professsional catholics

Lately I've been very disappointed by the blogs of some professional Catholics. The professionals are lay people who make their living by writing books and giving lectures on Catholicism. I used to read the blogs of four professionals. One really turned me off by his nasty attitude towards anyone who didn't slavishly agree with his every utterance in print and by his incessant need to mock Catholics who aren't drinking The-New-Springtime-is-Just-Around-the-Corner Kool-aid and any Catholic whose faith isn't as "sophisticated" as his. I don't read his blog anymore and I'll never buy any of his products. If he shows up at my parish I'll be sure to write Fr. Theoden a protest letter.

Another professional that I used to read has made statements that left me seriously doubting his orthodoxy. I don't read him anymore. And one professional Catholic blogger has left the Church altogether. I never really trusted him because although the man is a really a good writer I remembered his remarkably uncharitable columns back when he was writing for a New York paper. When the young singer, Aalyiah died in a plane crash he made fun of her funeral. Since her parents gave her a funeral that was no different (except for size) than that of the average black Baptist he got a firestorm of protest. Not a tactful guy by any means. The professional's blog that I still read on a daily basis is entertaining but I stick with it mainly for the Catholic news of the day not so much for the author's middle of the road opinions.

Michael J. Fox

I'm shedding no tears for Michael J. Fox. He's been, whether he realizes it or not, hightly blessed. He's rich, he has a wife who is apparently content to be his wife and who stays out of the tabloids. He has two children I think, and even with Parkinsons he lives a life of luxury that the average American can only dream about it. I'm sorry he's sick but so are a lot of people and they aren't avocating slaughtering innocents.

bad nights in a bad inn

I had to go back to New York City on business again. Everything job related and after hours went well. I went to Confession and Mass at St. Francis and prayed at St. John the Baptist. The hotel itself was a nightmare. Bungled reservations, rude service, incompetence on every level and no-one cleaned my room the whole time I was there. To paraphrase St. Teresa it was a bad (couple of nights) at a bad inn. I will never stay in that place again. Next time I'll go to the Hotel Wolcott or the Marriot Marquis. Ususally when Rocky and I go to NYC we stay at the Travel Inn, which is great (Especially if you drive. They do not charge you to park your car in their garage) but if I'm alone I want a hotel that's close my company's NY office. The train trip was lovely as usual.


Thank you St. Christopher, St. Dymphna, St.Therese and St. Francis for getting me there and back again in one piece and relatively sane.

Madonna's newest stunt

I've been reading a lot of disturbing comments from people who I thought would know better about Madonna's "adoption" of a baby from Africa. Most people seem to think it's great because the kid will live in luxury. Are people really so foolish as to think money is everything? Michael Jackson's kids live amidst wealth but I wouldn't want to be them or any other kid in his circle. How would you like to have Christina Crawford's childhood? She grew up in luxury but life with Joan Crawford was hell. J.P. Getty was the richest man in the world but his kids hated him. Money didn't make up for the fact that he was a dreadful person. Gloria Vanderbilt grew up rich but her mother was a mess and Gloria was miserable for years.

Apparently a civil rights organization in Malawi is opposing the adoption and Madonna may be facing a legal investigation back in England so this might not be a done deal after all. Baby David is not a Versace dress or a Louis V. bag. He deserves a real home with decent people who are really going to love him. I'm tired of African babies being the new celebrity accessory.

A separate peace

Several months ago Peggy Noonan wrote an op ed where she opined that our country's elites have pretty much decided that the rest of us can go to hell. They are willing to establish a "separate peace" with our enemies, and the current economic situation. Peggy is right but this separate peace idea goes back for years. When I was in elementary school there was a report on our local news that the rich kids in Fairfax County, VA were taking Russian language courses. The rationale was that the Soviet Union would be the dominant world player and that smart parents would make sure their kids spoke Russian. In Canada Pierre Truedeau actually took his sons to visit Russia because the little twerp felt that the future was going to Russian and he wanted them to see the people and the culture. Well, thanks to God, the efforts of JPII and a guy named Ronald Wilson Reagan the Soviet Union died with nary a shot.
By the time I was in high school the fad among rich parents was for their kids to take Japanese lessons because the teachers and parents apparently thought Japan is going to be dominant business force in the world and the kids might as well be prepared for that. Now the rage in certain high income neighborhoods is for the kids to learn Chinese or Arabic. I wonder if well to do parents in the 40s "prudently" had their kids study German--- just in case? Somehow I doubt it.

i read a lousy book

I just finished reading My Life With the Saints. I won't bother to link to it because it's lousy. It was written by a Jesuit priest but it sounds like the musings of an emotionally retarded 16 year old. Fr. showed an ignorance and sometimes indifference of basic Catholicism and tradition that stunned me. If this is what the Jesuits are producing somebody beg the Pope to suppress the order please.

Two beautiful icons of Our Lord and Our Lady

random thoughts for a thursday night

• Apparently Rod Dreher has left the Church and has converted to the Orthodox faith. I don't know how old Dreher is but he seems young enough to still believe that there must be a church made up of perfect members. I suspect he'll soon start writing disallusioned diatribes about all the unexpected sinners he'll find among the Orthodox. Sad.
  
  
• It's being whispered that the Holy Father is going to issue a universal indult for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. I refuse to get excited. I'll believe it when I see Raymond Arroyo report it the EWTN news.
  
  
• I've been toying with the idea of asking Fr. Theoden (no that's not his real name) about starting a rosary prayer groupat my parish. What time I'd actually have to devote to it is another question but lately the urge to do more at church has been nagging at me.
  

St. Francis

This morning I was in New York City (for work) and before my train to Virginia took off I visited St. Franciscan on 31rst street. It looked like a small chapel from the street but once I got in I was awed by how beautiful and big it was. They have a heart melting statue of the Divine Infant and the most touching statue of the death of St. Anthony I've ever seen and they have confession from 8AM to 6 PM on Saturdays.

Looking at the portraits and statues of St. Francis I was struck by how our modern era gets the saint so wrong. When I was in high school our teacher showed us a horrible movie-- a one man musical about St. Francis' life. He was presented as the Middle Ages version of a dreamy, high on something flower child. I was repulsed and I think a lot of other girls were too. St. Franics was no flake. He was a mighty man of God.

I saw this "motivational poster" on the Anathema Sit blog. Too bad I can't track down my old teacher and send this to him.

PS, New York is great for a quick trip but I'm so glad to be home in my beloved Virginia. The late Lewis Grizzard once wrote a book about the time he left his Southern home and followed a career in Chicago. He called it, If I Ever Get Back to Georgia, I'm Gonna Nail My Feet to the Ground. That's how I feel about Virginia. Plus I missed Rocky something fierce. Life, even for a few days, without that man is like tofu that's been substituted for Angus beef.

random thoughts on a wednesday night

1. I wish Rosie O'Donnel would go back under whatever rock she was hibernating under. I'm sorry her mother died when she was young. Lord, knows I suffered when my father died when I was 13 but that's no excuse for her to be such a phenomenal jerk now.

2. I wish Madonna would go away forever. She's apparently just adopted an African baby. I'm really sick of these celebrities adopting kids for publicity as if the children were Pugs or Pekes. A human being deserves something better than being an accessory for a bubble headed singer or actor. We certainly have come a long way from the days when a bishop refused to let Elizabeth Taylor adopt a baby from a Catholic orphanage in the 50s. The good bishop stated flatly that he couldn't send a child into the home of a public adulteress, which is what Liz was at the time.

3. Ever notice that when criminals get caught they try to excuse their behavior by claiming to have been abused or of having an addiction?

4. If you're in DC on the third Monday in October stop by St. Matthew's Cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration led by Fr. Caulfield.

5. I'm reading The Murky Water's of Vatican II. It's not a very readable book and I can't say that I'm enjoying it one bit.

