Filthy Porn Addicts

Whoa, you like to think that you’re immune to the stuff, oh Yeah it’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,you know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to... (Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love)
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Just kidding with the title of the post, I know it's a problem for a lot of people - the fact that women are into it is a real sign that civilization is crumbling and the chastisement is near - kidding again (kinda) - I get that thinking from James Mitchner (The Source).
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Anyway - I read about a program on the OSV site to be used in training priests - in NY I think - on how to deal with men who are addicted to online porn.  I have heard it is the most common sin confessed these days.  A psychologist is going to be training priests on how to counsel these filthy addicts guys.  Now I have nothing against psychology and therapy and support groups of course, but I have to ask:  Aren't priests trained in moral and mystical theology?  A little psychology is good - but we Catholics have THE power of the sacraments.
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Though sexual addiction is real on various levels, the person still has free will and certainly can overcome such sins through sacramental grace.  I recognize therapy and support groups are helpful, perhaps even to most - but there will naturally be some people unwilling to participate in therapy or support groups.  And don't forget St. Paul says something about the fact our battle is with evil spirits as well.  Some guys just aren't joiners.  My concern is that many might get the impression it is the only way to get over it.  One must remember that not all alcoholics benefit from AA programs, and not all people with SSA believe Courage is the only solution either. 
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Sometimes I think Church personnel tend to handle issues of faith and morals more like a big corporation implementing various strategies to keep everything operating smoothly and efficiently - in a dysfunctional kind of way. It's like they are substituting psychology and marketing strategies for real pastoral and spiritual care.  In the past the bishops depended upon popular psycho-therapies to heal sex offenders within the clergy - it didn't work so well, did it.  Unless you buy into the  "I'm okay/you're okay" clap-happy school of thought of course.  Again, I'm not diminishing the importance of psychology and therapy, although it must be admitted we have been sort of an overly-psychologized culture.
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Of course I don't know enough about the program to really critique it - just to question it - and right off the bat a couple of the recommendations in direction seem problematic to me:
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Confessional Advice (sidebar)
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The Archdiocese of New York recently provided formal training for priests in how to help those who have ongoing problems with pornography. Here are suggestions of what might be helpful to say to a penitent:
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• Do you want to be free from this sin? Are you willing to pay the price?
• Healing and freedom from this sin is possible, but know that you can’t do it alone.
• It requires God’s grace, professional help, and support from other men who understand your struggle.
• Here is a card that will direct you to helpful resources. If you’re serious about overcoming pornography use, I urge you to explore them. (The cards refer penitents to: www.flrl.org/TrueFreedom.htm) 
• Know that God, the Father of Mercy and Love, will provide the grace to overcome this sin. - OSV

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Lust is lust.
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That last line "Know that God, the Father of Mercy and Love, will provide the grace to overcome this sin" saves the whole thing from being a promotional advertisement for the self-help/therapy organization.  Healing from an apparently addictive sin is possible of course, but everyone may not need a self-help group - and it does not always "require professional help" - professional psychiatric help can be helpful, and it usually is to an extent - but not everyone can afford it, much less "require" it.  The confessor is instructed to "urge" a penitent to explore True Freedom.org.  A penitent can take that as a mandate.  
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I may be wrong, but it seems to me sometimes, some priests can pass the buck on spiritual direction, handing off penitents to therapists, support groups, and so on.  Not unlike the time I mentioned to a priest that I quit drinking (for Lent), the first question out of his mouth was, "How long have you been sober?"  Joined with, "Are you going to the AA meetings here on Thursdays?"  I was so surprised, I didn't know what to say.  The answer to the first question might have been, "I wasn't drunk."  If memory serves me, the only thing I said in response was, "No.  Why would I go to AA?"*
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Over the years it seemed to me some priests can become so accustomed to handing people off to therapists I think they may forget what Our Lord told the disciples who were unable to deliver a penitent; "This type can only be cast out by prayer and fasting."
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I'm no authority of course.
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*Editor's note:  Memory did not serve me well in this anecdote.  The situation wherein the priest asked me how long I was sober took place in confession, and I only thought of the answer, "I wasn't drunk" after the fact.  The other situation happened with my parish priest after Mass as stated, and I answered,  "No.  Why would I go to AA?"  Sorry for the oversight.  (My angel brought the matter to my attention this morning, 8/7/10.  Thanks my angel.) 

