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.

Hillary asks, "Who painted this."

The Secretary of State made an unscheduled visit to Guadalupe.

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Catholic News Agency must have crashed covering this story, since I can't get in to read the coverage that everyone else seems to have picked up. As most Catholics probably know by now, on Thursday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented flowers to the Virgin of Guadalupe on behalf of the American people, while the Madonna's image had been lowered for her to view. After a few moments of silence she asked, "Who painted this?" The Rector of the Basilica replied, "God!" I hope he explained what that means, although some have speculated Madame Secretary must have known the story from a prior visit several years ago. The report stated Mrs. Clinton also lit a votive light while at the shrine.

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I'm very impressed by the story, and most impressed by the Secretary's gesture; presenting flowers to the Madonna, looking at her face to face, and then lighting a candle - all clear evidence of prayer. People of faith ought to recognize that - people without faith can think what they like. (And Catholics who criticize Mrs. Clinton for her question should not be so damn smug. We ought not to be so quick to congratulate ourselves that the world hates us for being followers of Christ, sometimes they just hate us because we can be rather sanctimonious and arrogant about our faith.)

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Mrs. Clinton spoke with the Madonna... Our Lady, the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin knows how to change hearts, even if it takes some time.

Blame whitey.

Lula

I just read that Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is blaming white people with blue eyes for the recession we are in. President Lula can blame whomever he wishes, but I have to ask, is he saying Portuguese people are not white? I always considered them to be white Europeans - I believe indigenous people and African slaves considered them as such when the Portugese once prospered from the slave trade, and exploited both the native people of the New World, as well as the African slaves.

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President Silva obviously believes his and other Hispanic governments would do a better job handling the world economy. Such vanity. The man ought to take a closer look at Brazil and the other countries in South America, where only the privileged few have the wealth, while their peasants live in squalor. South American society has changed little since the conquest - except now the politicos blame the Church, as they tend toward atheistic socialism, or profit from drug trafficking.

We should refrain from curious inquiry into the lives of others.

Christ:

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"...Be not curious nor give yourself up to useless cares. (1 Tim. 1: 4) What is this or that to you? Your business is to follow me. (John 21: 22)

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For what is it to you whether this man be such or such; or that man do or say this or the other. You are not to answer for others, but must give an account for yourself, why then do you meddle with them?

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All things are to be committed to Me; but as for you, keep yourself in good peace and let the busybody be as busy as he will.

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Do not be solicitous for the shadow of a great name; neither seek to be familiarly acquainted with many, nor to be particularly loved by men.

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For these things beget distractions and great darkness in the heart." Imitation, Bk III, 24; 1 - 2

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I painted all day and this evening I made the rounds of Catholic blogs and news sites. I'm so not interested in any of it right now.

Archbishop Burke.

Oprah's World

Such are the fruits.

Yesterday evening I arrived home from adoration just before 5PM; the first thing I did was turn on the television to catch the news - I do things like that when I'm expecting some sort of disaster to happen any day.

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So anyway - I turn on TV and Oprah is still on, and of course they are talking about sex and homo-sex and stuff like that. I gathered it was a therapist who was speaking, and she said something like, "And the wonderful thing is, that students today no longer think of gender when falling in love, they think of falling in love with a person. That doesn't mean that some are not gay, but that isn't an issue either." Now that must be an example of highly evolved thought. The woman seemed to be applauding the progress that has been made regarding sexual openness when it comes to falling in love with a person, rather than someone of the opposite sex, or simply wanting to experience every aspect of human sexuality through experimentation, without the limitations imposed by gender, or outdated social taboo. (That is actually defined as lust.)

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Those programs to help LBGT students seem to be paying off already.

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Update: I just checked - the show was actually about women leaving men for other women and living without labels. Stupid women.

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Dr. Lisa Diamond, author of Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire, says women like Chris and Rebecca are far from unusual. "A lot of people think fluidity means choice. That's not true," Dr. Diamond says. "As we've heard here, a lot of these women never expected to feel what they felt. It was not a conscious decision. It was something they experienced happening to them." - Oprah

