something I've been brooding about

My mother is a Baptist. She thinks it's great that Rocky and I are Catholic, she's always happy to go to Mass with us, she's been through RCIA but she won't convert. I think she feels it would be something of a betrayal to her parents memories.

I've spoken to four priests about Mama. One, the youngest, clearly didnt' want to distress me but clearly didn't want to say "don't worry about it". The others --one an old priest, the others were in their early 30s--- all told me not to be concerned. The church, they told me has taught since the 40s that Mama is part of the Holy Catholic Church because she is a Christian. She does not know this and obviously doesn't have the fullness of the Faith but what she does have is enough to get her to Heaven. I want to believe this but didn't Pope Leo (I forget which one) say that heretics shall not enter Heaven? I'm going to keep praying that if it is necessary for her salvation that Mama converts one day.

Exultet from Easter Vigil

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God's throne!

Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,radiant in the brightness of your King!

Christ has conquered!

Glory fills you!Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church!

Exult in glory!

The risen Savior shines upon you!

Let this place resound with joy,echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends,standing with me in this holy light,join me in asking God for mercy,that he may give his unworthy minister grace to sing his Easter praises.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night when first you saved our fathers :you freed the people of Israel from their slaveryand led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is night when Christians everywhere,washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!

How boundless your merciful love!

To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,O necessary sin of Adam,which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:"The night will be as clear as day:it will become my light, my joy."The power of this holy night dispels all evil,washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,brings mourners joy;it casts out hatred, brings us peace,and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earthand man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night, receive our evening sacrifice of praise, your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God. Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue bravely burning to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning: Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all mankind, your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

Mass of the Lord's Supper.

We went to Holy Thursday Mass last night and it was beautiful. Fr. Théoden gave a long and soul stirring homily. He is a very kind and saintly man and is a wonderful confessor. All of the altar boys served from the A team down to the newest recruit. The boys' did very well and must have practiced hard to get everything right.

Fr. Théoden washed the feet of twelve altar boys, (I hope they all washed first, cause few things are stronger on earth than the odor from a teenaged boy's feet) and after Mass young Fr. Aragon carried the Lord in a procession around the church. The altar was stripped of all decoration including candles, nothing remained except the flowers and candles at the Altar of Repose. We sat there until around ten PM remembering that terrible night when Our Lord sweated blood in the olive garden and suffered unspeakable mental anguish for our sins.

I suddenly had a glimpse of how totally and wildly God loves us. Wonderful, astonishing, incredible love for me and for you.

What Wondrous Love is This?

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of blissTo bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,

To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,

When I was sinking down, sinking down,

When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,

Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,

Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.

To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;

While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;

While millions join the theme, I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;

And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;

And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

Chrism Mass and other thoughts.....

Chrism Mass

Rocky and I went to the Chrism Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral in DC. It was glorious. Archbishop Wuerl was there and I was startled by his appearacnce. He looked like a piece of chewed on leather. Has he not been well lately? Cardinal McCarrick is a couple of decades older than him and looked just as pink cheeked and perky as a youngster. The music was magnificent. The Cathedral's schola choir is always impressive.

There must have been over 100 priests in attendance and it was beautiful to see them. There were old priests, grown grizzled and gray in the service of the Lord, one was so frail that he had to be led. There were tall priests, short priests, thin ones and one so fat and jolly looking that he reminded me of the Pillsbury Doughboy. There were Benedictines, Franciscans and Domincan priests and priests from other orders I couldn't identify. There were young priests and many, many young seminarians.

These young men were a special delight. Many of them wore cassocks and all seemed excited to be there. I saw the Missionaries of Charity nuns, the Virgin of Mattara Sisters and a few Dominicans and Franciscan nuns as well. After Mass the mood was a joyful one. It was like a class reunion.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I just had a thought. Let's say that the Tridentine Mass really is going to be set free. Will my bishop obey? Will yours? Will the average Catholic finally be able to go to a nearby parish (if not his own) and attend the Tridentine Mass? I predict that many of our US Bishops will simply ignore anything from Rome.

_________________________________________________
The great horror is almost upon us. Ladies, the quest for a swimsuit that looks modest and cute and in no way resembles a flour sack begins again for another Summer. So far as much as I respect what these people are trying to do I found a number of suits that would make me ill if I had to put them on. For example this one is well.... HIDEOUS.

I found it at Wholesome Wear.

Then there's this one which is sweet but impractical.

I didn't mind this one but it comes in such revolting patterns.

Finally, there's the suits at this site which are cute for little girls but would look silly on me.

I'll probably buy something from LL Bean or the Esther Williams collection. The Esther Williams suits are retro so I'll be decently covered but none of her things make you look like something so lumpish and ugly that you should be covered up for the safety of the public.

Palm Sunday

I was exhausted this Palm Sunday but it was a beautiful Mass. Fr. Aragon was the celebrant and his homily was so amazing that I really wish I could've typed as he spoke. He spoke on Peter and how his fall came about. I'm paraphrasing but it went something like this :

First, Peter followed Jesus at a distance when He was arrested. How many times do we follow Our Lord from a distance? We love Him, or at least we say we do and yet, when someone cracks a flithy joke about the church or says something ignorant about the Blessed Virgin we remain silent lest the person think we're "too religious" or just not sophisticated. How many times do we bite our tounges when our fornicating relatives come to visit bringing their current lovers with them?

Second, Peter stumbled into temptation by looking for comfort. He sat down to warm himself by the fire in the courtyard of the high priest. The people sitting around the fire were servants of the Temple or the high priest. They were in the service of the people who were going to kill Jesus. This was the last place Peter should've been. How many times do we choose comfort instead of Jesus? Do we stay in bed on cold Winter mornings with the intention of confessing our sin later? Do we pour ourselves into provocative clothes because they'll fashionable and we want the pleasure of looking like all the other women we know? How many times have we partied with people we know are antiChristian becuase they are great company, throw the best parties and amuse us to no end?

Third, when being associated with Jesus seemed dangerous Peter denied Him. We deny Our Lord each time we sin.

If we're honest , we know that we are all no better than Peter was on Good Friday but if we figh the good fight we can be like Peter was when he recovered himself. He turned, he repented, he took shelter in Our Lord's blood and wounds and became the leader of the apostles and the church.

Saturday thoughts

This morning I went to church and joined the Altar Society in cleaning the candle holders, polishing brass and arranging the altar floral display for Palm Sunday. It was fun. Fr. Theoden came out and offered a few suggestions. I'm tired and smell like chemicals but it was a good thing. I can see that I won't be able to do it every Saturday morning because of my crazy schedule but today was good.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Today Rocky and I went to the Ukranian Holy Family Shrine in DC for Mass with his bible study group from church. They are Catholic but use the Byzantine rite. It was amazing. Except for the homily every part of the Mass was sung either by the priests, deacons or the congregation. Communion was administered using a silver spoon. We Latin rite Catholics have lost so much beauty and dignity in our liturgy. It's really quite tragic how ugly the average Novus Ordo Mass is.

Afterwards we all went to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for lunch and a tour. That was very nice. The tour guide got a couple of dates wrong but she had a huge amount of information to remember so that's understandable. After the tour Rocky and I visited the Poor Clare's convent and the Franciscan monastery. And then we came home so Rocky could cheer Georgetown on to victory.