Porziuncula Indulgence

The Great Pardon of Assisi
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In a vision at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, the Lord, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin, instructed St. Francis of Assisi to ask whatever favor he desired. St. Francis asked for what came to be known as the Porziuncula Indulgence, otherwise known as the Great Pardon of Assisi. He asked that those who would devoutly visit the Chapel would be forgiven all of their sins and the punishment due them. (This remarkable pardon is similar to the 20th century feast of Divine Mercy.)

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At one time, the Pardon was reserved for those who would visit the Chapel on the afternoon of the 1st and all day on the 2nd of August, the 2nd being the feast of Our Lady of the Angels. Over the centuries, the Popes have extended the favor to include every parish Church, beginning at noon of the 1st and ending at midnight of the 2nd of August. (This type of plenary indulgence is known as toties quoties.)

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To obtain the plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, a Franciscan sanctuary, or one's parish Church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. (At the Chapel in Assisi, the indulgence may be gained on any day throughout the year.)

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One must be free of any attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. Therefore, it is necessary to make Sacramental Confession, preferably 8 days before or after the visit. It is also necessary to assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after the feast, although communicating on the feast is customary. It is also required that a person recite the Creed and pray the Our Father, for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Courage Conference 2010: 4th Report

Editor's note:  The address by Fr. Loya was emailed to me in it's entirety, but it is much too lengthy to post all at once, therefore I will just post pertinent excerpts at this time.  First I want to offer a bit of commentary before posting those sections of the transcript.
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"What profit comes to a man from all his toil?" - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, First Reading, Ecclesiastes 1-2
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Today's second reading at Mass struck me as especially providential for the last day of the Courage Conference, it speaks to something I have always thought of actually, especially concerning those men and women who leave everything for Christ.  Men and women with same-sex attraction actually 'leave everything' behind, they in effect 'deny their very selves' or the persona they perceived themselves to have been - you will understand this better after reading Fr. Loya.  In many cases they leave friends and lovers, sometimes jobs and careers, and frequently, find themselves marginalized even within the Church.  It is just a fact of life, something one comes to accept with a certain peace and joy knowing they have something to suffer with Christ who "died outside the camp...hence they too share in the insult and contempt he bore, with the rest of the saints in light." 
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More deeply, they have found their true life hidden with Christ in God.  Their ascesis consists in putting to death the parts of their life that are steeped in earthly values and disorders: fornication, uncleaness, passion, evil desires, and that lust which is idolatry.  (I use the original New American translation for Colossians 3, since I think it accords better with the authetic text - even the old RSV translation used 'coveteousness' rather than 'greed' - to my mind, 'lust' is more accurate.) 
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Perhaps more profoundly, the truth, not always immediately perceived or experienced in its fullness, is what the work of Courages actually accomplishes in these people who have embarked upon the narrow way:  Essentially, they have "stopped lying to one another", as St. Paul exhorted the Colossians.  "What you have done is put aside your old self with its past deeds, and put on the new man - one who grows in knowledge as he is formed in the image of his Creator.  THERE IS NO GREEK OR JEW (OR HOMOSEXUAL) HERE... RATHER CHRIST IS EVERYTHING IN ALL OF YOU."  Colossians 3, 1-11  (Read the whole passage.)
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The Report from the Conference.
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terry, i can't even begin to unpack the follow-up workshop of suzanne baars on affirmation. i bought the audio cd that the DSP made for the conferees. looking forward to sharing it the the rest of my chapter back home. 
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this evening we were presented with a byzantine priest named fr. thomas j. loya, STB, MA. he was well-spoken and funny. never thought i'd be listening to a funny byzantine priest. anyway, it was another densely-packed theological presentation. this year's conference has been for me the most philosophically and theologically charged that i've attended.
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in his kindness, fr. loya provided a handout that summarizes nicely his 90-minute talk entitled "same sex attraction and true compassion." i'll leave it to you what you'd like to excerpt for your blog, should you choose to publish for your readership.
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Father Loya:
