I confess

• Although I liked Fr. Neuhaus, First Things bored me and still does.
  
  
• I feel like I ought to like the What's Wrong With the World blog but it just reminds me too much of the cool kids in high school.
  
  
• I think Kathy Shaidle's quip about Rod Dreher is one of the funniest things I've ever read.
  
  
• I like Fr. Z of the WDTPRS blog but his commenters are so precious that they annoy me. On the WDTPRS blog a reader wrote in to complain that he/she went to a church that switched the Tridentine Mass with the Divine Mercy Mass. When TLM attendees showed up and found that their Mass was not going to happen they left. The reader was shocked. I feel some sympathy for these folks. They probably traveled some distance to get to a Mass that had been for all practical purposes canceled, and you know what? Not every Catholic is into the Divine Mercy devotion (I am) and as long as they kept their Sunday obligation they had a right to leave. For all this reader knows they could've caught a later Mass somewhere else. I've done that on occasion. Upon realizing that I didn't want to sit through the charismatic Mass or the Spanish Mass I've picked myself up and gone to another parish. On Sunday in my diocese if you are willing to drive you can go to Mass at six in the morning or 7 at night. I've even heard rumours about a wonky 10 PM Mass at Georgtown. Out of all the people who left one guy said he wouldn't be going to Mass at all since he'd missed his regular one. Why judge everybody by the actions of one man?
• The Catholic distributists are nice folks but dull, dull, dull.
  
  
• The Catholic let's-hide-from-the-world-and-raise-chickens crowd make me laugh---not with them but at them.

Sorry.

Today we visited St. Ignatius in Chapel Point Maryland. It is the oldest continously Jesuit run parish in the United States. We prayed in the beautiful little church, walked in the cemetary and the pries't cemetary and then looked at the litte house that was once a stop on the underground railroad. It was founded in 1641, by Fr. Andrew White who must've been an amazingly brave man. We then stopped by St. Thomas Manor and the shrine to Our Lady, the Stations of the Cross walk and the St. Kateri statue.

Next we went to Chapel Point park and headed down the road to Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Chaptico for Vigil Mass. The pastor, Fr. Baer is an energetic young man who gave a fine homily and was a good confessor. The parishioners were friendly. Mass was glorious. After that we had a terrific meal in Mechanicsville.

what not to say to an infertile woman

Whenever someone says to me,"You're so lucky you dont'/can't have children.They are so expensive/tiring/demanding....etc," I give them a Stepford wife vauge smile and change the subject. Usually I fantasize about saying, "Hey just 'cause you're a lousy parent and you're kids are brats, don't assume I'd be just as bad."............. and then sometimes I think about spitting.

i'm so excited

I've been nominated for Best Batshit Crazy Catholic blog. Check out the story on the fabulous Crescant blog. Wheeeee!

one of the saddest stories i've ever read

I read a news story about the footprints left in floor a wooden floor by a Buddhist monk. He's been praying in that same spot for decades. How heartbreaking! This man's whole life has been dedicated to nothing.

oh for pete's sake, bring on the schism

That was my reaction after reading this post on the truly awesome Lair of the Catholic Cavemen blog. I was born after Vatican II so I'm pretty tired of hearing about it. Please don't tell me how great VatII was, vocations are down, Catholics now act just like pagans and a lot of our nuns look like... well, I won't get into that.

Quit telling me that this is the new springtime, that's like urinating on my daffodils and insisting that it's really rain. It's clear that a significant portion of Catholics are stuck in the 1970s and they won't give it up. Instead of making us all suffer along with their antics I say bring on the open schism and leave the rest of us in peace. Mentally, they've already schismed. They're already Roman Protestants at heart. Why not just be honest about it?

Nasty little people

A number of Catholic bloggers, including one who really shocks me, seem to be almost orgasmicly smug over Mel Gibson's impending divorce. It was kind of like a Twilight Zone episode where kindly old Mr. Jones turns out to be a really nasty little person.

St. Francis Xavier & St. Ignatius

We went to the vigil Mass at St. Francis last night. The church is the oldest in the original 13 colonies. It felt wonderful to worship in such an old place, where the Faith began in America. The Pastor, Fr. Mattingly, is a delightful man and so was the kindly deacon. I haven't felt that welcomed in a church in my own diocese. It makes me ponder, once again, what the heck is wrong with Northern Virginia Catholics.

We also visited St. Ignatius, the second Catholic church in the colonies.

i watched Archbishop Dolan's installation

It was disappointing.

Eternal Rest......

Carrie Tomko, of the Still Running Off at the Keyboard blog died. May she find peace.

St. Mary's Maryland.

