Prayers of Thanksgiving

For the new Apostolic Constitution...
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The new canonical structure will allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Church while “preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony,” said Cardinal Levada. Addressing the status of married clergy, the cardinal said that married Anglican clergy would be allowed to be ordained as Catholic priests just as takes place in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Similarly, following the same tradition, those priests will not be allowed to be ordained bishops.
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These ‘Personal Ordinariates’ will be formed, “as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world,” the cardinal prefect said. - CNA 
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Makes me think of a story...
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"The new Pope, putting the enemy to rout and overcoming every obstacle, guides the ship right up to the two columns and comes to rest between them; he makes it fast with a light chain that hangs from the bow to an anchor of the column on which stands the Host; and with another light chain which hangs from the stern, he fastens it at the opposite end to another anchor hanging from the column on which stands the Immaculate Virgin.

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At this point, a great convulsion takes place. All the ships that until then had fought against the Pope's ship are scattered; they flee away, collide and break to pieces one against another. Some sink and try to sink others. Several small ships that had fought gallantly for the Pope race to be the first to bind themselves to those two columns. Many other ships, having retreated through fear of the battle, cautiously watch from far away; the wrecks of the broken ships having been scattered in the whirlpools of the sea, they in their turn sail in good earnest to those two columns, and having reached them, they make themselves fast to the hooks hanging down from them and their they remain safe, together with the principal ship, on which is the Pope. Over the sea their reigns a great calm." - St. John Bosco

What I'm up to...

I've been working in the yard - pulling up Engleman ivy trailers - cutting down dead lilac trees, bringing in pots - oh - did you hear Obama is going to pull-off the Feds from going after medical marijuana dealers?  I know!  I can't wait to get sick.  If marijuana was legal, would it still be a sin?   

I cut down a cherry tree today too - I'm making a rough crucifix out of it to mount a 19th century hand carved wooden corpus upon.  I'm going to start selling  a good portion of my collection - I suppose on eBay - any one familiar with how to do that?  I hate to figure stuff out for myself.  Believe me - possessions are such a burden - at one time I wanted all this stuff, but now it weighs me down.

Anyway, in all honestly, I have been really bored with the Internet and blogging.  Doesn't it seem like the same thing over and over?  We keep writing about the same stuff and people who object to our being right about everything - all the time - keep writing their own crap trying to refute us and no one even cares what they have to say in the first place, ya know?

That said - thanks to all of you who read me and comment and stuff - I like you too - really a lot.  I pray for you every day as if you are my family - and some of you feel so close, you could be family, or at least my BFF next door neighbor.  You guys are amazing - you know me and yet still like me.  Big hug!

I have to go now.

Oh! if only this interior abjection were accepted, loved and valued, no one would consent to be without it, because it brings the soul nearer to God.

From the Letters of Fr. Jean Pierre Caussade:
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When the reproaches of your conscience, however well merited they may be, throw you into a state of trouble and depression; when they discourage and upset you, it is certain that they come from the devil who only fishes in troubled waters, says St. Francis of Sales.
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The rebellion of the passions, and that excessive sensitiveness which causes one to be put out beyond measure on the slightest provocation ought not to disquiet, nor to discourage anyone suffering from them, nor to make him think that his desire of sanctification is not sincere. This mistake and the discouragement it occasions are more harmful than all the other temptations. To get rid of them, or to overcome them we must
be well persuaded that these rebellions, and this extreme sensitiveness are sent to us by God to be the ground of our combats and victories; and that these little falls are permitted to help us to practise humility.
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Looked upon in this light our falls will be incomparably more useful to us than victories spoilt by vain self-complacency. This is a very certain and a very encouraging truth. We must be convinced, thoroughly convinced that our miseries are the cause of all the weakness we experience, and that God, in His mercy, allows them for our good. Without them we should never be cured of a secret presumption and a proud confidence in ourselves. Never should we be able to rightly understand that all that is bad is ours, and that all that is good is from God alone. To acquire a habit of thinking thus it is necessary to pass through a great number of personal experiences, and there is a greater necessity for this the more deeply rooted these vices are, and the greater the hold they have on the soul.
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You must never feel surprised at finding that a day of great recollection is followed by one full of dissipation; this is the usual condition in this present life. These changes are necessary, even in spiritual things, to keep us in humility, and a state of dependence on God. The saints themselves have passed through these alternations, and others still more troublesome. Only try not to give rise to them yourself; but should this, unfortunately, happen, then humble yourself peacefully and without vexation, which would be a worse evil than the original one; then endeavour to regain self-control, and to return to God; doing so quietly without over-eagerness, and by means of a total holy abandonment to God’s ways.
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Oh! if only this interior abjection were accepted, loved and valued, no one would consent to be without it, because it brings the soul nearer to God. This great God has, in fact, declared that He draws near to those who humble themselves and who love to be humiliated. If it is good for us to be humbled in the sight of others it is no less useful to be annihilated in our own eyes, in our pride and self-love which are put an end to in this way. It is thus, in fact, that they are gradually extinguished in us, and for this purpose does God permit so many different subjects for interior humiliation. It only remains to know how to profit by them, by following the advice of St. Francis of Sales, and practising acts of true humility, gently and peacefully; and this will drive out false humility which is always in a state of vexation and spite.
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Vexation and spite under humiliation are so many acts of pride, just as worry and irritation during suffering are so many acts of impatience. Let us not forget this, and let us take good care not to look upon the want of feeling we experience for the things of God as callousness; it is simply dryness, and a trial as inevitable and ordinary as distractions. If it is constant it is a still better sign, because it is in this way that God prepares the soul to proceed by pure faith, the most sure and meritorious way. - Jean Pierre de Caussade, Letter XVII
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Art: "Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear

Why were the North American Martyrs killed?