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"in order to understand what the Church truly has to say about same sex attraction (commonly known as 'homosexuality') and what the Church truly says on related topics such as same sex marriage and also to be truly sensitive and compassionate about these issues it will be necessary first to understand what the Church is and secondly to step into what i call the 'H-Zone' - the Honesty zone. 
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in a certain sense the Church is the 'Press Secretary' for God. the Church simply looks at the entire created order, most especially the human person, and reports on what God has said and done in that order. then the Church advises us to step into the 'H-Zone;' in other words, to be honest to that order. the H-Zone works like this: if we are Honest to the created order, especially to the theology and language of our human body-persons we will be Holy. Holiness is the only ticket to real Happiness and that happiness will last forever in Heaven. Conversely if we 'dis'-honesty we will end up with another 'H' word - Hurt. enough hurt can end us up in the other big 'H' - Hell. 
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so, now let us enter the H-Zone. it will be necessary to stay with me the whole way because you are probably going to hear something very different on this topic of same sex attraction. but in the end i think you will better understand what the Church really has to say and more importantly why the Church says what it does on these issues. you will definitely hear true compassion and sensitivity precisely because our goal is honesty, and true compassion comes by way of that which is honest.
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The Cruelty of Labels.
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we are living in times where words do not mean anything and the venerable meaning of words can be arbitrarily changed. the truth is words do mean things because they are expressions of concepts, principles and truths. in all honesty, the word 'homosexual' does not exist. this word is of recent usage and it is self-nullifying. something cannot be 'sexual' unless it involves both complementary genders. having to do with complementary genders is what the word 'sexual' actually means. therefore to translate 'homosexual' honestly we come up with the self-nullifying, self-contradictory: 'same' (homo)-complementary genders' (involving male and female). if there is no such word as 'homosexual' then there is also no such thing as a 'homosexual.' now stay calm! stay with me. remember, you are wandering in the H-Zone and you are about to hear real compassion. 
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to size someone up, label them and dismiss them (even if they insist on being labeled) is never compassionate sensitive or honest. no, in truth, there are no 'homosexuals.' there are only persons who through no fault of their own have developed what they believe to be a sexual attraction to their same gender. notice how i qualified the words 'believe' and 'sexual.' we will come back to this. 
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the word person has its meaning in God. a person is a being of will and intellect made for his or her own sake and worthy of respect, dignity, and love. notice how the supposedly insensitive, archaic, homophobic Church does not use the word, 'homosexual.' rather the Church refers to persons. it is the supposedly 'sensitive' secular world that insists on labeling and categorizing people in the false presumption of being 'sensitive' and compassionate.
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Proper Notions of Theology of the Body.  [Ed. note:  I've been so disillusioned by the Chris West version, I forgot some people actually get TOB right.] 
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the theology of the body is especially helpful here because the body does not lie. we all have bodies and they are either masculine or feminine. in the Creation story in the Bible we see that gender is part of the very definition of being human. gender is not arbitrary. gender is not a preference. gender is not God's practical joke. gender defines our humaneness. it is through gender that we can enter into a union and communion of persons, that we can love spousally in the way that God loves. this is a love that both unites and is fruitful. the truth of the matter is that in the order of creation love and fruitfulness are inseparable. life and love go together. our human sexuality is an icon of the very interior life of the Holy Trinity.
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but we are also a 'package deal.' the physical makes visible what is invisible. our bodies reveal our persons. God is the perfect artist, designer and creator. this means He creates things that are integrated. the human persons is a composite of body-mind-soul-spirit which is designed to be completely integrated. we cannot say that my body is male but my mind says i should really have been a female and this is the way that God made me. God only makes integrated persons; otherwise God would be a bad artist, creator and designer. God has nothing to do with the creation of that which is disintegrated, disordered, deformed, etc. Disintegration comes about through the effects of original sin and disintegration is not something to be celebrated. this is what is meant by 'dis'-order. it simply means something is not according to the created order of things. the word 'dis'-order is not a comment on the person.  - Fr. Loya, Courage Conference 2010
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It's a lot to take in, so I will post more installments later.  Fr. Loya articulates many things I have thought of and understood intuitively, yet I have not been able to put into writing.  His teaching appears to me to be very sound indeed.
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Many thanks to my 'reporter' from the Conference for the edifying reports.