Fr What-a-Waste and other thoughts

• 
  This phrase has irritated me for years. When a woman refers to a priest that way she's saying that the only men who should serve God are the ones who are uglier than a fatherlesss billy goat and/or so socially inept that no woman would want them.

• Here's a lovley new blog written by a young fellow who's on his way to the Missionaries of the Eternal Word.
  
  
  
• I suspect that the whole Iraq thing is hopeless. This is a country that has a 40% literacy and where most marriages are between cousins. Cousin marriage leads to idiots and tribalism, two things that you really need to lose if you want a democracy.
  
  
  
• I dearly love John Paul II but let's not declare him a saint just yet. We have time and it's no offense to our late Papa if a slow, thourough investigation is done. Remember even the remarkable St. Therese had to wait twenty some years after her death to be cannonized. St. Maria Gorretti's then teenaged murderer was an old man by the time Pope Pius cannonized her. There is no need to rush.
  
  
  
  
• Fr. Fessio got fired. I haven't followed the whole Ave Maria thing so I'm now I'm curious. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
  
  

Was that water really holy?

I have a question. Last week I was asked to fill the Holy Water font at church. I was directed to get the water from the sacristy sink that Fr. Théoden and Fr. Aragorn use to wash up. There was no salt and no blessing so how can it be Holy Water? Can you pre-bless all the water that comes form Father's sink?

Apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist

I wish I could get more excited about this but to be brutally honest it means almost nothing in practcal terms. If your bishop is more Mahoney than Sheen then he's going to keep on doing what he's doing.

thursday night thoughts

Mary Alexander at Against All Heresies has a post on something that has made me uneasy for a while now: lay people who set themselves up in their own "ministries". Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin, Karl Keating and Stephen Ray all hawk their books, tapes, and speaking engagements on their sites and "generously" share their views on Catholicism and the world. Some Catholics hang on to their utterances as if these guys were the pope. This is dangerous ground to tread on.

All these guys are self appointed experts who remind me way too much of Protestant ministers. Something just doesn't seem right.

What's up with the earring?

This man is a priest. Wrap your mind around that for a sec and then read this on Catholic World News to see what he's been up to. It aint pretty.

St. Pio, pray for us!

St. Peter Damien, pray for us!

St. John Vianney, pray for us!

Servant of God, Archbishop Sheen, pray for us!

Thoughts for a Thursday night

Dominic Bettenelli's wife, Melanie has cancer. They have a baby and are still practically newlyweds. Dom is sometimes a bit pompous but he loves his family and his heart is in the right place.

St. Peregrine, patron of cancer victims please pray for this young wife and mother.

19th wedding anniversay

I've finally figured out what has been wrong with me this week. I've been uncommonly weepy and day dreamy. My wedding anniversary was yesterday (we went to Ruth Chris's Steak House and it was the best steak of my life!) and the memory of those early days when Rocky and I first met and got married are so intense that I'm emotional.

19 years ago when I was 21 and Rocky was 23 we drove to Baltimore (no blood tests) and got married in the city court house. Two US Marshals and a shackled prisoner wished us luck. Afterwards we went to the Baltimore Inner Harbor and had shrimp. Later, we walked into the rectory of Saint Ignatius Chruch in Maryland and asked Fr. Wermer to help us. He gave me a stern talking to about getting married civilly and reminded me that it was no more than living together and then he got to work at the diocese marriage tribunal. We were married in church per the bishop's approval and lived happily ever after.

I remember that it was night and the there were no lights in the church except for candles. We had no flowers except for my corsage and baby's breath crown. I had on an old dress and my satin shoes from my high school prom. Rocky was sweating like Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull and we forgot about getting pictures. Rocky's family did not attend.

His family didn't like me at first. I was not their class, I was Catholic and they were Baptist (Rocky converted after our marriage) and I was too quiet, too smart and just too different from what they expected their son to marry. His little brother frankly told him that he didn't care for me all. Rocky told him thanks for the opinion and pursued me like the Colts going after the Lombardi trophy in the Superbowl anyway.

When I met Rocky I was seriously involved with someone else but he just blew that other guy away. One day as we were walking along I realized that this boy was The ONE. I swear I heard Judy Garland singing. And then I got nauseaus. I had planned to marry someone who was well, weak, tame and who'd let me be in complete charge. Rocky wasn't tame then and he sure isn't now.


Here's an essence of Rocky story:

Last year I organized my family's reunion. It was hard, hard, hard work to pull off an event that large; it was like running a small business for a year and Rocky really didn't have a wife for months. He never complained. He was an advisor, the reunion accountant and cheerfully shuttled me and my mother to various meetings. On the day of the reunion banquet I was so exhausted that I lay down (collasped really) to rest before getting dressed in my evening finery. Rocky immediately went into protector mode. I have a vaugue memory of relatives coming to our room door needing various things and hearing R. say, "No you can't talk to Dym, she's trying to sleep. Talk to me." He made change, rustled up extra t-shirts, gave directions, conferred with the banquet manager and straightened out a couple of my wild cousins. He didn't let anyone in to see me or pester me on the phone until the color came back into my cheeks. Forget cards and flowers I thought that was the most romantic thing….

random thoughts for a Monday night

• DC's first opera company was formed at my old church. I never knew this. Amy Welborn has the rather interested story here.
  
  
• I just saw this on the Catholic Conservation blog. Cardinal Egan plays rough!
• 
  Der Tomissar doesn't post much anymore but this reflection on love and what we do for it is really quite beautiful in a way.

Behold the Man

This Lent, behold Him as you never have before. Draw closer to Him as you never have before.

Chaplet in Honor of the Sacred Face

Most Sacred Face, we call on You until You hear our prayers. You are able to help us wonderfully, Holy God, Mighty God, Holy Immortal God! Have mercy on us and on the whole world! Turn Your Face towards us and we shall be saved!

At the large beads we pray:
Heavenly Father, humbly and fervently we offer You the infinite merits and sufferings of the Sacred Face, His Precious Blood, all the wounds and tears of Jesus, to Your greater Glory, for help in our great need!
At the small beads, instead of the Hail Mary, we pray:

FIRST DECADE
O Sacred Face, covered with wounds, have mercy on us, who call on You!

SECOND DECADE
O Sacred Face, covered with blood, have mercy on us who call on You!

THIRD DECADE
O Sacred Face, shedding tears with infinite Love, have mercy on us who call on You!

FOURTH DECADE
O Sacred Face, despised and insulted, have mercy on us who call on You!

FIFTH DECADE
O Sacred Face, silently bearing the most bitter pain, have mercy on us who call on You!

Conclude:

Let us adore the Sacred Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Savior, Whose merits are infinite and Whose mercy is fathomless. May He grant us the remission of our sins and true conversion. Let us console His Sacred Face by the purity of our lives, by fearless witness to our Faith and by the depth of our love!

Amen.

THE GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER

MAY THE MOST HOLY, MOST SACRED, MOST ADORABLE, MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND UNUTTERABLE NAME OF GOD BE ALWAYS PRAISED, BLESSED, LOVED, ADORED AND GLORIFIED, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, BY ALL THE CREATURES OF GOD, AND BY THE SACRED HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.

AMEN.

Oh Lord, show us thy Face and we shall be saved!