6. This may tick off any female readers---- sorry--- but Catholics really need to reevaluate the way many of us use NFP. It was never intended to be long term birth control and should be used for serious reasons only. If your doctor tells you that you will turn into Andrea Yates if you have another baby then NFP or a Josephite marriage is perfectly acceptable provided your husband is willing to go along. Not wanting to have a waist bigger than 17 inches is NOT a valid reason. So many women fear pregnancy as if it's some sort of dread disease. My grandmother had three children and was a farmer's wife. She lived way back in the country with no air conditioning, no washing machine, a wood burning stove, no indoor plumbing and no microwave. She cooked, sewed, cleaned, chopped wood, raised animals, grew a garden and had a part time job as a restaurant cook and being pregnant didn't slow her down.
Other women simply fear having a bunch of kids but because of the STD scourge and waiting so long to get married many women are infertile anyway. You probably couldn't have 16 kids even if you desperately wanted to. Trust God. He knows what you need and He knows what you can handle.

7. I just bought the New Testament volume of the Navarre Bible. It's an incredible study source. It is not cheap ($45) but it was well worth it. My husband has started reading it for the commentary sections before going to his bible class each week.

8. Say a rosary for our priests. The good ones need it. The bad ones need it even more.

9. Pray for the Pope.

7.

what fresh hell is this?

A 32 year old sadistic, freaked out bastard walked into an Amish school and killed (so far) six young girls and himself. Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania is one of my favorite vacation spots. The Amish are fine, gentle people this must be such a tremendous shock to them. Last week a crazy man walked into a school in Colorado, picked out several teenaged girls, molested them and shot one before killing himself. There are many men in this country who are obsessed with young girls, the stinking sewer of kiddie porn (actually underage victims and over age 18 women who are posed to look like girls) is stark proof of that. Lust is a consuming demon. The more a person feeds it the more it requires. These guys have such perverted fantasies and more and more of them have no fears of acting them out.

Sometimes I read the comments on Anglequeen and I keep coming across people who long to head back to the farm, pull their kids out of school, find a priest who will offer the traditional Mass and just forget about the rest of the church and the world. This terrible crime against innocent Amish children shows that you can not hide from the sin of the world. There is no safe place anymore.

St. Maria Goretti and St. Dominic Salvo, pray for us.

Tridentine Mass today

Rocky and I went to the Tridentine Mass at St. Lawrence in the Virginia suburbs today. We loved it; we really, really loved it. With this Mass there are less distractions. I was so busy following the missal and praying that all I really noticed was what was happening on the altar. It was all so beautiful. There was no gossiping before Mass, no backslapping, no cantor screeching into the microphone, and no eucharistic ministers. After Mass there was not a great rush to the door and people waited until they were outside to chat with their friends.

The homily was decent, and the organ was well played. St. Lawrence is hideous on the outside but on the inside it's lovely. Someone who really loves Jesus must be in charge of the decorations and the altar rail is intact.

Happy Feast day St. Therese!

This picture was taken of the saint when she was a 15 year old novice. It's one of my favorites.

what a week

Well, my mother in law is out of the hospital. Thank you to everyone who said prayers for her. She had one really rough night because a nurse tripped and tore out her tube. Putting it back was very painful and Big Mama thrashed around so much that her IV tube was yanked out as well. So they had to try six times to put it back in. After that particular drama the nurse responsible was removed from the floor and Big Mama actually began to feel better. On Monday night the stomach tube was removed and she was allowed to go home on Tuesday morning.

Rocky and I went on vacation and were startled to find out how poorly things are done in the Richmond diocese. We couldn't find a church that had daily Mass in Williamsburg, Newport News or Norfolk or Richmond. The only bright liturgical spot was visiting the Catholic chapel at William and Mary. It was great seeing all those young kids at Mass, not because their parents mad them go but because they wanted to be there.

We stayed in Williamsburg and visited the historic area as well as the outlet malls. We saw the Virginia Living Museum (Excellent!) and the Norfolk botanical garden ( Go if you get a chance) and we took the ferry to Surry. We spent time in Portsmouth and rambling around Newport News. They have a huge park there that was great.

Alas, our hotel room had a a small mold problem which explains why my eyes were so irritated all week and all our clothes that we took on the trip smell. I'm off to the dry cleaners .

Support the Holy Father!

prayers please

My mother-in-law, Big Mama has a kink in her small intestine. She's in the hospital with a tube going down her throat that is pumping out all of the um... stuff that built up in the last three days. She's in a lot of pain because the doctors can not give her any medication. If her stomach muscles relax it will interfere with the pumping process. Please say a prayer for her.


And please say a short one for me. This is a trying time and my patience level is as short a two year old's right now.

Prayer for the Pope

Dear God, I beg You to keep Your servant, Benedict XVI safe. Send Your holy angels to be a mighty shield of protection around him.

I beg this in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Pope St. Pius pray for Benedict.

Pius XII, pray for him.

St. Peter, pray for him.

St. Benedict, pray for him.

St. John Vianney, pray for him.

St. Pio, pray for him.

Sts. Linus, Cletus, Lawrence and Crysoganus, pray for him.

Pope St. Gregory the Great, pray for him.

Servant of God, John Paul II, pray for him.

Servant of God, Fulton Sheen, pray for him.

Venerable Solanus Casey, pray for him.

Sts. Francis, Dominic, Anthony, and Ignatius, pray for him.

St. Theresa Benedicta, fellow German to the Pope, pray for him.

St. Michael, defend him from the works of the devil.

My dear St. Dymphna, pray for him.

My dear St. Therese, pray for him and all struggling priests.

Oh Mary, saint of saints, mother and queen of all the clergy, pray for him.

Amen.

Media hyped hysteria

Hilary at LifeSite news points out that the media created the whole Muslim hysteria. I no longer buy the New York Times (I stopped years ago) and after the Jayson Blair plagiarism scandal I look at everything it publishes with a scrutinizing eye. As for the BBC, they so obviously hate Jews and Christians so much that I ignore them as well. And speaking of somewhat strange reactions to the Pope's Regensburg speech Jimmy Akin wimps out and calls it a gaffe. I've been fairly uncomfortable with some of the things I've been reading on Akin's blog lately and this pretty much cuts the cake for me. I won't bother to read him anymore.

random thoughts on Monday night.

1. 
   What in the world….. My husband and I visited this church a few weeks ago. I'm sorry for the parishioners. It must be very shocking to find out that your pastor is a pervert.
   
   
2. After reading this I'm seriously thinking about going back to receiving communion on the tongue.
   
   
3. I went to Adoration tonight at St. Mathew's Cathedral. It was wonderful kneeling before the Lord and it is always great to be able to go to confession. Fr. Caulfield is an excellent confessor and he has a good heart.
   
   
4. Pray for the safety and health of the Pope. Pray for our priests, pray for the conversion of sinners.

I've been tagged

Best title ever for a piece of music-

Dropkick me Jesus or Don't Come from Drinkin' with Lovin' on Your Mind

Most underrated guitarist -

Umm. I have to pass on this one.

Music that moves me to tears-

Samuel Barber's Adagio in G minor and Un Bel di from Madam Butterfly.

Most unusual lead instrument in a piece of music -

The Yoruban "talking drum" from Marsha Long's Ave Maria album.


Coolest name ever for a Rock 'N Roll band -

Gun-n-Roses


Worst genre of music ever -

Gangsta rap. Can you imagine how shocked the Four Tops and Temptations would've been 40 years ago if you'd told them that guys who can't sing or dance would one day become rich and famous for talking about rape, robbery and murder to a dance beat? At least Disco was about dancing. Rap is just mysoginistic crap.


Best guitar jam -

That thing Slash did on the November Rain cut.


Music that's ever scared your kid -

No kids but I was disturbed by Marilyn Manson doing Sweet Dreams.



National Anthem that most gets the blood pumping - The Star Spangled Banner.

Tagging anybody who's reading this post.

A nun was murdered in Somalia

An Italian nun was shot in Somalia.


