Communion line awareness...

"Everywhere, faithful Catholics lament the long Communion lines and short Confession lines..."

Not me.  I'm too worried about my own unworthiness.  Seriously.

Blogs, Blogging, Bloggers

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting. - Proverbs

That verse from Sunday's first reading has been going through my mind since Saturday.

Art source.

Yes my angel, the pederast really is gay.

Even Sandusky?
.
Matt Abbott presents a very good study pointing out that pederasty is an aspect of the homosexual condition.  No.  To be sure - NOT all homosexuals are attracted to young men and boys of course - but there is historical, as well as contemporary evidence that pederasty is indeed part of the homosexual condition, lifestyle, milieu, mystique, what have you.  How can I accept such thinking?  All of my molesters were homosexual men, eight to twenty years older than myself - and a couple of them even wanted to 'show me off' to their friends - as if I were a trophy of sorts.

Many "gay" organizations and leaders not only admit to, but support, the sexual abuse of children by homosexuals.

An editorial in the San Francisco Sentinel, a member of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalist's Association, claimed that

The love between men and boys is at the foundation of homosexuality. For the gay community to imply that boy love is not homosexual love is ridiculous. We must not be seduced into believing misinformation from the press and the government. Child molesting does occur, but there are also positive sexual relations. And we need to support the men and the boys in those relationships. - Homosexuality and the Church Crisis

One day I must write about a gay man I reported to in a job I once had.  Everyone in the department knew of his proclivity for adolescent boys, but no one ever objected - perhaps due to the fact that the president of the department store company at that time, was a gay pederast himself.
.
Art:  Good Samaritan,  G.F. Watts.  Presented as one thing, there is perhaps a subtext to this study for a painting, reminiscent of the classical Rape of Ganymede, the pederast Greek myth associated with Zeus.  I find the image intriguing since it exemplifies the dark side of perpetrators acting in the guise of the Good Samaritan - taking advantage of the wounded and vulnerable, it ends up being the inversion of the spiritual and corporal work of mercy.     Very often those purporting to help disadvantaged youth, not unlike Sandusky, or the late Fr. Ritter, clearly use their charities, and or spiritual guidance to gain access to their victims. Other teachers, coaches, counsellors, secular or religious, along with priests and ministers, have done, and most probably continue to do likewise. 

Mass Chat: Recollection

For me, a perfect way to assist at Mass is after I have recently made my confession, performed my penance, and spent about an hour or so in solitary prayer in the company of the Blessed Virgin immediately before Mass.  Thus recollected, it seems to me, just about anything can go on at Mass and I do not mind at all. 

I am so grateful for Mass and the sacraments and Our Lady and the angels and saints and for the grace to receive Jesus in Holy Communion - who remains with us always...

St Teresa notes that we can obtain the prayer of recollection for ourselves, "for this is not a supernatural state [a passive recollection which can only be produced by divine motion], but depends upon our own volition; and by God's favour, we can enter it of our own accord."
.
Therefore, it is important to know what the soul should do in order to practise this prayer, and this can be reduced to two things: "The soul collects together all its faculties and enters within itself to be with its God" (ibid, 28). Our senses, imagination, and intellect tend spontaneously toward exterior things, on which they are dispersed; therefore, the soul, by a prolonged, resolute act of the will, ought to withdraw them from these exterior things in order to concentrate them on interior things -- in this little heaven of the soul where the Blessed Trinity dwells. This exercise, especially in the beginning, requires effort and energy and it will not be easy at first. However, the Saint teaches, "let the soul try to cultivate the habit, despite the fatigue entailed in recollecting itself and overcoming the body which is trying to reclaim its rights." Little by little, "as a reward for the violence which it had previously done to itself" (ibid.), recollection will become easy and delightful; the senses will obey promptly; and even if the soul is not entirely from distractions, it will not be so hard to overcome them.
.
"O my God, You are in me and I am in You. I have found my heaven on earth, since heaven is You, O Lord, and You are in my soul. I can find You there always; even when I do not feel Your presence, You are there nevertheless, and I like to seek You there. Oh! if only I could never leave You alone!" (cf. Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity, Letters) - Divine Intimacy

 

I watched the debate last night.