What were they doing trying to convert Native Americans in the first place?
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"All of these Martyrs were killed for the faith by the Indians because they preached Christ." - Fr. Hardon: On the North American Martyrs: Suffering and Martyrdom
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Yet today, in our age of the New Evangelization,  it seems that Roman Catholics are many times discouraged from proselytizing - to proclaim the Gospel and to make converts - and not just by the groups they are hoping to evangelize either.

Blogs, Twits, and Twats

IMHO

The runaway balloon guy...

Desperate for fame.
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Kind of like bloggers.
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I'm so bored with this stuff.

Almost Like a Brigittine Rosary...

Eighteen decades worth.

Art: Source

At Mass tonight...

I thought of Our Lord's words to the rich young man:

"Why do you call me good?  No one is good but God alone." - Mark 10

St. Peter of Alcantara

Saint Peter of Alcantara's liturgical feast has always been celebrated on October 19, the day after his death. Due to the fact that the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist is observed on October 18, his feast was assigned to October 19, when his feast was included in the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in the year 1670. Owing to reform of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in the year 1969 and the limited importance of his feast worldwide, St Peter's feast was removed. The inclusion of Saint Peter of Alcantara in the Roman Martyrology as one of the saints of October 18 means that he may still be given official honors everywhere. Traditional Roman Catholics continue to celebrate the feast day of "St Peter of Alcantara, Confessor" on October 19. - Source

Michael - recovering from brain surgery.

I received the following from Michael yesterday:
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michael r. said...
I want to thank you and your readers for the prayers. I am humbled by your generosity. My surgery went rather well. I seem to be mosly ok; not doing anything too inappropriately. I have a lot of pain, but I can deal with physical pain. I will know more about the path ahead in a couple of weeks when the staples are removed from my head and all of the biopsies are complete. It sounds like more radiation and chemo. I had a good visit with a priest while in the hospital. He seems to have sought me out. I think some prayers were guiding him along. It was a rather profound experience for me. The question remains, why do I keep beating such odds?

Let's keep praying for him.  Thanks.

So there really is no gay agenda?

And the Hate Crimes Bill will not impinge upon Church teaching regarding homosexuality?
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That is what many homosexual activists want people to believe, while accusing of lying or exaggeration those contending the opposite.  There are grave concerns the federal hate crimes bill - currently before the senate - has the potential to limit freedom of speech and religion.  The bill clearly states that "courts may consider relevant evidence of speech, beliefs, or expressive conduct to the extent that such evidence is offered to prove an element of a charged offense or is otherwise admissible." (Source)  Opponents to the bill (including the ACLU) are concerned that it's passage would allow that any politician, pastor, preacher, priest, rabbi or imam who teaches or makes statements, based upon their moral traditions - that homosexual acts are disordered, unnatural or immoral - could be found guilty of a federal crime. 
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Charges of thought crimes have been brought against public figures elsewhere - Europe and Canada  to be specific.  European homosexualists have started to use repressive powers of state to silence expressions of opposition... as implied by British pro-homosexual activist Peter Bradley's e-mail to AFTAH stating, “You are very lucky that you live in the United States as we have laws in the United Kingdom about inciting hatred based on sexual orientation… here you would be imprisoned; and justly so.” - Source 

Under such hate crime legislation - which BTW protects a special group of people who already have the same equal protection under the law as other US citizens - it is entirely likely that church groups and/or religious leaders could face prosecution for inciting hatred if and when an individual act of discrimination or violence perpetrated against a protected group could be blamed upon a specific religious teaching, or even a homily condemning immoral sexual acts, and so on.  After all, it is part of the gay agenda...
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At least for people like David Bohnett...
 
“We must treat the causes of intolerance and bullying as well as the symptoms of them,” he remarked. “And as we see most often, it is the evangelical and fundamentalist groups that teach homosexuality is a sin, who stand in the way of fairness and equality.


“It’s time to combat head-on the religious organizations that are funding the opposition to marriage equality and safe school legislation.”


Let us make it known, however, that we will challenge those religious leaders and institutions that shamefully and cowardly use the imprimatur of their church and the name of god [sic] and Jesus to promote hatred and bigotry toward lesbians and gay men,” Bohnett declared. “Among our greatest adversaries who actively work against us are the leaders of the Catholic, Mormon, and evangelical churches who seek to deny equal protection for us and for our children.”



“The bible [sic] is all too often used as a weapon against us, quoted and misquoted by those who seek to deny us freedom and equality,” he continued, arguing that children taught that the Bible condemns homosexuality may become “school bullies” and later become the adults who vote “to deny marriage equality.”


“It’s time we raise our children to be independent thinkers and deeply suspicious of bible beating organized religion. We’d be much better off if parents were honest with their children about the hypocrisy of some churches with regard to homosexuality.”

Bohnett then outlined tactics to "counter faith based discrimination,” saying it is an obligation to take “active measures” to create a world “free of bigotry and intolerance.” He advised an “aggressive response” to critics that “confronts lies with facts” and also a “preemptive campaign” that anticipates the arguments of homosexual activists’ opponents and undermines their credibility.