Religion of peace, my ass.

Hitler and his boss, the devil

Here's an interesting post on The Inn at the End of the World on Hilter and two brave priests who were convinced that he was possessed.

A lioness has passed

Oriana Fallaci, one of the writers I most admire has died after a hard fought battle against cancer. She was utterly fearless and wrote with aferocity that was in turns shocking and beautiful. I hope she was able to reconcile with the church before the end came and so because all things are possible with God I pray:

Eternal rest grant unto her, Oh Lord. May perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.

Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the departed.

Amen.

random thoughts on a thursday night

1. I felt sad after reading this suspicious reaction on Mary Alexander's blog to the institution of a new traditional order made up of former SSPX priests and seminarians. I get the impression that some people really don’t want things in the church to get better. They would rather sit on a hill and criticize how the spiritual battle is going than get down on the ground and fight.
   
   
2. Good news from my diocese.
   
   
3. The Pope's parents met through a personal ad so don’t be ashamed to go to Ave Maria singles or Catholic Match if you need to.
   
   
   
4. I think America might be too soft and weak at heart to really fight a war on terror. A lot of people thought Iraq was going to be as easy as when Bill Clinto bombed Serbia. But dropping bombs on a village is a cakewalk comapred to actually being on the ground with guerilla fighters. Strange how few people seemed to realize that.
   
   
5. Say a rosary for your parish priest this week. If he's a good guy he needs it. If he's not such a good guy then he needs it even more.

Lifesite news

Lifesite needs your help. Click here to donate.

9/11

In 1998, Peggy Noonan wrote the greatest column of her career. It put all all my fears for the futures in print.

On 9/11 I remembered her column. I was surprised by the way the attack went down but I was not shocked that an attack was happening. Not at all. For years I had a nagging feeling that America's blessing of protection was about to run out. Looking at the rest of the world I thought it was miraculous that no huge terrorist action had happened here and that it was just a matter of time. I figured it would be like Oklahoma city or like something the IRA used to do.

I remember standing around the TV in the conference room at my old job watching it happen.
My office was right across the square from the White House and we were all expecting something to blow up at any minute. Our office manager was so stunned she couldn't make a decision whether to let us leave or not.. I decided that whatever was going to happen next I would at least die trying to get home. Everyone else came to the same conclusion and people began leaving quietly.

I'm so proud of the people in DC that day. There was no panic. Everyone was just calmly walking or slowly driving home. The whole city was so still. All I could hear was the sound of shoes on the pavement and the remarkably soft murmur of voices. Everyone cooperated. Everyone was nice which is a miracle because DC is normally a cold, nasty town.

I walked for six or seven blocks and finally got a cab all to myself. Most of the cabs had several people crammed in. Some folks were even sitting on laps. I couldn't get back to Virginia so I went to my mama's home in DC. As soon as I let myself in I hugged her and got my rosary out. Eventually my cell phone worked for a few minutes at a time and we were able to call relatives.

I called Rocky and told him not worry. Though lovers be lost love shall not, so Dylan Thomas said. Rocky doesn't go in for poetry. He hightailed it for his truck and spent hours trying to get to me. Late that night we finally went home and drove past the Pentagon.


Dear God, I can not describe how it looked. Dear God have mercy on all those people who died with no chance to go to confession, no chance to repent. Dear God.....

My mama sometimes kids me becuase I go to confession every week. I do it because I don't care to be caught by death unprepared.

A poll said that America's faith hasn't changed since 9/11. Well butter my backside and call me biscuit. Abortions haven't stopped and neither has the multi billion dollar porn industry in this country so it's obvious that most of us are still partying like it's 1999. Does it seem like there's an air of desparation to the party though? It seems like people are trying to forget, trying to consume, trying to lose themselves in sex, drugs, music---anything.


So many of us are trying to stamp our feet and close our eyes and pretend that there are not hard men watching us. Hard men who have no problem killing themselves as long as they can take us with them. Hard men who don't give a poot on a high wind about love, life or the future because they see their perverted version of paradise waiting for them.

We are like fat, soft children playing in a garden and oblivious to the cobras waiting inches away in the bushes and ready to strike.

Mary the teacher

In 1944, Claude Newman was sentenced to the electric chair. While in prison he met a Catholic prisoner who gave him a Miraculous Medal. After recieving this medal Claude's life changed. He recieved instruction in the Faith and was baptised under the name of Claude Jude. You can read the amazing story here. Mary is a true mother and like a true mother she seeks out lost children.

random thoughts for a thursday night

Oh Sacred Heart, Oh Holy Mighty One, Oh Holy Immortal One have mercy on us. Send us priests after Thine own heart.

1. The whole Taize thing was weird. Either this man, "Brother" Roger was Catholic and for some convuluted reason he didn't want to admit it or he was just play acting all along. I'll chalk this up to reason 53,000 on why you shouldn't go off to a foreign country and sit at the feet of a guru.
   
   
   
2. This article shows yet another reason why I don’t give to Catholic Charities. There are plenty of solidly Catholic charity groups that could use my money instead.
   
   
3. Run to the bookstore and buy this and take a look at this one too
   
   
   
4. I just finished reading Understanding Medjugorje by Donal Foley It's a very sobering read. I never believed that the Virgin was appearing in that village and after reading Foley's book I'm convinced the whole thing is of demonic origin.
   
   
   
5. There is a newly formed commission on Medjugorje. Hopefully their findings will be the beginning of the end of this travesty.
   
   

this was a lousy day

I take one day off and everything goes to heck. Rocky called me from his job to tell me that there was a shooting on the grounds but not to worry becuase he'd been sitting at his desk and didn't notice a thing until a co-worker came by and mentioned what had happened. My father- in- law, Big Daddy slipped on a newly mopped restaraunt floor this morning and fell hard. His magnificent poundange didn't save him and he has a very painful separated shoulder and Steve Irwin got killed by a stingray.

Dang! I'll miss you Steve. Rest in peace and may Terry, Bindi and Robert get through this sad time.

It finally came

I bought a Holy Face medal from the wonderful Sisters of Carmel
You can't see it in this picture but the detail is incredible. The image is taken from the Shroud and I was very moved when I first held it in my hands.

If you are looking for fine quality, beautiful sacrementals please check out the sisters. Now I just have to get the medal blessed.

a cautionary tale

Way back in the 60s a wonder drug came out of Europe. It eliminated morning sickness. American women clamored for it. The FDA decided to study the drug before allowing it in the US. The drug manufacturers harassed the woman doctor who was in charge of the study. Women grumbled and moaned about why the dumb old FDA was taking so long with the study after all it was being used in Europe and everybody knows the Europeans are smarter than us.

Some rich women decided that their morning sickness was just too much to bear so they got on a plane and went overseas to purchase the drug. And then after testing the drug the doctor decided that it was way too dangerous to use. Just as she discovered this many European women who took thalidomide gave birth to horribly deformed children. America was spared this tragedy because Dr.Frances Oldham Kelsey refused to be cowed by the drug manufacturers. President John F. Kennedy gave her a medal for her work.

Today we have Plan B, the emergency over the counter contraceptive. The FDA has approved it and I suspect that this drug is not only sinful (it’s an abortion drug after all) but it's going to turn out to be another health disaster. Besides that it will surely be a boon to swinish men, rapists and child molesters. What'sto stop a man from going to the drug store, buying a supply and forcing his willing or unwilling sex partners to consume it before he allows them to leave? This is an ugly, ugly thing. God help us.

Ernesto

Ernesto is soaking Virginia right now. It's raining so hard I half expect to see one of Noah's sons hurry by while yelling, "I told ya my old man was right!"

I'm going to spend the evening planted on my sofa with a throw blanket, a bunch of Martha Stewart magazines and one of Fr. Corapi's mission CDs.