Saturday I got up early and caught a cab to church. We only have one car and my husband was at work and I missed the bus. Oh well. Fr. Theoden reccomended a group to me that cleans up after Mass. I met the leader of the group but they weren't doing their thing that day. As my stomach was curling up in knots (nerves--- I'm shy and talking to new people sometimes makes me ill) I was relieved. I'll come back next Saturday.

After Mass I read the little office of the Blessed Virgin and did the Stations. Fr. sat a few pews in front of me saying his Breviary. That was inspiring. I missed the bus on my return trip and decided to walk instead of standing in the cold at the stop. I enjoyed the walk, I met friendly people and was "kissed" by a happy giant poodle which was really great.

It was a three mile up hill walk and my legs are aching today. Rocky, was somewhat cautious about the whole thing. He argued that one : I normally don't get up until ten on Saturdays and since my job is so stressful that I need the rest. and two that that keeping up after him is grueling enough so why do I want to do more cleaning? Funny man. My darling mother argued that I should be doing something more intellecutal. I was talking to her on the phone and could see her lip curling in disgust in my mind's eye. She thinks I should be sponsoring someone as a catechuemen or arguing in a bible study class. We'll see.

Fr. Richard Sparks---- warning deeply offensive content

Years ago, decades really, a book was published called, Memoirs of an Anti-Apostle. It's still in print and you can buy it from Tan. It was the story of a false priest--- a man who with his communist comrades went to the seminary, got ordained and worked quietly to do evil from the inside of the Church. Fr, Richard Sparks is a perfect example of what can happy when the priest is not 100% orthodox. I'm not saying he's a deliberate anti apostle but if he can get up in public and say foul things like this about the holy mother of Our Lord and Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse, then something has gone seriously wrong in his vocation. Fr. if you do not believe why do you stay in the priesthood? What the heck happened to the Paulists?

This Lent may Our Lady, queen and mother to all priests touch his heart.

Ash Wednesday & bird watching

Rocky and I went to Mass at St.Mathhews Cathedral in DC for Ash Wednedday. We got there early and it was packed to the door. There were three priests, one deacon and a small army of Eurchasristic Ministers. There must have been at least 15 of them. Instead of a priest everyone in my section got a cute 20 something year old girl who really needed to button up her top. Fr. Jameson's homily was not his best but everyone has an off night and I'm sure the poor man was tired.

I love Lent, each blessed one brings me closer to Our Lord and nothing is better than that.



This morning a pair of Canada Geese landed on the roof. They looked so funny up there. Added to the black vultures, American Kestrel and the RedShouldered Hawk that I saw last week this is turning out to be a pretty good bird watching month.

random thoughts for a Monday off from work

• Yesterday morning I heard a mourning dove singing outside my window. It's the first dove I've heard this year. The ice outside is so think I can stand on it without making a dent but Spring is coming.
  
  
  


• I'd love to see Queen Isabella be cannonized. She and her daughter Queen Catherine are two of my great heroines but the human odds against Isabella are high. The whole weak Western world trembles in fear before Islam and the Muslims would probably object to her Cause. A number of Jewish groups would also protest.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• For Lent I've decided to take up the Holy Face devotion and I'm going to start a curse jar. Every time I say something spicy I'll put 50 cents in the jar. At the end of Lent I'll give whatever the amount is to one of my Catholic charities.
  
  
  
• I want to do something at my parish but I'm not sure what. After visiting North Carolina I was struck once again by unfriendly Virginia suburban parishes are. Rocky and I attended our parish for a year before anyone other than Fr. Theoden and Fr. Aragorn spoke to us even to say hello. I don't want to be a greeter---- I'm shy and the whole concept is lame and better suited to a church where they dance with snakes anyway---- but something needs to be done. Unless you've been attending my parish for 15 years or have kids at the school you will be largely ignored and that's not good. I'd like to bring it up with Fr. Theoden but I don't want him to think that I am one of those wretched church ladies that are obsessed with running their own little fiefdoms. Maybe what we need is a sodality. I think I'll get into the habit of saying hello to people and see what happens. Maybe it will spread.
  
  
  
• The annual Catholic Charities gala was held last week and from the published photos I've noticed something: several of the women partygoers were dressed immodestly. In one pic a priest stands looking (too his credit) somewhat uncomfortable while surrounded women in strapless gowns. Why would you go to a Catholic function half naked? Why would you ask a priest to pose with you and your heaving boobs? What the heck is wrong with people?
  

Weep for Orlando and our bishops

In an age when Catholic schools and churches are being closed this bishop decides to give $10,000 to a Protestant sect. It's time to stop giving to the bishops appeals. Hat tip to Some Have Hats.

Carolina Cannonball has a fantastic post on feminism

Sometimes I wish I could give American women a collective smack upside the head. We are the most free-- although we confuse freedom with license, best educated, most pampered women on the face of the earth and yet becuase of the feminist movement many of us are miserable. Carolina Cannonball's post on this topic is awsome.

I've never (even in my wild college years) had any use for feminism. I like men, love being a woman and I know full well that a man's life is not something I want to live. Besides feminism is satanic. Anything that encourages you to worship yourself instead of God comes from the heart of the devil.

random thoughts on a Tuesday evening

• Archbishop Wuerl has written his first pastoral letter on confession. Some people are cheering but it seems tragic to me that the church in America has fallen so low that people are impressed because a bishop tells people to go to confession during Lent. Didn't that used to be a no-brainer?
  
  
• On Amy Welborn's and Mark Shea's blog there is an conversation going on about immigration and comments that Karl Rove supposedly made. I think condemning his alleged comments are hasty and hypocritical. Hasty because we don't really know that he said this. Reporters have been known to lie before. Jayson Blair did it at the New York Times and Janet Cooke did it at the Washington Post.
  
  And it's hypocritical because let's face it : Many Middle and upper class Americans don't like manual labor and would prefer to have someone else do what they consider to be a lowly, nasty job.. When was the last time, outside of the Southa small MidWestern town that you saw a white or black kid bussing tables in a restaurant? When was the last time a middle class white kid knocked on your door and asked if he could cut your grass? Rather than paint our own living rooms a lot of couples are choosing the degrading and potentially dangerous practice of picking men up at the day labor lot next to Home Depot or Lowes and dropping them off on the side of the road when the job is done.

i have returned

It was close to 50 degrees in Carolina so coming back to the ice and miserable cold was no fun. Still, it was a great trip and we had such fun. I saw an American Kestrel fly past our car and when we done furiture shopping we went to a tiny little church for Sunday Mass. It was Christ the King and the Mass was lovely. Later we visited High Point's only other parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary. The people there were so nice and one of the ushers took us on a tour. We were both struck by how friendly everyone was. At my parish if strangers walked in they'd either be ignored or stared at. I think I'll mention that to Fr. Theoden. We could be doing a lot better.

it's my birthday

Today I turn 40. How strange. I don't feel 40. Some days I still feel like 16 year old Scarlet O'Hara at the barbecue. Some days I feel like I'm 21. I just realized that I am now the same age my mother was when my father died. I'm filled with even more respect for her. How did she manage? She had such grace and courage. I don't think I'd be able to cope like she did. Rocky and I are going to North Carolina for a few days to look at furniture. I'm off to check Masstimes.org to see where the Catholic churches are there.


Pray for me, St. Apollonia!
Pray for me, St. Dymphna!
Pray for me St. Therese!

out, out, brief candle

My candle burns at both ends

It will not last the night...