Medieval Ritual Murder and Antisemitism

St. William of Norwich (f.d. March 26)
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When the mutilated body of a 12 year old boy was found in a wood outside Norwich in mid-10th century England, it was alleged that the boy had been a victim of ritual murder by the perfidious Jews, as the Liturgy of Good Friday once referred to them. There was no real evidence to support the theory, except the outrage of peasants, which soon developed into a local cultus of veneration for the youthful martyr, as well as the persecution of local Jews. Historians have referred to the incident as being one of history's most heinous lies. Such ridiculous stories became popular and widespread throughout Europe, and endure to this day amongst a few very traditionalist Catholics and Eastern Europeans. Nazi propaganda sprang (in part) from such legends, evoking ancient fears amongst the sanctimonious, as well as ordinary under educated believers.
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Another child martyr is known as Little St. Hugh of Lincoln (1255). His mutilated body was found in a well, resulting in the torture and death of several Jews accused of crucifying the child during Passover.
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Moving south to Trent in northern Italy: It was there, in the year 1475 that the precociously pious infant Simon (f.d. 24 March), only two and half years old, was said to have been murdered by a Jewish physician and accomplices. It was told the child, left unattended outside his home, was kidnapped and tortured at midnight on Holy Thursday in mockery of Christ's passion. Testimony claimed, "The Hebrews killed the little boy Simon, in order to obey a rabbinical religious law; their motive being to serve a most wicked piety and devotion by obtaining Christian blood for the celebration of Passover." His body was later found in the river. (To my knowledge, there never was, nor is there any such rabbinical law demanding human sacrifice.)
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The cult of St Simon was suppressed in 1965.
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Perchance a Jewish man killed one of these saints. However, if it was true, the offender would have been acting contrary to Jewish Law and the Commandments, and he and his followers would have acted on their own. Their Jewishness would have been incidental. That children were killed, there is no doubt, but the real perpetrators likely were never brought to justice. Just so today, we hear of children that have been abducted, most always sexually molested, and very often killed - after mutilation and torture - only to be cast into a river, or buried in a wood. It is a horrible crime. Nevertheless, in our day it is popular to accuse Satanic cults, yet more commonly law enforcement identifies the perpetrators as homosexual or heterosexual pedophiles, and/or pathological serial killers. I'm quite sure that was most likely the case in medieval times as well.
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Are the kids saints and martyrs? The ancient cults were supported by miracles, so I expect they are. Common sense suggests their legend is probably grossly exaggerated if not inaccurate, and I would insist one simply may not claim that Jewish people as a group were responsible for such murders, much less claim such horrible crimes are part of Jewish religious cult. (Although, as stated, some traditionalists believe otherwise. Unfortunately irrational antisemitism lives on.)
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Art: St William, from a rood screen of the medieval church of St. James, now at St. Mary Magdalen's in Norwich.
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Daniel Hannan MEP: The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government

The same can be said for Obama. BTW, his ratings dropped last night.

The Warning...

Mystics and seers from Blessed Anna Maria Taigi to the children of Garabandal have all said a warning will be given to the world in our times in order that people will repent and amend their lives, it will include a correction of consciences, convicting the world of its sin. Failing that, a great chastisement would follow.

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I'm not sure what all of that means precisely, and I no longer follow such prophecies very closely, although I ponder them from time to time. The predicted warning is supposed to be a supernatural event, yet it seems to me that we may be living through another sort of warning right now, since the Church, guided by the Holy Father and the bishops in communion with him, "are (the) authentic teachers, that is teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice." (CCC 2034) This truth has become very evident when we consider the teaching and example of the Pope. As Cardinal head of the CDF, and now as Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father has consistently offered the Church and the world, with great charity, a clear correction of conscience through his presentation of authoritative Catholic teaching on faith and morals, as well as by speaking to, and pointing out the great errors of our age.

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It seems to me the fact that the Pope's teaching has met with such resistance and scorn throughout the Church and the world, is stunning evidence his teaching convicts the world of its sin, correcting consciences by the truth of the Gospel, marked by that sign of contradiction, the Cross, supernaturally illumined in the darkness that covers the earth.

Notre Dame Invites the President

All I can say is that this invitation by a Catholic university clearly demonstrates the ability of many Catholics to compartmentalize faith and morality, if they have any at all.

Feast of the Annunciation

Annunciation by Rossetti.

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Br. Stephen of Sub Tuum has a wonderful post on the Angelus.

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"At Spring Bank, as in most Cistercian houses, Lauds, Vespers and Compline end with a hymn to the Virgin. After Lauds, Sext, and Compline, we recite the Angelus silently as the bell tolls three sets of three peals. Originally a set of three Hail Marys, later three petitions were added recalling the Virgin’s answer to the angelic salutation at the Annunciation. Later a concluding versicle and collect were added." - Read more.

Special

Prime time special tonight.

Something really big is going to happen...

Can't you just feel it?

Obama seeking expanded powers to seize firms...

Nice headline Poodle.

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The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document.

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The government at present has the authority to seize only banks. - Source

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I'm no financial expert of course, but I don't like the sound of this. I also don't like the idea of the government regulating CEO's salaries, and I don't like the government encouraging mobs to stand outside the homes of the rich protesting, or threatening AIG employees with piano wire lynching. And 90% tax on bonuses seems to me to be an abuse of power.

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The Obama Administration is playing around with anarchy.