He said activists should speak with friends, family and co-workers about “religious intolerance as one of the main impediments to progress in the march toward full equality for lesbians and gay men and their families.” - David Bohnett, acceptance speech for his GLSEN award, October 9, 2009 Respect Awards
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Talk about an agenda, or the slippery slope of hate crimes legislation.  Strange twist to the term religious intolerance as well - from my perspective it seems obvious gays are the ones intolerant of Catholic teaching.
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So anyway:  The Catholic Church is NOT homophopic.
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Those opposed to homosexual behavior are often charged with "homophobia"—that they hold the position they do because they are "afraid" of homosexuals. Sometimes the charge is even made that these same people are perhaps homosexuals themselves and are overcompensating to hide this fact, even from themselves, by condemning other homosexuals.
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Both of these arguments attempt to stop rational discussion of an issue by shifting the focus to one of the participants. In doing so, they dismiss another person’s arguments based on some real or supposed attribute of the person. In this case, the supposed attribute is a fear of homosexuals.
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Like similar attempts to avoid rational discussion of an issue, the homophobia argument completely misses the point. Even if a person were afraid of homosexuals, that would not diminish his arguments against their behavior. The fact that a person is afraid of handguns would not nullify arguments against handguns, nor would the fact that a person might be afraid of handgun control diminish arguments against handgun control.
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Furthermore, the homophobia charge rings false. The vast majority of those who oppose homosexual behavior are in no way "afraid" of homosexuals. A disagreement is not the same as a fear. One can disagree with something without fearing it, and the attempt to shut down rational discussion by crying "homophobe!" falls flat. It is an attempt to divert attention from the arguments against one’s position by focusing attention on the one who made the arguments, while trying to claim the moral high ground against him.

The Call to Chastity.

The modern arguments in favor of homosexuality have thus been insufficient to overcome the evidence that homosexual behavior is against divine and natural law, as the Bible and the Church, as well as the wider circle of Jewish and Christian (not to mention Muslim) writers, have always held.

The Catholic Church thus teaches: "Basing itself on sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2357).

However, the Church also acknowledges that "[homosexuality’s] psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. . . . The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s cross the difficulties that they may encounter from their condition.

"Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection" (CCC 2357– 2359). - Source
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Links:
Support for Catholics with homosexual inclination:  http://www.couragerc.net/

Would you be worried?

Teaching about Fatima in Catholic schools.  Oh my.
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I came across a blog post by a Catholic dad questioning a worksheet his eldest child brought home from school asking what our Lady of Fatima had revealed to the seers during the apparitions in 1917.  The subject matter struck the dad as "quite odd".  The fact that he found it quite odd strikes me as quite odd.  After all, Fatima is an approved apparition, with a great deal of official Church support, frequently visited and referenced, even promoted by popes, and lest one forget, the message of Our Lady at Fatima was explained and well documented by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 
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In addition, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima is fixed in the Roman Calendar, albeit observed as an optional memorial outside of Portugal and titular parishes.  (Optional memorial doesn't imply optional belief.  When an apparition is approved - the Church is declaring it is worthy of belief; when it is assigned a liturgical feast, I'd say it can not be so easily dismissed as optional to accept.)   Therefore, why wouldn't a Catholic student learn about such things in a Roman Catholic school?  If I were a parent, I'd be concerned about a great deal more that can find its way into the curriculum of our Catholic schools.

That said, while it is true private revelations are not part of the deposit of faith, and Catholics are not obligated to follow them, Catholic piety and devotion as well as the liturgy, recognizes, includes, accepts and encourages the faithful in such practices.  It should be remembered that the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes has been extended to the Universal Church, the shrine itself an international destination for pilgrims.  Likewise,  the feasts and devotions of the Brown Scapular and Miraculous Medal - both sacramentals originating from apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, have been established throughout the Universal Church; there is a feast of OL of the Miraculous Medal, and a feast of OL of Mt. Carmel.  Of course, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a solemnity in many places in the Western Hemisphere, and commemorated by Spanish speaking countries everywhere, yet she is the patron of the Americas.  All three of these devotions originated with apparitions, that is, private revelations.

As the Catechism explains:  "Throughout the ages, there have been so-called private revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church.  They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith.  It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history.  Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church." - CCC 67

"Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries." - CCC 66

The Blessed Virgin introduced nothing new at Fatima, she simply reiterated authentic Catholic teaching:  As one famous priest stated, "Our Lady came to Fatima as Mother and Catechist."

"Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to you I offer praise; for what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children." - Matt. 11:25

Photo source.

Congratulations Bishop Sirba

Te Deum Laudamus!
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The Holy Father has named Fr Paul Sirba, 49, vicar-general of St Paul and Minneapolis, as bishop of Duluth, succeeding Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, who was named coadjutor of Cincinnati a year ago this month.

This is the 5th bishop I actually know!  Fr. Sirba is one of the kindest, holiest priests I have ever known.  He is friends with Bishop Christensen in the diocese right next door to his... what a pair.  God bless them.

I will miss Fr. Sirba very much.

H/T to Ray for sending me the announcement after he found it on Whispers... 

This is as good a time as any to mention that these guys were not at all ambitious for such honors - being named bishop was most likely never even on their radar screen.  "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly!"
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Prayers and best wishes for Bishop Sirba.  Read more here.

Teresa de Jesus

Happy feast day.
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I found a site with some of the saint's Letters.

What?

Day of recollection in preparation for the feast of St. Teresa.

Who is Tessa Bielecki?

For starters, she's no longer a monk.
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Tessa Bielecki cofounded the Spiritual Life Institute with Fr. Wm. McNamara, and lived there as monk and Mother Abbess for almost 40 years. She now lives alone in a log cabin in the wilderness outside Crestone, Colorado, where she writes and teaches. Tessa recently created the Desert Foundation, an informal Circle of Friends who explore the wisdom of the world’s deserts, focusing on peace and understanding between the three Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She was one of the first teachers at Naropa University’s Buddhist-Christian dialogue in the 1980s and considers that experience pivotal in her life. She is the author of several books and CDs on St. Teresa of Avila, and recently recorded Wild at Heart for Sounds True. - Source
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Watch out for New Age false mysticism.

Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, 1917

Please remember in your prayers my friend Michael R. who is undergoing brain surgery today.  Thanks.  (Michael has been a regular reader of my blogs from the beginning.)

Christopher Columbus, Third Order Franciscan.