Anna Nicole Smith died. She led a disgusting life, was a former stripper, a drug addict, a drunk and posed for a pornographic magazine and apparently slept concurrenly with so many men that no -one knows who is her baby's daddy but I feel pity for this lost soul. 39 is too young to die.

random thoughts for a wenesday night

• This strory is so sad. The Holy Father gave a speech in which he stated that homosexuals destroy themselves. His words are revealed in this particular tragedy. Why did these poor silly kids do such a horrible thing to themselves and their families? Why throw their precious lives away and endanger their immortal souls for a teenage crush? May God grant them pardon and peace.
  
  
  
• This morning was so beautiful. I love the sight on fresh snow on the magnolia trees. When I finally got bundled up and made my way outside it looked like the whole world had snow and diamonds blanket on. I saw some tracks in front of our house. They were not squirrel tracks and couldn't have been bunny tracks either. I should have taken pictures. I felt glad to be alive and thanked the Lord for letting me experience His gift of natures beauty.
  Good news. In the DC diocese there will be Confession from 7 to 8 PM every Wednesday for the duration of Lent.
  
  
• Don't go see the movie Horndog. Dakota Fanning's mom may not care about her but the rest of us should. Let's not contribute to the destruction of a child's innocence in the name of entertainment.
  

random thoughts for a cold Saturday morning

• 
  Terry McAuliffe is not going to be a Knight of Malta after all. Good work to all of you Knights or Dames who wrote or called to protest. The blogoshpere is powerful.
  
  
  
  
• Catholic Schools Week is finally over which means I no longer have to see long overwrought posts by bloggers who don't want to send their kids to the local parochial school.
  
  

You can't keep a caveman down for long

Vir Speluncae Catholicus of Lair of the Catholic Cavemen took sick but is slowly but surely on the mend. Thanks be to God.

you gotta read this book

I just finished Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know. It's fantastic. The author is a Catholic historian and not only does she know her stuff, she knows how to present it as well. I was enthralled. Every time things look impossibly bleak God takes care of his people. He corrects, and comforts. I was especially moved by the description of the last days and death of little Prince Louis Charles, son of Louis and Marie Antoinette. The cruelty metted out to this little innocent is horrifying and I found myself wishing that I could somehow step into history and comfort him. I was glad that he had one kind person near him at the end.

This was sad and the fall of France stems directly from the rejection of Our Lord's Sacred Heart. The section on Fatima was sobering. I wish that Russia could've been unambigusously consecrated ((a lot of good, and yes, sensible Catholics still doubt that the consecration ever happened) but apparently Mary did accept what was done. However, the book reminds us that Mary's requests were not just for the pope. She asked the people for daily recitation of the rosary and pennance. How many of us are doing that and if you look at Western society how soon will another great chastisement come?

Archbishop Wuerl

That about covers it....

faith in action

Last Thursday was the coldest of the year in Virginia. It was in the teens. Rocky and I went to confession and Adoration that night. As usual the heat wasn't on (money saving measure) and I dont' think I've ever been so cold indoors in my life. I sat very still, looked at Jesus and prayed hard. As miserable as it was in church I saw many people there. Archbishop Sheen once said that the laity would save the Church and I have come to believe that. Our bishops have let us down, many of our priests have betrayed us but people still come. There is still Faith and hope and love.

books, glorious books

Rocky and I stopped by the Catholic Information Center bookstore in DC tonight. He bought the Handbook on Indulgences, a new Stations of the Cross book and I got the Little Office of the Virgin Mary and Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know.

What are you doing about it?

Archbishop Wuerl gave a speech at the Catholic Information Center in DC. There was a question and answer session aftewards. This really got me :

He [Wuerl] noted that he sometimes gets letters from Catholics demanding to know what he will do about such situations.
His temptation, he said, was to reply with, "What are YOU doing about it?


Well, Your Eminence, for starters I will pray for you and I will refuse to give one red cent to your Lenten appeal this year.

____________________________________________________________________________________

What I long for....

Catholic Answers Forum

just realized something. Catholic Answers Forum is downright scary. Some of those questions and answers are from the Twilight Zone. One person asked if it was true that SSPX women aren't allowed to drive. I guess they just bilocate to Mass then? Whenever I read the messages on CAF I'm reminded that amateur thelogians are to be avoided.

On Obama-rama and other things

• 
  Why does the church allow priests like Fr. Pfleger to be in charge of black parishes? Don't black Catholics deserve a decent pastor too? Don’t they deserve Catholicism as opposed to some warmed over faux Baptist teaching? And after reading this joker's comments on the laughable Barak Obama I'm just disgusted.
  
  "Do not touch this man," he says, "for if you do, you will answer to us all."

Uh, Father. Who the hell is "us" and what do you mean by "answer"? I don't know how intelligent the black folks in Chi-Town are but you DO NOT speak for all black people. The trouble with people like Fr. Pfleger is that for them it is 1968 all the time.

• Why do we have gay ministries? Why aren't there fornicator's ministries or wife beater ministries or ministries and clubs for tax cheaters and petty thieves?
  
  
• 2008 is looking pretty bad already. I can't vote for Romney. He's not pro-life and I can't vote for a Mormon anyway. Someone who thinks he's going to be a god one day shouldn't' t be anywhere near the nuclear button. I love Giuliani but he's an open serial adulterer, is pro-gay and pro-death so I can't vote for him. Brownback has a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything and I'll sprout wings and fly before I vote for Newt. As for McCain, I respect his service and his POW status but the dude reminds me of Raymond Shaw from Manchurian Candidate. I don't think he's mentally fit to be the Prez. You know what? Hillary is going to win. Ugh!
  
  
• So it's January 2007 and still no Indult. Did you really believe….?
  
  
• Archbishop Wuerl continues to disappoint.
  
  
• When a man invites you (just you, dear and nobody else) to his home for cocktails it usual means his you know what and your tail. So this doesn't shock me as much as it has some others in blog land.
  
  
• It's been said that the reason why more priests and bishops don't preach the timeless truths is because they're afraid of schism. If that's true that for the love of God, gentlemen preach it and bring on official schism. Is it not better to cut off a gangrenous foot than to let it poison the whole body?
  

Now this is a strange situation

A priest in Bumpass, Virginia was caught stealing from his parish. It turns out that the dude ws married and was using the money to take care of his family.

random thoughts for a wet Tuesday night

• Rod Dreher has left the church so why is he still writing about about it? His comments on the resignation of Archbishop Wieglus are interesting but I thought he was done with us. I'm glad Wieglus decided to step down. His presence would not have been good for the church or for Poland.
  
  
  
• Yesterday I went to morning Mass to celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Fr. Frodo gave the most wonderful homily. I felt tears come to my eyes. He cares so much about the Mass and about imparting some wisdom in his homilies. He's a young priest and is a real gift from God. Rocky couldn't make it to Mass during the day so we went to the 7PM Mass at St. Joseph in Alexandria. There were about 10 people there and it was lovely, like a private family Mass. Two other women besides me had on mantillas and we said the rosary and a novena to St. Joseph too.
  

The movie meme

Carolina Cannonball has tagged me. Yippe!

Favorite Film?

This is a hard pick but I think it's between That Hamilton Woman with Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier

or The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan.