Courage Conference 2010: 3rd Report

News from the front...
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Saturday July 31, 2010
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hello. fr. knapp's homily was about how st. ignatius of loyola was not a really virtuous guy growing up & in his youth. conceited, hot-tempered, a woman chaser "of the first order" he said, he cared more about the material life. his main goal was to marry a princess < a real one > and settle into a noble life. a cannonball to the leg, however, had him convalescing at the family castle and while he wanted trashy novels to keep him occupied, there weren't any. his sister instead gave him a book on the the life of st. francis and the imitation of Christ.
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these two books changed his life. father knapp compared st. ignatius' view of life to a poker game term. when someone playing poker puts all his wealth, all his chips, into the pot, it is said that he is "all in." st. ignatius lived his life "all in." he gave it everything he had. at first, he led a zesty life pursuing the things of this world. but in seeing the examples of st. francis and st. dominic living for God, combating heresies, he decided to turn his life around and go "all in" for God. and what a manly man he was.
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that's MY chaplain! :) wish you could've heard him preach.
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this afternoon's workshops:
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1. "honor your father and mother" by dr. timothy lock and fr. paul check.
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2. "discovering the roots of chastity within the Holy Mass," by presenter paul francis. 
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3. "same sex attraction: a study in attachment," by deacon barry levy.
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4. "what do we do now? applying understanding for growth and healing," by dr. suzanne baars (this is the one i'll be going to). her summary says, "having looked at SSA through the prism of emotional deprivation disorder (EDD/the unaffirmed state), we have identified two problems: 
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a. the person with SSA has not felt unconditionally accepted/loved, manifested by specific symptoms, and therefore, 
b. the emotional life is underdeveloped.
the main focus of this talk will be to discuss first how to wait patiently for others to affirm, and to learn about what it looks like to self-affirm, which is a futile endeavor. SSA is about sexual identity rather than sexual behavior --- so how do we find our true identity/our true self? who am i? secondly, we will discuss the meaning of living the affirming life, and how it is helpful to developing (and healing) the emotional life."
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later this afternoon, fr. livingston from minnesota is going to meet with EnCourage for spouses and then there's a Group Leader meeting with fr. check < which i'll have to attend, even though i'm wanting to take a break from leading >. - Courage Conference Correspondent

Is Archbishop Dolan a phony?

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He's not the only one either.
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I assure you - sometimes I just do not know when I'm being set up by commenters, fellow bloggers, and the otherwise traditional Catholic people who anonymously monitor the web while on a constant witch hunt trying to dig up scandal on one another. 
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I am not ashamed to post honestly and truthfully on my blog, using my own name, telling my own story.  I want to make it clear that I also operate under the assumption that Bishops currently appointed by the Holy See are orthodox and faithful to Church teaching - until I find out otherwise.  In the case of Archbishop Dolan, it appears I may have been mistaken and that it may be business as usual in the 'American' Catholic Church.  My apologies if I unintentionally misled anyone. 
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That's all.

Pearls before swine...

While at the table of sinners...
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One must practice discretion.  St. Therese of the Child Jesus regretted speaking about her vision of the Blessed Virgin after she had been cured by Our Lady of the Smile at the age of eight.  Yet she learned from such experiences, which in turn influenced her little way of confidence and love:  "It is to recognize our nothingness, to expect everything from God as a little child expects everything from its father; it is to be disquieted about nothing, and not to be set on gaming our living. ... To be little is not attributing to oneself the virtues that one practices. ... It is not to become discouraged over one's faults, for children fall often, but they are too little to hurt themselves very much." 
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As a nun, Therese and her community had been deceived by the conversion story of Diana Vaughan, an impostor whose true persona was the anti-Catholic con-artist Leo Taxil...  The realization of which led to Therese writing in her memoirs, "I was unable to believe there were really impious people who had no faith... [but] Jesus made me feel that there were really souls who have no faith, and who, through the abuse of grace, lost this precious treasure, the source of the only real and pure joy."
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Sometimes little children are so trusting and anxious for the good of others, they forget themselves and commit innocent indiscretions, perhaps even giving that which is holy to people not ready to receive.  Thus it ought not to surprise us when our best intentions get trampled underfoot.  [Matt 7:6] 
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Nevertheless, one should never be discouraged, since it is all included in the price of dining at the table of sinners.
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"Never allow yourself to pour out your heart, even though it be but for the space of a creed." - St. John of the Cross, Maxims

I wish I'd thought of this...