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Update: President Barack Obama says he hopes "it doesn't take too long" to convince Congress to approve new authority to oversee financial firms. (Source) Gee - I wonder why?

Theology of the Body isn't simple.

Sex can get messy.

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I'm sure most Catholics have heard of cases where a spiritual director took advantage of an unsuspecting soul and imposed his own interpretation of JPII's Theology of the Body during the course of a spiritual healing session in which sexual contact was appropriate, right? Wrong - I mean, that would be wrong in any case.

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I've heard a lot of crazy things said in the name of Theology of the Body, and a person really has to be careful sometimes. However, I can offer you a good rule to follow: If it doesn't feel pure - it isn't - especially if things get, er... ah... sticky. Failing my advice, New Oxford has a good article on the density of JPII's thought embodied within Theology of the Body, written by Fr. Thomas Becket Mullady, O.P. - It sure sounds to me as if Pope John Paul II never changed any of the rules about sex, no matter how many pick-up lines guys can adapt from his writings.

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The "theology of the body" is one of the principal legacies of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. The Pope systematically presented this extensive teaching in his weekly Wednesday audiences in St. Peter's Square from September 5, 1979, until February 9, 1983. Many well-meaning orthodox Catholics have attempted to explain this teaching and its theoretical or practical impact. They have been motivated by the same desire as the Pope: to defend the teaching of Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae in a new systematic way that takes account of Holy Scripture and sometimes uses a method of exposition derived from 20th-century phenomenology. Unfortunately, many of these attempts suffer from a lack of clarity, which has led some people to erroneously conclude that John Paul II's theology of the body is so revolutionary as to contradict Catholic sexual moral teaching. - Source

The Steve Kroft interview.

Calling a spade a spade.

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I watched Steve Kroft's interview with Obama last evening. The last time I checked, the only commentary I found on it were a few indignant responses to the fact Obama laughed as he discussed Wall Street and the economy. I understood that, and I certainly did not think he was taking the matter lightly. What surprised me is his reference to former Vice-President Cheney's criticism of the President's foreign policy, especially regarding the prisoners at Gitmo. The President seemed down right contemptuous of Cheney, along with his (the Bush Administration) policy and treatment of detainees throughout the “hidden global internment network”. In fact, I'm quite certain I've never seen the President like that before. Yet today, I couldn't find one online comment regarding what the President had to say, other than he laughed. Please remember, I do not get the newspapers. So call me Sarah Palin.

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Torture and the Bush Administration.

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Morning's Minion, writing for Vox Nova posted a provocative report concerning the Red Cross report on the use of torture on 'high value' detainees throughout the "hidden global internment network" most of whom ended up at Guantanamo. The report is disturbing and shameful:

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"It (the report) describes a rather lengthy list of torture techniques: suffocation by water; prolonged stress standing; beatings by use of a collar; beating and kicking; confinement in a box; prolonged nudity; sleep deprivation and use of loud music; exposure to cold temperature/cold water; prolonged use of handcuffs and shackles; threats; forced shaving; deprivation/restricted provision of solid food. In the various interviews, a constant was near constant nudity, usually in cells kept in frigid conditions. At the same time, they would be subjected to either constant light or constant darkness and unceasing loud music and noise. They were regularly slammed into the walls. They were left hanging from the ceiling in excruciatingly painful conditions. And subjected to waterboarding." - Read more here.

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As one commenter to the post remarked, "I didn’t understand MM to mean that Obama is good. I understood him to mean that Bush’s support for evil and Obama’s support for evil are cut from the same cloth." - Radical Catholic Mom

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Yep. Evil is evil, no getting around it. This country has been on the road to hell for a long time.

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Art: Fernando Botero, Prisoners at Abu Ghraib

Texting God

And the Saints.

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When I was in 5th grade, I began volunteering at the Little Sisters of the Poor. One day I noticed one of the sisters putting a slip of paper beneath the statue of St. Joseph in the pantry. I asked sister what she was doing and she answered, "We are low on bread, so I'm just reminding St. Joseph."

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I looked at her slightly puzzled and so she tried to explain, showing me all the other little notes that were there, and she said, "In addition to our vocal prayers, it is our custom to sometimes write our prayers of petition and thanksgiving, and place them near St. Joseph's statue. He is our special patron and he always answers us." In fact, just as I was leaving that afternoon, even though it was a Saturday, a local bread company delivered several trays of day old bread. Another sister told me such things happen all of the time. As an adult, I've had similar experiences.

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Yes, I adopted the practice, but only for really important, even desperate petitions. In fact, every monastery I've ever lived in has a little slip of paper with a prayer from me on it - so hidden, only a heavenly person could read it. Naturally, these slips of paper were not my only expression of prayer, they were simply the physical evidence of a spiritual work.

