Prelates on vacation...

L’Age D’Or - Luis Buñuel (1930)

News travels fast.

I first saw it on Deacon's Bench - about the Cardinal in Hawaii.  Don't know the story?  A retired Cardinal on vacation in Hawaii was arrested for DUI.  He apologized.  It's all over Catholic news and a few blogs.  A couple of snarky innuendos caught my eye - but it's better not to laugh about such things, or point fingers.  Catholics like to drink.

I wonder how these stories concern us?  Why they concern us?

Even reputable bloggers rush to print the stories.

Other bloggers speculate on the Cardinal's private life.

It's creepy.

What?

The lack of joy among Catholics.

Divina Pastora - Cause of our joy!

Rejoice!

There seems to be a lack of joy among Catholics - which can suggest the absence of the Holy Spirit - because the signs of the Holy Spirit are love, joy and peace.

Those who foment dissension seem to lack that.

Lately I've been thinking of how the Israelites so often complained against Moses - even Aaron and Miriam complained, and the Lord punished them for it.

In Today's Gospel the Pharisees challenged St. John the Baptist - seeking to 'obstruct' his message.  I read today that Aquinas attributed their rebellion to envy, explaining "envious persons hinder the progress of souls."

Could it be there are those today, even in the Church, who are envious of Pope Francis?

Perhaps the invented, fanciful 'brouhaha' over something Pope Francis supposedly said to a little boy is an example?  It's a very simple story, which if it was true, little children - and those who are like them - can easily understand.  Do animals have a soul?  Do animals go to heaven?

I've said it before and I'll repeat it here:  It doesn't really matter and it is not for me to know if they go to heaven or not because as one of the psalms explains, 'such knowledge is too great for me' - I trust Jesus.  Yet if a little kid would ask me, I would say, "yes, I think they do."

Why? How can I steeped in sin at birth say such a thing?

Because, as another psalm says, God sent forth His spirit and the animals were created.  Hence, when he takes back his spirit - his life-breath - they die... returning to their dust.  

Once there was a fictional Little Prince who said something which may help us understand this better:  "The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen... What is essential is invisible to the eye."  Who in this life can see spirit or breath? Who knows the mind of God? Therefore I'm convinced, when God takes back His spirit, He takes his breath back - a little kid might say he takes it back in or inhales it, as it were. Deep breath. It's just a metaphor. Hence the life, the spirit, the breath of that little pet returns to God - and God is in heaven... Yep - so I'm convinced that is how we can say little kitties and dogs and rabbits and mouses go to heaven - without contradicting doctrine. 

Now remember this is not dogma or doctrine and no one has to believe it at all.  Even if the Pope said something to console a little boy who lost his dog.  It doesn't matter - because God is God ... and as St. John of the Cross wrote:  "Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth. Mine are the nations, the just are mine, and mine the sinners. The angels are mine, and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, because Christ is mine and all for me." 

A section of psalm 104 may help explain these things for little children much better than I can:

 You made the moon to mark the months;
the sun knows the time for its setting.
 When you spread the darkness it is night
and all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
 The young lions roar for their prey
and ask their food from God.

 At the rising of the sun they steal away
and go to rest in their dens.
 Man goes out to his work,
to labor till evening falls.

 How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.

 There is the sea, vast and wide,
with its moving swarms past counting,
living things great and small.
 The ships are moving there
and the monsters you made to play with.

 All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
 You give it, they gather it up:
you open your hand, they have their fill.

 You hide your face, they are dismayed;
you take back your spirit, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
 You send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.

 May the glory of the Lord last for ever!
May the Lord rejoice in his works! - Ps. 104

God made the monsters to play with ... he gave us pets to play with ... he takes back his spirit, and they die ... returning to the dust from which they came.

And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it. - Ecclesiastes 12:7

When the Son of Man arrives on Christmas, will he find any faith on Pewsitters?

Why I Am Catholic...

The "Why I am Catholic" question...  It appears to be a trend.  Maybe I missed a meme or something?  Oh.  It's a Patheos thing then.

Anyway, it's a good question.

I am Roman Catholic because of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Papal supremacy.

Catholics like to drink.

They sometimes even boast about it.

Fr. Z used to post photos of what he was drinking on warm sunny afternoons - I haven't noticed lately that he continues to post similar photos.  Nothing wrong with that BTW - readers seem to like it.  Other Catholic blogs often display or talk about their favorite brewskis, along with photos of the pope toasting the camera - all in good fun of course.  After all, we are not Puritans.  Drinks are on the house!  Haha!

Catholics like to drink. 

One of my confessors used to repeat scripture to me on how wine gladdens the heart and drinking in moderation is just fine.  Those were the confessions after a night of drinking just a bit too much.  At the time my confessor thought 2 to 3 drinks a night was just fine - but more than that - not so much.  Falling down drunk seemed to be the point where mortal sin was committed.  Whew! 

I could make some pretty stiff drinks, so limiting myself to 2 to 3 drinks was pretty good.  However, I came to the conclusion it was better just to stop drinking all together.  I suppose I'd have a social drink if I'm out for dinner or something - but I haven't been anywhere to have one since last Christmas.  That said, I don't think it's a good idea to drive - even after one drink. 

Years ago, when I did a lot of drinking - not at home, but in the clubs, I drove under the influence.  That was a sin.  I might add however, that it's a miracle I never had an accident or got myself arrested.  There but for the grace of God.

Catholics like to drink.

I love to drink.  Although the words of Teresa of Avila always haunted me, "prayer cannot be accompanied by self-indulgence."  That's pretty much the only reason I finally stopped drinking - better late than never.

Now far be it from me to tell anyone how to live their life, but I should think that for a priest, with a parish or some specific pastoral assignment, drinking might be unwise - especially if he could be called out on a sick call, assist the dying, and so on.  As far as retired priests, and those with a lot of free time, drinking before cocktail hour is never in good taste.   In the United States, drinking at lunch time may be inappropriate as well - even just wine.  In Europe, things used to be different, but I think there may be alcohol problems these days.

Finally - if you must drink, have some one else do the driving.

"Honey, do we have time for a quick one before Mass?"

 

"As long as we got an hour before communion, Ma!"

 

Disclaimer:  Just my personal opinion here - don't pay any attention to me if you don't like what I have to say.


^"1Everyone has his own gift from God, one this and another that (1 Cor 7:7). ²It is, therefore, with some uneasiness that we specify the amount of food and drink for others. ³However, [...] ⁶We read that monks should not drink wine at all, but since the monks of our day cannot be convinced of this, let us at least agree to drink moderately, and not to the point of excess, ⁷for wine makes even wise men go astray (Sir 19:2)." - RSB, Chapter 40