Bastardized Literary Quotes.
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Adoro brilliantly reworked famous quotes by writers to apply to the art of blogging - her post is both provocative and LOL funny.
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Your blog is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good. ~ Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
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Blogs are an unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other people. ~ Philip Guedalla (1889-1944)
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Blog: Something published in haste and regretted at leisure. ~ Oliver Herford (1863-1935)

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Read more: On Blogging and Criticism.
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Art: Saint Mary Magdalene at her writing desk.

Reports from the Courage Conference.

Dear Readers,
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My blogger buddy is sending me email updates on the Courage Conference held this weekend outside Chicago.  A local bishop and first chaplain of the St. Paul/Minneapolis Courage chapter, Bishop John LeVoir officiated at the opening Mass yesterday.  My friend is very much caught up in the Holy Spirit directing the retreat, so I will simply reprint his emails as they come in.
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Opening Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend John  LeVoir, bishop of New Ulm, MN.  Mass concelebrated by all the chapter chaplains present.
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After dinner, official welcome by new director of Courage, Inc. Fr. Paul Check from the diocese of Bridgeport. the National Office is moving from NYC to Connecticut.  Fr. Harvey is here; in good spirits, but frail health.  Fr. Check's opening remarks centered on the need for compassion - but with calls for conversion.  Compassion without the call to conversion devolves into sentimentality, while calls for conversion without compassion becomes harsh judgment.  We must have both in balance, and for him that's the legacy of Courage that he is continuing.  Following Fr. Check was a testimony by a male Courage member that was quite moving.  He talked about how the best example of Christ's love for him was from his former lover, who is still in the lifestyle with a different boyfriend.  This man's former lover sacrificed "after being together a year" a future together, letting go and allowing him "the chance to pursue a heterosexual relationship, knowing that he wanted marriage and a family."   The crux of his testimony was that God used the instances of sin in his life, even the distorted relationships, for good; God was present to him even amidst the sins in his life, even when he turned away from God. God kept pursuing him. and he said he believes that the cross of SSA ... the suffering ... is meant to teach us how to love.  The mystery of suffering is a gift from God. God allows our SSA to bring about a better good in our lives and the lives of those around us.  In other words, we shouldn't ask "why me," but "why not me."  Suffering in our lives can be redemptive, as it's a share in the life of our Father who suffered for us, and He extends that gift to us if we only have eyes to see and ears to hear.  Are we listening?  Or do we let our self-pity and anger get in the way and allow evil to separate us from God?
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Good stuff.  But I'm sure I'm not recounting this as well as it was presented - I'm tired and I'm late for the Charismatic Prayer/Eucharistic Adoration scheduled for tonight. - Courage Conference Attendee Reporter  

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For those interested, I believe tapes of the major addresses will be made available through the Daughters of St. Paul after the conference - I'll let you know as our "reporter" updates me.  I'm sure all the attendees would appreciate our prayers for them this weekend.

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Art:  Virgin and Child with the Saints in Glory, GIOVANNI BATTISTA CARLONE - I chose this image because the members of Courage have clearly embarked upon the narrow way of sanctity.

It Seems The Bishops Are Still Concerned About The Blogs

"We are particularly concerned about blogs that engage in attacks and hurtful judgmental language. We are very troubled by blogs and other elements of media that assume the role of magisterium and judge others in the church." - Bishop Zavala, CNS Story
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Really?
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For some reason this makes me think of that story of Rembert Weakland when he tried to get Mother Angelica knocked off the airways...
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Taking note of Weakland's efforts, Mother said, "I just want him [Weakland] to know that if he gets us off the cable in Milwaukee, we will teach the truth on the shortwaves right past him. He can't stop the shortwaves. We'll be selling shortwave radios all over Milwaukee." When I suggested that that parallels American efforts to beam news into Soviet-occupied territories during the Cold War, Mother nodded approvingly. "It's the exact same thing. They used the same methods of intimidation." - Fighting The Good Fight of Faith

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That's all.

Just for fun...