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Recently, while going through papers, books, and religious images I have in storage, I came across petitions dating back 10, 20, even 30 years. One constant petition was on each of them, written in my most minute printing. I smiled, and thanked God, who is rich in mercy, for having answered my prayer. It may take many years of persevering prayer, but God answers every one. Nothing is impossible for God.

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"For by grace you were saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them." - Ephesians 2: 4-10

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Today I pray that God will make me the man he created me to be.

Out of Africa

The Holy Father spoke to the entire world...

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"How much darkness, there is in so many parts of our world! Tragically, the clouds of evil have also overshadowed Africa, including this beloved nation of Angola. We think of the evil of war, the murderous fruits of tribalism and ethnic rivalry, the greed which corrupts men’s hearts, enslaves the poor, and robs future generations of the resources they need to create a more equitable and just society – a society truly and authentically African in its genius and values. And what of that insidious spirit of selfishness which closes individuals in upon themselves, breaks up families, and, by supplanting the great ideals of generosity and self-sacrifice, inevitably leads to hedonism, the escape into false utopias through drug use, sexual irresponsibility, the weakening of the marriage bond and the break-up of families, and the pressure to destroy innocent human life through abortion?" - Source

Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given. - Matthew 19: 11

The celibate's reward.

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I attended the noon Mass at the Cathedral today; opening the Bible I found in the pew, my eye fell upon this passage:

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For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast to my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off. - Isaiah 56: 4-5

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On virginity.

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"Virginity is in no sense a denial of the spousal meaning of the body, as though the body were evil, but is rather an affirmation of that spousal meaning in the way it will exist in Heaven. In terms of this earth, however, it must be looked upon as exceptional, a recommendation of Christ: "Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it" (Mt. 19:11-12). Consecrated virginity involves a renunciation of marriage, but not of the value of marriage nor of the spousal meaning of the body. "If someone chooses marriage, he must choose it exactly as it was instituted by the Creator 'from the beginning,'" Pope John Paul teaches. "If on the other hand someone decides to follow continence for the kingdom of heaven, he must seek in it the values proper to such a vocation." Again, this teaching reflects common Church doctrine: "Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity" (Catechism, #1620; quoting John Chrysostom, De virg., 10,1)." - Source

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Ask and you will receive.

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[The Cathedral of St. Paul has purchased Ignatius Press RSV Bibles, 4 to a pew, for parishioners and visitors to use while stopping in to pray. That is incredibly generous. The Cathedral took on new life at the installation of Fr. Johnson as Rector - he has brought a very vibrant spirituality to the parish.]

Abstinence

Smoking.

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A year and a half ago, I quit smoking, after many years of quitting and restarting the habit. At times I quit for 2 years, other times just for 2 months. Once I quit for 6 years - that was the longest period of time. I prayed, made novenas, gave it up for Lent, but I always went back. The problem was that I always craved a cigarette. I eventually gave in, simply accepting the fact I was addicted, while striving to accept myself. That worked for awhile, but the culture changed, and smoking became a shameful thing, and the pressure was mounting to stop. I suppose the rebel in me resisted the discriminatory propaganda, insisting it was part of my persona... This is who I am. Well not really - I couldn't allow a behavior to define me.

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Nevertheless, deep down I sensed it was a bad. Slowly I began recognizing how unnatural it was for men and women to stand outside office buildings in -20 degree weather and smoke, shivering, yet gratifying their cravings. Almost as much as my non-smoking friends, I too disliked the stench of an overflowing ash tray, the ochre tinge to everything in my house and my car, and the odor that followed me everywhere. I felt shame as drivers yelled at me and called me names as I tossed spent cigarettes out of my car window. I was discriminated against, even by the Government, which is attempting to tax cigarette smokers into poverty. Powerless, I kept smoking - and I kept praying.

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When I finally quit this time, I got very sick with a bad cold that turned into a severe bronchitis, so I wasn't able to smoke - I was sick for about 2 weeks. As I recovered, I figured since I had gone for longer than a week without smoking, I may as well stop entirely. However, the better I felt, the more I desired to smoke again. Gradually the craving went away, almost without notice; until about a month ago I'd say. Unlike cessation smoking episodes in the past, I suddenly realized that the craving was completely gone. I don't know how to explain it, but I just know it is gone. Now I can see a person smoking, or watch a film that glamorizes it, or feel really artsy and depressed, anything from the old bag of triggers, and I have no desire to smoke. It is gone. Only a heavy smoker would know how miraculous that is. (I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day.)

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Sometimes it takes many years of hard work and constant prayer, as well as many fallings and risings, to completely overcome a behavior, a vice, or a bad habit; but with the help of God's grace, anything is possible. And I assure you, it is sheer grace.