I'm sorry but this is ridiculous

Swing over to Lair of the Catholic Cavemen and check out this post on Fr. Stan Fortuna's latest concert. I love Fr. Groeschel. I love the Franciscans of the Renewal but Fr. Stan makes me want to avert my eyes. It's like watching your grandpa suddenly strip naked and do the samba.

Something beautiful

Here's a beautiful picture of a Cistercian nun. This nun's convent is located in Wisconsin and the sisters make hosts for Mass. They also accept online prayer requests.

Goodbye Good Man

What a shame.


St. Pio, St. John Vianney, Blessed Solanus Casey, and St. Athanasius please pray for this priest.
St. Therese, St. Dymphna, please pray for this priest.
Oh Mary, queen of the clergy have mercy.....

Genetic meme

Chris from IMHO tagged me……..


1. Which famous person would you most like to learn that you are descended from? Queen Catherine of Aragon

2. Which famous person would you hate to learn that you are descended from? Senator Robert Byrd

3. If you could be ancestor to any living famous person, who would it be and why?
Paris Hilton, so I could come to her as ghost to tell her to put some damn clothes on and stop acting like a um….good time girl.

4. If you could go back in time and meet any known ancestor(s) of yours, who would it be?
My mother's father who died from a black widow spider bite before I was born. I'd like to go in time to warn him to not put on the boot that the spider was hiding in. I'd also like to meet Caroline my great great great grandmother; born a slave in South Carolina in 1811. I'd like to find out the names of her parents and where she is buried.

5. Tag five others: anyone else who would like to play.

random thoughts for a Thursday night

1. A while back my husband was asking me about Fr. Haley. I told him that I hadn't heard or read anything about his status. Today in Renew Ameican I read this I wonder why the sisters bothered to get the book in the first place.
   
   
2. So far Archbishop Wuerl is saying all the right things and he's actually visiting a wide variety of parishes not just the ones in the suburbs and he even went to my old childhood parish, St. Augustine in DC. But I look at his past in Pennsylvania and I don't expect him to do much of anything good here.
   
   
3. After Mass on Saturday a beautifully coiffed older woman dressed in red a red shirtwaist dress, a white blazer, and black patent leather pumps stood up to give a speech. She was a nun from the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph. She was there to ask for donations for the support of their Peruvian mission. She said that they'd sent two of their younger sisters to Peru and because of the order's dwindling numbers it was a real sacrifice to do so. I thought, gee, perhaps if the sisters actually looked and acted like nuns you might have better luck with vocations and fundraising….. I prefer to give my money to nuns like these .
   
   
4. The owner of the Catholic Sensibility blog posted that he thinks pro-lifers need to stop looking so gloomy and learn to sparkle. I think I understand what he's saying. You do catch more flies with honey than vinegar but I can't agree with him. I don't want the pro life movement to sugar coat abortion. It is a sin that cries out to God for justice and this country is risking terrible punishment. We are worse than Sodom. We are worse than Ninevah or ancient Egypt or even the Aztecs and the Romans. There's no way to put on a happy face about this. Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.
   
   
5. Here is a wonderful source for those who love St. Therese. It has photos of her that I've never seen before.
   
   
   

Her roses still fall

Two weeks ago I said a novena to St. Therese. My prayer was answered and a few days later someone sent me a St. Therese chaplet. The chaplet is made by Carmelite nuns in Spain out of crushed rose petals. Getting that chaplet was a complete surprise. The dear saint has a sense of humor.

Thanks EWTN

Thanks for all the coverage of the papal Masses, thanks for the daily Mass, the rosary with the nuns, thanks for Fr. Corapi, Fr. Straub, and Fr. Bill Casey, thanks for nourishing my faith.

Happy 25th anniversary

Happy Feast of the Assumption!

Oh clement, oh loving, oh sweet Virgin Mary.



Pray for us, holy Mother.

strange experience

Yesterday my husband and I felt like going to the 7 PM Mass at a local church. We went in, sat down, prayed and meditated. Around 6:45ish a group of Latinos came in carrying a Senor de Los Milagros crucifix and a Divino Nino statue. Then one of them walked up to us and curtly asked if we had come for Mass. My first inclination was to say, "Yeah, buddy, what's it to ya?" but I was sitting right in front of the Blessed Sacrament so I simply said, "Yes."

He frowned and looked like he was passing a kidney stone. "Do you know Rosa?," he asked. Umm no, dude. He gave us a what the heck are you people doing here look and went away frowning. Another man glanced curiously at us and started working on the electric candles for the mini shrine in front of the Divine Child.

Rocky and I hadn't been to this church in a while so we guessed that the schedule had changed and that this was going to be a Spanish Mass. We were about to go find a bulletin and decide whether to stay or leave when the priest walked in. He stared at us and began speaking in Spanish. I got up, genuflected and headed for the door. Rocky followed. Some of the people in the pews seemed happy to see us go. We checked the bulletin and sure enough the 7 PM has been changed to Spanish but still the reactions we got seemed odd. I realize that the Mass was in Spanish but does than mean no non-Spanish speaking people are allowed to attend? When did that rule get put in place? No-one was overtly mean to us but we clearly got the vibe that we didn't belong. Catholic means universal. I guess they've forgotten that is this parish. My husband and I won't be dropping by again.

Random thoughts for Friday night

1. 
   Amy Wellborn, recently posted a long, odd apology of sorts as to why her daughter isn't going to Catholic school this year. My first thought was to wonder why she was bringing it up. After all her kid's education is nobody's business. But then it dawned on me that a lot of people look up to her and might (wrongly) be upset because her kid is in public school when Amy makes her living from writing about Catholicism. Ah the trials of being a public figure.
   
   
   
2. At lunch time today I was so bored that I picked up a bridal magazine. I was startled to see a large add from Holy Trinity parish in Reston, Virginia saying that if you want to get married there divorce is no impediment and that a priest will "marry" the bride and groom in any dignified location. I couldn't believe this at first until I looked at the web site. This parish is a schismatic outfit that has nothing to do with the Arlington diocese or Roman Catholicism. If any couple goes there to get married it won't be a valid marriage.
   
   
3. Remember, next Tuesday is a Holy Day of obligation!
   
   
   
4. Thanks to Lair of the Catholic Cavemen, I just discovered a new blog written by a no nonsense priest. Check it out.
   
   
5. Why does the Arlington Catholic Herald (the newspaper of my diocese) accept ads for pilgrimages to Medjugorje? It's an as yet unapproved apparition and by allowing these ads the paper is running the risk of making people think that Medj is legit.
   
   
6. Happy Feast of St.Clare to all the Poor Clares, especially my favorite Poor Clare, Mother Angelica.
   
   
7. God bless this woman and shame on the people who have made her life difficult in the last few weeks.
   
   
8. Does Mass at your church look like a mommy and me party? Are most of the males who do come to your Mass old men, boys, or gay? New Oxford Review has a stirring article explaining why.

NOVENA time

Madonna is planning on doing a mock crucifixion during her concert in Rome. She's also going to prance around wearing a fake crown of thorns. Sometimes when spiritually empty women who live on their looks reach middle age they panic. They start feeling as though they need to do something---anything--- to get attention and prove to themselves that they are still young and attractive. That's why you see 50 year old mincing through the mall in crotch high mini skirts and five inch heels or you see a grandma suddenly take a lover who's half her age. In Madonna's case her behavior is mostly a ploy to reboot her career but I suspect it's partially middle age panic and faded beauty that makes her act the way she does.