Your Favorite Film Priest?
Oh that's easy it's got to be W.G. Fay as Fr. Tom in the 1947 movie, Odd Man Out. Fr. Tom is gentle and quiet but is easily the bravest, strongest man in the film. It's a tragic movie about a young IRA man who's been wounded and is running for his life from the Brits. Three people desparately want to find him. The Colonel from England who plans to hang him of course, Kate, the young girl who loves him and surprises even her self with her fierce resolve to help her man and Fr. Tom who wants to save his soul. The last lines of the hero and heroine gave me chills and I never forgot them. "Is it far?" "Yes, dear. It's far but I'm coming with you."

Your Favorite Film Nun?

The magnificent Rosalind Russell as Mother Superior in The Trouble with Angels.

Favorite Old B movie?

Band of Angels starring Clark Gable and Yvonne De Carlo.

Newer B-Movie?

Motel Hell. One of the funniest horror movies ever made. It even made my mama laugh and she doesn't like horror movies.

I tag anybody who feels like playing.

random thoughts for a thursday night

• When did our bishops decide that it's more important to be politically savvy than to tell the truth? Nancy Pelosi (pro abortion to the max) is going to a Mass at Trinity college in DC. She will probably take Communion and Bishop Wuerl won't say or do a dog on thing about it.

• When is Fr. James Haley going to be back in a parish?
  
  
• I don't know if she's a real nun or not (I suspect not) and sometimes I'm not even sure if she's really Catholic but her blog sure is interesting.
  
  
• Gerald Ford's was an Episcopalian. His funeral service was so much like a modern Novus Ordo Mass that my husband was confused and asked, "When did Ford convert?"
  
  

beautiful night

Rocky and I went to Thursday night adoration and confession. There was a good sized crowd there and lots of young people who seemed serious about what they were doing. And we had two devoted young priests. It was a heartening experience.

Oh dear

An Anglican who converted to Catholicism and is now a priest wrote this on his blog.

What really caught my eye was this paragraph:

I also feel connected with Catholics all over the world in a way I never felt as an Anglican. The Mass I say at school or at St Mary's is the same Mass being said at St Peter's in Rome, the same Mass being said at the slum school we support in El Salvador, the same Mass being said in the ugly modern brick church we once attended in England.

With all due respect to a priest, that's well, nonsense. These days Mass isn't the same from one church to another and hasn't been in more than 40 years. The intent may be the same. The sacrifice is the same but the actions? Oh heck no. Go to my parish and you'll find a lovely, reverent Mass. Go to the one a mile away and you'll find a freak show. Go to one five blocks away and you'll find a priest who waxes poetic about his beloved Green Bay Packers during the homily.

I have attended a Mass where the priest behaved like comedian and brought his dog. I've attended Mass where the priest shilled for the Democrats and all but told us to vote for Hillary. I've attended Masses where the priest was so offensive that I ran out. I've been to Masses where everything BUT holiness appeared to be present. I have been to Masses where the main purpose seemed to be to give the Eucharistic ministers something to do or to give the choir a chance to put on a concert. The Pope wouldn't recognize some of the things I've seen as a Mass at all and Cardinal Arinze would run away screaming. Fr. Longenecker is in for a big shock.

Mother dearest, Mother Fairest!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is with you.

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Amen

Mary the Mother of God Mass

We went to Blessed Sacrament in Alexandria. It's one of the ugliest churches in the Arlington (Saint Ann's aka "the stadium" may be uglier but not by much) diocese but good things are happening there. Fr. Kreegan is a no nonsense old school priest and he has two plucky young parochial vicars but oh the music was ghastly. It reminded me of an AME Zion church service and I don't mean that as a compliment. Also there was an altar girl.

On the plus side the eucharistic ministers had the day off. (Yay! Yay! Yay! Woo Hah!) Instead three priests offered communion. There was only one familiar song played and no-one sang to it becuase everyone was rushing out. Oh well.

Does anybody know why today was not a holy day of obligation? So what if it's on a Monday. Most people were home today, it being New Years and all.

So you think your Nativity set is impressive?

Check out the Pope's set. Saint Joseph must be 10 feet tall and look at the size of Baby Jesus!

On the 5th day of Christmas I sat down to blog

Christmas has been great so far. I am in such a good mood and it's been no stress at all. I did most of my cooking on Christmas Eve and put it all in the fridge. The turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, rolls and mashed potatoes were prepared at the last minute on Christmas Day. Rocky loved the hot and spicy string beans I did this year and everybody was crazy about the double chocolate cake.

Mass on Christmas Eve was lovely, simple and sweet. Fr. Theoden looked very happy to see us--- what a good man. Despite the size of his parish he manages to say and remember something about all of us. Fr. Aragorn was jollier than usual.

For Christmas Day Mass we had five altar boys and a delightful seminarian. The church organist played the new carillion and mercifully the cantor toned it down and sang a Kyrie and Glory to God that you didn't need years of vocal training to actually follow. Traditional hyms and carols were sung. The church was decorated beautifully and the creche was displayed in Mary's chapel. My mama, who is not Catholic was favorably impressed and that is saying something.

I didn't decorate until Christmas Eve and decided that I absolutely had to have a white tree this year so I hopped on the bus, marched over to Sears and bought one. It's pre-lit and the branches are hinged on. Oh yes, yes, yes! I cought a cab home and had the tree decorated in record speed. The tree, along with my new living room curtains and two coats of wax on the floor made the living room look pretty good. Rocky doesn't care about decorating (thank God) but his eyes lit up when he came through the front door from work. I wish I'd had a camera ready.

May your octave of Christmas be beautiful.

Born to die

I wonder as I wander out under the sky...

how Jesus, our Savior did come forth

to die

for poor onery sinners like you and like I.....

Christmas Eve thoughts

In the drab Nativity movie Mary is presented as a sullen teen who complains about being betrothed to man she doesn't know or love. This is silly. Nazareth was an itty bitty little town. Everybody knew everybody. It was in the eyes of the other Gallileans, a crummy little backwoods place.

To this insignificant hamlet the angel of God, Gabriel came. An old hymn describes him as having wings of snow drift white and eyes like flame. I like that description it sounds like he was an awesome sight. And who did he come to? A young girl. Mary, just 14 or 15 and this angel asked her to be the mother of the messiah. Imagine that for minute. And Mary said yes. She said, "I am the Handmaid of the Lord." Archbishop Sheen once noted that in Aramaic she actually said, "I am the slave of the Lord." What perfect trust. What perfect acceptance. Oh thank you, dear Mother!


And think for a moment of Joseph. A good man, probably a young man ( the Jews of that day didn't like May-December marriages) already on his way to being a saint even then. When friends or neighbors approached him remarked rudely on Mary's pregnancy he had the presence of mind to say nothing. He knew the Child in her womb was not his but knowing Mary he surely couldn't have imagined that she did anything wrong. He would not denounce her to the world. He would not expose her to a death sentence. He decided to divorce her quietly. Divorce, not break off an engagement but actuall divorce. Mary was not an unwed mother. It makes me sick when people say that, especially if it's a priest. A betrothed couple were married under the law. They weren't living together yet but they were married.

And then the angel spoke to Joseph and he believed. He did not argue like the educated priest Zachariah did. He didn't complain that this Event was going to change his life forever. He simply believed and quickly had the wedding ceremony performed and moved Mary into his home. Thank you dear Saint Joseph. You did not care what the neighbors and your buddies said, you rushed to obey the Lord and to protect your little bride.