Words of wisdom...
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If you didn't know this before, I worked in management while I was employed.  I prided myself upon being a hard worker - and I was - when I worked.  Therefore I grew rather impatient with people if they 'teased' me about not working very hard. 
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You see, what ordinary people never understood, is that sometimes during slow periods, I spent a lot of time doing 'other things' in the workplace - Michael Scott things - important PR things.  In hindsight, I've come to realize how that might have been misinterpreted by coworkers and the people who reported to me.  Yeah - so in a way, I suppose one might say I spent a lot of time doing nothing... 
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Sometimes I still resent the fact people would accuse me of doing nothing, considering that I believed just showing up for work was a huge accomplishment in itself.  Most people never understood how much effort that cost me, seeing that I could have stayed home and done nothing just as easily there as I could have at work.  After all, I made the sacrifice to come into work for them, to boost their morale. 
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Very few people ever 'got' that.

The awful truth.

So anyway, not that it matters...
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I really hate writing about how homosexual men should not be ordained - but it is the 'rule' and I for one see the wisdom in it, even though my contemporaries do not.  Yet as I always say, men with this tendency have always been ordained, and always will be - it is a mystery of divine grace I suppose, because frankly, if it hadn't been for some priest/confessors who just happened to be 'same-sex attracted' - albeit completely faithful to Church teaching - I may never have made it this far.  Therefore, it needs to be acknowledged that there are very good faithful men who know what it is to struggle and suffer and remain faithful amidst enormous temptation, suspicion and contempt.  Some may even be bishops, and some - by now - may even be Vatican prelates.  Yet they stand by Church teaching and support it.  In the meantime, if Christ calls a man to the priesthood... who am I to say anything?  All things are possible with God.
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Nevertheless, I believe the following from Chilean Cardinal Jorge Medina Estévez is the truth:

Reacting to Argentina’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, the cardinal said that “the Church distinguishes the homosexual tendency and homosexual practice. If a person has a homosexual tendency it is a defect, as if one lacked an eye, a hand, a foot.” On the other hand, homosexual activity, he noted, is immoral.

“In my life as a priest, I have had [pastoral] care of many people with this problem,” he added. Some, like alcoholics, have overcome this tendency by “discipline, education, or reeducation,” he said, while others have heroically resisted this tendency for their entire lives.
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In a 2002 letter, Cardinal Medina Estévez, in his capacity as a Vatican prefect, had reiterated the Church’s discipline against ordaining men with homosexual inclinations.
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“Ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood of homosexual men or men with homosexual tendencies is absolutely inadvisable and imprudent and, from the pastoral point of view, very risky,” he wrote. “A homosexual person, or one with a homosexual tendency is not, therefore, fit to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.”  - Source

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The dogs bark but the caravan moves on...
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Such a clear statement by the Cardinal prefect seems contradictory to reality, huh? But there is no accounting for God's grace. (And clearly, my opinion on the subject doesn't matter.) That said, I wholeheartedly accept the teaching of the Church on faith and morals. Sadly, many people will continue to ask for clearer statements until they hear what they want to hear - that will never happen however.

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That's all.

The cost of discipleship...

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)
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Several years ago during a conversation with my sister, I must have said something suggesting she return to Mass - I never pressured her ever - but she must have been exasperated with me because she snapped, "If religion is so great why aren't you happy?"  (Or did she say, "Why do you still have so many problems?") 
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I really did not know how to answer her.  I think I said something lame like "I would be worse if I didn't practice my faith."  I knew telling her what Our Lady told St. Bernadette wouldn't compete with her idea of a comfortable faith:  "I can't promise you happiness in this world, but in the next."  My sister is convinced God wants us to be happy and content in this life, so if we don't want to go to church, we can think of God in bed.  If the kids don't think it is important to marry their significant other, that is okay too - after all, "what does a piece of paper mean?"  Likewise, if her gay son wants to get married, why can't he?  She just wants him to be happy.
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Anyway - I'm not ragging on my dear old sister here, not at all.  I can't change her.  But now and again I am reminded of the affront made to me, "Why aren't you happy?"  It was but a few days ago that I decided it is not always necessary to have an answer or to offer an excuse.
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I recalled similar challenges made to someone else, a very long time ago now; "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."  And, "Aren't you the Messiah?  Then save yourself and us."  Christ never responded.   [Luke 23:37-41]

A special report...