St. Agnes, St. Paul, Minnesota

The sanctuary of the Church of St. Agnes.

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I still think the statues of St. Peter and Paul are much too over-scale for the church - they seem ostentatious. I think the parish ought to donate them to the Cathedral of St. Paul. I'm probably alone in this opinion. I never liked the use of onyx at the base of the columns either.

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Nevertheless, it is a beautiful little church. Visit here for more photos.

Embarrassing moments...

"The Deep" - Oils, acrylic, colored pencil on paper. 5" x 7" .
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Your barn door is open. Yeah. A couple of weeks ago I thought I had closed my art blog to viewers, yet when I went to 'clean' it up and add more work, I discovered that it had remained open all along, the only thing I had closed was comments. (No wonder my stats have crashed, I've scared people away!) The little piece shown above is part of my daily exercise, stuff I do when I'm not working on a major piece - fun things to sell on the cheap.
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I have always done stupid, thoughtless things that embarrass me... the embarrassment usually doesn't last of course, and I eventually see the humor in it, and benefit (I hope) from the lesson learned.
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Did anyone watch The Office this past Thursday? Michael quit you know. I swear the writers for that show know me - because the way Michael quit is very close to how and why I quit my last job. I know! So if you're asking yourself, "Is Terry nuts?!" I will answer, "Lil bit." And if Michael starts blogging all thee bad things about Dunder-Mifflin then I will know for certain someone is basing his character on me. Like Michael, I don't like to be managed, nor do I like to do painting commissions.
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My most recent embarrassment occurred as I proceeded to answer an email wanting to know the meaning of one of my paintings. The sender's name was the same as two other commenter's. I assumed it was one of the others asking the question and unwittingly replied to the wrong person. Normally I would double check to make sure I was responding to the correct person, but since I had just received a couple emails from all three, I was sure I knew to whom I was replying. But no, I did not. I'm sure I embarrassed the other guy just as much as myself - I gave out way too much information. I haven't heard from him since.
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I once did something similar at my old job. I was in the habit of writing out my frustrations with the employer, and especially my boss, as if I were sending an email. I'd save the document and go back a day later to re-read it, eventually I'd edit it to be very PC and professional and positive sounding, and when completely neutralized of any emotion, I'd send it along, requesting a meeting to discuss things. Naturally, my boss would be unaware that I was unhappy about anything. One day, not too many months before I resigned, I wrote a blistering first draft - just to vent, and maybe later to rewrite for a more positive presentation. But instead of hitting 'save' I hit 'send'. I know! Of course I freaked - but then I just had to laugh out loud.
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More than a few times I showed some of my rather 'out there' paintings to people who seemed genuinely interested in my work. I can be rather naive. For instance, I once entered "The Descent" into a Christian Art Festival. OMIGOSH! The curators almost freaked - I felt like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddy Shack. Another time I showed my "Seminary Visitation" to a co-worker. He was at a loss for words - which is funny in itself - however, a while later he asked a little indignantly, "Why would you even show me that?" That was just embarrassing and freaky. I felt as if I did something bad. We laughed about it later.
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I've never claimed my art is good art.
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And as far as being embarrassed? Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.
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So anyway - the art blog, "Up Your Street" is open. Enter at your own risk. I'm in the process of creating a portfolio of sorts.

Obama the celebrity.

On the Leno Show.

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I didn't watch. I knew I'd hear about it today. So he made fun of Special Olympians - people who are well will do that. On the road to euthanasia, the disabled are the types who will most likely benefit from Obama's cultural revolution... er, healthcare reform.

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In response to critics of his appearance on Leno, Obama said, "...somebody was saying the other – today, I think – that I shouldn't be on Leno. I can't handle that and the economy at the same time.” (Story) That isn't the point Mr. President - it's about the impression you are making upon the unemployed, the people who have lost everything, and the troops defending a morally bankrupt society...

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Obama was too busy to follow protocol when the British PM visited the White House, yet he can fly around the country giving speeches on a sort of never ending campaign tour, and then show up on Leno cracking jokes. This guy has no manners - just a huge ego.

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Don't be surprised if he follows Hugo Chavez and gets his own television show. He likes to talk.

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Photo: GMA host, Robin Roberts look-a-like.

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Obama gaffs.

"The company of scorners." Psalm 1

Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished;
truth has gone from the sons of men.
Falsehood they speak one to another,
with lying lips, with a false heart. - Psalm 11
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Sorry, comment moderation has been enabled once again.

The increase of evil.

What are the signs?

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The work of the devil will infiltrate even the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. - Message of Akita

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These days the Holy Father, along with the bishops and priests in union with him, including faithful Roman Catholics, are being attacked, mocked, and scorned with increasing ferocity. Now, more than ever, faithful Catholic bloggers need to support one another, and witness to the Faith as best they can. More importantly, we need to stand fast, united in prayer.