And then the day came to go to Bethlehem. It couldn't have been an easy trip. The pictures of Mary on a donkey look sweet but that's no luxury ride. But she and Jospeh knew their scripture. The Messiah was foretold as coming out of Bethehem, David's city. So she went. Bethlehem is a small town. Once Rocky and I were in Blacksburg and were trying to find a hotel for the night. Alas there was a football game that night and there were no rooms to be had as far as West Virginia. When Mary and Joseph arrived every inn was full of people come to pay their taxes. Inns in those days were simple affairs. One might have two or three private rooms and a courtyard where poorer guests could bed down with their animals and other people. No woman would want to have a baby under those circumstances. Commentators have guessed that Mary asked for privacy and Joseph wanted her to have it. They couldn't get a room and for some reason didn't want to join the swarm in the open courtyard or just staying with one of the caravans that surely must have been surrounded Bethehem that night. Some inn keeper offered them his stable. I hope he didn't charge them too much for it.

The Child was born. Thank you, God for sending Your only Son. Thank you Jesus for leaving Heaven and coming to the world as a tiny Babe. You came not to live a pleasant life but to die. The Cross loomed over Your cradle. You came on a rescue mission to reclaim hopeless sinners. Thank you Lord!

Merry Christmas dear readers and blog friends!

An open letter to our bishops

I found this on the Lair of the Catholic Cavemen Blog. It's a real doozy and pretty much sums up all that can be said about the leadership of most of our bishops for the last 45 years.

random thoughts for a Friday night

• I've been running around, finishing up work so I could go home for Christmas vacation, delivering gifts and cards and making a half hearted attempt at cleaning up the sty--- I mean the living room. We don't have a tree yet which isn't bad because I hadn't planned to put one up until Christmas Eve anyway but so far every place I've contacted has sold out of the trees I want.

• I went to church on Wednesday to say a rosary for my co-worker and was annoyed as all get out by my fellow parishioners. About four or five people stared at me like they've never seen a black Catholic before. I usually laugh this off but it really got me this time. I mentioned it to a priest and bless his heart, he told me that perhaps those silly people are staring because I'm beautiful. Aw shucks, that was sweet.
  
  


• According to The Cafeteria is Closed and Whispers in the Loggia retired Bishop Gumbleton has finally been told to sit down and shut up. That's great but what about all the souls he's messed up over all these years?
  
  


• I wish Virgil Goode was my Congressman instead of that wretch, Jim Moran.
  
  
  


• I got a lovely Christmas e-mail from the Sisters of Carmel in Colorado. They made my husband's rosary and I got my Holy Face medal from them.

Jerusha

My co-worker Jerusha passed away from pneumonia.




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

a few questions on my mind

An Anglican priest converted to the Faith and was recently ordained as a Catholic priest. A lot of people across the Catholic blogosphere are delighted and I guess I should be but I have a few questions.

The new Father has a wife and kids. Who is supporting his family? Obviously he's got to make more than the average priest so he can keep his family decently. Where will he live? He can't live in the rectory unless the parish is going to kick any other priests in residence out. If he's living in his own home who is paying his mortagage? Will his wife be able to keep up her previous standard of living? Suddenly going from shopping at department stores to thrift shops could be pretty demoralizing. If his wife divorces him will the archdiocese have to pay child support and alimony? What will his wife's role be in the parish? The wives of Baptist preachers are expected to be both servants and queens to the congregation. Will Mrs. Priest be running the parish or will she just show up at Mass with the kids on Sunday? If she becomes depressed (many preacher's wives suffer from depression) who will pay for therapy? Speaking of the kids is the archdiocese responsible for sending them to college? If Fr. dies before they all turn 18 will the parish or the archdiocese be forced to take care of them until they reach maturity?

I hate to be the skunk at the garden party but it sounds to me like married convert priests might be a costly decision for the church.

Prayers needed

A co-worker of mine has pneumonia. Yesterday she went into Code Blue status which is as bad as you can get this side of the grave. She is not expected to make it through the weekend. Jerusha has a five year old adopted son. Please, if you get a chance say a little prayer for them.





St. Therese, patron of the sick pray for her.

Give Mel a break

I wish people would get off Mel Gibson's back. Stop projecting your paranoia, needs and wishes on to him. I have read comments from several tradionalist bloggers bemoaning the fact that Mel "failed" to make a movie on the Nativity leaving the story open to the Evangelicals who made the lackluster The Nativity Story movie. On a traditionalist message board some pitiful creature complained that Mel Gibson bought himself a new house instead of giving some of his earnings from The Passion to the SSPX or some independent ultra traditionalist order. What utter crap. Where is it written that Mel Gibson is obligated to make biblical movies for the rest of his career? What business is of ours what Mr. Gibson chooses to do with his own money?

Commenters on a Catholic blog viciously attacked Mel Gibson's daughter becase she got married at the chapel Mel paid for and because the man she married doesn't appear to be Catholic. Several people even threw hissy fits because they thought the poor girl's wedding dress was immodest. It wasn't. Padre Pio, who was a stickler for modest attire would'nt turned her away so I don't know what these people were complaining about. It seemed like they all had a beef with Mel and had to pick on his kid in order to get their ugliness out of their systems.


And then there are Catholic bloggers on the Left side who are bitching that Apocalypto is too violent. Do these saps really believe that the Maya were peaceful angelic beings who lived in perfect harmony until the mean old white man came? No, the Mayan culture was hideous (and a lot like ours in some ways-- they slaughtered thousands to their gods and we slaughter millions of unborn children to the gods of choice and convenience) and if Apocalypto was to be anything other than a cartoon Mel had to show that.

I'm also totally sick of people harping on Mel's alcohol problem. Since most of the folks in Hollywood are perverts, freaks and deviants who are they to criticize for anything? As I've said before, alcoholism runs in my family. I've seen decent, kind and beautiful people turn into monsters when they drink. It's a tragedy--- a running sore on the soul. I hope he can recover fully and I thank him for making The Passion. Period. Mel Gibson makes movies. That's all he owes the public. If you want more from him than that you really need to check yourself.

Thank God

I wish that my African ancestors could've come to America the same way my Irish ancestors did: via a cheap ticket on the steerage level of a ship. I wish that my African ancestors could've been spared slavery and all it's horrors. I wish my grandmother could've avoided all the racism she endured. I wish that my great grandparents could've gotten married but interracial marriage was against the law unti 1968. I wish that my parents could've grown up without feeling uneasy every time a white man looked at them. I wish black American didn't have an over 70% out of wedlock birth rate. I wish that black America could reject the idiotic and self defeating thug culture. I wish a lot of things but when I read stories like this I thank God that my African ancestors ended up in America.

random thoughts for a wednesday night

• I love Monday night Mass at my church. Usually there's no music and no sign of peace. It's a smaller crowd and somehow more homey.
  
  
  
• After reading Rocco Palmo's blog (just for giggles) and seeing his Guadalupe post I was left wondering if this guy is for real. Does he honestly believe the stuff he writes or is he just putting us all on?
  
  
• Yesterday I came across a cradle Catholic who went to 12 years of Catholic schools who swore she never heard of Holy Days of Obligation until she was an adult. I think her parents should sue the diocese for their tuition money back.
  
  
• This is a really great site.
  
