REMEMBERING WHEN I COULD PRAY BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT...
I am sure that my brother priests are going to grin about this, and say, "welcome to the priesthood newbie," but I am going to say it anyway. I miss being able to just go into a church an pray before the Blessed Sacrament. The seminary spoiled me; Jesus was just down a few flights of steps, and no one ever really bothered you when you were trying to pray. Now as a priest, while some have said that they think it is neat to see me trying to pray, even saying "I don't know when was the last time I saw a priest praying the Rosary," that doesn't seem to stop them from just then interrupting me at prayer. I guess it hasn't occurred to them that that might be the reason why they have not seen priests praying before the Blessed Sacrament as much.

OK, I realize that I am gripping, and it is a bit of a reaction, but it just happened to me again. I think I have mentioned that one of the really wonderful things about my assignment is that we celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation a lot. I mean A LOT! It is scheduled everyday, except Sunday, and usually for a good size block of time (always at least a half hour, but frequently longer than that). On the Thursday before First Fridays (yes, we have kept that devotion too here at St. James), we hear Confessions for an hour. I was scheduled to hear confessions today, and as is typical, there was a rather constant flow of penitents. When I was done, I thought I would take the time to pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament before dinner. I was in meditation on the Second Mystery of Light, when two people came up and asked, "Father, aren't you hearing confessions?" Now, I hate to just turn people away from Confession, not wanting to discourage someone who might have been away from the sacrament for a long time, but I must confess (Mea culpa!) that the thought "Couldn't you just come when we had it scheduled?" crossed my mind. Granted, it probably is not speaking well of my charity, but it has been a busy week, yesterday a meeting was scheduled during my day off, I have things scheduled every night this week -- Father just wanted to spend some quite time in prayer to recharge the spiritual batteries. I have tried sitting in the sanctuary, thinking that would be a clearer sign that I just want to pray, but it seems that the sanctuary is no longer a sanctuary from the "Oh, Father..."

My dear friends, just a bit of advice, please let your priests take some time for prayer. If you see him praying before the Blessed Sacrament, really stop and ask yourself, "Is this really an emergency that I need an answer now, or can I wait for Father to finish praying or call him later?" As a recent report on the projection of priests for my diocese shows (and I have to think that the trend is about the same in most dioceses), there will be nearly 50% fewer priests by the year 2030. In addition to increasing our prayers and fasting for vocations to the priesthood, we need to keep those we have healthy, especially spiritually healthy. Let Father pray.

What a difference a week makes!
Last week I came back from this year's inaugural RCIA class to lament on the blog that only two people showed up, a married couple, one of which is already Catholic. Tonight? Fourteen people came to class! I couldn't believe it. We only have room for two more people before we will have to move to another room. What a difference a week makes!

Feeling like a feline
No, I'm not coughing up fur balls! But the combination of being busy and having no motivation to shop for food the last two days has made me a bit worried. You see, the last two or three nights I have had the same, lack luster, though fairly tasty, supper. It has consisted of home grown tomatoes from a parishioner's garden and a can of tuna! The thing is, as I open the can of tuna and scrape out its contents, this feeling comes over me that I am somehow becoming a cat. I think it is more than just the fact that the can is tuna, but the fact that my dinner is being scraped out of a can that gets me. How pathetic. But it is good, I have to say.

Holy Crap! There's Something I Agree with John Kerry About...

No, no, faithful reader, you haven't stumbled upon the Bizarro world version of this blog. I personally find political advertisements so WORTHLESS that the waste of federal funds to make these things scandalously close to being immoral, mainly as violatioins of the good of truthfulness.

I'm having a vision...

No, I haven't become a prophet or a visionary. No, I am having visions of drawn butter and glistening red shells of lobsters. As fall comes upon us, rusty and vibrant colors dance before my eyes. And what inspires my revelry? The fact that tomorrow I am leaving for Maine. You see, not only am I a Ragemonkey; I am the national clergy trainer for Rachel's Vineyard, a post-abortion healing program. I was asked to come up to Maine and train their folks, lay and clerical, to help them better assist women and men who suffer from the effects of their choice.

So, remember me in your prayers while I travel. Hopefully, no one will burn the parish to the ground while I am away.

Mmmm...that's sacradelicious

I struggled for a couple of hourse for a way to combine "sacraligious" and "delicious." Can anyone make a better combo than mine?

ALITTLE BONHOEFFER

Since I mentioned Deitrich Bonhoeffer in my last post, and not sure if the readers of CRM would know who he is, I thought I should add something. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German theologian (a leader in the Confessional [Lutheran] Church of Germany) who witnessed the descent of his nation into the neopagan world of Nazism. Though he had several opportunities to escape Germany and the Nazis, he chose to stay with his flock and to preach the truth, in love, despite the risk. He was arrested by the Nazis and killed, I would say martyred, in 1945. Here is a quote from the first chapter of his book, The Cost of Discipleship, which I think will become a spiritual classic:

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance,
baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution
without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship,
grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

JUST A COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT

In an August 2004 survey of 1512 adults in the US (not all of them were Catholic), the Pew Research Center (see question #30) found that 72% of all Catholics surveyed reported that it is IMPROPER to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support legal abortion (another interesting factoid is that when they look at all people surveyed, Catholics and non-Catholics, or as I like to refer to them, "potential Catholics just waiting to be evangelized", 62% felt it was improper to deny Communion to such Catholic politicians; seems that the non-Catholics are more willing to have the Church tow the line than Catholics -- SAD). Now this 72% is roughly the same percentage of Catholics (last poll I saw, a few years ago, also by Pew Research Center, had it at about 66%) who do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It seems that about two-thirds of all US Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, rather just seeing it as a symbol of Jesus or a sign of fellowship with Christ and other Christians. Obviously these latter two views are Protestant views of Communion, and certainly NOT Catholic.

Is it a coincidence that approximately the same number of US Catholics who only view Holy Communion as a symbol or sign and not the Real Presence of Jesus also do not believe that Catholic politicians who vote contrary to the Church's moral teaching on the most fundamental issue of human life should not be denied Communion? I think not! Sadly I see this as another, and probably most profound sign, of the failure of our bishops and priests to preach the truth in love about the most central issues of Catholic Faith. Recently, in his address to the bishops of the Provinces of Pennsylvannia and New Jersey, the Holy Father reminded them that theirs is the fullness of the ministerial priesthood, and that are given the ministries of Teaching, Sanctifying, and Governing the Church entrusted to them, and from them, their priests do the same in the local parish. Unfortunately there seems to have been massive failures in all three areas. For much of the 1970s and 80s, catechesis in this country has been a joke. All that was taught was a "feel good" Jesus who was just our friend. Not our Lord and Savior, not even a friend to which we had certain obligations towards. Rather it was a "doormate" Jesus who we could just do whatever we pleased, and He would just be OK with it. It was what the great Protestant theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer (see, I do have some ecumenism in me) called the cheap grace of discipleship without discipline, without dogma. By and large our bishops have failed to discipline even their priests who abuse that which is the "source and summit" of our faith, the Mass, by just "doing it their own way." It seems too often our bishops are more concerned with public opinion and being good CEOs than with being shepherds. God's flock is being ravaged by the wolves of modernism and neo-paganism, and too many of the shepherds are shepherding only themselves (see the prophet Ezekiel, which we have been reading the past few weeks in the Office of Readings, with St. Augustine's On Pastors).

Now we see bishops feeling "uncomfortable" with denying Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, fetal stem cell research, cloning, homosexual marriage. Basically these politicians are apostates; they deny the Faith for their own personal gain, essentially spitting on the graves of the martyrs who gave up their lives for Christ. Our bishops who allow this public dissent are scandalizing the Catholic Faithful; just look at the numbers -- nearly 66% do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Worse yet, the bishops have thrown this division right into their own ranks. Instead of presenting an united front, they have said that this very public issue is to be decided by each individual bishop for his own diocese. The Eucharist is the center of our lives as Catholics. Now there is division from diocese to diocese about what Holy Communion means. Totally disregarded is the Pope's encyclical on the Eucharist which says that a person receiving Communion must be in internal and external communion with the Church. At a time when there are already doubts about the moral credibility of the Catholic Church in the US, and our bishops, due to the sexual abuse scandal, it seems to me that we have just weakened our credibility even more.