The "Columbian" evangelization.
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Columbus was not only a good man. He was extraordinary.
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"What is not commonly known is that the growing power of the followers of Mohammed had closed the normal pathway from Europe to the Orient. In God's providence, this is what occasioned the search for another way to the Indies. Most historians claim that this was the dominant motive for Columbus going west so that the wealth of the East might be found. The Book of Prophecies shows the opposite. Commercial interests were certainly prominent in the minds of others. But Columbus had deeper spiritual interests at heart. It was surely part of God's mysterious design that Columbus should have planted the true faith in the New World at the same time that Islam was overrunning Africa, the Near East, and was being driven out of Southern Europe.
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As early as 1493, Columbus wrote a letter to the Royal Treasurer of Spain in which he speaks of the discovery of the New World as a great victory. Yet, it was not a victory by force of arms but a victory of bringing the truth to people who were sitting in the darkness of unbelief. He wrote, "Since our Redeemer gave this victory to our most illustrious King and Queen and to their famous realms, in so great a manner, it is fitting for all Christendom to rejoice and to make celebrations and give solemn thanks to the Holy Trinity with many solemn prayers for the great exultation which it will have and the turning of so many peoples to our holy Faith."
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Franciscan tertiary.
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All that we know about Columbus testifies to his having lived up to his Franciscan Rule. We know that he would wear the Franciscan habit, especially when he appeared before the Royalty or nobility. Except for the Franciscans with whom he stayed before leaving on his historic voyage, he would never had received the entree to Ferdinand and Isabella which opened the door to the New World. He went to confession to Franciscan priests. He would spend long periods of time in worshiping before the Blessed Sacrament in Franciscan chapels. When he left Palos, Spain on August 3, 1492 to cross the Atlantic, he left his son in the care of the Franciscans at their monastery.

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There was one feature of Columbus' Franciscan spirituality that by now we have seen was dominant in his historic discovery. It is the zeal of St. Francis, as expressed in his Rule of Life, "To go among the Saracens or other unbelievers." As we know, Francis himself did the incredible thing of personally visiting the Moslem Sultan in the Near East to bring him the Gospel of the Christian faith. To this day, Franciscans are the authorized guardians of the sacred places in the Holy Land." - Fr. Hardon on Christopher Columbus

Rafael Arnaiz Baron

Rafael was canonized today in Rome.

Didget on the march on Washington...

“He knows this march is happening, and he can’t even acknowledge it?” said Robin McGehee, 36, a co-director of the march.


Sweetie, he did the same thing with the Tea Party marchers, so at least take comfort in the fact that in that category, gays have achieved a semblance of equality.  Alas, the President ignores you, too. See, at only about 2% of the population, well, he's just not that into you. And he knows that liberals - and I am guessing a lot of gays fall into that category too - have a codependent relationship with him, like a battered spouse. Y'all will forgive him and after stamping your feet, return to the fold. You can't help yourselves.

After all, you still like Bill Clinton and he gave you both the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and the Defense of Marriage Act.

By the way, when the New York Times says "thousands" came out and there is no wide angle shot of the Mall, it was less than 10,000. Maybe even less than 5,000. - Digital
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I know!  Thanks Didget!

Teresa of Avila

Last evening I watched episodes of the Spanish film Teresa de Jesus, produced in 1984 as a mini-series for Spanish television.  It is an absolute jewel of a film and the saint is magnificently portrayed by the Spanish actress Concha Velasca, who I think bears a remarkable resemblance to Teresa.  The series is faithful to the writings of St. Teresa which, if one is familiar with them, one recognizes the scenes or recalls her wonderful descriptive prose describing the events and the persons involved, not to mention her teaching on prayer.  Watching this film is the next best thing to actually being  present with her in these circumstances.  The historical accuracy is incredible for a theatrical production.  One of the most edifying aspects of the series is how it traces Teresa's conversion story - she is a wonderful saint for sinners.

Last evening I watched the episode which included her friendship with a wayward priest, to whom she made her confessions and sought guidance.  (Read Peers translation here - Chapter 5 of Autobiography.)  I was touched by her charity and reverence for his supernatural vocation despite her knowledge of his infidelities.  It was through her friendship with the the priest that he was able to break free of an adulterous affair.  The lesson was well taken, and hopefully from now on I may follow suit and become less chastening in my remarks concerning errant clergy.

St. Teresa's feast day is this Thursday, October 15.  If you haven't read her, try to do so - I found her Autobiography to be the best place to start - it contains excellent teaching on prayer.  Her style is easy to understand.  I think the very best translation of her work has been done by the Institute of Carmelite Studies.  Her Life (Autobiography) is available in Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. I through Amazon.com
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Art:  Communion of St. Teresa, Claudio Coello.  St. Peter of Alcantara giving communion to St. Teresa of Avila.  Source - I had copies of paintings done by this company before - their work is excellent - perfect hand painted copies of the original at very modest prices.     

Mother of God

October 11 was once observed as the feast of the Divine Maternity of Mary, but in the reformed calendar the feast is now commemorated on January 1.
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Between the Orthodox and the Latin rite, I think there is some sort of feast day for Our Lady every day.
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Fr. Hardon on Devotion to the Divine Maternity.

I don't know what it was...

But the cantor at Mass tonite sounded like Catherine O'Hara singing. When Fr. started his intro to the penetential rite at Mass, he sounded like Homer Simpson. I had not been drinking either. It's probably just too much TV.

The Hate Crimes Bill... Sneaking its way through Congress.