Novenna Prayer for Conversion
After each invocation say: My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds

My dear parents and grandparents,

My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,

My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,

My spiritual and temporal benefactors,

My friends and neighbors,

All for whom love or duty bids me pray,

Those who have offended me,

Those who will offend me,

Those who have suffered disadvantage of harm through me,

Those whom I, still a sinner, will offend,

Those who are especially beloved by Thee,

Those whose death is near at hand,

Those who desire most to be united to Thee,

Those who endure the greatest sufferings and trials, especially spiritual torments,

Those whose death is most remote,

Those sinners have no one to pray for them,

Those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,

The rich who do not need Thee and are thus the most destitute,

The mighty who spurn Thee,

The spiritually blind, that they might see their folly,

The frivolous, who spend their time in idleness,

The poor, who do not seek the treasures of Heaven,

The tepid, who devote little time to prayer,

The indolent, who neglect to perform good works,

Those of little faith, who neglect the frequent reception of the Sacraments,

The habitual sinners, who require for their salvation to a miracle of grace,

Parents who fail to watch over their children,

Superiors who are not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,

Those who strive for worldly riches and pleasures,

The worldly minded, who fail to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,

Those who witness the death of others, but do not think of their own,

Those who blaspheme and commit sacrilege,

Those who violate the dignity of the human body and mind through impurity,

Those who sin because of my sins and bad example,

Those who do not provide for the life hereafter,

Those whose judgment will be severe because of the great things entrusted to them,

The pope, kings and rulers,

The bishops and their counselors,

My teachers and spiritual advisors,

The priests of this diocese,

The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,

The defenders of the holy Catholic Faith,

Those who die on the battlefield,

Those who fight for their country,

Those who will be buried in the sea,

Those who are to die suddenly, in accidents and from other causes,

Those who will die of heart attacks,

Those who suffer with cancer,

Those who suffer with AIDS,

Those who shall die without the last rites of the Church,

Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,

For Catholic apostates, heretics, and other unbelievers,

For Catholics who hold Masonic membership or in other secret societies,

For the conversion of the Jews, Thy chosen people of old,

For abortionists and those who aid them,

For women who seek abortions,

For those who promote or practicre contraception,

For those who give scandal, especially to children,

My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat.
PRAYER
Final perseverance and pardon grant unto all of these, O Lord; and let Thy graces through these petitions flow unto them and be fruitful. Amen.

Book Meme

Lair of the Catholic Cavemen tagged anybody reading the blog so.....


1. One book that changed your life: The Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen.

2. One book that you have read more than once: Salem's Lot by Stephen King

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: I'll take the Bible.

4. One book that made you laugh: I Should Have Seen it Coming When the Rabbit Died by Teresa Bloomingdale. Teresa was a Catholic mother of ten wild kids and her adventures with them are gut busters.

5. One book that made you cry: Madam Bovary.

6. One book you wish would have been written: There and Back Again: A Catholic Girl Survives Lousy Catechesis and College and Comes Back to the Church in Relatively One Piece.

7. One book you wish had never been written: Having it All by Helen Gurley Brown. That book was a soul destroyer.

8. One book you are currently reading: Emma and the Vikings. It's a biography about Anglo Saxon Queen Emma.

9. One book you have been meaning to read: St. Faustina's diary.

10. Tag some others: Anyone reading this.

random thoughts for a Thursday night

1. Here is a video of solemn high Tridentine Mass. The video quality is so poor that when I first saw it I thought, 'Oh shit, my contacts must have fallen out somewhere,' but when I looked up everything was normal so I knew for sure it was the video. Hat tip to the spunky young priest, Fr. Tucker of Dapped Things.


2. I'm sick of hearing about Stephen Colbert.


3. I thought all Carmelite nuns were contemplatives but that's not so. This fantastic looking order also does teaching and retreats.

4.I spent the weekend reading this book. The author was ordained a priest very late in life and has recently passed away.

5. Check out the preaching of Fr. Larry Richards.

But for the grace of God....

I can't join the feeding frenzy on Mel Gibson that most of the big Catholic blogs are engaged in right now. Alcoholism runs in my family. I've seen some things you wouldn't believe. Some of my relatives are the sweetest finest people you could ever meet but give them a sip of home brew, a bottle of beer or a shot of whiskey and they turn uglier than a one eyed bastard billy goat.

Considering what lurks in my own family tree all I can do is look at Mel's situation and say, "There but for the grace of God go I".

And since Hollywood is chock full of drunks, junkies, adulterers, fornicators, wife beaters and a whole lot worse I have to ask why this personal tragedy is such big news.

Balm

After the doggie Mass I was feeling pretty low but on Monday my husband and went to our usual parish for a holy hour and just sitting there with Jesus I began to feel a measure of peace. Later that week we were in Prince William County, Va and stopped by the perpetual adoration chapel at Our Lady Queen of Angels. There were six other people there. Three were teenagers who came on their own and I was thrilled to see them. In the middle of the day on a Friday those young people came not to be entertained, not to see a freak show but to sit and kneel before Christ. Our bishops have failed us. The lay people who really run our parishes have failed us but there still is faith.

This weekend we took a trip to West Virginia and went to Mass at the brand new church, St. James. It's gorgeous. I'm not sure what the style is but it's full of stained glass and the tabernacle is right in the middle of church where it should be. It was a very reverant Mass and the congregation says the rosary before Mass starts.

WMOAT

I had a hair appointment yesterday that ran late so Rocky and I couldn't make the 5PM vigil Mass at our church so we went to the 6PM at another parish. It was without a doubt the WMOAT (Worst Mass of All Time). When we walked in I knew something was wrong right off the bat. Jesus was not behind the altar, not in a chapel but stuck in a corner. That's right, the the Blessed Sacrament-- Jesus in the flesh, our joy, our strength, our salvation--- was stuck in a dank, drab corner next to the side door.

The choir was rehearsing when we came in and I realized that the songs they were singing were the same ones I used to hear at Mass when I was young child back in the 70s. It was like we had fallen into a time warp. There was a gray haired guy vigorously attacking the guitar and most of the shorts wearing parishoners looked to be in their 50s and 60s. There was only one baby, and a few little kids and two teenaged boys. Everybody else was a Boomer. There were even banners (ugh!) hanging on the wall.

A bored looking altar girl sat in her chair on the altar for half an hour before Mass. I've never seen an altar server just hang out like that before. Usually the altar boys at my church are actually doing something to assist Fr. Theoden and Fr. Aragorn. This child seemed to be just lounging.

And then I saw the dog. I love animals, dogs especially. I'd rather play with a dog than talk to most people. I think the Doberman is one of the most perfect creatures God ever made but a dog does not belong on God's holy altar. It was the priest's dog and I guess he was just checking his territory. He walked around, stopped to be petted by various delighted people and seeing that everything was in order he returned the the sacristy. Then the priest came out. He wore an orange Polo shirt and greeted us like a maitre d at a swanky restaurant. He was very nice and the people were very sweet to us, obvious newcomers but it was so noisy that we never got to pray in peace. Even if your "ministry" is to be the church greeter if you see me hunched over saying my rosary with my eyes closed don't come over to talk to me unless my car is on fire in the parking lot.

Finally Mass started. The priest had on the green vestment but there was no alb or maniple underneath. He dropped some parts of the prayers and improvised. There was no Confiteor (when I was a kid I called it the Comforter) and when was time for the homily Fr. left the ambo and strode into the aisle. My first horrified thought was that he was going to walk the pews like a Pentecostalist preacher but he mostly stayed in one place. His homily consisted of jokes and audience participation.

I looked behind him at one the altar girls and was stunned. This child spent the homily and most of the Mass drumming her fingers on her chair's armrest, resting her head on the back of her chair and staring at the ceiling while she sat sprawled, with legs gapped open. I have never seen such disrepect in my life. These people wanted altar girls so badly (Why?) that they picked a girl who obviously didn't want to be there.

They held hands at the Our Father but I declined. I don't hold hands with anyone but my husband and blood kin, sorry 'bout that buckaroos. The priest added some words to the Concecration and told more jokes at the end of Mass. He would've made one hell of a stand up act. At the end no one stopped to pray and no-one visited the Blessed Sacrament. One man looked at me with a quizical expression when I genuflected before the tabernacle. We ran out the side door.