  
• Gerald of the Cafeteria is Closed blog got married. His lovely bride looked glorious and it was quite refreshing to see a bride who didn't have most of her cleavage exploding out of her dress. I'll be so glad when that immodest fad is finally over.
  
  
  

random thoughts for a thursday night

1. Remember tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It's a Holy Day of Obligation so get yourself to Mass.

2. It's now December 7 (Feast of St. Ambrose who was so holy that the local people demanded that he be made their bishop even before he graduated from the seminary!) and no Universal Indult has been announced.

3. Yesterday we had a stuck in the 60s guest priest at noon Mass. Today young Fr. Frodo was back and boy was I glad to see him.

4. I try never to read Rod Dreher because he makes me ill most of the time but I came across his nasty comments on the Bush twins and was disgusted. He calls them party girls. That may mean something different in Texas but where I come from party girl is a euphemism for slut. If attacks on young women because you hate their father is a crunchy conservative value I don't want any part of it.


5. Some of the commentary about Mel Gibson's Acpocalypto strikes me as being well, totally unhinged.

Mass on Wednesday

Today we had a visiting priest and his homily was pretty much what you'd expect from a Baby Boomer who probably went to the seminary in the 70s or early 80s. He said he didn't care whether the chalice holding the Precious Blood was glass or gold and he didn't care about altar girls who purified the chalice and ciborium. All that mattered to him was whether Catholics are compassionate or not. Good thing Fr. Visitor is not the pope. I found it sad that a man his age had confused the worship of God with being a social worker.

A Nativity movie review

A priest has written a very fair, I think and very perceptive review of The Nativity movie.

Advent

Today is the begining of Advent. We went to the Vigil Mass last night because Rocky had to work on Sunday. It turned out to be one of the funniest Masses I've ever been too. We arrived early and said our prayers and sat down. Suddenly we heard boom, boom, boom. The organist and the cantor were flying up the aisle. They stopped to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament and almost ran into the sacristy. Their backs were both ramrod straight. Their faces were set like stone. They apparently had had a disagreement and intended for Fr. Theoden to settle it right then and there. Judging by her expression when she came out I'd say that the cantor won.

Next came the song of the old folks. For some reason several elderly parishioners couldn't contain themselves and were talking very loudly. The old woman sitting in front of me had a voice like a fog horn. You'd never believe such a deep sound could come out of a little tiny woman. Then came the baby chorus. A babe yowled in the back. Two toddlers danced and shouted in the front while their mother tried to hush them.


Then Mass started. Young Fr. Aragorn looked splendid in the purple Advent vestments and we had eight altar boys and three of our four ushers put on ties and jackets. One of the lectors had stage fright and whispered the second reading. Fr. Theoden gave them homily on---- pledge week. It's time in our parish to decide what we are going to give on a weekly basis for the next year. There was so much whispering and fidgeting in the pews. It was like a bunch of bad kids had been called into the principal's office. One man sitting behind me stage whispered in an aggrieved tone, "I give $20 a week!" Oh wow, dude. Did we all have to know it?

Fr. Theoden ignored that and reminded us all that our collection plate money goes into running our very old little church and blessed us all for our generosity. His homilies are always so great. I think he would have made a fine 8th grade teacher if he hadn't beeen called to the priesthood.

something decent from Bishop Loverde

I'll be blunt. Bishop Loverde is my bishop and I'm not overly impressed by his leadership or treatment of his priests but I'll give credit where it's due. He recently released a pastoral letter on pornography and it's worth reading. In America people spend more money on porn than on football, baseball, and basketball combined. That's an ocean of filth washing over us every day.

And it's not just hard core porn either, a lot of men wink at the problem by buying "swimsuit" or cheesecake mags. They claim they aren't supporting real pornography because although the girl in the picture is naked she's covered by a piece of fabric or feathers. Bull shit.

A lot of women blithely contribute to the porn industry too. Those "erotic" romance novels are just as bad as Playboy. Those women's magazines like Cosmopolitan, Marie Clare and Jane are huge occasions for sin. They endlessly promote mindless sex, abortion and try to make being a low down skank some kind of admirble thing.

Thanks be to God!

The Holy Father has left Turkey in one piece. Thanks be to God. Thank you to the Blessed Virgin, Saint Michael and all the angels and saints who walked beside him the whole trip. Now, about that visit to the Blue Mosque. I know that a lot of people are either pissed or merely disappointed. I'm not one of them. Look at it this way, the Holy Father did not drop to his knees in prayer like Paul VI, nor did he kiss a koran, like John Paul II. He merely closed his eyes and appeared to be deep in thought. When the first missionaries came to America they prayed and said Mass in a land that had previously been in the grip of demons. So I have no problem if Benedict XVI said a little prayer among the heathens in a mosque. Besides, Turkey aint a nice place. The Holy Father had the lives of Christians there to worry about. He may well have prevented a pogrom and I can't criticize that. Trust B16, I think he knows what he's doing.

A visit from Fr. Dubay

Rocky and I heard that Fr. Thomas Dubay was going to be in Northern Virginia so we got in the car and drove to Blessed Sacrament Church. Blessed Sacrament is one of the uglier churches in the Arlington Diocese but good, good things are happening there. Fr. Keegan, the pastor is a solid priest and he has people like Fr. Groschel, Dawn Eden and George Weigel come to give talks. Fr. Dubay is a charming man and an excellent teacher. We were both dog tired after a long work day but we're glad we went.

The Holy Father

Pope Benedict has made it through day one of his trip to Turkey. He has two more to go. Let's keep on praying for him. I miss John Paul II but I've come to love Benedict and every rosary I say this week will be for his intentions and his safety.




Pope Saint Pius, pray for him.
Saint Teresa Benedicta, pray for him.
Saint Pio, pray for him.
Servant of God, Fulton Sheen, pray for him.
Saint Therese, pray for him.
Saint Dymphna, pray for him.
Mary, most gracious advocate, pray for him.

The Nativity movie

I don't plan to see it. So far from the reviews it sounds very Evangelical. Many Protestants see Mary as just a vessel, a mere convenience to get Jesus born in the usual way and Joseph as just a convenience to keep scandal away from the door. No thanks. Judging by Barbara Nicolosi's comment I don't think she liked it much.

Oh King of Kings

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit; deliver them out of the lion's mouth,l est hell should swallow them up, lest they fall into the outer darkness; but let Thy standard-bearer, Saint Michael,bring them back into Thy holy light,which Thou didst promise of old to Abraham and to his seed. Amen.

From The Roman Missal

Pray, pray, pray

overheard on Friday night

Rocky and I went to Baltimore to visit the newly restored Basilica. It is stunning. I especially liked going downstairs to the crypt. It was humbling to stand in front of Archbishop Carroll's tomb. I said a short prayer asking him and Cardinal Gibbons to please pray for the church. We visited the Blessed Sacrament and were sad to see people just strolling by without even acknowledging Jesus' presence.

The museum is very nice and so is the gift shop. There was a large tour group visiting and we saw nuns from the Missionaries of Charity and the Virgin of Materra orders. It was great seeing those happy young women all in full habit.

Next we went to Lexington Market for lunch. Baltimore black people have a unique style and Rocky and I stood out as much as the few white people who were there. Some --- oh hell, I'll be honest--- most of the men looked scary but if you don't stare, walk like you know what you;re doing and mind your own business you'll be fine in that part of town. Besides, the food is delicous. After Lexington Market we went to the beautiful Saint Jude Shrine.