At times the only thing that keeps me from getting completely discouraged is the promise of Christ, that despite our best efforts, even by the bishops of the Church, to destroy His Church, the gates of hell will not prevail.

Come Holy Spirit! St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.

NEW E-JOURNAL ON MARY, MOTHER OF ALL PEOPLES
I recently found out from Zenit about this new, free e-journal. It is weekly, and combines both scholarly articles on Mariology, and articles which are more devotional in nature. If you sign up for it, each week they will send you a copy of the table of contents for the current issue. So far, I still had to just go to the Mother of All Peoples webpage to read the articles. It does have something of a Kolbean bent, which I like, given my devotion to St. Maximilian Kolbe.

I Might Have To Subscribe...

You know of my love for the movies reenacted with Bunnies, but this is one will be a tour de force!

Something in the air?
You have already heard Fr. Tharp lament that no one showed up a few weeks ago to his first RCIA class of the new year. Sadly, that situation has not changed. Tonight was the first session of RCIA in my parish, scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. At 7:02 p.m. a young married couple showed up. He is Catholic and interested in learning more of his faith; she is Baptist and already expresses a desire to become Catholic. Let there be no mistake, I am very happy they have come to the class. However, I am disappointed that there were not more. I advertised in the local newspaper (something that had not been done here in years) and I made personal telephone calls to people who had previously expressed interest in learning more about Catholicism. Yet no one else showed up. We will see what happens next week, as these matters seems to slowly grow by trickle effect.

It makes me wonder if there isn't something in the air of this deanery, which Fr. Tharp and I share. A town of 12,000 here and no one else has shown interest. Hopefully, we will have a few more next week. Rest assured, full attention and good catechesis will be given to the young couple who did show up!

Now Regis throw his lot in with Belial...

Because of equal time requirements, I wonder when George W. will be on...?

The Meaning of the Motto

Someone asked via email what that Latin phrase on the sidebar means. This is the translation for the linguistically challenged: "All things with St. Peter, to Jesus, through Mary." The attitude is simple. As Catholics, we want to build intimate communion with our Lord. Since St. Peter, and the office he represents, is the Rock of the Church, we find certainity in our faith. As Christ entrusted Himself to the Blessed Virgin, we who are desirious to grow unto the likeness of Christ should entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin.

A Useful Reflection

Fr. Jim Tucker went to St. Charles in Philadelphia for one year. This is where I got to know him. This post I have linked to demonstrates why big things are in the offing for him, IMHO.

Debunking Pope Fiction

No, no, I love that witty book by Patrick Madrid of similar title as this post's. I wanted to let folks know I have new stuff up on the papacy at Apologize and Don't Be Sorry. Enjoy.

"In Extremis"
In sacramental parlance that phrase refers to a Sacrament given in extreme circumstances, usually meaning the recipient is in some danger of death. Today I administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to a young parishioner, a ten year old boy named Edgar Rodriguez who has brain cancer. Luckily, when the brain tumor was found, surgeons were able to remove all of it. However, the type of cancer he has is known to spread its cells out and so he must endure a tough period of treatments. He is currently four weeks into daily (Monday through Friday) radiation treatments. He has two weeks remaining of that. After a six week break, he will require chemotherapy for one year. By the time this ordeal is complete, it will probably have been a year and a half battle to get rid of the disease trying to kill him. His prognosis is good, but, let's face it, to beat this disease requires that the boy be filled with poisons and it will be a very hard year and more for him. He certainly is a candidate for in extremis Sacraments, even if we expect his eventual recovery.

I am sharing this experience because it is a significant event in these first months of my service as pastor of the parish. That I am this boy's pastor means I have a more clear responsibility for him and I think that has made the whole emotional experience of this even more raw for me. I have been rather surprised at my personal reaction to this situation. Let me see if I can explain.

All of the treatments from surgery to radiation to eventual chemotherapy require the boy and his family to travel to Oklahoma City (more than four hours from here). They are living in the Ronald McDonald House during his treatments. The family is originally from Mexico and the parents speak no English. They have no insurance and no bank account. You don't need me to dwell on the financial crisis of this matter. I have feared that the parents, speaking no English, and having to reside now in a large and foreign city, do not fully understand the doctors, the boy's diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The hospital does provide translators, but there are not many and I wonder if all the necessary information is getting to this family. I have tried to intervene to give them some resources in Oklahoma City (including Catholic Charities) so that they are not so lost and alone. In addition, when I make trips to Oklahoma City for business, I generally stop in at the hospital to visit the family just before or after the radiation treatments.

Last week it really hit me hard. The boy is really weak now. He has lost his hair and his complexion is very ashen and pale. He has this blank, empty stare on his face that occasionally is chased away when he forces a smile. I gave him Holy Communion last week and, after departing the family's company, as I walked back to my car, I sort of broke down. I just sat in my car crying. Even though I had just given him the most that anyone could give him (The Body and Blood of Jesus), the thought in my sad heart was, "There is nothing I can do for him." Certainly I know the value of prayer and the Sacraments, and I believe in them, but in that moment it was irrational emotion that came to the surface. I also found myself thinking, "I can't imagine what a parent with a very sick child must go through." A wise, older priest, with whom I shared this experience, said to me, "Oh, but you can. You are experiencing it right now. The boy's parents may experience this in a way you cannot, but you also are experiencing this in a way they cannot." In other words, as his pastor, I am the boy's spiritual father and my hopes and dreams for this kid are threatened too by the ravages of his disease.

So, today, following the Spanish Mass, I administered to Edgar the Sacraments of Confirmation and Anointing of the Sick. He was home from the hospital for the weekend and so this opportunity allowed many of his family, friends, and parishioners to be present for this important moment "in extremis." Prayers for Edgar are most welcome!

A Priest's Glove Box
Just moments ago I was refilling my small zip-loc bag of cotton balls that I keep in the glove box of my car, when I began to wonder if people might find the contents of my glove box odd. Other than the car owner's manual and the insurance verification form, my glove box contains a small bag of cotton balls, a mini-priest stole, a small ritual for anointings, a small vile of Oil of the Sick, an empty pyx with a purificator in a little case, and a small laminated sign reading "Emergency: Clergy on Call". All of these items are for use in sacramental emergencies (The cotton balls? That's for cleansing my thumb after administering an anointing.) but might seem a bit out of place in a glove box. But one must always be prepared... Christ comes in some unexpected ways and he has shown that he isn't adverse to appearing in the midst of often messy human life.

Very disappointing
I have never watched an episode of "Crossing Jordan" before this evening. I probably won't watch it again. It was very disappointing.

I returned to the rectory today and my associate pastor informed me that the television wasn't working. With little knowledge of how it works, I simply turned off the digital cable box and turned it back on, hoping that would fix things. It eventually did and the show that was just beginning was "Crossing Jordan." Since a priest was featured in the opening scene, I was lured in to see how the Church would be portrayed. For those who were blessed to miss the episode, here is a synopsis. A dead woman is found outside of a Boston Catholic Church. The associate pastor had discovered her. The lead female character of the show (sorry, I don't know her name, but she is a detective) knows the associate pastor, a former high school boyfriend. She asks him if he knows any reason why the woman, a parishioner, might have been killed. He says he cannot respond to the question due to the sacramental seal of confession.

I was impressed for most of the show that the sacramental seal was kept and was not totally mocked, though it was certainly not well understood. There was some scandal in the show, because it seemed a priest may have been involved in an adulterous affair with the dead parishioner. The lead female detective suspected the young priest, her old boyfriend. The twist came at the end, when the pastor's drug overdose turned suspicion toward him, suspicion which turned out to be valid. However, my main disappointment came with the very end. The whole adultery, murder, and suicide plot had been developed and resolved. And what did they do in the final moments of the episode? The young associate re-enters the scene, this time not in collar, and drops the bombshell that the "collar feels like a noose now" and gives strong hints that he may be leaving the priesthood. It seems he had been the confessor for both the dead woman and his pastor, knowing their sin together, but due to the seal, willing to allow suspicion to rest on him. Why did they have to take that route? The young priest's future in ministry, or lack thereof, had no bearing on the show's plot whatsoever. Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone and end the show with crime scene resolved? Aaagggghhhhh!