"Democrats should stop using our troops and their families as a vehicle for their political games." - Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.)
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The hate crimes measure was attached to a $680-billion defense policy bill, which included a 3.4% pay increase for the military and authorization for the development of a new engine for the next-generation jet fighter, among other items. - Source

Republicans have complained they were placed in a politically awkward postion - that if they voted against the bill they would be demonized as voting against military personal and their families.  Both sides of the aisle have resorted to similar tactics to get controversial measures through - which is why a line item veto option is so important.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't matter in this case, since Obama supports the measure.  The bill is before the Senate now and should have no trouble passing.
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So what's wrong with the bill?  A couple of things:  Among others, the measure has the potential of prohibiting free speech and freedom of religion:  A homily providing Catholic teaching on homosexual acts as intrinsically disordered and sinful could be construed as a hate-crime or inciting hate - especially if a member of the Church had been accused of an actual hate crime.  Blame the priest - blame the Church.  It happens in Canada and Europe already.  The measure also has the potential of limiting American's right to free speech.  In effect, the measure amounts to "thought crimes" legislation and singles out a politically privleged group for special protections.  It's another aspect of the nanny state - Big Brother will take care of you as long as you conform to the plan.  It is a control measure - another liberty surrendered to placate a special interest.   
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Thus far, it seems to me, our justice system adequately provides all necessary protections the American people require - excluding unborn infants of course.  Violent crime committed against any person is already against the law in this country.  In addition, we have a legal system which allows for lawsuits and settlements of disputes arising from workplace discrimination, defamation of character, calumny, slander,  and many other violations of individual rights and freedoms.
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"The real reason for hate crime laws is not the defense of human beings from crime. There are already laws against that - and Matthew Shepard's murderers were successfully prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in a state with no hate crimes law at the time. The real reason for the invention of hate crimes was a hard-left critique of conventional liberal justice and the emergence of special interest groups which need boutique legislation to raise funds for their large staffs and luxurious buildings." - Andrew Sullivan.
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Tomorrow the gays march in Washington, after a special address from the President tonight.  Even Barney Frank thinks the march is over-kill:
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Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay member of Congress, says he'd rather see gay rights supporters lobbying their elected officials than marching in Washington this weekend, calling the demonstration "a waste of time at best."
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Frank said in an interview with The Associated Press that he considers such demonstrations to be "an emotional release" that does little to pressure Congress.
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"The only thing they're going to be putting pressure on is the grass," the Massachusetts Democrat said Friday.
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Thousands of gay men and women are expected to gather for Sunday's National Equality March.
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Organizers say the march is only part of a broader effort that includes the kind of lobbying Frank is urging.

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"We hear Congressman Frank when he says this is about getting back into your district and doing the work there," said Kip Williams, co-director of the march. But he said the march in Washington "is about building community and building a network who will go back and do that work." - Source

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Yet they say there is no agenda.
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And they don't want us to say anything about it either...

Many are called, few are chosen.

"It should not frighten you that in the Church the bad are many and the good few...
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'For many are called, but few are chosen.'
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Dearest brethren, we should fear with a great fear the words we have just now heard. All we here present, already called through faith, have come to the marriage of the Heavenly King. We believe and confess the mystery of His Incarnation, and we partake of the banquet of the Divine Word. But in a day to come the King of judgement will enter in among us.
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That we are called, we know; that we are chosen, we do not know. And so the more each one of us knows not whether he is chosen, so much the more do we need to humble ourselves in humility. There are, we know, those who do not even begin to do good; and some who do not remain constant in the good works they begin. Another is seen to pass almost his whole life in evil-doing, but close to the end he is drawn back from wickedness through tears of earnest repentance. Another seems to lead the life of one of the elect, and yet it happens that at the end of his life he will turn aside to the wickedness of heresy. Another begins well, and ends even better; while another, from his first years, gives himself to every evil, and growing ever worse than himself is destroyed in the midst of these very evils. In the measure therefore that each one knows not what is yet to come, in that measure should he live in fear and anxiety for himself before God: for, and let us say it over and over again, and let us never forget it: many are called, but few are chosen." - Saint Gregory the Great (Entire homily at Rorate Caeli.)
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Art:  Ladder of St. John Climacus - Source

Fr. Federico Lombardi: Has anyone ever done a background check on this guy?

Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi told L’Osservatore Romano that President Obama’s reception of the award “is greeted with appreciation by the Vatican” due to his efforts “to promote peace in the international arena, particularly in the recent effort in favor of the nuclear disarmament." - Source
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Huh?

Fine artist.

The image shown above will be presented to the Holy Father for the canonization of Fr. Damien this Sunday.
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Rome, Italy, Oct 9, 2009 / 06:24 am (CNA).- As the October 11 canonization of the Fr. Damien de Veuster approaches, an art teacher is leading a small group from Hawaii to Rome to present Pope Benedict XVI with a portrait of the saint painted by an artist paralyzed by Lou Gehrig’s Disease, also known as ALS.

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Fr. Damien, a hero to Hawaiians, ministered to a major leper colony on Molokai where he contracted and eventually succumbed to leprosy in the late nineteenth century. - Read more.
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It is an amazing work, reminiscent of Van Gough.  View larger image here.

Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize... no s--t!

Our Lady of Good Remedy

October 8 is the feast of Our Lady of Good Remedy.  Please pray for my friend Michael R. who will be undergoing brain surgery next week on the 13 of October.  Thank you!
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History.
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800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8.
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Prayer
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O QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate thee. Thou art the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.


O Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy comes to the aid of all who call upon thee, extend thy maternal protection to us. We depend on thee, Dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.



Hail, Mary....



O LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from thy treasury of graces in our time of need.

Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.



Hail, Mary....



DEAR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, thy compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me with thy prayers and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for... (Indicate your special intentions here).

On my part, O loving Mother, I pledge myself to a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.

Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus.



Hail, Mary.....