Rocky told me that this was the first time he ever had to say a Hail Mary in order to get the strength to sit through a Mass. He wanted to get up and leave at several points but kept telling himself that it was a valid Mass. I spent the whole Mass thinking of Jesus in that corner. There is a prayer in the Tridentine rite that asks God to look at our poor efforts with an indulgent smile. I thought of Our Lord smiling at this mess like a dad who's just been presented with a hideous rice and macaroni mosaic by his beloved seven year old and took some comfort in that.

I felt like Kurtz from The Heart of Darkness lisping, "The horror! The horror!" As I said this Mass reminded me very much of the 70s. It was weak, wishy washy Catholicism lite and I saw nothing there to live my life for and nothing to drink death like water for if need be. It was like a Lutheran or AME Zion sevice. I can't imagine a young woman or man sittiing in that church and feeling any call to the religious life. I can't imagine a young woman or man from that parish wanting to stay Catholic after high school.

Afterwards Rocky and I both decided that when we see our pastor again we're going to tell him that we love him and thank him for the beautiful reverant way he celebrates Mass.

Fr. Fay

I've been reading a few of the news stories about Fr. Fay (he's the one on the right) and I just don't get it. If I walked into a church and saw that my priest looked like this had those big ole skunk stripe highlights in his hair I'd immediately assume that something is not right in the rectory and I'd take my time, talent and treasure to another parish.

This poor, wretched man had his ... friend at the rectory all the time. He threw lavish parties, bought jewelry, took a lot of vacation and was allegedly very tightfisted about the parish's money. Some people are now coming forward to say that he shirked his pastoral care duties.

How is it that hardly anyone in the parish seemed to notice? Wasn't anybody bothered by the fact that the pastor had a Waterford cystal collection?The cheapest Waterford goblet I own costs $50 a stem and I picked from the one of the less expensive Waterford lines so in order to have a collection quite a bit of money ( Whose?) must have been spent.

Thank God for the parish bookkeeper and the parochial vicar (who apparently took a lot of heat from the chancery for daring to expose this sinful behavior) but since Fr. Fay was not discreet why didn't his activities ever catch Bishop Lori's notice?


Men gossip just as much as women. Surely somebody close to the bishop must have made an arch comment about Fr. Fay or told a joke. You would think that after the serious blow that the chuch took from the pedophile scandals that bishops would be downright paranoid about stamping out any hint of bad behavior in their priests.



St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Pio, pray for us.
Blessed Andre and Venerable Solanus Casey, pray for us.
Servants of God, Mngsr Knox, Fr. Baker, and Archbishop Sheen, pray for us.

random thoughts for a Thursday morning

1. This is so disappointing. I used to like Peter Jackson (not enough to go see that big bust, King Kong) and I loved, loved, loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
   
   
   
2. Ten years from now we'll all be making "Don't leave the Spanish teacher/au pair alone with the kids," jokes but they won't really be funny at all.
   
   
3. Rocky wants to buy me a new veil. He wants something that's not black for change. He's going to pick something from Modesty veils or Halo Works I have a feeling that he's going for pink or red. Gulp! The women who glare at my sheer black veils now will probably frown themselves to death.

random thoughts on a wet Saturday morning

1. Bishop Yanta is right. When you go to church with your naked buttocks showing you are making an immoral act. You chose to go out of the house like that. When you show up in the Communion line with your breasts practically falling out of your open top you are making a decision. If you step up to lector wearing a see through blouse or you get a kick out of sitting in the front pew with your legs open you are making a choice-- and a foul one at that. Ask yourself hon, why are you dressed like that? Unless you ride a pole for a living you don't go work like that so why do you treat your boss with more respect that you do Jesus?
   
   
2. Certain blogs have started bashing Traditionalist Catholics again. What a bore. Really, what a tiresome, unhelpful, unlovely big fat bore. We ought to pray for SSPX people, not mock them. If you can treat a flat out heretic with love and respect why not do the same for the Trad? If you can go to a mosque or synogauge and bow your head respectfully why be rude and crude towards the Trad chapel? And we need to face one inconvenient fact: We would not have the Indult if it weren't for those stubborn independent chapels and SSPX. When you sit smug and prim in the pew for your indult Mass or you sit happy and relieved to be at a conservative insence and Latin filled Novus Ordo Mass, spare a kind thought for the hard headed and yes, in some ways legitamately angry people who really made it possible.
   
   
3. I love Wal-Mart. Sorry, but I do. Is it endangering the old style mom and pop stores? Yeah but you know what? A lot of those mom and pops stores were small, dirty, overpriced and in the South, they weren't all that polite to their black customers. When Wal-Mart came to South Carolina my grandmother and her contermporaries were thrilled to go there. They could afford the stuff and Mr. Sam didn't care what color they were as long as they were carrying green cash. For the first time in Grandma's life the clerks called her ma'am and were helpful. She and my great aunts loved Wal-Mart. By the way, some of the mom and pop stores on Main Street in my Grandma's town are still thriving. The presence of Wal-Mart in town forced them to rethink their business plan. They revamped the stores, sold better quality stuff that you can't get at Wal-Mart and started treating all their black customers better.
   
   
4. I think the Cafeteria is Closed has become one of the best Catholic blogs out there. I check it every day for news.
   
   
5. I just read a weird conversation on a Catholic message board. There are people out there who actually think it's a mortal sin not to breastfeed. Okaaaaaay. I'm backing away and calling for Nurse Ratchett now. Some modern day pharisee actually believes that God is going to send women to hell because some of us would rather not have breasts that resemble rotten pears and hang to their knees by the time they're 45. Where the flip is THAT in the catechism?
   
6. If you are ever in Northern Virginia, this is a really nice little church. The pastor and parochial vicar are very good priests.
   
7. If you're in DC be sure to visit Saint Matthew's Cathedral. Mnsgr. Jameson, Gerhardt, and Fr. Caulfied have a really hard job and do wonders.

Your Emminence, You rock!

Some of the feminist Catholics have their lips poked out but about Bishop Yanta's letter on modesty but I don't have a problem with it. In fact, I'm delighted that an American bishop apparently has a spine.

When I was in college I used to go around dressed in the most itty bitty mini skirts and dresses I could find. My mother objected and there were times when I got around her objections by simply leaving house dressed decently but as soon as I was out of sight I would unbutton my blouse a little too low or hike my skirt up as high as I could get it. I did this because I was intoxicated by the way men, even men my father's age behaved when I walked down the street. Probably this has to do with my father dying so young. I needed older male attention but lacked the sense to realize what kind of game I was playing. If any of those men had actually gotten fresh with me I would've panicked and run away. I guess St. Maria Goretti was looking out for me.

Two things changed my outlook on clothes. First, I met Rocky and just wanted to dress in a more ladylike fashion. We got married when I was 21 and he was 23. The love of a good or at least a seriously macho man can change a lot. Have you noticed that Jennifer Lopez is never semi nude in public anymore now that she's married to a Latin man? Second, one day I walked into the Opus Dei chapel in Washington, DC. I'm too much of a lone wolf to join Opus Dei but I do love them. I met a serious, old fashioned Irish priest there. I started going to the chapel for Mass every day and reading classic Catholic books and then my whole attitude on modesty changed.

Now please don’t think that I go around looking like something Jedidiah the polygamist has locked in his barn. I love beautiful clothes and if Rocky isn't attracted by an outfit I don't buy it or I return it to the store. Modest dressing doesn't mean you have to dress like a back country Mormon child bride or a Muslim. For me it's the difference between dressing like my style icon Jackie Kennedy or dressing like Pamela Anderson.

Sisters of Carmel

These nuns make the most beautiful rosaries I've ever seen and they have medals and scapulars that are far superior to what you will find in your local Catholic bookstore.