And by the way, if you saw the show, the knowledge we gained at the end of the episode, makes me think back to other parts of the episode and wonder whether the young priest was really keeping the sacramental seal to begin with. If he served as the confessor for both the woman and his pastor, why did he then go out to dinner with the woman in question? It certainly must have been in connection with the confession. Did he speak of what he heard from his pastor? Did he discuss what the woman had told him in the confessional? Even that is breaking the seal, albeit with the very person who confessed, but the seal is that sacred. And the uncollared young priest, when both penitents are now dead, does speak of their confessions. That's a no, no, folks! The seal is sacred and totally inviolable and cannot be revealed even if the offenders are dead. And one final gripe, the young priest reveals that after hearing the woman's confession regarding her adultery, he told her that she had to tell her husband. Now, that is certainly contrary to the formation I received regarding the Sacrament of Confession. My formators told my class that one could not reasonably assign a penance that requires the penitent to reveal his sin. With penances like that, what would be the point of the seal anyway?

Sketchy Notes for Spiritual Direction

I was reviewing that previous post where I went ga-ga over the prospect of having a new spiritual director. Many people had mentioned the need to find a spiritual director and for various reasons for their failures. I thought in my Friday afternoon haze to string together some thoughts on the nature of Spiritual Direction. However, I would invite Fr. H to put in a companion article to this, given his S.T.L. is in Spiritual Theology.

First, a key distinction needs to be made. Spiritual Direction is not psychological counseling nor is it making a new friend. Spiritual Direction is the process by which one discerns the movement of God in your life. There might be areas which are touched by psychological experience but that is not the thrust of the conversation. It sounds simple but it has two primary thrusts. On the one hand, in spiritual direction, the directee reveals everything about their efforts to follow the Gospel thus far. The emphasis here is upon particular sins and shortcomings. On the other hand, spiritual direction is an exercise in trying to better discern, concretely, what God's will is for you in a more positive mode. This is the sense of "what should I do now, Lord." Some authors refer to this aspect as discernment of spirits and there is nothing wrong with that language.

Okay, how does one find spiritual direction? Here's what I recommend. First, pray that God will arrange for you to find a spiritual director and that you will be compliant with this director. After all, if the director is doing his job correctly, that's God speaking even if he is using the director's words. Second, anyone who wants to find a spiritual director should find a regular confessor. It is a good way to begin to celebrate the sacrament with more regularity and then it also helps you to find someone to whom you are comfortable revealing your soul. After some time with a particular confessor, you might have found your director. Third, don't be afraid to ask questions of this person, especially as it relates to their spiritual life. If they are pursuing holiness in a vigorous way, then they are better able to lead you. Also, personality conflicts are real and can inhibit the process. Don't be afraid to shop around a little. On the flip side, be cautious about selecting someone who is making you feel good but is full of ... well, you know. In the seminary, for what it's worth, after one bad experience, I never, ever selected the most popular director. Just didn't work.... Fourth, following St. Teresa of Avila's advice, if you must choose between a pious director and an intelligent one, always pick the intelligent one. An intelligent one, in her opinion, is more likely to be able to steer you clear of deceptions and other spiritual dangers. Fifth, know when to say when. No spiritual direction relationship lasts forever. Sixth, your spiritual director, in most cases, needs to be a priest. This is not to deingrate the work of religious; it is the close correction of direction to the Sacrament of Penance.

Hope this helps...

Ridding Myself of Roommates

If you are surprised to find out that I had roommates here in the rectory at Alva, trust me when I say, that no one was as surprised as I. But you can put down the notepad and desist your letter to the Archbishop because it's completely harmless and completely taken care of.

My housekeeper one evening as she was finishing up the housework told me that she had found mouse droppings scattered around the kitchen. "Great," I thought, "filthy vermin in the house...." As it turned out there were two mice in the house, one upstairs and one downstairs. Apparently, my rectory is some sort of rodent sublet. Through a little patience and in one case, using C.S.I. techniques to identify a peach pit that had moved and looking for tell-tale signs of rodent chewing so that I could bait the trap, both rodents are dead and gone. And no, I didn't anoint them or give them funeral rites. They went straight into the trash.

To answer the burning question on everyone's mind, I did dispatch the little critters using glue traps, which, by the way, are not any more humane than a spring trap. In fact, I would go so far as to say, the spring traps are more humane. Granted that they weren't eating much, here are two words which justify my actions: hanta virus.

Need two more? How about "bubonic plague"?

A Little Something For My Brother Priests

With the Year of the Holy Eucharist fast upon us, I have been working up some ideas for the parish to mark this special celebration. As I sat around and thought about it, I realized that I had left myself out of the calculation. I started to ask myself how I personally was going to observe the special pontifical year. Here's my first idea.

Traditionally, there are a set of prayers a priest should say as he is vesting and preparing to celebrate Mass. I typed these up and placed a set in the sacristy of each of my missions so that I can more deeply engage the Sacred Mysteries. I reprint them here for the benefit of my brother priests:

The Washing of Hands Before Mass:
Give virtue, O Lord, to my hands, that every stain may be wiped away; that I may be enabled to serve you without defilement of mind or body.

The Amice:
Place, O Lord, on my head the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil.

The Alb:
Purify me, Lord, from all stain and cleanse my heart, that, washed in the blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal delights.

The Cincture:
Gird me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and quench in my heart the fire of concupiscence, that the virtue of continence and chastity may remain in me.

The Stole:
Restore to me, O Lord, the state of immortality which was lost to me by my first parents, and, although I am unworthy to approach your sacred mysteries, grant me nevertheless eternal joy.

The Chasuble:
O Lord, who said, "My yoke is sweet and my burden light," grant that I may carry it so as to obtain your grace.

Statement of Intention:
My purpose is to celebrate Mass and to make present the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Rite of the Holy Roman Church to the praise of our all-powerful God and all His assembly in the glory of heaven, for my good and the good of all his pilgrim Church on earth, and for all who have asked me to pray for them in general and in particular, and for the good of the Holy Roman Church.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us joy and peace, amendment of life, room for true repentance, the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit, and perseverance in good works.

Prayer to My Sorrowful Mother by St. Alphonsus Liguori

My sorrowful Mother, by the merit of that grief which you felt at seeing your beloved Jesus led to death, obtain for me the grace to bear with patience those crosses which God sends me. I will be fortunate if I also shall know how to accompany you with my cross until death. You and Jesus, both innocent, have borne a heavy cross; and shall I, a sinner who has merited Hell, refuse mine? Immaculate Virgin, I hope you will help me to bear my crosses with patience. Amen.

Our Lady of Sorrows



In contrast to many homespun images of the saints and Our Savior, traditionally, these images and icons have been very dour as a rule, almost emotionless. When emotions are displayed, it is of sadness or wonder/shock. Unfortunately, modernity has to put a smiley face on everything. This is source, in my opinion, of the death of Western culture, a denial of the transitory nature of things and the rejection of Christian faith. So you see all these images of Our Lord smiling or kicking a soccer ball like he was trying out for World Cup 2006. This world we pass though is a lovely place, created in goodness and destined for goodness, but it is passing away. The death of each one of us is a world passing away, an hour that the Lord has come to visit and bring His truthful judgment.

Yesterday, we celebrated the Exultation of the Holy Cross. Today, we celebrate the icon of the Church who participates in this wonderous Cross, Our Blessed Mother. In a certain sense, every form of holiness that the Church can demonstrate to the world is found in the Glorious Virgin. She is evangelist and missionary when she carries the Word to Elizabeth. She is "pastor" when she tends her child and rears him in wisdom and charity. She is the Premier Doctor of the Church when she illuminates all truths surrounding the Christ with the humble words, "Do whatever He tells you." She is virgin without parallel; she is mother without equal amongst all the women on earth. She is even a martyr, although in the "white" sense rather than the literal "red," shedding of her blood sense. The following comes from St. Bernard of Clairvaux:

The martyrdom of the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our Lord’s passion. The holy old man said of the infant Jesus: He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted. He went on to say to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus - who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours - gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.Or were those words, Woman, behold your Son, not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of iron and stone though they are!Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.