Gingrich, Romney, and Perry - politics as usual - same old same old.

Cain - no way in hell.  "You keep talkin', but you ain't sayin' nothin'."

Bachmann - one thing about this woman - she is living proof Palin was clueless and inept.  Bachmann is not dumb.

Ron Paul - I like him.  I agree with him.  He's just so ... old.

If I had to choose - Huntsman and Santorum - my two favorites.

Good Bye Anonymice

Anonymous comments are once again closed for awhile.  I think some of my anonymous commenters start drinking pretty early on Fridays - or they are still drunk after being up so late on Thursday night.  Weekends seem to be the opportune time for anonymice to leave their sometimes passive-aggressive, most times, mean-spirited comments.  I find the anonymous harassment annoying, largely because they are cheap shots without any back-up.  Obviously I am getting under someones skin - just because I exist.   One would imagine these people would be happy to identify themselves, especially since they feel the need to assert their superiority over myself.  I certainly won't contest that however.

That said, it is apparent at least one or two of my anonymice enemies are known on the blogosphere and therefore they want/need to hide their identity to preserve their good Catholic image.  It is a typical example of church-people duplicity and dishonesty - and is down right hypocritical.  Which may be why they were so easily dismissed in the first place...

A journalist asked me recently why I blog about such people - especially concerning the shadowy side of Catholics in monasteries, parishes, as well as the assortment of online Catholic dissociative personalities.  I answered I just find it interesting to point out that it doesn't matter if one is conservative or liberal, traditional or moderate, or even progressive - the Church has always been comprised of sinners and phonies working a rather vulnerable audience.  I'm right with them of course - but at least I try really hard to be honest about it.

So don't be afraid to criticize, shame, condemn or ridicule me - just identify yourself for what you are when doing so. 

A movie that should have been made by now...

The Murder of Alfred Kunz.

It is a story that scares rural and small town priests to this day... 

Father Alfred Kunz, (April 15, 1931 - March 4, 1998), was a Catholic priest who was found with his throat slit in his Roman Catholic church in Dane, Wisconsin.  His murder has never been solved. The Kuntz murder investigation has been described as the most expensive and time-consuming investigation in Dane County's history.

Kunz, though he continued to say the Latin Mass, also said the Mass in English and was in communion with his diocesan bishop. "Father Kunz was a well-known expert in cano law, so he knew how to walk the lines," Bill Brophy, a spokesman for the Madison Wisconsin Catholic Diocese said shortly after his murder.   Kunz was pastor at the church for 32 years before his death.

Prior to his death, Kunz had his own radio show and had been a close associate of Malachi Martin, an author and exorcist!  After Kunz was murdered, Martin alleged that the priest had been killed by "Luciferians" and said Kunz had performed several exorcisms before his death. Martin said Kunz felt his life was in danger in the weeks before his murder. Kunz's friend, Abbot Ryan St. Anne Scott felt Kunz's murder was related to Kunz's investigation of sexual abuse scandals in the diocese.  The Dane County Sheriff's Department also investigated a calf mutilation 15 miles from Kunz's church the day before his murder that a farmer attributed to a cult. Kunz had allegedly been investigating reports of homosexuality and sexual abuse by priests within the diocese of Springfield, Illinois. There were also allegations that Kunz had been involved with female parishioners.

"The motives are all over the place, anything from jealousy, power and control to betrayal and fear of exposure," Dane County Sheriff's Lieutenant Kevin Hughes said in 2001. "So take your pick at this point. We just don't know yet."  In 2002, Dane County sheriff Gary Hamblin stated that his department was still receiving tips about the case. By this time, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, investigators had concluded that the killer knew Kunz and was familiar with the church property.   Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney stated in March 2008 that his department no longer uses the term "intimate" in regard to the murder investigation of Father Kunz, which dispels any hint of impropriety. Mahoney is also willing to cooperate with "cold case" investigators, even though his department does not consider the Kunz investigation "cold."

