:  NLM
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H/T DB

What?

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Something reminded me of this show...

H/T DB

Neo-Protestants

That's what I call dissenters these days.  Not just the liberal 'ordain my mother' and 'marry my son and his boyfriend' activists, but even some of those who promote spurious apparitions, dubious religious movements and disobedient charismatic cults.  Diane at Te Deum has an update on one such cult figure here.
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They are like "the first Protestants who wished to regulate everything by private inspiration, subjecting to it even the Church and its decisions. For the true believer, however, docility to the interior Master admits nothing contrary to the faith proposed by the Church and to its authority; on the contrary, it tends only to perfect faith and the other virtues." - Garrigou-Lagrange

What did Jesus look like?

I think very ordinary...
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"Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

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He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him." - Isaiah 53
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Show us your Face O Lord, and we shall be saved.

For a friend or two.

iPhone app and Fr. Z: Homosexual activity is a mortal sin.

"Activity... does that include dancing Howard?"
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I was surprised to see Fr. Z even commenting on the news gay activists are against the Confession app on iPhone, but then I realized that Fr. Z is always interested in and knowledgeable about everything connected to the Internets.  Which helps to explain why he is The Number 1 Catholic blogger in the universe, in the history of the world, in the Church, etc..  Go vote for him here.  It is really a very major accomplishment that he is so well known you know - and as far as I know, never once found to be in error on anything doctrinal.
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I'm not at all making fun of him or his good post on the queer lament from gay activists that the authors of the Confession app included "homosexual activity" as sinful and therefore a necessary part of the examination of conscience in preparation for a good confession.  In fact, gay people should use it (confession) frequently, and perhaps they would find themselves better equipped to overcome those disgusting temptations to sodomy.
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Typically Father posts his commentary on news items within the published content - his comments are distinguished by the red.  In response to the gay activist's deluded statement, "Gay Catholics don't need to confess."  Father remarked, no doubt with great restraint:
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 [They do if they commit homosexual acts!  Homosexual acts are intrinsically evil.  They are mortal sins.  Commit a mortal sin and die unrepentant and unconfessed and you will probably wind up for eternity in the state of separation from God which is called Hell. Sin = Death + Hell.] - Read the rest here.
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Thus we see how and why homosexual activists are so eager to silence the truth - they do not want people to know the consequences, while they deny it themselves.  That is not charity.
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Personally, I continue to pray for my deceased 'gay Catholic' friends who were actually told by priests and religious their homosexual activity was not sinful. 

The day the music died... Grammys 2011

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Although I like this guy - and I loved Gwyneth.

Lie-la Rose and the Planned Parenthood Exposé

Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' 'no', anything more is from the evil one. - Mt. 5:37
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Today's Gospel is providential in so far as it speaks to the huge ethical debate going on regarding Live Action President Lila Rose and the group's undercover activities to expose Planned Parenthood corruption and alleged cooperation in illegal activity.  All the moral theologians and ethicists are arguing about something many pro-life people would probably prefer to turn a deaf ear to - if not condone.  However, it is an important discussion, and one that at least one major news source took notice of.  (CBS) 
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The brouhaha centers around the fact that in an effort to discredit an 'evil' organization, the 'good guys' have resorted to the evil of lying.  Perhaps no longer a big deal in contemporary culture where the flip expression, "I lied, so sue me!" is frequently used to defend self-interest.  Nevertheless, Catholic moral teaching is clear on the subject; the Catechism "unequivocally says that lying is 'the most direct offense against the truth.' It goes on to state that 'by its very nature, lying is to be condemned.'"
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Planned Parenthood, an organization based on lies, assists in killing babies - a far greater evil than lying to save a life.  From what I understand, John Chrysostom and John Cassian defended the use of lying to save an innocent person.  Lila Rose defends the group's tactics pointing to the fact some Christians used similar deceits to save Jews in WWII, as did undercover priests under Communist regimes.  Likewise, priests and religious during the civil strife in Spain and Mexico in the early 20th century used undercover methods and false identities, as did those priests ministering to Catholics during the English persecution under Elizabeth I.
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What I find most provocative about this discussion is the renewed focus it poses upon lying in our culture.  We live in a culture of lies and cover-up, where just about everything is 'marketed', hyped and manipulated in order to deceive.  It's actually pretty amazing this debate has even become news.
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Links:
Pro-life group's video stings spark ethical debate.  CNA/EWTN News (for quotes and original news source for this post)

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Additional good commentary:
Building a Culture of Lie: The exorcist and Lila Rose, by Dawn Eden and William Doino Jr.

Mass Chat: Valentine's remembrance.

Real Love...
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Married couples, living and deceased (widows and widowers) renewed their vows last evening at the vigil Mass.  They will do the same today.  Then after Mass last evening there was a romantic dinner for the couples - I think some of their kids might have acted as waiters.
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I'm not making fun of it however.  The vows were tied into the profession of faith - don't ask me how - but it was actually a beautiful affirmation of Christian marriage and everlasting love.  I was almost verklempft.
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(I had just gone to confession,  so that may explain my charity.)
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(FYI - I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day.  I love love however.)

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Art: St. Valentine healing an epileptic.