Hat tip to Recto Ratio.

a sad story

Look what happens when you don't take care of problems when they're small. When you see one mouse you get out the traps and poison. If you do nothing before you know it the house is infested. George Stallings was one of the few black priests in the DC diocese. There were upsetting rumors about him going back to the 70s. Cardinal Baum apparently didn't check him. Cardinal Hickey cared passionately about El Salvador but didn't pay much attention to the DC inner city parishes and by the time he tried to correct Stallings the wild man priest was totally out of control. He broke away from the church and started his own black Catholic in name only church. My husband and I sometimes drive past it when we got to DC. From the outside the building looks like an AME Zion church or perhaps a non traditional Catholic church. Now Stallings has apparently linked up with Archbishop Milingo, who may be suffering from the effects of old age and they may create yet another embarrassing moment for black Catholics.


Saint Therese, dear litte flower, patroness of black missions pray for those who may be led astray by these men.

Can You forgive her?

Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope wrote among others, a book called "Can You Forgive Her?" It was about the wild, but big hearted, Lady Glencora and her husband Sir Plantagenet Paliser. Glencora messed up in a number of ways and came to the brink of social disaster but Plantagenet always came through. He always forgave and he never stopped loving her. I think of this book every time I go to Confession. My thoughts tend to be something like, "It's me again, Lord. I've blown it again. I don't deserve to be here. I should be ashamed to ask You anything but …" And then He does forgive me time after time and that is so incredible. God's forgiveness is so huge a miracle that I don't see why people have to spend thousands of dollars running to Medjugorje.

Confession

Confession at my back up church was interesting this week. Once a month a couple with 5 kids comes and the whole family confesses. They were in line and so were several other people when I got to church at 4:15. The line was so long it went almost to the front door. On one hand it was beautiful seeing all those people taking advantage of the sacrament but on the other I was miserable because I thought Father Aragorn would never be able to hear us all before Mass started at 5. When I finally made it in Father told me frankly that he was pressed for time and he needed me to be concise. I'm not concise. Heck I'm a Southern woman. Concise is just not my nature unless I'm angry but I spat out a confession as best I could and got out.

The three other people behind me also made it in and then Father Aragorn ran for the sacristy in order to get vested and start Mass. Rocky was impressed that Father could move so fast and speculated that he must have been a left tackle in high school. The confessional at St. Burb's is hotter than a sauna in East Purgatory and he had to have been in there for more than an hour so I'm impressed that he could move at all.

Random thoughts on a Wednesday night

1. My Lord, what a weekend! Storms swept through Virginia this weekend. The power was out for three days. I've had to throw everything in my fridge away including the expensive Irish butter that I'd only just bought. We had several trees down, no hot water or landline phone so Rocky and I just packed a few things and went to my mother's house. That was great, almost like a mini vacation. We ate junk food, laid around on the floor watched Star Trek and laughed more than we have in weeks. Once again, I'm reminded that God in His great mercy gave me exactly the husband that I need.
   
   
2. Voodoo / black magic/ root work/the old ways/ whatever you want to call it, still holds a powerful grip on Africa, and frankly everywhere Africans were taken as slaves. There are people (including some of my relatives) in South Carolina and Virginia who go to church every Sunday but who also trust completely the power of the local root (witch) doctor.
   
3. When you buy something made in China today please spare a thought for this woman and her children. St. Gianna, pray for us.
   
   
4. Whenever there's a blog discussion about Medjugorje I notice two things always seem to happen. Someone will calmly mention what the bishop there says and then a Med Head will write back a 7 paragraph hysterical or bellicose response or they'll use all caps which is shouting in "net speak". If anybody has any doubts about Medjugorje read this before getting a plane ticket and going over there. You don't have to beleive it just read it before you write that check or decide to hang your whole precious Faith on this alleged apparition. By the way, have you noticed how the "seers" are always referred to as "the children", or as young people. All but one were born before 1967! Except for the youngest born, in 1971 they are all pushing 40 and over. That aint no kid.
   
   
5. I just found TeDeum a truly excellent blog.
   
6. Every now and then the devil slips up and shows his real face. These pictures are from a Legends condom ad that just won an award. I can only say that the spirit of this ad is totally and obviously demonic.
   
7. Don't always assume that a married woman with no children is using birth control. I've only been pregnant twice and had miscarriages both times. I'd hate to think that someone is sitting behind me in the pews looking at me with distaste and thinking "Look at that wicked contracepting woman!" Unless you have access to someone's marital bed or their medicine cabinet you can't know for sure what the real story is.
   
8. When nuns go rogue bad stuff happens…..
   
   
9. If you happen to be in DC on Saturday, July 8, go listen to Fr. Caulfield' lessons on John Paul II's Theology of the Body from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Fr. Caulfield rocks. He's a most excellent young priest.

A prayer for priests

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests; for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests labouring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for Your lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in purgatory. But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity.

Amen.

Random thoughts on a Friday night

1. If this rogue nun had kept her habit on and stayed in the convent this mess never would've happened. Call me old fashioned but I just don't trust nuns with pearls and salon hair cuts.
   
   
2. I don't blame the Papal Nuncio for this. It's possible that he doesn't even know who John Kerry is (although Archbishop Wuerl surely does) AND it is possible that the senator went to Confession that morning but dang it this makes me very sad. Bishop Todd Brown is grabbing old women who dare kneel for Communion and the Papal Nuncio is giving Communion to John Kerry. We live in bizarro land.
   
3. A View From the Pew writes about a vision of Ven. Anna Catherine Emmerich that left me stunned for a minute. Sr. Emmerich was never my favorite mystic but I'm going to have to read more of her revelations now.
   
4. I did a stupid thing this morning. I went to Mark Shea's blog. Ugh! May I never do that again.
   
   
5. Hooray! The new issue of Les Femmes is online.
   
   
6. The charming and single Carolina Cannonball just put up a post about her love for Harry Potter. Last year I would've been right there with her but after the last book I have to say that I've soured on the series. I'm not saying that HP is evil but I now think that the series really isn't all that great. Remember how we all loved Dynasty and Dallas when we were kids? Bet you wouldn't be caught dead watching either show on the TV Land station now. I think Harry Potter may turn out to be the literary equivavlent of Dynasty.
   
   

The feast of the Sacred Heart

Last night my husband and I went to a sung Latin Mass at our back up parish in the suburbs. Fr. Aragorn (that's what we call him) really knows his Latin. He didn't mutter or slur his words. I appreciated that. The schola from (I think) St. Mary's in DC came to sing and they had the A team of altar boys and even the cantor sang better than usual.

I saw several young ladies with mantillas on. Mine was accidentally left in the car so I threw on the scarf that I had in my bag. Rocky looked at me and asked if I wanted him to run back to the car to get it because he knows I don't feel right being uncovered in church anymore. It looked like it was about to storm so I told him not to bother. Mass itself was beautiful and was marred only by the inconsiderate EWTN wannabe commentator sitting behind me.

This man gave a running explanation of what was going on through most of the Mass to the person sitting with him. He let his son kick the back of our pew and the tyke's little fingers got into my hair twice. I guess the little guy was standing on the kneeler trying to get a better look but the first time I felt those fingers in my hair I just about jumped out of the pew from shock. I did not offer the man the sign of peace (why be a hypocrite?) and I did not go to Communion.

Fr. Aragorn preached a homily that moved me to tears and after Mass the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. Fr. Theoden gave an impressive benediction homily and there was Confession (yeah, I went) until 10:45.

Our Lady of Akita, Pray for Us

Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we turn to you, O Virgins of virgins, our Mother.To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, do not despise our petitions, but in your mercy hear us and answer us. Amen.

Random thoughts for a Thursday night

1. Yesterday was interesting. We went to St. Matthew's Cathedral for 5:30 PM Mass and the Miraculous Medal novena. We saw two priests and at first I assumed they were visiting and then I thought that they must belong to Archbishop Wuerl's staff. The tall, gray one walked past us looking carefully at everything and then I realized that it was the archbishop. A reporter stopped my husband on the sidewalk in front of the cathedral and asked him what he thought of the new archbishop. Rocky reacted like a pro. His response was cautious but hopeful. Thank God the reporter didn't ask me anything because I probably would've blurted out what I really think. So far from what I've read and been told I'm afraid that Wuerl is going to be another McCarrick and I don't mean that in a good way. And speaking of Cardinal McCarrick this cartoon pretty much sums it all up.