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On the feast of St. Joseph, May 1, 1976, the angel told Sr. Agnes after Communion:

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"Many men in this world afflict the Lord. Our Lady awaits souls to console Him. Remain in poverty. Sanctify yourself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and the outrages of so many men. The Rosary is your weapon. Say it with care and more often for the intention of the Pope, of bishops and priests. You must not forget these words (of Mary). The Blessed Virgin prays continually for the conversion of the greatest possible number and weeps, hoping to lead to Jesus and to the Father souls offered to Them by Her intercession. For this intention, and to overcome exterior obstacles, achieve interior unity, form a single heart. Let believers lead a life more worthy of believers! Pray with a new heart. Attach great importance to this day for the glory of God and His Holy Mother. With courage spread this devotion among the greatest number. Inform your superior and him who directs you of what I have told you." - Source

Watchmen

I'm experimenting.
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I'm playing around with my watchmen series. Shown above: "The Novice" - Oil, acrylic, colored pencil and water color on paper. (Sort of like a Pompeian wall painting.)

Solemnity of St. Joseph

I am late posting about Our Holy Father St. Joseph due to the fact I am unable to find an image of him that I like. The above is the best I could come up with.
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Things I know for certain about St. Joseph:
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As St. Teresa of Avila explained to us from her experiences with the patronage of St. Joseph, he is a saint who is ready to help us in every need. Thus, upon her recommendation I attached myself to him many years ago. Lately, images of St. Joseph no longer attract, nor do they tell me about him; neither do writings about his prerogatives, much less the well intentioned speculation concerning his earthly life. No. Rather it is his patronage, his spiritual assistance accompanied by his companionship, that enlightens me most.
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St. Joseph has helped me in every need. For example, he has always found lodging for me on my pilgrimage, as well as a sufficiency to satisfy my needs. And after I settled in one place, he always found suitable employment for me to earn my living. He obtained for me the grace of continence in my friendships, as well as the gift of chastity. He has taught me how to pray - or at least to keep trying to pray. He has obtained for me the gift of temperance, as well as the grace to stop smoking. Through his fatherhood he more or less re-parented me, and taught me to forgive and understand the mystery of God's love despite poverty, hardship, and neglect.
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Yet the greatest grace of all has been his fostering in my soul devotion to the Immaculate Conception and the Divine Infant Jesus.
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St. Joseph ought to have the title of "Wonder-worker" - although there is no more glorious title than, "Foster-father of the Son of God, and chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
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Go to Joseph if you find it difficult to live according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church - he will obtain that grace for you if you ask with holy dispositions - and he will sustain you throughout your life, without sparing you the joy of suffering something for Christ in the process.

What the Holy Father really said concerning the spread of AIDS in Africa.

The media twists everything.

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The Holy Father: “I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome with advertising slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanization of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with those who are suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to be present with those who suffer. And these are the factors that help and bring visible progress.

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“Therefore, I would say that our double effort is to renew the human person internally, to give spiritual and human strength to a way of behaving that is just towards our own body and the other person’s body; and this capacity of suffering with those who suffer, to remain present in trying situations.

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“I believe that this is the first response [to AIDS] and that this is what the Church does, and thus, she offers a great and important contribution. And we are grateful to those that do this.” - Source

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As to be expected, the Roman Catholic Church continues to be in the forefront regarding the AIDS crises, as it had been from the very beginning. Many people seem to forget how in this country, beginning with the ministry of the Missionaries of Charity in lower Manhattan, when at the behest of Cardinal O'Connor, Mother Teresa opened the first home for AIDS patients in the Village. The Holy Father reminds us of the charity of the Church in his reference to the ongoing work of the order of St. Camillus, the Community of St. Egidio, as well as the work of so many religious engaged in serving the sick.

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Fr. Blake has a more precise clarification on what the Pope said than I do, visit him here.

Mounting evidence of Internet bondage...

A nation of twits - as in Twitter.

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Almost daily it seems I come across articles concerning America's addiction to online networks - cell phones, laptops, blackberrys and so on. We have definitely become a turned on culture - forget the drugs - although people still like that stuff too.

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"According to a 2005 survey, most Americans—including children—spend at least nine hours a day watching TV, surfing the web, or talking on their cell phones. Of those hours, one-third of the time is spent using two or more of those media at once.

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While technology has many worthwhile purposes, it demands a high price from us. Studies have shown that our increasing media dependency is crippling our attention spans, wounding our ability to create meaningful relationships, and generating a false expectation that we should be able to be contacted at every hour of the day.

