Thursday, August 29, 2013

Passion of St. John the Baptist



The defense of marriage cost St. John ...

John was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and he revealed him to the people of Israel as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29). John consecrated himself entirely to God and to his envoy, Jesus. But, in the end, what happened? He died for the sake of the truth, when he denounced the adultery of King Herod and Herodias. How many people pay dearly for their commitment to truth! Upright people who are not afraid to go against the current! How many just men prefer to go against the current, so as not to deny the voice of conscience, the voice of truth! And we, we must not be afraid! Among you are many young people. To you young people I say: Do not be afraid to go against the current, when they want to rob us of hope, when they propose rotten values, values like food gone bad — and when food has gone bad, it harms us; these values harm us. We must go against the current! - Pope Francis

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Michael Voris is truly prophetic on this one ...


Echoing this week's Gospel.


The most amazing indictment of U.S. Catholic Bishops I have ever heard. 

Go here: http://stlouiscatholic.blogspot.com/2013/08/voris-says-it.html

Pope Francis just told young people to make noise ...

Careful what you wish for, Holy Father.  Voris is doing just that. 



 Ed. note:  Bishop Tobin might agree... he blames himself.

"Not precise but dead on."



"'... it was a truant’s freedom that I loved' - Not precise but dead on."

That's what Fr. Z wrote regarding a translation of The Confessions of St. Augustine by Pine-Coffin.
For example, when Augustine is talking about his profligate youth in Carthage, P. renders “amans vias meas et non tuas, amans fugitivam libertatem” (3.3.5) as Good article - or well-intentioned.  I've thought along these lines as well - but it would be opposed by gay activists all the same.  She mentions Dr. Nicolosi and they hate him and his research - gay Catholics like Tushnet and friends at Spiritual Friendship totally reject his stuff as well as Courage.  I'll read this again and may work it in to some posts, but the resistance to this type of thing is strong - precisely because the gay Catholic movement wants to keep the gay identity thing and 'sanctify' it., not yours, but it was a truant’s freedom that I loved”.  Not precise but dead on. - Quaeritur
 I think the quote from St. Augustine is dead on for many reasons.  It may be difficult for me to be 'precise' however.  I've been outsmarted by better writers and thinkers, and my thoughts on particular moral issues are considered by some to be dated, at best.

That said, I really think the still-pagan-Augustinian 'problem' is what affects many younger people and their rejection of faith and morals.  Augustine is a great saint, a great example, in every aspect of his life, from his relentless search for truth to his licentiousness.  Of course penitents of all ages have been drawn to the Saint on account of his repentance and conversion, and most especially his teaching.  Today I see mirrored in Augustine's pre-converted life, something similar to what I see in the new atheists turned new converts, as well as many - though not all - gay-Catholics/Christians.  It seems to me not a few struggle to assimilate their sort of 'personal truth' into their Christian experience.  Yet once again, Augustine is a wonderful example of how to do that, as well as what not to do.  Nevertheless, some would disparage his example as too culturally bound, feeling the need to revise and reinterpret his 'stuff' to suit progressive thought. 

"I loved my own way..."

So you see, I'm already in way over my head, but I think many today retain an inordinate attachment to that "truant’s freedom" and subsequently remain ensnared to some degree, holding on - perhaps only by a thread, to the "I loved my own way, not yours..."  POV.  (At least when challenged.)

I've been reading many things on the 'problem' of 'gay-Catholic'.  Most of these people feel the linguistic battle over gay vs. same sex attracted is a waste of time.  I think SSA works for official Church publications, but ordinary, every day use of gay is pretty universal - so what can I say?  The debate reminds me of a Seinfeld episode when Frank Costanza was discussing chickens while at dinner in Susan's parents house.
Frank Costanza: Let me understand, you got the hen, the chicken and the rooster. The rooster goes with the chicken. So, who's having sex with the hen?
George Costanza: Why don't we talk about it another time.
Frank Costanza: But you see my point here? You only hear of a hen, a rooster and a chicken. Something's missing!
Mrs. Ross: Something's missing all right.
Mr. Ross: They're all chickens. The rooster has sex with all of them.
I'll take it a bit further.  "You got your LesbianGayBiTrannie ... which one is SSA?"  Like Susan's dad, I answer, "They're all queer.  Some just don't have sex."  Or something like that - but you get the idea.

And that, people, is one more reason why gay people hate me.

Moving along...

Reading gay-Catholics is helpful in understanding some of the problems they still have in understanding Catholic teaching.  It also helps explains how non-gay Catholics seem to be second guessing themselves, Church teaching, pastoral care of homosexual persons, mean Pope Ratzinger, and same sex marriage issues.  Joseph Bottum's about face comes to mind - followed up by his explanation for that here:  "What’s changed is my encounter with young people, or what has changed me is my encounter with young people. My reading of the rising generation of Catholic bloggers…these are 20-somethings. They’re out of college, they’re serious Catholics […] and they’re saying, “Look I understand the theology and I accept the theology but I have a phenomenological crisis, because here in front of me are these people who are growing […] to see the Catholic Church as the image and the focus—to use a literary word, as the synecdoche—for all oppression of homosexuals.”   There are bishops and priests and many Catholic spokesmen who agree with him as well.