FOR PARENTS
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Seriously.  A commentor, ck alerted us to a very sensitive study from the Catholic Medical Association on the subject of homosexuality, appropriately titled Homosexuality and Hope.  I will reprint a couple of points that are important to consider in examining this issue - especially for parents, whose children are at risk due to enormous social and cultural pressures.
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NOT BORN THAT WAY
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Catholics believe that sexuality was designed by God as a sign of the love of Christ, the bridegroom, for his Bride, the Church, and therefore sexual activity is appropriate only in marriage. Healthy psycho-sexual development leads naturally to attraction in persons of each sex for the other sex. Trauma, erroneous education, and sin can cause a deviation from this pattern. Persons should not be identified with their emotional or developmental conflicts as though this was the essence of their identity. In the debate between essentialism and social constructionism, the believer in natural law would hold that human beings have an essential nature --either male or female --and that sinful inclinations --such as the desire to engage in homosexual acts --are constructed and can, therefore, be deconstructed. 
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It is, therefore, probably wise to avoid wherever possible using the words "homosexual" and "heterosexual" as nouns since such usage implies a fixed state and an equivalence between the natural state of man and woman as created by God and persons experiencing same sex attractions or behaviors.
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SAME-SEX ATTRACTION AS A SYMPTOM
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Individuals experience same-sex attractions for different reasons. While there are similarities in the patterns of development, each individual has a unique, personal history. In the histories of persons who experience same-sex attraction, one frequently finds one or more of the following:
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•Alienation from the father in early childhood, because the father was perceived as hostile or distant, violent or alcoholic, (Apperson 1968 17 ; Bene 1965 18 ; Bieber 1962 19 ; Fisher 1996 20 ; Pillard 1988 21 ; Sipova 1983 22 )


•Mother was overprotective (boys), (Bieber, T. 1971 23 ; Bieber 1962 24 ; Snortum 1969 25 )

•Mother was needy and demanding (boys), (Fitzgibbons 1999 26 )


•Mother emotionally unavailable (girls), (Bradley 1997 27 ; Eisenbud 1982 28 )


•Parents failed to encourage same-sex identification, (Zucker 1995 29)


•Lack of rough and tumble play (boys), (Friedman 1980 30 ; Hadden 1967a 31 )


•Failure to identify with same/ sex peers, (Hockenberry 1987 32 ; Whitman 1977 33 )


•Dislike of team sports (boys), (Thompson 1973 34 )


•Lack of hand/ eye coordination and resultant teasing by peers (boys), (Bailey 1993 35 ; Fitzgibbons 1999 36 ; Newman 1976 37 )


•Sexual abuse or rape, (Beitchman 1991 38 ; Bradley 1997 39 ; Engel 1981 40 ; Finkelhor 1984; Gundlach 1967 41 )


•Social phobia or extreme shyness, (Golwyn 1993 42 )


•Parental loss through death or divorce, (Zucker 1995)


•Separation from parent during critical developmental stages. (Zucker 1995)
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AT-RISK, NOT PREDESTINED
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While a number of studies have shown that children who have been sexually abused, children exhibiting the symptoms of GID, and boys with chronic juvenile unmasculinity are at risk for same-sex attractions in adolescence and adulthood, it is important to note that a significant percentage of these children do not become homosexually active as adults. (Green 1985 57 ; Bradley 1998)
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For some, negative childhood experiences are overcome by later positive interactions. Some make a conscious decision to turn away from temptation. The presence and the power of God's grace, while not always measurable, cannot be discounted as a factor in helping an at-risk individual turn away from same-sex attraction. The labeling of an adolescent, or worse a child, as unchangeably "homosexual" does the individual a grave disservice. Such adolescents or children can, with appropriate, positive intervention, be given proper guidance to deal with early emotional traumas. - Catholic Culture
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Art:  St. Louis King of France: along with St. Joseph, he is a patron and model for dads. 
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From a letter by St. Louis to his son:

My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin. If the Lord has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it. If the Lord bestows upon you any kind of prosperity, thank him humbly and see that you become no worse for it, either though vain pride or anything else, because you ought not to oppose God or offend him in the matter of his gifts. Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can.