By 2009, investigators with the Dane County sheriff's department were willing to state that they have a long-time suspect, who has never been named as they lack sufficient evidence to indict him. Steve Gilmore, lieutenant of detectives with the department, said that the suspect left town soon after Kunz's death, and that "We still know where he's at and what he's up to. If indeed he had committed this one, he's stayed pretty clean. We certainly don't think there's any threat to the public out there."  Gilmore has also stated that the suspect is alive (as of 2008) and under constant surveillance, although no longer living in the Dane County jurisdiction. - Wiki 

Very scary - and the killers are still out there.

Campy art...

Don't hold your breath or expect too much.

My "Blognic" is a redux on Bosch's "Concert In An Egg" - I substituted/updated the Bosh composition with updated symbolism and contemporary figures.  I have not painted any "online friends" per se - just in case you are curious as to who is who in the painting once it is finished.  And no - I will never identify by name who is depicted - if you can't tell from the painting then it is my failure as a painter.  Yes, it is 'campy art' - so you will not insult me with your criticism. 

Nevertheless, at this point, the canvas is far from finished, perhaps it will be completed by Thanksgiving.

After you are dead...

No one on earth will ever know you existed...

Attorney sees parallels in the Penn State abuse cover up to the Catholic Church scandals...

“It’s a real opportunity for the survivors to sue them and to hold them accountable, to bring the truth to bear, so they realize kids go first — reputations go second,” said Anderson.

Jeff Anderson is now assisting in the Penn State sex abuse scandals.

First let me say this:  If coaches were allowed to be married this would never have happened.  And let me add that something must be done about the gay subculture in college football and sports departments.  What?

So anyway - Jeff is off to the rescue.  He was on local news last night saying as much...

“Can we help there? Yes. Have we been called to help? Absolutely. Will we help? Definitely,” said Anderson.

Former Penn State defense coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been charged with molesting eight boys between 1994 and 2009. Two other school administrators have been charged in a cover up.

Because there was a cover up in the Penn State case, Anderson says the statute of limitations won’t apply.

“Because there has been a cover up here, that has both now been demonstrated publicly and revealed to us privately, we believe even those survivors that were abused by Sandusky decades ago still can get relief,” said Anderson.

In Anderson’s most recent blog, he details what he sees as the parallels between the Penn State scandal and the Catholic sex abuse scandals. He said the school faces enormous legal liability because the abuse occurred on Penn State property and administrators were made aware of some of the incidents. - WCCO

Personally, I think Paterno did right by the kid - he reported the incident to administration and got back to work.  I believe Paterno's superiors were the people responsible to have Sandusky arrested and fired.  That said - every institution/organization protects its own at the expense of others.  I've seen it at almost every place I have ever worked.

To be honest - the Jerry Sandusky situation reminds me of Covenant House in NYC and the 1990 scandal involving Fr. Bruce Ritter.
.
Photo:  Jeff Anderson - doing his job.

The weather report...

I did not post today - today being November 9, 2011.

I always post.  Every day.  Sometimes several times a day.  What up?

I can't say right now.  I'm just not sure.  But I am painting a lot.

Quick news:

From Sally Tomato:  "Snow flurries expected this week end in New Orleans."

Delusional, magical thinking and poodles... in urban myth.

I just came online to do some research - I needed photos of a couple of Catholic 'personalities' for my 'campy' painting.

Quick notes since I'm here...

This is so stupid - "Devil in the details" - restorers actually believing that Giotto, or one of his students painted the face of the devil in the clouds of a fresco.  Remember the guy who made a film about the San Damiano crucifix with the embedded penis?  Yeah, Michael Calaci and The Rape of the Soul.  Geesh!  People who think abstract expressionism is evil are willing to give their personal impressions credit when it comes to medieval and renaissance painting... and they make up all kinds of stories to support their 21st century POV. 

I use the term eidolon for this type of image these folks claim exist or were intentionally worked in to a composition.  Eidolon means 'an unsubstantial image: phantom'. popular culture has trademarked the term for other purposes, while Carl Sagan employed another similar term for such imaginary images: paeidolia. - Abbey Roads post: The Evil of Abstract Expresionism

Opinion page:  I believer Herman Cain's accusers BTW.  No big deal, really - if Cain hadn't lied about it.  It's the lying that gets me.