V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,

R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.  Link



St. Michael of the Saints, pray for us.  Link

See, this is a big, big deal: NAMBLA

Man-boy love is a much bigger deal than most people are willing to acknowledge.  Few could even imagine such deviant behavior until it is exposed to the light - something that usually happens only after the arrest of a predator, as was the case with Canadian Bishop Lahey.  Today it has come to light that the French Minister of Culture (who defended Polanski), may also be involved in the international industry - a charge he has denied thus far. 
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France's culture minister is struggling to keep his job amid an uproar about a 2005 book in which he details Bangkok's brothels and the pleasure and freedom of paying "boys" for sex.
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Frederic Mitterrand's candid tale came back to haunt him after he jumped to the defense of filmmaker Roman Polanski, currently in a Swiss prison on U.S. charges relating to his sexual liaison with a 13-year-old girl when he was 43.
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The affair is awkward for France and especially French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose embrace of non-conservatives such as Mitterrand has upset his ruling UMP party. Mitterrand's critics say it's about child sex tourism, which France's government is campaigning against. But it also involves a politician's sex life, which many French consider private business, and a public figure's recognition of his homosexuality. - Source
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Do not feel sorry for these predators.  Even if simply clients - sex tourists - they are part of a network, an international industry.  That is not a conspiracy theory - it is a fact.  Which is why Lahey was stopped at the airport.
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Italian Priest Uncovers Pedophile Networks
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Father Di Noto, a native of Sicily, explained that with the aid of a team of volunteers, Meter discovered "a universe that is not virtual, but real, in which people can register and exchange pornographic material of minors -- photos, videos, even dates with minors -- through one of the most well known social networks in the United States."
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The priest added: "There is not a nation which has not been involved. Tens of thousands of people produce, exchange and possess material, and violate children."

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"This is not 'virtual' material," he asserted, "but real, so real that when you hear in the videos the children's screams of pain, when you see in the photos the faces of the newborns, you can hear the drama, the pain, the suffering." - Source






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Snow in the forecast.

This afternoon I'll be busy taking in the trees and placing them in their winter quarters until next spring. I have 3 large Boxwood spirals that have to come in as well - they're very heavy.

Just for men...

Tips on facial hair.
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An easy and versatile look to pull off, sideburns are a staple on the men's fashion scene. When it comes to sideburn length, the norm is for your sideburns to end at the midpoint of your ear. Trim your sideburns with a razor or clippers, or have them trimmed when you go for a haircut. This is a great default style that's easy to maintain and remains timeless.  Long sideburns really only work on younger, hipper guys.
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The goatee...
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If you think you look good sporting a more rugged goatee, you can try a goatee with a mid-way chinstrap, as seen on rappers (like Omarion) and athletes.  (Young, hip - get it?)  Basically the goatee is the same as it used to be (with or without the patch of hair right underneath the bottom lip), only it has longer sideburns that morph into what's known as a semi-"chinstrap." Keep in mind that this is NOT recommended for a day at the office -- try it out while you're on vacation or if you're going for a more rough and tough look (on the farm).
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Clean-shaven.
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While you don't need me to elaborate further on this style, a clean-shaven look is timeless and the most appropriate look for a professional who must maintain a dignified, respectable, and mature image. You can never go wrong with a shaved face. - AskMen

Cathy of Alex needs a job...

In the meantime she is doing this. I know! So pray that Cathy of Recovering Dissident Catholic blog gets a good job soon. Thanks!

African Bishops Dazzled By Obama?

Don't give the man any more ideas...
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Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, Ghana said Wednesday that there was "a divine plan behind" Obama's election.
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"It's like the biblical story repeating itself," he told reporters, citing the Old Testament figure Joseph, who after being sold into slavery in Egypt ends up becoming a top official.
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"We believe God has his own plans. God directs history," he said of the U.S. election. "We pray that it (Obama's presidency) brings blessings for Africa and the whole world."
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Earlier this week, the Ghanian prelate leading the three-week meeting on the Church in Africa, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana, cited Obama's election in saying he didn't see any reason why there couldn't now be a black pope. - Source
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You don't say...
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Archbishop Gregory mentioned something about the possibility of there being a black Pope after Obama won the election as well.
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You know of course, before John Paul II a non-Italian was hardly expected to be elected to the papacy - although non-Italians had been Popes in the past - including Africans.  I may be wrong, but since when does race or nationality factor into the election of a Pontiff?
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No doubt God permitted the election of Obama as President - but we are living in the New Coveneant, not the Old - so the analogy with Joseph doesn't really work for me - it sounds a little 'evangelical' if you ask me.  Especially since Joseph, as a type,  prefigured Christ.  Now if they compared him to Antiochus Epiphanes, I could maybe understand that one.    
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So anyway, if there are blessings to be had, I would be willing to bet that Muslims would get the nod from Obama before African Catholics.

Preserve Innocence . . . Oppose the Jennings Nomination

This is very important. Go to the following website to act:
http://www.expeljennings.org/

Quick story...

Paranoid conspiracy theorists...
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I was at my lawyer's office this morning, taking care of my will and health care directives and all of that end of life crap.  (No - I'm not dying, darnit.)  I'm also not going to get into detailed information here, but suffice it to say I brought in a couple of Catholic healthcare directives and related proxy documents.  My attorney is very knowledgeable and professional of course.  So I explained the documents and my Catholic expectations.  She was familiar with the documents - compared them to what she had, and explained why hers were better.
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I hesitated just for a moment.  I thought, "Can I believe her?"  And before I could put it all together in my head she checked areas in each document for me to compare and explained specific language in my documents left open the possibility for interpretation of my intent, etc..  Like I said - I'm not going into detail on what is involved here.  Nevertheless, I saw that she was/is absolutely right and I decided I'm going with her recommendations.  She is the professional, she is the expert, she is working for me.
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Anyway - the episode alerted me to to the fact that I'm turning into a paranoid conspiracy theorist - mistrusting absolutely everyone... And I'm pretty sure a lot of people are getting this way these days.  Death-panel-phobics fighting the liberal agenda...  Everyone else is the enemy.  As John Allen of NCR explains something Cardinal George wrote:  "...conservatives often end up in a sectarian dead-end, clinging to a narrow and triumphalistic version of Catholic identity sealed off from the surrounding culture." - Source 
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Man!  All I can say is that I have to get out more and quit spending so much time on the stupid internet.