To celebrate Easter Rocky and I went to several St. Mary's County shrines and churches. We started with the Mother of Light shrine in Clements, and visited the St. Clement's Island museum. Next we went to St. Joseph in Morganza. It's such a beautiful church I was amazed. We saw St. Cecilia's, Holy Angels, St. Mary's and the St. Mary Youth Shrine. Glorious. And at the end of the day we stopped by St. Francis Xavier, the oldest parish in the 13 original colonies. It sits on a spit of land jutting out into the water. An osprey soared low overhead. We saw turkey vultures on the ground and red wing blackbirds, a great egret and some kind of Thrush. If you're ever in Southern Maryland you have to take the Catholic road trip. The history of our faith in America begins right there.

i am astounded

God died for me. Purity came down from heaven. He saw the filth of my soul and wiped me clean with His own blood. In the garden of Gethsemane He suffered hematidrosis, He allowed the temple gaurds and the servants of the high priest to beat Him--- men dedicated to protecting the temple not realizing that the One who was greater than the temple was right there before them. He shed more blood when the Roman soldiers scourged Him. There are over 100 scourge marks shown on the Shroud of Turin. His head was crowned with a cap woven from thorns that led to horrifying neuraglia. His hair and bruised and swollen face must have been covered with blood. He bled in the streets of Jerusalem and finally on the cross. All this to save me.

Think of of it. God came down from heaven to suffer and die. And how do I return this wonderous sacrifice, this tremendous love? With laziness, with cowardice, with indifference. Pardon me Lord.

My Jesus, my Lord, my King. I trust in You this Spy Wenesday night and always.

Oh Mary, my Lady, my queen, let me stay with you at the foot of the cross.

i need a nap.........

The good news is Rocky is doing great. He'll start physical therapy and should be back at work in a week. Thank you to everyone who prayed for him.
I'm tired. Things at work have been miserable. I feel as flat as a badly cooked pancake or like the moon wishing for an eclipse so she can have a break. I really wish I could just stay home with Rocky this week.

Easter's coming. Get your butt to confession

Fr. Vic wants you, especially if you live in Brooklyn, Queens or Long Island.

Queen Athalaiah lives on

Queen Athalaiah was the daughter of Jezebel and like her infamous mother, she worshiped Baal. She is remembered in the bible as the queen who ruled Judea alone and who had her grandsons killed. In the name of power for herself she killed her male infant relatives. Interesting.

Anyone who tells you that the world would be a pink and candy coated place if only women ran things is either mentally dull or a feminist. Actually women are just as vicious, and can be crueler than the average guy could ever dram of being.

Women are capable of violence, and some of us, like Reverend Katherine Hancock Ragsdale are evil bitches who will encourage others to condone or commit murder.

The Sisterhood has it's rules. First, separate the woman from the man. Then get the woman to hate her children. Teach her whine and rail against the day to day grind of taking care of a house and kids. Encourage her to see them and the Man as burdens holding her back. Get her to contracept and even kill.... The spirit of Athalaiah lives on. Instead of a crown her "daughters" wear a nice suit and a pleasant smile. Sometimes they wear judges robes, and in the case of the Rev., sometimes they dress up in vestments.

This is what you voted for.

The President of the United States curtseys/bows before the King of Saudi Arabia. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

Yo Tony Blair! Shut yer trap

and tell your wife to shut up and sit down too.

Rocky and his knee

The surgery went perfectly. Fairfax Hospital's ambulatory surgery department is top notch. Everyone was so lovely to us. Rocky is a very active man and the forced inactivity in making him a little restless. Hopefully the recovery of his poor knee will go smooth and easy as chocolate pie.

Newt!

Newt Gingrinch converted and I've noticed a lot of Catholic bloggers are being very pissy about it, even bratty little Rod Dreher, who loudly left the Church a few years ago and who really ought to mind his own business has commented. I wish I could ask these people who the hell they think they are. Jesus came to call sinners. He did not found a country club for nice people.

Mary of Magdala was once, according to Catholic Traditon the biggest tramp in Palestine. Jesus spoke to her and she became a saint. Saul of Taursus had Christians killed. Pelagia of Antioch was an actress who sold herself to rich men as a concubine and was known for her lewd stage performances. She heard a bishop preach and completely changed her life. The former scarlet woman retired to the desert and became a hermit. Bartolo Longo was a Satanic priest before he was converted. St. Thomas Becket was living a rich young man at Court's life before he became a saint. Matt Talbot was a falling down, nasty drunk, St. Augustine took at mistress at 17(!), Margaret of Cortona lived openly in sin with a man for years.

I don't like Newt, but unless he messes up and starts acting like, oh say the "devout" Kennedys all I have to give him a chance.