She is a woman full of sorrows as well. The earthly life of the Blessed Virgin must have been perplexing at best. In Faith, Humility, and Obedience, she comes forward and gives herself to every working of this plan of salvation. Only a course intellect could not help but see how this sorrow of the Mother continues today. Just as Christ can be said to suffer in and through the members of the Body, so too the Mother wails and mourns and intercedes for those in whom her Son is being brought to full maturity. All those people who are baptized but have aborted the gift of grace by never learning more about or loving more perfectly in this life the One who saved them must cause our Blessed Mother such sadness. What of us who profess the Faith but refuse its penetration into the craggy, foul, rotten, bone shopped hearts of ours? She sees one coming so close and then veering away back into darkness.

But confidence can be found here as well. Mary remained at the foot of the Cross. She remains at the foot of our Cross. If we entrust ourselves to her maternal care, we can find our way back to Christ.

When a well-meaning Protestant walks up and asks, "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?", you can respond, "Yes. Have you accepted Mary as your personal Mother and Intercessor?"

My apologies if this is too long. I am down with allergies assault or a late summer cold. I didn't get the chance to preach today and some of this occurred to me in prayer. It should go without saying that incomplete thoughts and typos are the fault of Nyquil...for a change.

More Ridiculous ... um ... stuff
Yesterday as I was driving on parish business with one of the other parish priests, we were listening to a radio call-in talk show. The subject that the host invited people to discuss was the following:

A person called the police because they thought someone was trying to break into their home. The police arrived and saw a man that looked like he was trying to break into the home in question. The police officer ten started to give chase to the suspect, but failed to notice the small fence around part of the yard and tripped, breaking his wrist. The police officer is now suing the property owner for $750,000 for the injury.

I share the talk show host's opinion: uh? Aren't the police suppose to "Protect and Serve the Public"? Don't they realize that police work may be dangerous? What if the officer was chasing a suspect down a city road and tripped in a pothole, would he be able to sue the city roads department?

When I mentioned this incident to another priest friend, he asked if a person could really sue for something like that, and of course you can pretty much file a lawsuit over anything. Whether you win is another matter, but sadly I fear that these types of lawsuits are too frequently decided more on emotion than reason. Juries often "feel" sorry for the victim, and just write it off as "its just an insurance company" that will have to pay. Another example of people not being able to look to see the consequences of their actions, for of course, the insurance companies just pass these costs onto the policy holders by increasing premiums. A few years ago, in Philadelphia, a jury awarded a woman who claimed to be a psychic several millions of dollars in damages after she claimed that dye contrast of a medical test destroyed her psychic ability, thus her income, and that the doctors and technicians had failed to adequately warn her that this was a possibility. Fortunately in that case the presiding judge had a brain and he liked to exercise this spiritual power we like to call the Intellect, for the judge set aside the jury's decision saying that there was no foundation for it in law nor fact since there was no proof that the woman ever had psychic powers. Basically the jury just felt sorry for her.

I feel sorry for people too. Some are in very unfortunate circumstances, and sometimes it is not even their fault. However, our society has to be based on reasonableness. Now I am not advocating a rigid, modernistic concept of reason as the only source of knowledge. I firmly hold that the Intellect (as is the Will) is a spiritual faculty/power, that is informed both by the senses (which include emotions) and Faith. Sadly it seems to me that in our society today emotivism is the primary basis for decision making, and not Reason, informed by Faith.

CATHOLIC CELIAC SOCIETY

Still wishing I knew how to just make the title a link to the website... in my diocesan paper there is a very nice article about the above named society which stives to:

1. Educate Catholics with Celiac disease about their options for Holy Communion as provided by Canon Law and the USCCB.
2. Educate Catholic clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion about the special needs of Catholics with celiac disease.
3. To help reconcile Catholics with celiac disease who have left the Church because of exclusion from the Eucharist hosts.

There was also an article about the extremely low-gluten hosts now approved and available from the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, MO. These hosts have gained the support of Gluten-FREE Living, after they were thoroughly tested by medical experts from the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland. The experts found that a person with celiac disease could easily consume one of these hosts daily without any medical complications; in fact they would need to consume 270 of the hosts daily before having a reaction.

For more information on the Catholic Celiac Society, please visit: www.catholicceliacs.org or call 914-737-5291.

CRM Business
You know, I check CRM nearly everyday, and while I have looked at the links on the right-hand side of the screen, even visited several of them, I never paid any attention to the "Support this Site" link. When did we get T-shirts, mugs, baby bibs, and messenger bags? And how do I get my mug on a mug, or T-shirt, let alone the header picture? Just kidding! I just never noticed it before. Also, there are the two coffee sites, Pura Vida and the one I recommended through Catholic Relief Services. Both are basically selling Fair Trade Coffee; I just happened to notice that the same coffee is nearly half price through CRS; hmmm, I suspect someone is making some other bucks!

Our monks would protest as well, but they aren't supposed to leave the monastery...

Is the Joker on Vacation?

Things that make me go 'Hmm...'

I would never wish to minimize anyone's pain and suffering, but when I see a report like this I start to scratch my head. I don't puzzle over this late round of claims because I know that to reveal abuse and to come forward takes quite a bit of psychological strength. The reason for my puzzlement is the inset picture accompanying this article. What is the photo layout guy trying to say? My initial thought when I saw the title of the article and then the picture was these allegations were an effort to stop parish closings. Yes, I know that technically that doesn't make any sense, it was the strange non-sequitur my brain generated.

What to make of this remains to be seen. I do know that I need to write a little something on reform in the Church but don't know where to start yet. Stay Tuned.

Can Anything Good Come from Toronto?

The answer is an enthusiatic "yes". 'Tis a pity more Catholic journalists in the U.S. don't let their papal flag fly, rather than hanging out their respective freak flag.

Success in a new pastoral initiative!
You have read Fr. Tharp's and my postings on the meeting of our deanery (a region of the larger diocese) back in June, at which we discussed an idea the Archbishop presented to the priests a couple of years ago. It is fairly common for a parish to have a large Penance Rite in Advent and again in Lent. Many visiting priests are brought in for those rites so that many, many confessions can be heard over the course of a few hours in one evening. The Penance Rites seem to be well-used by people, it seems to get people to come, especially those who don't make the effort to come at the confession times regularly offered by the parish each week. So, the Archbishop's suggestion was that we capitalize on the success of Penance Rites and have them more often, perhaps quarterly, rather than just in Advent and Lent. At the time of that suggestion, I remember filing it away for a day when I would be pastor. The other priests in this deanery also thought the Archbishop's suggestion was worth trying. So, last night was the first attempt at a quarterly Penance Rite. We did this experiment at one of the parishes in this deanery, with the view that later it could be duplicated in the other parishes if it showed promise or was a success from the get-go.

Well, I would characterize last night a pastoral success! Four of us priests in this deanery got together and at least 25-30 people showed up. Now that is far less than typically come in Advent and Lent, and no where near the number of people that should be coming to confession. However, if you consider that hearing about 5 confessions is average (at least in these parts) for any one priest in his parish on Saturday afternoon before Holy Mass, we basically duplicated 5 to 6 Saturday afternoons in one fell swoop last night. The whole rite took about an hour, with readings, songs, gospel and a brief homily, before the individual confessions began. I think it will be well worth trying in each parish of the deanery, and maybe it will take on throughout the diocese. I am thinking of writing a brief article on it for our diocesan newspaper so that other priests might hear of this and consider it again.

Burger King Bill of Rights
Over the past few weeks, the convergence of my own thoughts with some remarks on the blog about the Burger King "Have it your way" mentality has led me to this post. It all started some weeks ago on a trip to Oklahoma City. I stopped in Burger King to have a quick lunch before continuing on the road. As I enjoyed my lunch, I glanced up at the wall and noticed a large poster bearing the title of this post. I read it in my solo-lunch-boredom and found myself laughing on the inside at the utter stupidity of the poster. Of course, I shared the account of the idiotic poster with Fr. Tharp. And, then, only days later, Fr. Garrett made some remarks in a post about the ego-centric, rugged individualism, evident in the "Have it your way" mentality. So, I vowed to get a copy of the Burger King Bill of Rights so it could be shared on the blog.