Rocky loves trains so we went to the B&O Railroad musem next and I must say that it is even better than the train museum in Strausburg, PA. After that we stopped by Saint Alphonsus which has a Tridentine Mass but they were closed tight so we just peered through the glass of the front doors.

Once we got home to Virginia we were starving and since it was Friday we went to a seafood restaurant. Sitting next to us was a family from (judging from the wife's accent) the western or middle part of Virginia, maybe Lynchburg, or as far as the Roanoke area. They were talking about the pope and the Catholic church and what they were saying was so ridiculous and ignorant that I stopped eating. Rocky was so into his crab legs that he never heard a word and I didn't mention anything to him. Archbishop Sheen once said that most of the people who hate the church don't even know what they're talking about. They've been taught a passle of lies and half truths (half truth is more dangerous that the outright lie sometimes). I wished them well and hope they meet some nice, patient Catholic some day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm not cooking this year. The whole family is going to a restaurant and I'm delighted.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

wondering...

I've been reading Catholic Answers Forum for about a year and judging from the questions and responses there and from reading several big time professional Catholic blogs I've come to the sad conclusion that a lot of mainstream American Catholics are unknowingly, really Roman Protestants. 40+ years of bad to non-existant catechesis has had tragic results.


Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.

Imans on a Plane

Somebody is calling for a Muslim boycott of US Airlines. Ann Coulter predicts that the boycott will work but not the way these fools think.

Pro multis

The Vatican has ruled that the English translation of the Mass should say "for many" instead of the mistranslation of "for all" that we've been living with. Good news for a change.

church friends

I've known a number of new Catholics to complain that their new Catholic parishes aren't as loving and friendly as their old Prot church. That's true. Catholics don't follow the love bomb the new people methold and so what? You go to church to meet Jesus, not to party down.
Rocky and I have been at the same suburban parish for going on two years and people (I't just the working class folks. The upper class ones still don't speak, interestingly enough.) are only now just starting to warm up to us. I'm a lone wolf anyway so this never bothered me. I'm just happy that they've stopped looking surprised when we walk in.

One of my relatives is a Jehovah's Witness. He has no friends outside the Kingdom Hal and that's the way the JWs want it. Since his whole social life revolves around the hall he'll be less likely to ever leave because naturally he don't want to lose everything. It's a mind control method.

Casino Royale

We went to see Casino Royale last night and it was great. I had my doubts about Daniel Craig at first but he pulled it off. Forget about Pierce Brosnan. Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery.

random thoughts for a thursday night

• The US Bishops are having their meeting in Baltimore and so far it's just been a miserable waste of time and money. It's tragic but obviously many of the bishops have no idea about what needs to be done to serve God's people or they just don't care. I'm terribly disappointed.

• I bought the Christmas With the VonTrapp Family Singers album and it is gorgeous. That family could really sing. It was thrilling to hear the voice of the real Maria and the real Barron. The musical of their lives premiered today in 1959.

• Anathema Sit has a few things to say about Rocco Palmo (that kid who runs the Whispers from the Loggia blog) and none of them is "Happy Birthday." Read all about it here and here
  

Go to your mother

Remember how when you'd fall down and scrape your knees you'd run to Mama? Well the US is in world of serious moral hurt right now and we need to turn to our Mother. Although it was ignored by most, if not all of the big Catholic blogs the US bishops consecrated America to Our Lady at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception yesterday. Rocky and I watched it on EWTN.

random thoughts for a Saturday morning

• In the last couple of months I've read two really poor books written by priests. Today I'm settling in with a fantastic one. It's Ever Ancient, Ever New a collection of articles written by Fr. John Corapi. Do check this one out.
  
  
  
• It's now the 11th of November. I don't think the Universal Indult is coming.
  
  
• I just got a veil from Modesty Veils. It's cheap, very pretty and is made of good quality lace in America by a Catholic seamstress/business owner.

Pray for the Holy Father.

I'm very worried about his safety on this upcoming trip to Turkey.

another charity struck off my list

I will never give to Samaritan's Purse again. Franklin Graham you should be ashamed. Hat to the lovely and gracious Christine at

Thank God tha's all over

I hate politics. It's a dried up old whore's game and I'm so glad this wretched election is over. Rick Santorum lost. Apparently Catholics turned against him in a big way. Satan won in South Dakota. It looks like really nice guy Michael Steele lost in Maryland. George Allen has probably lost Virginia. Queen Hilary won an easy as pie victory in New York.

The election means America will end up more gay coddling, more taxed, more aborted and will probably cut and run out of Iraq. Oh well....

random thoughts on a rainy wednesday night

1. If Tom Cruise gets a Catholic wedding we'll all know that the Church in Italy is in serious disarray.


2. I keep putting it off but I realize that I really do have to buy Randy Engel's book, The Rite of Sodomy.

3. We went to the Dominican House of Studies for night prayer on Sunday night. It was lovely. Praying and listening to the chanting of all those young seminarians was a priceless experience.


4. I wanted to have a set of Gregorian Masses said for the repose of my father's soul. The secretary at the parish office didn't even know what I was talking about and grudgingly allowed me to pay for only ten. I just found this web site and will arrange to have the Masses said by a priest with the Catholic Missions Office.

Hunting for God

I just finished reading Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord, which was written by a young priest. It's okay for new converts, Protestants or kids but I was impatient with it and longed for something more substantial. This is the second book by a priest that I've read lately that turned out to be a dud. I guess I'll just re-read my Archbishop Sheen collection.

random thoughts for a saturday morning

• What an abomination. Things aren't perfect in my diocese but at least none our parishes have had anything like this going on. This priest needs to go read a book on Padre Pio and fast!
  
  
• When IVF was first introduced almost everyone was delighted. Some people warned that this would lead to trouble but they were ignored. If you've ever wondered what happens to all those "extra" embryos read this.
  
  
  
• Rocky had to work late on All Souls Day so we went to the vigil the night before. When we got there Fr. Theoden was praying by the altar. When he noticed us he whispered that the Mass was going to be in Spanish. Rocky said that was fine, it's a valid Mass and would fulfill our obligation. Fr. Theoden seemed pleased that we didn't scurry out of there and the Mass was lovely. I had to concentrate becuase I've forgotten most of the Spanish I learned in school but I understood his excellent homily and was able to tell Rocky the gist of it. The Spanish parishioners were very friendly and no-one seemed to be shocked to see a black couple. That's a far cry from the icky experience we had at St. Anthony's in Falls Church.

My favorite B16 picture

Pray for the Holy Father

From whence do scandals come....?

Swing on over to New Oxford Review and read this.


When you're done go to Lair of the Catholic Cavemen and read what Vir has to say about the US Bishop's plan to spend $335 K to study the causes of the pedophile scandal.

Halloween

I used to enjoy Halloween but now I don't feel all that comfortable with it. Isn't it weird to dress your child up as a fictional child molestor and killer (the character of Freddy Krueger), a demon, a pimp (the pimp costume was very popular around here last year), a ghost (damned soul) or a witch and then send them out to beg the neighbors for candy with the implied threat (Trick or treat). that if they don't hand over the good stuff the house will get toilet papered later?

In my neighborhood we've done away with door to door trick or treating. The kids meet for a party in the community center. This is safer and is a big relief to those who don't want to take part in the whole thing.