Thank God for all the benefits he has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth. Be devout and obedient to our mother the Church of Rome and the Supreme Pontiff as your spiritual father. In conclusion, dearest son, I give you every blessing that a loving father can give a sons. May the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and all the saints protect you from every evil. And may the Lord give you the grace to do his will so that he may be served and honored through you, that in the next life we may together come to see him, love him and praise him unceasingly. Amen. - Air Maria

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Please remember to pray for parents.
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Thanks to ck for the link to Catholic Culture.

Everything must come to a halt...

I've sat for two, maybe three days, unable to paint. 

I did some sketches...

Nothing.

Everything seems to have come to a halt.

I have nothing to say either.

Wednesday is my retreat day:

Adoration.

Breaking the mood a bit...

The O's on the move again...

More vacation time.
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Shelly is going to Spain - she reserved 30 rooms for her entourage.
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10 more days are scheduled at Martha's Vineyard when she gets back - after a weekend in Florida - the whole family will be in tow this time.
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Of course there is nothing wrong with taking vacation time or traveling to Europe during the depression.  How long has Mr. Obama had his job?  Anyway - of course it doesn't apply - but if a regular guy gets a new job very often his benefits do not kick in until after 6 months, and vacation time must accrue - he has to earn it.  I know, in a classless system such as the U.S. executives are exempt from such limitations and conditions for employment. 
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Aren't they though.

Ted Haggard Starts His Own Church.

"Hey kids!  I got an idea!  Let's put on a first class Broadway show in the barn!"
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Isn't that the storyline from White Christmas?  Pastor Ted Haggard seems to have followed suit - he and his wife "Gayle recently launched a new church in their backyard barn, a few miles from the enormous campus of his old congregation.
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In two months of preaching with sacks of fence-post concrete at his feet, Mr. Haggard, who is 54 years old, has built a congregation of nearly 200 people. His church, St. James, has outgrown the barn and this Sunday moves to a rented community center.
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Ebullient as ever, bouncing with energy, Mr. Haggard said he is back doing what he was born to do.
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"Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football," Mr. Haggard said as his new congregation joined him and Gayle in their backyard for a post-worship picnic. Little kids, shrieking with joy, splashed in the pool. Men grilled burgers. Women set out chicken salad.
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"Ted Haggard," Mr. Haggard said, "needs to be leading a church."
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He acknowledged grave lapses of judgment in the episode he refers to as "my crisis." But Mr. Haggard also said that in his sorrow and shame, he accepted too much guilt after the scandal broke.
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"I over-repented," he said.
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Haggard portrays his encounter with a gay prostitute as "a massage that went awry" and said he doesn't have same-sex attractions. - Source
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"Over-repented" - interesting concept.
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I wonder if Christopher Guest wrote Haggard's responses?  Anyway - Christopher Guest, if you're reading this, there is a film here.
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That's all.

L'Eclisse

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A film by Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962.

Parks and Recreation

City Government stories.
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I'm hoping the writers for NBC's Park's and Recreation are watching the news lately - they can gather a lot of material from real city governments for upcoming episodes. 
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Locally a New Prague, MN council member, Ken Betterton resigned after making drunken threats to police who arrested him for disorderly conduct in a local restaurant.  Drunk as a skunk, all he wanted to do is drive home.  Police were called, found him on his knees in the grass.  He became combative, threatened the officer's job and further funding from the city for the police department, saying, "I've just become your worst nightmare."  LOL!  Politicians and their power-trips.  Kenny resigned the next day.
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Then there is the story of the highly paid mayor, police chief, and city council members of Bell, California who appear to have lived like Spanish Colonial Viceroyalty ruling over the mostly Hispanic town.  The story may not be so unusual some place in Guatemala, but this one takes place in the U.S..
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The funniest city politics story emerges from Providence, Rhode Island, where a Democratic mayoral candidate shows up to the mayoral debate carrying a very large statue of the Blessed Virgin.  Candidates were told not to bring props or signs to the debate stage. Young argued it was a question of free speech: "The statue stands for my faith. I believe I have a right to be here with my faith."
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I know!
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Photo credit:  Pewsitters  The Providence mayoral candidate.

The feast of Santiago. July 25. Compostela, Spain.

St. James, the Moor-slayer.