When I next visited Burger King, I was going to ask how to get a copy of the poster. But I chickened out, not wanting to look so desperate as to have my own copy. So, like a total nerd (yes, I know, that is usually Fr. Tharp's department!), I took a pad of paper into Burger King and, as I waited for my order to be called, I began to write down in shorthand the Bill of Rights. I was very pleased, however, when I glanced down at my tray of food and noticed that the complete Bill of Rights had been printed as a placemat. That sure saved a great amount of time! So, here it is, the Burger King Bill of Rights:

You have the right to have things your way. You have the right to hold the pickles and hold the lettuce. You have the right to mix Coke and Sprite. You have the right to a Whopper sandwich with extra tomato, extra onion and triple cheese. You have the right to have that big meal sleepy feeling when you're finished. You have the right to put a paper crown on your head and pretend you're the ruler of "your make-believe kingdom here." You have the right to have your chicken fire grilled or fried. You have the right to dip your fries in ketchup, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce or mustard. Or not. You have the right to laugh until soda explodes from your nose. You have the right to stand up and fight for what you believe in. You have the right to sit down and do nothing. You have the right to eat a hot and juicy fire-grilled burger prepared just the way you like. You have the right to crumple this Bill of Rights into a ball and shoot hoops with it.

And then I discovered that apparently there had a been a plenary assembly of the franchise, what we might call the First Continental Congress of Burger King, at which certain amendments were made to the Bill of Rights, because more wording appeared on my drink cup:

Maybe you want a lot of ice. Maybe you want no ice. Maybe you want your top securely fastened, or maybe you want to go topless. Hmmm? Maybe you want to mix Coke and Sprite. Maybe you want to let your cup runneth over (we wish you wouldn't). Whatever you do, make sure to have things your way.

The emphasis in the above is mine. Now, I know this is just a silly ad campaign for a burger joint. I could certainly be accused of making too much of a small matter. But what struck me about this moronic Bill of Rights was two things: (1) the reality of the ego-centric, selfish, rugged individualism at the foundation of the Bill. A reality that ad people obviously recognize because they appeal to it, knowing it will speak to people of today and, when joined with Burger King, it will sell burgers and fries; and, (2) the strange admixture of silly personal preferences in the realm of hamburgers with more general (highlighted above) tendencies to view the world as a purely subjective matter of personal preference. Notice the highlighted phrases speak to much larger matters, as if each of us has the right to have things our way, as if standing up and fighting for one's beliefs has anything to do with what one is having for lunch. The end product is that I am my own sovereign and no one can tell me what to do. It's all about me, me, me. And furthermore, things that really should be fought for, things that require dedication and sacrifice, are so trivialized in this Bill of Rights (by being juxtapositioned with soda and hamburger choices) that they ultimately mean nothing.

That's my commentary. At the end of that meal, at which I got my copy of the Bill, I then attempted to put a lid on my soda cup. I picked the lid from the appropriate bin for medium drinks and it wouldn't fit on the cup. The next size up was too large. So, I had to mangle the lid to get it to go on. It took a strong act of will, having been armed with "my rights," to avoid the temptation to go up to the counter with my misfit lid and demand that it be made to fit my cup. And when they might have suggested a new lid, I was fully prepared to demand my rights that I want THIS lid to fit. I want it my way! Anyway, I didn't make things ugly for them. Burger King is still better than McDonald's (as far as food goes. I have no idea about the democratic principles of McD's), I will still eat there, and if you disagree with me, you are wrong!

A Revelation of the Value of Kindness

For the other brother priests in this deanery of ours, they are having a quarterly deanery meeting. As for me, I am home preparing for a funeral that came up unexpectedly. Then again, they all come up unexpectedly.

The woman in question who died was related to pratically everyone in Alva and died after a series of prolonged injuries and illnesses. It turns out that she was related to a priest who served under Archbishop Beltran when he was the ordinary of the diocese of Tulsa, OK. His excellency called me this morning and asked me to extend his condolences to the family of this woman's family.

Some folks reading this would say, "So what?" But the Archbishop took the time to let me know to let them know they were being remembered by the Church particular. This act of simple consideration and kindness in someone else's time of need is a basic example of how unremarkable living the Catholic Faith can be and yet how effective to make the presence of Christ known.

Get Down! Boogie -- oogie -- oogie!

I am sooooo jazzed. I just got off the phone with, hopefully, my new spiritual director. His name is Fr. John Lanzrath and he is a priest of the diocese of Wichita. I tried to find spiritual direction in my own diocese but was largely unsuccessful. I think that it is better to have a degree of separation of your director from the diocese in which one lives. It gives better objectivity and less temptation to sink into old inter-diocesan arguments.

I have been looking for so long and now that I have found one I just could jump out of my skin. He and I have agreed to a three-month probation period to see if we are a good fit and all that. My first appointment is on September 24.

Spiritual Direction is so important for priests and religious and even the average Catholic although for the beginner a lot of that can be covered in the Sacrament of Penance through a regular Confessor. I am looking forward to this like you can't imagine. Please pray for my new director when you get the chance.

From my "turn-about is fair play" files

AGAIN?!

While the West Indies might be nice for a vacation, I would never live there. Manhatten is another story...any offers?

Notes From Life Among the Putatively Catholic

Movie Spoiler Warning

I really like Shymalan's movies, especially The Sixth Sense, but in the best interest of the movie watching audience I have to reveal the big twist in his most recent movie, The Village. This means if you haven't seen it, and you don't want the experience ruined, then close your eyes and scroll down. Do it now.


Okay, everyone else want to know what the big secret is? The Construction Worker and The Indian are responsible for everything.

COMMUNION CONTROVERSY, STUPID PRESS, TAKE 2
If you don't know what Communion controversy I am talking about, check the archives for this site, I need to work on a homily so I must keep my blogging short today. Let us just say that Cardinal Ratzinger's office has sided with my Bishop, that rice hosts are not valid matter, and no matter how much the mother or daughter "believe" it is Jesus' Body and Blood, it ain't so.

I was informed by reliable sources, though I did not read the article myself (couldn't find the paper), that a local newspaper reported that my Bishop was "summoned" to the Vatican to make an accounting of this controversy. Well, I guess is some fashion you can say that the Bishop was "summoned" to Rome, but not for the reason implied by the article. Bishop Smith left for Rome to make his ad limina visit, the planning for which has been going on for a year or so. I am sure that the Communion controversy will come up in some of his meetings with the dicasteries, but that is not the reason he is there.

Just another example of trying to make something out of nothing, in order to criticize the Church.

You knew it would come to this...

When I found a quiz to determine your Star Trek race, I had to take it. I like to think that I am Benzite or perhaps a little Klingon, but the quiz disagreed...


You're a Cardassian! Intelligent and devious,
you're a bit of an enigma to those around you
and scientific to the core.

What Star Trek Race Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is mildly disagreeable, but on the other hand, those neck ridges would have a slimming effect.

Round Two of Submissions

Well, I am the glutton for punishment I guess. I just sent out two copies of the Borromeo Project for consideration. Our two targets were Ascension Press and St. Joseph's Communications. I must admit, if this kind of stress, submitting manuscripts and then waiting for the inevitable "It's good, but not publishable good" letters, is normal for professional writers, then I am pleased as punch to be a priest. Yet another golden lining discovered.

So, you know the drill. If God wants this to spread, He will allow it. But please pray that I will be able to hold my sanity together in the mean time.

SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
Of course the oil is still wet on my hands, so I am still in the honeymoon of being ordained a priest, but I have really been coming to enjoy the sacraments of healing; Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation. The parish I serve at is responsible for covering a local hospital, so we take turns carrying the beeper. While it is not the busiest hospital in the world, I have gotten a fair amount of experience visiting the sick. It can truly be a humbling time, to be with a family in a time of crisis, to help a suffering person unite themselves more fully with Christ Crucified and there find strength & consolation. Of course, Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament which could use a lot of catechesis. The biggest issue is "Oh Father, I don't want Last Rites." Yes, there are times when a person sees me walk into their room and a panic look crosses their face, like "crap, what didn't the doctor tell me?" Of course the Church does offer prayers and sacraments (e.g. Viaticum) for those who are facing death immeniently. I have found that the family can be consoled much by gathering them to pray with the dying person. Be sure to tell someone that you want the Apostolic Blessing, which, if you are properly disposed, not only forgives all your sins but also frees you from all temporal punishment due to sin. In other words, no Purgatory; express to Heaven (of course that "properly disposed"-part is important). One of the heartbreaks surrounding my grandmother's death a few years ago (besides the priest showing up in tennis shorts and a golf shirt; I'm glad I could identify him as a priest b/c not many in my family could), was that he had no idea what the Apostolic Blessing was. Fortunately the permanent deacon who was in charge of the Pastoral Care office had the book, "Pastoral Care of the Sick" so he loaned it to Father.