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But getting away from technology is easier said than done. Many of us couldn’t do our jobs if it weren’t for computers, cell phones, and PDAs. But here’s the problem—when we leave work, technology is following close behind us in a constant stream of text messages, Facebook posts, and emails. We’ve become addicts to the god of information." Source

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Terry will be offline most of the day. Him going to adoration, God willing...

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Unless I bring the laptop along and post my prayers... What if people prayed online, would that be bad?

Communion in the hand.

We kneel for adoration before an elaborate monstrance containing a consecrated host enclosed in a protective luna... and yet...

The practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been an ongoing controversy amongst Catholics. Indeed, many traditionally minded Catholics sometimes support their opposition with quotes from private revelations claiming those who received communion that way undergo special punishments in purgatory. I don't know what I think about that.

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However, Fr. Zuhlsdorf has twice posted on the subject of Communion in the hand in the past several days, with the inclusion of documentary photos of the effects. The photos are compelling arguments against the practice. (You will immediately notice how the hands turned black... KIDDING! I'm so kidding.)

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Despite the fact that the practice is approved by most of the Bishops of this country, I prefer to receive on the tongue while kneeling - although it is not always easy to do in some parishes.

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Art: St. Pascal Baylon - Mexican retablo

O'bama, St. Patrick, and ardent Catholics.

St. Paddy's Day parties at the White House.

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The theme at the WH will be green all day. Starting at the top o the morning--or more like 11a.m. -- Obama and Joe Biden will meet with the Taoiseach of Ireland in the Oval Office. A little while later, they'll attend a Shamrock Ceremony in the Roosevelt Room. After meeting with the Northern Ireland officials, Obama will travel to the Capitol where he will deliver remarks at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's St. Paddy's Day lunch.

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Then, later in the evening, Obama will deliver the remarks at not one but two St. Patrick's Day receptions at the WH, where he's hosting Irish American lawmakers and other Irish Americans, a White House aide said. - Source

Blog Culture

I almost deleted my blog.

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The comment I received the other day was so disturbing, I thought I should quit blogging all together - and just as I was planning to develop my art blog and possibly connect with other online art sites to sell some of my work. Today I decided to stay with it, but with a few changes.

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First of all, comment moderation will be enabled. I will screen the comments before posting them.

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Secondly, and more importantly, I will be very careful in the future to respect the dignity of the priesthood - no matter what.

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Since the incident, which had the effect of a swift kick in the butt, I realized I may have inadvertently invited this type of comment due to some of the more off-beat subjects I post about, as well as my off-the-wall humor. I've since been trying to figure out how and why I find it so easy to write something cheeky, or even critical of any priest I come across who happens to strike me as rather eccentric - including cardinals and bishops. From time to time, we all run into this type of post on various Catholic blogs, from the very traditional to the very dissident, and those in between, as well as some written by priests. For instance, the Cardinal of L.A. is a frequent target for many bloggers. Frequently such critiques lead to mockery and scorn, while inviting a variety of opinions which quickly degenerate into factions. When I started to blog, I pretty much got on that band-wagon, so to speak. Over time, after frequent confessions, I've made attempts to be more careful about what I write and how I phrase things, so as not to elicit derision upon the subject of my post. I frequently fail however.

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Therefore, I have decided not to play the critic of those in Holy Orders, even if one of them runs naked through the streets in the early morning hours, as one guy did a year ago. I suppose the freedom Catholics now feel to criticize priests stems from circumstances such as the sex abuse scandals, or serving as 'ministers' of this or that in parishes, along with working closely with the pastor in parish offices, and of course, the disparity in liturgical practice. Another consideration would be that the sacred character of the priesthood is often forgotten or ignored as the emphasis upon the priesthood of the laity grew in importance since the Council.

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In my case I believe it began quite early on, as I became friends with seminarians and priests soon after my conversion, and later, as a result of my monastic experience. Naturally, in that milieu, debate takes place regarding fellow clergy and the episcopate. I've concluded it much more prudent that I limit my my participation in such situations, considering it improper for me to be privy to so much information about the private life of priests and the politics of diocesan life. Working in a Catholic book store proved to be even more detrimental - gossip, calumny, detraction, and slander was much more prevalent in that situation. Too much familiarity... as the Imitation instructs:

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"We must have charity for all, but familiarity is not expedient. It sometimes happens that a person, when not known, shines by a good reputation, who, when he is present, is disagreeable to them that see him.

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We think sometimes to please others by being with them; and we begin rather to disgust them by the evil behavior which they discover in us." - Imitation: Bk I; 8:2

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Of course, that chapter describes me - readers know it. But it also describes the effect familiarity with priests and religious can have upon others as well. Hence, my effort to maintain certain boundaries, albeit frequently failing after becoming passionate about a topic, and then permitting myself to write about what I know. No more.