Our Lady of the Rosary

"He must say many rosaries first..."  - Our Lady of Fatima
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"The sinner who has lost sanctifying grace cannot merit in this state, for sanctifying grace is the radical principle of all supernatural merit.  Yet, by an actual transitory grace, the sinner can pray; he can ask the grace of conversion; and if he asks for it with humility, confidence, and perseverance, he will obtain it.  Whereas merit, which is a right to a reward, is related to divine justice, prayer is addressed to the mercy of God, which often restores fallen souls and hears their prayers without any merit on their part.
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... Moreover, the just man may obtain by prayer certain graces which he could not merit, in particular the gift of final perseverance.  This gift cannot be merited, for it is nothing other than the continuation until death of the state of grace, which is the principle of merit.  Obviously it would be impossible to merit the very principle of merit.  However, final perseverance or the grace of a happy death can be obtained by humble, trusting, daily prayer.
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For this reason the Church invites us to say daily with fervor in the second part of the Hail Mary; 'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death . Amen.'  Here prayer goes farther than merit, addressing itself, not to divine justice but to infinite mercy." - Three Ages of the Interior Life; Vol. I, Chapter VII: The Increase of the Life of Grace Through Prayer
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Link:
Fifteen Promises of the Holy Rosary
Art:
Our Lady of the Rosary of Santiago

Got wind?

Photo credit: Catholic Eye Candy

Feast of St. Bruno

[ For the Solemnity of Saint Bruno, twelve Readings were proclaimed at the Carthusian night Office (Matins). Here are two excerpts of eight of those twelve from the Apostolic Constitution, Umbratilem, by Pope Pius XI. Read more at Secret Harbor blog.]

"All those, who, according to their rule, lead a life of solitude remote from the din and follies of the world, have chosen the better part, like Mary of Bethany. They contemplate the divine mysteries and the eternal truths, and pour forth ardent and continual prayers to God that His Kingdom may flourish and be daily spread more widely. They also atone for the sins of other men still more than for their own by mortification, prescribed or voluntary. For no more perfect state and rule of life than that can be proposed for men to take up and embrace, if the Lord calls them to it. Moreover, by the inward holiness of those who lead the solitary life in the silence of the cloister and by their most intimate union with God, is kept brightly shining the halo of that holiness which the spotless Bride of Jesus Christ holds up to the admiration and imitation of all. No wonder, then, that ecclesiastical writers of former ages, wishing to explain and extol the power and efficacy of the prayers of these same religious men, liken their prayers to Moses.
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... If ever it was needful that there should be anchorites of that sort in the Church of God it is most especially expedient nowadays when we see so many Christians living without a thought for the things of the next world and utterly regardless of their eternal salvation, giving reign to their desire for earthly pelf and the pleasures of the flesh and adopting and exhibiting publicly as well as in their private lives pagan manners altogether opposed to the Gospel. And there are perhaps some who still deem that the virtues which are misnamed "passive" have long grown obsolete and that the broader and more liberal exercise of active virtues should be substituted for the ancient discipline of the cloister. This opinion our predecessor of immortal memory, Leo XIII, refuted, exploded and condemned; and no one can fail to see how harmful and baneful that opinion is to Christian perfection as it is taught and practiced in the Church." - Pius XI. 
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My regrets...
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This feast day always reminds me of the many graces I have squandered and lost throughout my life, the many times I refused God the little he asked of me...  Please pray for me.  For "life is so short, the path leading to eternal life quite narrow, and we know the just man is scarcely saved, while the things of the world are vain and deceitful, and all comes to an end and fails like falling water.  The time is uncertain, the accounting strict, perdition very easy and salvation most difficult...  My life has vanished, I know well I must render an account of everything - from the beginning of my life as well as this later part - unto the last penny, when God will search Jerusalem with lighted candles, and it is already late - the day far spent - to remedy so much evil and harm..." [Adapted from John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, Stanza 1; Introduction.]
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Please pray for me.
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Congratulations Mother Angelica!

Pope Benedict XVI has awarded EWTN foundress, Mother Mary Angelica, and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, Chairman of EWTN's Board of Governors, the Cross of Honor for distinguished service to the Church. The medal, officially known as "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" (literally "For the Church and the Pope"), is the highest honor that the Pope can bestow upon laity and religious.
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The acknowledgement of Mother Angelica's work by the Pope is highly significant in light of high profile criticism that the EWTN foundress has sustained over her unwavering fidelity to the faith. Mother Angelica had to endure crushing criticism and even attempts to take over her station by various left-leaning Catholic bishops in the United States.
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Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham conferred the awards in a brief ceremony following Sunday benediction at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. - Source
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H/T to PewsitterNews

Kat...

Walk on the wild side.

Watch this...

Soooo stupid! Click here.
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This link reminds me; as time allows, I'll be posting some more thoughts on Medjugorje as well as the Charismatic Renewal.

More on "what scandal does"...