Another joy of my assignment is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to be assigned to the parish I am at? My diocese can be rather liberal, and Reconciliation is probably offered at most parishes here for maybe an hour each week. St. James is one of the more traditional parishes and we hear confessions EVERYDAY, except Sunday. In fact we have three scheduled times for Confessions on Saturdays, and for 1.5 hours on Saturdays there are 2 priests hearing confessions. You know what? We are rarely slow. We probably average a half dozen confessions each day, and 4 or 5 times that on Saturdays. While of course we have some people who suffer from scruples, most of the penitents are truly examining their lives, seeing how they have failed to live their Christian lives as they should, and are turning to our merciful Lord for forgiveness and the grace to do better. Obviously I cannot say much about what happens when a person is in the confessional, but I can say I find a true joy to welcome back someone who has been away from the sacraments, the Church, for many years. Most of the people, at least 95%, go "behind the screen" so they do not see how often I am almost moved to tears as they throw themselves before the mercy of God.

God is so good!

Just Stop Whining Already!

Since Fr. Hamilton continues to obsess over the size of the sidebar, it makes you wonder what kind of deficiency he might be compensating for, I will try something that just occurred to me as a solution. So if you have been a referring website, I thank you for your linkage and support but I might lose the reference when I attempt to fix this little problem of Fr. H's

That reminds me. If you link us, we will happily link you. If you don't see us on the sidebar, just drop me a line and I will get it on there.

Update: I tried to uninstall and then reinstall the sidebar monitor, but it didn't work. I don't know when the offending link will finally disappear, but until then we just have to lump it.

A Modest Tribute

I am not one given to sentimentality. Occasionally, though, a watershed moment occurs and it forces me to take a step back and look back upon the wide sweep of personal history.

When I met David J. Walker, I was still in the seminary. It was at the Easter Vigil, I think, but it might have been Christmas Midnight Mass. I recall the bells coming apart at the seams. Literally, they fell out of their respective sockets and shot all over the floor. There was a problem with the incense and the books...so it must have been the Vigil. Anyway, after the liturgy we struck up a conversation and given that Dave lived only a few blocks from the church, I went over for coffee. The chat lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

From there a friendship blossomed. Since I have the time, I can tell you how fast food almost caused Dave and I to freeze to death, but perhaps another time. Dave's hospitality and friendship have been a refuge to me in the years that I have known. Indispensable is the word that leaps to mind. In this time of friendship, I have encountered a person who doesn't give himself nearly the credit he deserves. He is of relentless service to the children of Edmond as a teacher of excellent quality. He demonstrates the unflagging desire to follow Christ, despite the setbacks we all suffer. He warmly and easily shows how to care for those who are in need, even to opening in home to them. And he turned me into a soccer and chess enthusiast which is saying a lot. In short, he has been an example and a witness to me.

Today is Dave's 40th birthday. His co-workers, I am certain, will have the usual, tasteless "Over-the-Hill" themed crap. Many folks treat their 40th as a tombstone. But you know, how we Christians are with tombstones; we let Christ overturn them. As a little lift, please take a spin past his not-frequently-updated-enough-for-my-taste blog, Davetown.

Happy Birthday, Buddy. It's a pity you aren't my biological brother; I could have used one like you growing up.

True Example of Time Well-Spent

Well, all I can say is nobody taught us anything like this in the seminary.

My thanks to Saintly Salamagundi for this bit of levity.

Amber Alert!

I received an email from Annie at After Abortion concerning an amber alert released in her area. Here's the information:

Nationwide Amber Alert just issued, from Connecticut, but they could be outside this state by now: One-year old girl, possibly with 2 people in a red Chevy Blazer, 1996 year, license 878-SJD, coming out of the Hartford, CT area, so they could be in MA, RI, Vermont, Maine, NH, NY or NJ by now, or even beyond. She has brown hair, blue eyes, weighs 18 pounds. PLEASE CALL Connecticut STATE POLICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-842-0200. The adults she may be with are named David Bell and Faith (or Fay) Bennett. This is related to a fatal stabbing that occurred late last night.

Thanks for any assistance you can give, especially in the form of spiritual intercession.

MORE "BURGER KING" CATHOLICISM
One of the things that many priests told me before I was ordained was that they would rather do 10 funerals than 1 wedding. I always thought that this was a bit odd, but I tucked it away as something to evaluate once I became a priest. While I am not yet at a point to concur with my priestly brothers' opinion, I am starting to appreciate why this is the case. For funerals the family are understandably mourning the loss of a loved one. The grief and shock of the death, plus all the decisions that seem to need to be made "right now," often leaves them wanting someone to tell them what to do, so when you sit down to plan the funeral Mass (or, what seems to becoming more popular here in NJ to my displeasure, a service at the funeral home) the families often are very willing to let you guide them in what to do. Of course the one exception is the question of eulogies, but even that is often easily address so that something consistent with the Church's Burial Rites and tasteful is done.

Things are often different with weddings. Often couples want everything to be done THEIR WAY, because it is their day. It can be worse if they have heard that THEY are the ministers of the sacrament, not the priest (which is correct, but that only emphasizes why it is so important for them to be PROPERLY FORMED so that they know what they are doing when they administer the sacrament to each other). One of the accretions (and VCII did want us to remove much of the accretions) which has been "added" to the marriage ritual is the Unity Candle. The lore is that the Unity Candle was first used on some soap opera 30 or 40 years ago and being that so many people take TV to be the source of behavioral guidance more that they do the teachings of Jesus Christ, everybody then "needed" a Unity Candle at their wedding. Since this was right at the time when too many priests were following a misguided sense of what being "pastoral" meant, they just went along with whatever the couple once ("after all, they might leave the Church if we say no," which of course most of these couples did anyway, de facto, by contracepting and aborting their children mostly so life could be more "convenient" and they could get more things; yet I digress).

My Diocese tends to be on the "liberal/progressive" side of things (not to my liking), yet I have been very pleasantly surprised by several "pushes" that the Office of Worship, with of course the backing of my Bishop, have been making. First, they are big time promoting doing RCIA as the Church calls for it to be done, including the fact that the Catechumenate (not including the Inquiry stage) no less than one (1) year so that the Catechumens can receive a more complete proclamation of the Gospel by going thru a complete cycle of Sunday readings. Yet I digress again. Another thing we are trying to stamp out is the Unity candle. We have been told explicitly not to allow it during the wedding ceremony, but rather encourage the couple, if they insist on having one, to using it at the reception. Well, yesterday I met with a couple whose wedding I will be officiating at. Previously I told them that we would not be doing the Unity Candle during the ceremony, but discussed how they could use one at the reception. While the bride at first seemed upset by this, because she had "dreamed" of her wedding for a long time, a patient discussion seemed to get her OK with using the Unity Candle at the reception. Then they met with the person handling the music for their wedding who told them that they had just done a wedding a couple of weeks ago which had a Unity Candle, and that the "new policy" does not take effect until this coming Advent. Even when the couple told them what I had said, the musician said that I was wrong, and then could have a Unity Candle at the ceremony. Apparently most people believe a musician over a priest, so they put it in their program that they would "light the Unity Candle." All my patient instruction was undermined in less than 5 minutes. Now it is the whole "but it is in print" thing. Now, I have never been married, but I do have 2 married sisters and remember their weddings well. There is a lot of stress right before a wedding (hopefully all good stress, but still stress). The last thing a priest wants to do is add to that. They want the ceremony to be a spiritual event that will firmly root the marriage in Christ, so that the marriage can truly be a sacrament in the service of the Church. Of course the expectation is that the Church "should be flexible, and bend the rules." They would never ask that of the municipal clerk's office where they need to get the civil license. "We want it OUR WAY." ugh!

BREAKING NEWS: Part III COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) -- The Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City did not provide the previously desired channel for justice in yesterday's election to the open seat of the Council of Priests. When presented with the petitioner's briefs regarding voting irregularities and the request to overturn the election, one judge on the Tribunal asked, "What, does this Fr. Hamilton have a marriage case for us to annul? If not, then what is he bothering us for?" The other candidates protesting the election results received similar responses. And since recourse cannot be had to the Church's supreme court, the Roman Rota, due to their cappuccino break, it appears the results of Decision 2004 will stand. The Rev. Don Wolf, the incumbent whose seat was up for election, has won the election and retains his seat on the Council of Priests.