Then there are those well meaning advocates who believe a new approach to homosexuality is needed.
If we are going to save our culture, it is important that Christians change their approach toward homosexuality. Fighting the GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) agenda in the legislatures and courts will not succeed as long as the GLBTQ activists define the debate. We must treat same-sex attraction and sexual identity disorders (the so-called transgendered and queer) as what they are—preventable and treatable problems. 
Such a change in attitude has happened before with alcoholism and abortion and needs to happen again. - Crisis
As I wrote to a friend: "Good article - or well-intentioned.  I've thought along these lines as well - but it would be opposed by gay activists all the same - 'preventable and treatable' are red flags even to the most faithful 'gay-Catholic'.  The author mentions Dr. Nicolosi and most 'gay-Catholics' despise him and his research - NARTH - 'gay-Catholics' totally reject his stuff, as well as Courage Apostolate.  Which, BTW, is 'new' in the Church - it's been tried and is true - rejection of the Apostolate suggests to me at least, a certain elitist resistance.  Resistance to the idea of homosexuality as a 'preventable and treatable problem' is pervasive and strong - precisely because the 'gay-Catholic' movement wants to keep the gay identity thing and 'sanctify' it."

Yep. 

... to be continued.
 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ganswein speaks: "Zher iz nating twue ein ze article."



The Archbishop was talking about the story circulated by the "Zenit report of Pope Benedict telling an anonymous visitor that his decision was the result of some form of extraordinary "mystical experience" rather than a decision made after long and careful thought and deep prayer." - NCR

I knew that.
 

Repentance...



I was especially struck by today's collect for St. Monica.
Grant us, through the intercession of them both (St. Monica and her son Augustine),
that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. 

Bitterly regret ... 

St. Monica



Celebrated as patron of alcoholics, St. Monica seems to have had an inordinate attachment to wine as an adolescent, but she wasn't a drunk.

Monica cried a lot though.



St. Monica also had a great influence upon her son
St. Augustine.
 

Who are we to judge?



 
 
I thought it was, "Who am I to judge?"
 
The Pope started it.  Wasting no time, opportunists have taken up the mantra, the banner, the sash... adding to the confusion.
“A gay identity can inspire and deepen a Christian faith,” author John Paul Godges told the Ignatian News Network in its new video series on gay Catholics. The quote took on a life of its own, making the headline of a news item about the series in The Raw Story, a progressive news site that reaches five million viewers per month.

“My Christian faith has been a source of strength in my spiritual journey throughout my life as a gay man,” Godges told the Ignatian News Network. “My experience as a gay man has been a source of strength in my Christian journey.”

Ignatian News Network is affiliated with Loyola Productions, a Jesuit-sponsored film production company based in Los Angeles. The network’s series on gay Catholics is called “Who Are We to Judge?”—a reference to a comment made last month by Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first-ever Jesuit pope. - Press release

And then there is this from The Most Reverend Jose Raul Vera Lopez, Roman Catholic Bishop of Saltillo - he was inspired by Pope Francis' statement, "Who am I to judge?"  Homophobia is a mental illness.

Call me crazy, but I think just an 'irrational fear' of homosexuality may be classified as a phobia/mental illness/disorder.  Heterophobia might be classified as such too - but In 1973 the Board of Trustees of the APA voted to remove homosexuality as a disorder category from the DSM.

What?

Bonus! 
Jeopardy Answer: "The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls." - CCC

Jeopardy Question: "Who am I to judge?" 

Someone tell Francis. ;) 

Pop culture

 
Yet people wonder why the culture is so completely screwed up and amoral.
 
Disney grooms their child stars - and audience. 
 
 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Mass Chat: That '70's Show

Trend is so dated.



And I laugh...

A few nights ago I finally re-watched Brother Son, Sister Moon - and laughed out loud.  It had been years since I watched the film - and so my memory of it was even more romanticized than the real thing.  Shortly after the election of Pope Francis, I defended the film since several critics were making fun of Zeffirelli's interpretation of poverty and ecclesiastic corruption, extravagance and so on - insisting the depiction of the life of St. Francis was NOT AT ALL like Brother Son, Sister Moon.  They were right - the film is very dated, very hippie, a little protestant - but many scenes, the costuming, the sets, landscapes - are all still captivating.  One would have to be something of a scholar, or an attentive student on the life of St. Francis to catch a lot of the poetic interpretation of the saints life in the film - that is, if you can get by the anti-establishment messages.

Oh well.  I still think Zeff is a maestro.

I also watched Angels and Demons again - Da Vinci Code is so much better, that is for sure.  Again - sets and location shots are the best - in both films.

Next on my list is to go to the theater to see Blue Jasmine - I can't wait.  The storyline reminds me of a well known blogger - we'll see if I'm right.

Oh look Poodle, I'm all Barb Nicolosi-Harrington today!



"Love her!"