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I've decided that I may never gossip about, or criticize any priest ever again , no matter if he is a bishop with a liturgical dance team, or a parish priest with a mistress, gay or straight, or just an eccentric computer geek. He is the representative of Christ and the dispenser of his mysteries. As St. Francis De Sales said of priests, "I will close my eyes to their faults, and only see in them God's representatives." Even when it may seem obvious the priest's life does not correspond with the requirements of his office, we owe him respect, and this respect is due his office, since he represents Christ himself.

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That is my policy. I also offer my sincere apology to every priest I may have offended, even when my only intent was either to tease or to make light of something I thought was humorous. I also apologize to anyone I may have caused to disparage any priest. I am very sorry.

The Art of Anthony Visco

The Deposition of St. Andrew
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Visit Mr. Visco's website to view the rest of his portfolio. (He is Master Artist for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at La Crosse Wisconsin.)
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St. Andrew the apostle is the patron saint of Scotland.

Patient endurance.

Reflections upon the virtue of patience (from another source).

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"A monk can allow himself to become depressed to the point of desperation, or he can punish himself and others by becoming angry at everything he sees as a factor in his sorry condition, or he can dedicate himself to a life of unceasing escapism, throwing himself into work and hobbies and mindless entertainments to such a degree that the pain is temporarily assuaged. In any case he has ceased to operate as a monk; he is the plaything of his own anxieties.

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The solution, if he retains any interest in finding one, is to be found in a realistic confidence in the providence of God, who leaves even serious faults in persons otherwise 'holy', and allows those whose confidence is in themselves to perceive the hollowness of their boast. All that comes from the hand of God is good, even when it bears to the light the ignominy of human weakness.

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Ambrose of Milan: 'There are many who seek Christ in times of quiet and do not find him, but they find him in persecutions and find him quickly. The same is true after temptations since God is present to his faithful in their dangers.' It goes against all our theoretical conceptions of lineal progress in the spiritual life, but the strange fact is that God seems more present when things are at their worst. Negative situations have the potential to be transformed by the impress of the cross of Christ.

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Therefore, 'bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ'. (Gal 6:2)" - Michael Casey, O.C.S.O

I need a haircut.

Crap! I meant to make an appointment - too late now - I'm off to confession.
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BTW - I may start painting celebrity mug shots.

How we know that Pope Benedict and Monsignor Ganswein do not read blogs.

In his letter regarding the Bishop Williamson affair, The Holy Father mentioned the following;

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"I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on. I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news." - Source

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Unfortunately, the Holy See probably will have to monitor the Internet more closely. However, I find it consoling to know they are busy with more important matters and do not have all day to waste surfing the net and blogging. (I hope they have a better vetting process than Obama when it comes to appointing someone to oversee it. I'd stay clear of the overly ambitious.)

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Photo: For Kat.

Empty Holy Water Fonts...

And church ladies.

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My local parish has adoration all day on Wednesdays. It is one of Minneapolis' best kept secrets. Few people attend, aside from a handful retired folks, I would guess in their 80's. They each sign up for a specific hour - sometimes coming in by two's. It is very quiet, without distraction; rather than a small chapel, we are in the main church.

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Last spring, the woman who schedules the adorers and finds substitutes for absentees, had to undergo surgery. She asked if I could fill in for her. I was delighted to do so, although I had reservations about reposing the Blessed Sacrament at the end of the day. (The pastor is unavailable at that time of the afternoon.) At the closing of adoration, we recite the hymns and prayers for benediction from our places in the pews; after which, I repose the Sacrament and return the candles and monstrance to their place in the sacristy. For me it is rather difficult to perform this function; though it is permitted, I am not comfortable doing it.

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Although I wasn't aware of it initially on Wednesday, the lady for whom I was filling in is now well enough to resume her responsibility. In fact, she was present for the last two hours of adoration. At one point, she came over to my pew and said a few words about the absence of Holy Water; I mentioned that I noticed a large container of it in the sacristy. "Oh, are you going to fill the fonts then?"

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I laughed. "Not at all. I couldn't do anything like that unless Father asked."

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She chuckled and returned to her pew, without mentioning her desire to close adoration. As we (there were 3 of us) concluded the hymn, I entered the sanctuary to repose the Blessed Sacrament, unaware she was following me; upon leaving the tabernacle, I discovered her standing at the foot of the altar.

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I'm not sure if she was annoyed with me, or if she was embarrassed or what, but I got the distinct impression she wanted to be responsible for 'benediction' from now on. After everything was locked up, I walked with her to her car, and I said, "I hope you will be able to take care of things now, I'm ready to step aside if you don't mind."

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Smiling she said, "Well, maybe we can switch off now and then - we'll talk."

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I rarely, if ever, get involved in parish activities.