Fr. Hamilton delivered a concession speech via radio moments after the Tribunal's refusal to hear the case: "I thank all of my supporters. These past several days of campaigning have been tiring. Though the outcome is not what we had hoped, there is some sense of relief and mercy that we can bring this to a close. I will continue to serve God's people as I have been called to do and I will continue to be of service in this Archdiocese, though not in an elected capacity. While we may always have some doubts in our minds, while we may always wonder about the rightfully elected priest in this election, I have no doubt -- and nor must you -- that the Holy Spirit can work through whomever sits on the Council, no matter how he got there. And the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us by our Baptism, will continue to work through each of us. God bless you. And God bless the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City!"

Thus concludes this extended thread. The election results are indeed that I am among the three candidates who did not get elected. The Rev. Don Wolf was elected and retains his seat on the Council. Thanks for enjoying the silliness and the humor with us!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for Them.

And you should too. This next round is going to look like Romper Room in comparison.

I'd rather risk illness, thanks very much.

Mysterious signals from 1000 light years away�| New Scientist

The truly sad part will be that we will decode these signals only to discover it's an infomercial for their equivalent of the Ab-Blaster.

Accidental Convergence

I was working arranging the third part of the first year of the Borromeo Project, when I stumbled upon a funny convergence in the Catechism and a little bit of my past.

In my younger days, i.e. high school, I flirted with rock groupie status for RUSH. One of their great concept albums was titled 2112. The story line revolved around a totalitarian theocracy which had banned rock music. (Old folks in the back, sit down and stop clapping.) One lone hero discovers an electric guitar and liberates everyone through 3-chord power rock.

As I was working I came across paragraph 2112 of the Catechism. It reads in part: "The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God. Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of "idols, (of) silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see." These empty idols make their worshippers empty: "Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them." God, however, is the "living God" who gives life and intervenes in history.

The convergence just sort of came to me. In 2112, the lone hero reminds man of his fundamental dignity through the rejection of the theocracy. In paragraph 2112, the Christian is reminded to reject all the false gods and discover his true identity as one created in Love and worship the one, true God. Granted the analogy limps a bit in that you get the impression from the song that somehow rock music is to be the new form of worship, it still is a funny occurance.

BREAKING NEWS: Part II COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) -- Following the news just hours ago that voting irregularities have been found in the election to the open seat of the Council of Priests, Canon (Church) lawyers have been called upon to represent all candidates. A case is currently before the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City claiming that Fr. Don Wolf is not the rightful winner of the election, due to the incorrect counting of "glitches" in Miami, Oklahoma. Fr. Hamilton and at least one other candidate have vowed to take this case to the supreme Church court, the Roman Rota at the Vatican.

BREAKING NEWS COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Guymon, OK (AP) -- Early this afternoon, word was beginning to circulate that Rev. Don Wolf, the incumbent, was the winner in a very close race for the open seat on the Council of Priests. Reporters at each candidate's watch party headquarters were preparing for the concession and victory speeches, respectively. Fr. Hamilton, youngest candidate on the ballot, was moments away from the podium where he was to deliver a brief speech conceding the election, thanking his supporters, and asking God's blessing and guidance upon the re-elected incumbent and upon the entire Council.

But then a few hushed whispers were witnessed from campaign directors to Fr. Hamilton. Within seconds, Fr. Hamilton stepped back stage and his Press Secretary emerged. "Reverend Fathers, Religious Sisters, distinguished Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, ladies and gentlemen," Sr. Mary Agnes, O.P. said, "we have just received word that some voting irregularities are being reported from Miami, Oklahoma. This leaves the Council of Priests election rather uncertain. Fr. Hamilton spoke earlier by telephone with the apparent victor of the election, Fr. Don Wolf. They exchanged a few brief words and the promise of prayer. This latest news, however, leaves us unsettled. Fr. Hamilton is, at this moment, calling Fr. Wolf again, to express interest in waiting for an official investigation before a victor is declared. He will be with us momentarily. In the meantime... uh, excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, Fr. Hamilton."

At this point Fr. Hamilton stepped to the podium to a very supportive crowd and a spontaneous schola that chanted "Christus Vincit. Christus Regnat. Christus Imperat!" Fr. Hamilton began, "Thank you. Thank you, very much. Please. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Since the close of the polls, we have had some anxious and now tumultuous hours. Admittedly, we are scrambling a bit now, not sure how to proceed. We have learned that voting irregularities are being reported in this election and an official investigation is opening into the matter. To restore a necessary confidence in our voting system, I believe a full investigation should be conducted and completed before a winner is declared in this race. Therefore, I hereby call upon the election commission to do a full recount of this election. Since voting takes place via fax machine, early reports claim that a few electronic glitches caused marks to appear next to different candidates' names, which were incorrectly counted as votes for a wrong candidate. Until this matter is reviewed I believe it would be irresponsible to declare a winner. In addition, my campaign is also calling upon former President Jimmy Carter to come and oversee the process of ballot recounting. This process must be entirely transparent and "above the table" if the matter is to be fairly resolved. Therefore, I thank you all now for your ongoing support and I ask for your patience. We will have another statement shortly."

Fr. Hamilton and his staff quickly left the stage area and the crowd of supporters slowly dissolved, leaving a sea of streamers, large "V"s, and empty offertory envelopes strewn on the ground.

Our Lady of Kazan (Kazanskaya)

For those who have read much concerning the return of this venerable icon but didn't understand what the hubbub was about, consider this post your basic one-stop shopping portal.
I believe this icon also goes by the title, Our Lady of Tenderness, but I could be mixed up.

For history, go here and here.

For the Pope's homily, go here.

For the Pope's letter to Alexei II, the Patriarch of Russia, go here.

For a picture of the icon, go here.

For pictures of the celebration, go here.

Why the Holy Father handed over this icon should be as clear as the beard on my cheeks. "I have become all things to all men, in the hope of winning at least some." In this case, our Holy Father has become one of the Russian people who have looked to Our Lady under this particular invocation and have longed to have returned to them this symbol of their love for the Blessed Mother. He returns this image of wood, gold, and pigment, so that, holding on in the virtue of hope, that the true image of the Son might be reflected in a Body of Christ healed of all divisions.

UPDATE: For a completely different take on this story, go consult the Curt Jester.

I just wanted some Doritos, Officer.

I would think so...

Unless you spew on an Asian dignitary, then everyone has to get involved...

Verifyin' and Testifyin'

Since I missed Zell Miller's speech, except for one part where I was convinced an artery was about to blow, I looked up the speech on line. It is everything that Fr. Hamilton suggested it would be. Link is above.

Monster Rectory?

I was watching a re-run of Monster House on the Discovery Channel when a delicious idea hit me. Why not put my rectory up for this kind of treatment? We could call it the "Monastery House." Unfortunately, they don't accept projects that are more than an hour away from L.A. or Las Vegas. So while I might still send in an application, I don't think we are going to get anywhere with them.

That leaves Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. For that to fly, though, a group of people would have to send in letters, extolling my merits and virtues, as all of you know, I have none, so that's probably right out as well.

Why all of this focus upon re-decorating? Well, let's see...the plaster is sliding off the wall in the downstairs living room due to a leaking roof. The carpet is so old upstairs that I saw a sample of it on the Brady Bunch. (P.S. they hated it too.) The upstairs bathtub looks like it was taken from a closed asylum for dunking the mentally ill, better known as hydrotherapy. The house was built in the 1930's so let that piece of information guide you.

I will keep you posted on developments on that front.

Welcome, Reverend Reader!
This is just a quick shout out to a recent reader, the Rev. Howard Remski of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Chaplain to the Latin Mass community of St. Michael Chapel in Bethany, Oklahoma! We're glad you've been reading and we are encouraged that you even left a comment, and conveniently in English, not Latin, so all our readers can enjoy! It is good to have you here in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City!

What the Zell!
First, my apologies for not providing some posts on the first few nights of the Republican National Convention. I managed to have quite a few remarks when the Democrats met, but my own campaigning and other duties have kept me from devoting time to commentary on the RNC.