Church talk:  I do not know what the big deal is about the new changes in the liturgy - they are barely even noticeable, BUT - if my parish is any indication, the hymns and the music will continue to be sappy, sentimental, ass-slapping crap.  Oh, and there should never ever be special Eucharistic prayers for children - IMO that is.  Kids know the difference between disciples and friends.

Gotta run.

Warning!

>: The holiday season is upon us. <:

Never, ever purchase products that look like the item shown in the photo.  Never even think about it.

Teresa of Jesus

Trouble-maker.

I was watching the excellent Spanish miniseries on la Madre last evening on EWTN.  I know, I just said I don't watch EWTN any longer, but I was channel surfing and came across the film.

The episode dealt with the foundation in Seville and Teresa being called by the Inquisition.

Just a few comments...

I still think Mother's relationship with Fr. Gracian was way too natural.  I know!  Carmelites hate it when I say that.  I didn't like the vow of obedience deal either.  Then I think it is weird that family lived in the monastery with her - but Mother Angelica did the same thing with her mother - "Woo-wee, I'm the superior, anyone can move in!"  One other interesting tidbit is that evidently St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross acted in resistance to various bishops/superiors who got in the way of the reform...  Oh, c'mon - you knew that.

You never really know who's who in real life, do you.  Not a question.

Anyway - whatever the obstacles and difficulties - they became saints and doctors of the Church. 

More Religious Urban-Myths: Making stuff up about Medjugorje...

Fatima Visionary Saw and Confirmed the Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje

Really?  That supposedly is what Sr. Lucia's nephew said she said, and he told Sr. Emmanuel who included it in her book, and then, and then JPII knew about it and now Christine Watkins is writing about it!  She says she said he said:

According to Sister Lucia’s own nephew, Father Salinho — a Salesian priest who lives in Portugal — Sister Lucia continued receiving visions of the Virgin Mary long after 1917, and some of these apparitions of the Virgin spoke to Sister Lucia of the Madonna’s continued work in Medjugorje. This report of Father Salinho’s was documented by the French author Sister Emmanuel Maillard in her book Medjugorje, Triumph of the Heart! (Queenship, 2004), a revised edition of Sister Emmanuel’s earlier popular work, Medjugorje: the 90s. Pope John Paul II met with Sister Emmanuel, was given a copy of her earlier book, and therefore this knowledge – between Fatima’s main visionary and the apparitions in Medjugorje – may not have been foreign to the Vatican.
.
The coherence is evident. Now there is even a report from a Catholic priest and a family member of Fatima’s main visionary, that Sister Lucia herself experienced apparitions of Our Lady speaking about her work in Medjugorje; and, therefore, Sister Lucia reportedly confirmed the apparitions of Medjugorje through her own private revelations of the Virgin. - Source

I object - pure speculation and hearsay.

If I remember correctly, Sr. Lucia was asked about Medjugorje - she said she had no revelations concerning the matter.  If indeed she had experienced - co-apparitions, as it were, we all would have known about it before now, I'm sure.  And no ma'am - I cannot prove my claim any better than you do.

Lesson Here:  Don't put words on Our Lady's mouth.

Photo:  Supposed solar miracle at Medjugorje.  Whatever these 'signs' are - the Miracle at Fatima was unique and so far unequalled.  

Andy Rooney 1919-2011

I really loved this guy.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

Jesse Ventura - he's just so darn funny!

He says he's leaving "Fascist America"!

So now this country is fascist?  I always thought Jesse was a fascist (along with Ross Perot) - so what up with him no liking it?  On the other hand - I was under the impression that Tea Partiers and Independents like Jesse believe Obama-nation has become Socialist Amerika? 

The former Navy SEAL said he had lost his patriotism.

"I will never stand for a national anthem again. I will turn my back and I will raise a fist," he said. - Source

One of the really big problems with American politics is that anyone can run for office - even those who talk politics without understanding a word they are saying.  Let's start naming names....