Today Rocky went to the installation Mass for the archbishop at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. He said it was a gorgeous Mass. He saw the Knights of St. Peter Claver, the Equestrian Knights, about 200 priests, a bunch of bishops, the monsignor and parochial vicar from our parish and Lt. Governor Michael Steele.


2. St. Thomas Moore, St. John Fisher pray for us. May we have more laymen and bishops like you.

3. The Episcopalians elected a woman to be a bishop. All the big time Catholic blogs have gone into vapors over this it but I can't figure out why. This is a heretical sect started by a man who wanted to marry his mistress. A good tree doesn't grow out of poisoned soil.

4. How come Catherine of Aragon was never beatified at least? She was definitely a martyr for the sanctity of marriage, and church teaching.

Eternal rest grant until them oh Lord.....

"The Mansions of the Lord"

Words by Randall Wallace

To fallen soldiers let us sing where no rockets fly nor bullets wing

Our broken brothers let us bring to the mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding no more fight

No prayers pleading through the night just Divine embrace, eternal lightin the mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep

We will stand and guard tho the angels sleep

All through the ages safely keep the mansions of the Lord

_________________________________________________________

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now

St. Margaret Ward,

St. Charles Lwanga,

St. Blandina,

St. John Rigby,

St. Joan of Arc, all patrons of the tortured and

St. Martin of Tours and St. Michael patrons of soldiers

pray for the departed and for those left behind.

Our Lady of Akita

Over on Lair of the Catholic Cavemen there is a post on Our Lady of Akita. Our dear Mother had a stern message for the world and instead of heeding it, millions are just shutting their ears and doing the happy clappy dance.


Third and the Last message on October 13, 1973:
". . . if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres (other priests). Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."
"The demon will be especially implacable against the souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them."
". . . Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."

A Question

The time has come to ask the question: Other than the lectionary has ANYTHING good come out of Vatican II? I realize that the actual Vatican II documents NEVER told priests to start ballet dancing before the altar and not one Vat II document told the nuns to put on lipstick and to remove their habits but in the name of Vat II that's what happened. The average Catholic never read the official documents and has never read the GIRM and those who did got shouted down when they complained about the ocean of liturgical abuse.

In the name of the "Spirit of Vat II" we have Catholic schools that refuse to hang a crucifix on the wall. We have kids who can't say a Hail Mary and who have never seen a statue of the Infant of Prague. We have DREs who don't know what a novena is. We have gay groups meeting in the church basement and Catholics in name only running the liturgical committee, we have Eucharistic ministers defying (and winning in one case in my diocese) the priest when he tries to stop them from pouring the Precious Blood down the sink after Mass. We have churches that look Lutheran and where you have to hunt like a Blue Tic hound on the trail of a chain gang escapee to find the Blessed Sacrament. We also have cases where people are going to the tribunals and shamelessly demanding second or even third annulments.

I'm not being nostalgic. VatII happened before I was even born but I can see that something aint right. Can a reform of the reform work? I don't know but first we need to admit that the experiment didn't turn out the way it was advertised.

Thanks for nothing

US bishops want to give citizenship to all illegal immigrants. They have nothing to say about the rampant homosexuality in the ranks, nothing to say about the stunning lack of reverence in our churches, nothing to say about the average Catholic's remarkable ignorance about the Faith but they can call for the wholesale cheapening of American citizenship and for completely screwing working class and poor Americans. As Obi Wan sarcastically said to Anakin after they were both captured by the termite people, " Good Job!"

Men and women are different ---example #568,127

When I saw this picture of a the Mexican World Cup soccer uniform on a statue of Baby Jesus I was annoyed. First, because putting a profane outfit on Baby Jesus is a cheesy thing. Second, because I hate soccer. I'd rather watch ants fight or the grass wither. A little football or baseball uniform would've been just as cheesy but at least it's not soccer...

My husband Rocky, on the otherhand, saw the picture and began a 20 minute discourse on the Child Jesus and what games He might have played in Nazareth. Rocky, wondered if little Jesus simply let His friends win games or if He always won because after all He was God and knew all the plays anyway. Did angels hover around and block shots for Him or did Mary and Joseph flat out refuse to let Him play any game that might give Him a bruise or scrape? After his discourse he turned to me and asked "What do you think, Dym?" I just stared and marvelled.

Random thoughts for a Friday

1. Cardinal McCarrick can not leave too soon enough for me. This is the final straw. Please Your Eminence, just pack your bags and take the midnight train to Jersey. I'd be happy to see you to the station. Heck, I'm almost willing to drive you home myself just so I can be sure that you're really going.
   
   
2. Anne Coulter is not subtle. Yeah, I know that's the understatement of the year but gosh darn it I love the gal because 9 times out of 10 she's absolutely right. What she said about the so-called Jersey Girls is the truth. Now of course I sympathize with any widow because my own dear father died when I was 13 and life without him was hard. Nothing, not money, not sympathy or hobbies can take the place of a beloved spouse. My mother handled widowhood like a saint and never complained but I could see she was suffering. The Jersey Girls, on the other hand seem to be merrily pimping the legacy of their dead husbands.
   
3. Check out this video from Ward Wide Web.
   
4. According to Life Site news Planned Parenthood made 900 million last year from killing babies. Think about that for a minute. Think of all those snuffed out lives. This country has run up a gigantic debt in the Court of Divine Justice. How will we endure it when it comes time to pay? God have mercy.

random thoughts for a Thursday

1. The McCarrick Mystique Oh please. This tribute to Cardinal McCarrick is so sweet that it should have a warning notice that it's dangerous for diabetics to read.
   
   
2. What's up with all the sudden media interest in the Catholic church?The Philadelphia Enquirer is running a front page series on bitter Catholics and the Washington Post sent someone on safari to Old Saint Mary's in DC to watch the Tridentine Mass.
   
   
3. I was reading the Pope's biography, Milestones 1927-1977. In it he mentions that there were 40 or 50 guys in his ordination class in 1951. This year American Catholics were told to rejoice because a whopping 17 men were ordained in Nebraska and all of 12 were ordained in the DC diocese. How far we have fallen.
   
4. There will be Eucharistic Adoration at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, DC on June 19th. Young Fr. Caulfield will give the homily and offer confession. If you're in the city stop by.
   
5. Matt Abbot has a lovely article about a fine Catholic family who run an extraordinary internet business.
   
6. One of these days I'm going read a book on Paul VI. He sure seems to have done a lot of weeping fits. Devout Life has an odd little tale abut one them.

St. Charles

Today is the feast of St. Charles of Uganda, who chose martyrdom rather than submit to the obscene desires of the king.





Pray for us, St. Charles that we may have the courage to say no to immorality no matter what the cost.

Road Trip!

My husband, Rocky and I went to Pennsylvania's Dutch Country for a few days and as much as I like parts of Pennsylvania I have to say that the states up North have lousy direction signage. We saw not one highway sign saying that the exit to Dutch Country was ____ miles. You just see this vaugely worded sign for York and Harrisonburg and we intuited that we had to take US 30 towards York because Harrisonburg was way in the wrong direction.

Really PA you guys need to get on the ball. Tourists are stupid, give us a break and we and our lovely money will come back to you.

Anyway we stayed in the Fulton Steamboat Inn and we took a great tour of Amish farms and businesses and we met a number of Plain People. The Amish broke away from the Mennonites because they thought the Mennonites were too soft. The Mennonites were founded by a Catholic priest who went rouge. Nothing is new under the sun. When a priest goes bad he always does it in a big way.

On the way home we stopped at the Grotto of Lourdes shrine in Emmittsburg and we visited the Blessed Sacrament at the Immaculate Conception chapel at Mount St. Mary's Seminary.