I missed the speeches on the first night of the RNC. But I can comment, I think, on strategy. Speeches by Mayor Giuliani and Sen. McCain were a wise stroke. I'm sure the idea was to provide a comfortable home for members of the Republican party who fall across a spectrum of the official party platform. The Governator's speech was very rousing. He knows how to play a crowd and you had this sense that, barring changes in the Constitution, that may well have been Schwarzenegger's acceptance speech for a presidential nomination. I think one could critique the content of the Governator's speech as being a bit weak on content, marked by slogans, cliches, and corny adaptations of his well-known movie lines. However, his story as a foreigner coming to America was very compelling and his testimony that he became a Republican because Democratic rhetoric of the time (i.e., Humphrey campaign) sounded much like the socialism he had left behind in Austria was striking. Of course, the force of that remark was rather awkward, to say the least, given that he seemed to hold Nixon up as the reason he became Republican. Ooops. I'm trying to imagine what, "I am not a crook," sounds like with an Austrian accent! Anyway, given the media drumbeat of how America is hated around the world, Arnold's was a reminder that the American dream lives and it is still attractive to people from afar, indeed it beckons them. I thought the Governator's personal story was an interesting response to the notion that somehow the supposedly unilateral actions of the US in Iraq have gained us many more enemies. The appearance of the Bush twins was a major error. They came off as shallow bimbos of privilege. And I LOVED how confused they seemed when people laughed or applauded for extended periods of time, interrupting the speech. At one point, after a supposedly funny remark, followed by continuous laughter from the crowd, one of them turned to the other and could just be heard over the microphone asking, "What are they laughing at?" She then -- and I love this! -- turned behind her to look at the massive television screen as if conspirators had posted up funny or embarrassing images! Girls, this is a national convention for president, not a place where programming normally seen on MTV's spring break coverage will be found. I wanted to say, uh, hello honey, they're laughing at your remarks, albeit much too generously, but so be it. Get a clue. The First Lady is attractive and classy and it is refreshing to be able to listen to a First Lady without wondering (fearing?) that she is setting the stage for her own future campaign. However, following the Governator's speech, Laura's speech seemed to dissipate the energy generated by Arnold. Oh, well, I guess I didn't expect her to give a rowdy speech.

But last night. Oh, man! Sen. Zell Miller went "all out"! I couldn't believe it. I don't remember hearing him speak before. He was quite a force to be reckoned with. It was remarkable just because he's a Democrat, giving the keynote on night three of the RNC. But in addition, he gave a stunning critique of Kerry and his lack of trustworthiness and preparedness for the job of Commander-in-Chief. I think he went overboard and I wonder if that will backfire on the Bush campaign, but still I couldn't believe I was hearing such a straight shooting speech from a politician. It was, actually, a bit refreshing, even if rather harsh. I had to peel myself off the wall following the hurricane force delivery of Zell's speech. Then Fr. Tharp and I ended up on the phone, so I didn't watch the Vice President's speech. Considering only how it began, I think it too, much like Laura's speech the night before, dissipated much of the energy generated by Zell's speech. But again, I didn't expect the Cheney to get very fired up.

Hey, and for my money, I love protestors being wrestled to the ground in a Secret Service "pig pile".

WATCH PARTY COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
In a few minutes polls will close and the deed will be done. I'm not sure how long it will take to get the results. I am told it usually happens quickly. Apparently, you are called on the phone only if you win. If you don't win, you're just dropped like so much trash, not even worthy of a call to say "Thanks for running." Anyway... I spoke to another candidate tonight, hoping he would concede the election, but he didn't. He told me he had not received a phone call either. So, either the both of us lost, or the election commission hasn't tabulated the results yet.

Getting the results quickly would be nice so the waiting is over. But there is another reason. As revelers continue to party, getting sloppy drunk, and waving huge "V" signs from the campaign, it would be nice to be able to send them home! How many more photos can I endure with campaign supporters hanging on me and slurring: "I love you, man! Eerrr... I mean, Father!"

BACK HOME!
I am back to my parish after a nice 2 week vacation so that I will be rested for the hussle and bussle when the schools come back into session next week.

I am still getting used to being a priest, and now on vacation. For most days on my vacation I celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass privately (well, united with the whole Mystical Body of Christ). There are definite pluses to this (e.g., no one telling you that you are doing something wrong, and no criticism if you use some Latin). However, it is nice to have someone there to enter into the prayer and give the proper responses.

I did concelebrate Mass at a parish where my sister and niece worships at times (their local parish is pretty much a mess, the tabernacle is in what looks to be the old janitor's closest in the hallway outside the church, the priest does not like the Our Father the way it is, etc). This parish is in the care of a religious order (who will remain nameless). The style of the church was rather modern (for my taste), but in some ways reflective of the spirituality of the order, and you knew it was a church. Saying Mass on the road has been, well, interesting. While the celebrant (also pastor) welcomed me, he had me do NOTHING at the Mass. He did not even allow me to say part of the Eucharistic Prayer (which he deleted the word "Father" throughout, apparently that is offensive). Of course at Communion time, since they had a whole platoon of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs), I was told to just sit down after I received. That really ticks me off. Afterall, I am an ORDINARY MINISTER of Holy Communion. There is such a poor understanding of ecclesiology today; priests really have been made "just like everyone else." I am certainly NOT saying that I am better than anybody because I am a priest, but as we hear in St. Paul's letters, the different parts of the Body have different roles that are proper to them. As a priest, I serve the Church in persona Christi Capitas, participating in His Headship. This is for the service of the laity, who have their specific role to play in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Apparently I had the blessing of the fact that the sound system was not oriented backwards, so I did not hear his homily. I knew he was talking about the terrible violence that is occurring in the Sudan (an important concern). During the homily my sister looked as if she was slapped, and then looked at me. After Mass she told me that the thrust of the homily was that the Church (read, Rome) cannot be silent about the situation in the Sudan "as it was during the Holocaust." Heck, I thought we were getting beyond the nonsense that the Church was somehow complicit in the Holocaust. There is NO historical evidence to support this. I am glad I did not hear it. I am glad to be home.

Another New Thing

Tonight is the first night of Religious Education for the kiddos in the parish. Also, it had been my ambitious plan to offer religious education for ADULTS at the same time. Sadly, there have been no takers. Why that is remains a mystery of a sort.

On point, please remember to pray for the kids of my parish. We are in our second year using the Ignatius Press Series, Image of God, and the sixth grade and eighth grade books look to be a particular challenge.

Philly Considers Wireless Internet for All

I hate to sound like Judas for the technological age, but isn't this a tremendous waste of money? The article unfortunately doesn't lay out how much it will cost taxpayers but that really isn't my beef. I have no problem with paying my taxes if I could be assured that wasteful bone-headedness could be kept to an absolute minimum. While we may have the poor with us always, we ought to act to help them rather than making it more convenient for me to get my email.

ELECTION DAY COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Fr. Tharp is probably looking forward to campaign silence (read his inspired post below), as am I, however, ballots can be cast through today and so today is the final push. In a few minutes I will be heading west to the remote town of Boise City for some final campaign work. I have cast my vote. I apologize to readers that EWTN could not manage to have video footage of me casting my vote this morning.

Mother got a little hot under the collar, as is being reported (below), but I think I can recover due to a nice convention bounce showing up in the exit polls. We shall see. Results of the election will be reported as soon as I know them.

A reminder to readers: Today is election day for the Council of Priests and Fr. Hamilton is a candidate. However, campaign reporting is entirely made up.

And then...the Sound of Silence...

Felix Mendelssohn makes dramatic use of silence in his oratorio, Elijah. In the key scene between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, if you will recall from the biblical text, the prophets go to extremes to get Baal to respond and ignite their sacrifice. In the score, the prophets sing, "Hear and answer." And everyone falls silent, from chorus member to orchestra. It repeats like this two more times.

In the last weeks of campaigning, no doubt exists in my mind that many times Fr. H has had his hands raised before the altar of God, crying out, "Hear and answer." What he has been receiving as an answer, I will leave him to tell you. But after the convention, the smoke, the interviews, the scandalous news reports, now there is silence.

Let us hope that this endeavor ends better for Father than it did for the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:40). In Northwest Oklahoma, I don't know of a brook that is equidistant from his parish to mine.