Jesse Ventura
Sarah Palin
Howard Cain
Morgan Freeman
Sean Penn
Lady Chatterly
Shelly Bachmann and his wife Michelle
Nancy Pelosi
Alec Baldwin
Charlene Pittman
Tonya Harding
Joy Behar
John Corapi
Hilda Phistter
Rick Perry
Barrack Obama
Joe Biden
Julie Andrews
Barbara Streisand
Kim Kardashian
All Poodles

Don't get me started on allowing everyone to vote.
.
Disclaimer:  No one was demeaned by this post - everyone is a winner - I'm singing, "This is my country..." right now as I write.  No derogatory language or names were used - such as scum bag, pond scum, idiot, retard, ass-face, punch-drunk loser, and so on.  No insulting terms were used against Jesse and his ilk - except for 'ilk' of course. 
.
We love you family! - Bob and Penny Lord.

The devil in the black box prophecy.

Religious urban legends and Catholic parents over the line...

I just got an email warning people not to watch Glee. Sheesh!  I thought everyone knew that anyway.

Included in the email was the alleged quote/vision attributed to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that went something like this:

“Every American would have a black box in their home through which the devil would enter.” *

Crossed eye roll...

I had to chuckle, because when I first returned to the Church - before Mother Seton was even canonized - the same vision/prophecy was attributed to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.  Maybe they both had Dish? 

Somewhat related - Here is another interesting factoid:  Before the printing press became really, really popular, St. Rotundenburger had a vision of the devil printing Bibles on a copy machine.  Something like that...

Throw out your kids - keep the TV's!  Just kidding!
.
Warning to parents:  Seriously, never ever watch Glee, no matter what the show is about.  Kids in band and choir and theater are queer - err, different - anyway.  They either need to be bullied to shape up or forced into sports.

Have a great weekend!

*Another version of the prophecy: "And there was a box in every home and the people were sitting around the box. In the box was a flame and the devil was speaking to the people from the box and no one was doing anything about it."  I believe this version is attributed to Ronnie Lueken, the occult visionary of Bayside, NY.

Many Trads just blame the Jews. 


What?

Trying to imagine purgatory.

The soul doesn't die.
.
I've been trying to imagine purgatory these past few days.  Last night while trying to sleep, without intending to do so, I visualized a huge tunnel, the entrance of which appeared in a landscape, murky and dimly lit, revealing bare, broken trees and fallen monuments as in a cemetery that had been vandalized.  Light seemed to break through what seemed to be a dense fog, only to illuminate figures wandering about, as if floating in mid air,  only to dissipate into nothingness as clouds so often do in the winter sky.  The light that shone was cold and steely, causing the shadows to be more more grey to blue than black.  Some figures became more illumined and therefore distinguishable as they neared the great light at the end of the tunnel, where they were soon absorbed by that light.  Faces suddenly appeared very close to my own, apparently - albeit inaudibly - discussing the tunnel and those souls who left the darkness.
.
It occurred to me, as if the concept was a new realization, that when we die, nothing earthly remains with us, rendering us unidentifiable to one another in the same way we experienced on earth.  I'm speaking here principally of our outward status and position, high or low.  For instance, amongst those I imagined, one could have been a king, a celebrity, or a prominent man on earth, yet he was indistinguishable from the poor man, the failure man, the ne'er do well, who may have been standing right next to him.  In other words, human respect and esteem, along with the concerns these generate, did not exist there.  It was no longer possible for the soul to to envy or feel jealousy, just as it was no longer possible for the soul to feel superior to any other. 
.
I know we are taught similar things - but I think it is good to meditate them - frequently.
.
Art: Hieronymous Bosch

The long loneliness...

I recently told someone I envy that title from Dorothy Day because it could well describe my life as well.

He and I.  I have nothing else.

Last night at adoration it was all about that.  I, alone, with the Alone.  I had to acknowledge I am an unprofitable servant - I have never even done my duty.  How completely alone that feels...

Jesus, I trust in you.