“We are personally going through the passion and the death which Christ experienced, but we have not yet gone beyond death to the resurrection. It is as if we are presently sealed up in a dark tomb waiting for the power of the Spirit of God to overtake us and raise us up to a new day and a new future.” - Archbishop Anthony Mancini.
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In an emotional pastoral letter read to all the Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Halifax this weekend, Archbishop Anthony Mancini responded in the strongest possible language yet to the news that Bishop Raymond Lahey was arrested for the possession and importation of child pornography last week.
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“I have cried and I have silently screamed, and perhaps that was my prayer to God: Why Lord? What does this all mean? What are you asking of me and my priests? What do you want to see happen among your people? Is this a time of purification or is it nothing more than devastation? Are people going to stop believing, will faithful people stop being people of faith? Lord, what are you asking of us and how can we make it happen?"
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“What I want to say is: Enough is enough! How much more can all of us take. Like you, my heart is broken, my mind is confused, my body hurts and I have moved in and out of a variety of feelings especially shame and frustration, fear and disappointment, along with a sense of vulnerability, and a tremendous poverty of spirit.” - Read more.

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Prayer of Reparation.

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May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen. - Devotion to the Holy Face

Shrooms

I don't know what type of mushroom the top photo is, but I cut it off while mowing the lawn this evening - the "roof" is pictured immediately below the shaft. I know - everything is much too over exposed - but does anyone know what kind of mushroom this is? Are all lawn mushrooms poisonous? Below are examples from elsewhere in the yard - it has been very moist lately. I should note the lawn has gone totally organic this year - no artificial anything. Oh! Oh! I also noticed little elves running away before I captured the following specimens on film.

It seemed to me I began to shrink, and as I became even smaller, I found myself walking through the various stands of mushroom, and I'm quite certain I heard childlike voices and laughter...

Mantilla week...

Crescat is presenting a whole thing - like fashion week - on this style of head covering for women. Even Michelle Obama donned a mantilla (photo) - of course it is protocol at the Vatican - Queen Elizabeth does so as well when she visits. It isn't a matter of devotion.
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I have nothing against mantillas per se - although I think they do look dumb on some women - yet the long standing issue has been not what covers the head as much as it has been that a woman ought to have her head covered in the first place. It used to be a requirement in Canon Law that a woman was to have her head covered in Catholic churches. But for many years, devout Catholic women just stopped doing it.
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That said, before Jackie Kennedy popularized it in the yankee U.S., a hat or a scarf was usually the general norm for WASC (like WASP) women. Of course, if you happened to be Hassidic - you could wear a wig. In our day of the reform of the reform and trad is top drawer, the unwritten head covering mandate for women has become synonymous with the mantilla. Even in the Philippines, when a woman wears a hat in church - some people expect her to remove it. Yeah. Only men are expected to do that. (Although bishops may wear mitres and priests may wear birettas in church.)
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Of course, it is well known that in an earlier, more genteel time - such as the French Revolution (LOL!) - it was customary for women to cover their heads at all times - bonnets and veils you know. Many nuns and Amish women still do. On the other hand, in the mid-20th century, ladies frequently wore hats while indoors - at parties and the theater, and even in the office. (A gentleman always removed his however.)
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Which reminds me of a very chic french woman I once knew. Madame X, who had been in the French Resistance and decorated by de Gaulle, worked for a local interior design firm, and she always wore a hat while working in the office. She also smoked while holding her cigarette between her last two fingers: "That way, cherie," she advised, "the scent of ze nicotine will not affect your lover's palate as you feed him bon-bons." She also agreed with Chanel, that the good wife should rise an hour before her husband in order to do her toilette, style her hair, and put on her make-up so he will not be disappointed when he sees her.
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Mantillas are beautiful indeed - especially if the rest of your look compliments...
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Good night ladies and gentlemen!

Final perseverance.

Years ago one of my spiritual directors recommended to me that I pray daily for a happy death - in other words, final perseverance. Nevertheless, at the time I was unable to view death as anything more than a liberation from earth's exile, propelling the soul into the arms of Divine Mercy. I had just assisted at my mother's happy death, and was doing so well spiritually myself (I know! Such pride!), and I had such confidence in my confidence - I didn't take Father's admonition with any sense of urgently. Although I tried obediently to add the intention to my daily prayers as he advised.
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I still do - only now with a greater sense of urgency. All too often I've seen how easily the gift of faith can be lost.
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"That we can never in this life be certain of our final perseverance is defined by the Council of Trent (Sess. VI, can. xvi): "Si quis magnum illud usque in finem perseverantiae donum se certo habiturum, absoluta et infallibili certitudine dixerit, nisi hoc ex speciali revelatione dedicerit, anathema sit". What places it beyond our meriting power is the obvious fact that revelation nowhere offers final perseverance, with it retinue of efficacious graces and its crown of a good death, as a reward for our actions, but, on the contrary, constantly reminds us that, as the Council of Trent puts it, "the gift of perseverance can come only from Him who has the power to confirm the standing and to raise the fallen". However, from our incapacity to certainly know and to strictly merit the great gift, we should not infer that nothing can be done towards it.
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Theologians unite in saying that final perseverance comes under the impetrative power of prayer and St. Alphonsus Liguori (Prayer, the great means of Salvation) would make it the dominant note and burden of our daily petitions. The sometimes distressing presentation of the present matter in the pulpit is due to the many sides of the problem, the impossibility of viewing them all in one sermon, and the idiosyncrasies of the speakers. Nor should the timorousness of the saints, graphically described by Newman, be so construed as to contradict the admonition of the Council of Trent, that "all should place the firmest hope in the succour of God". Singularly comforting is the teaching of such saints as St. Francis de Sales (Camus, "The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales", III, xiii) and St. Catherine of Genoa (Treatise of Purgatory, iv). They dwell on God's great mercy in granting final perseverance, and even in the case of notorious sinners they do not lose hope: God suffuses the sinners' dying hour with an extraordinary light and, showing them the hideousness of sin contrasting with His own infinite beauty, He makes a final appeal to them. For those only who, even then, obstinately cling to their sin does the saying of Sirach 5:7, assume a sombre meaning "mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners". - Source

4 October: San Francesco d'Assisi

Perfect Joy