Before You Bug Out For The Weekend

I have noticed that the numbers drop off during the weekend. I have a request to make of everyone. Next week, starting Sunday, I will be away conducting a retreat for the religious sisters of the diocese of Wichita, so don't expect much by way of blogging. The topic of the Retreat will be The Theology of the Body as it applies to consecrated religious. The title will be "Behold, the Bride Comes!" It is going to be very daring in that I am applying the Holy Father's writings to a situation that it perhaps was not intended to address. I am excited and simultaneously scared because this is my first major retreat. The retreat will run from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon. It goes without saying that I will need, no, demand, your prayers so that I don't louse up either John Paul's writings or the sisters' frame of mind.

Fr. Hamilton will be back on line very soon but details remain sketchy.

Also, the formatting issues do not yet abate. There is more interesting stuff below the bar -- so to speak.

Won't She Be Jealous?

I mean, Tom already have a baby in the house in the form of Katie Holmes. Put another baby in the house and it could get crowded.... (look over at the producer) Oh, that's not what it means...

>Sitting Down and Merrily Sharpening My Axe

Please everyone, I need a moment of silence as I tap into the genetic memory of my barbarian ancestors. Also, due to a formatting error all the posts are below the bar so to speak. Can't figure out what happened...

Convergence from the OED

It was very much in vogue to the people of Victorian, English, middle-class sentiments to desire to see their lives organize around convergences of seeming coincidental facts of life. For example, one could exalt if the same year in a major life's works was accomplished coincided with a significant birthday and wedding anniversary. I cite James A.H. Murrary as my source for this idea.

Yesterday, I began my subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Day and today's word was "red herring." A red herring for those who do not know can mean either a soldier or a topic meant to mislead from a central point. This is probably derived from a trick convicts would use to mislead search dogs. By dragging a herring or other stinky object across the path the dog might be deflected. After I read the aforementioned story from the AP, I immediately thought, "is that fish I smell?" Alas, the answer's yes.

Look, folks at PBS, if you think that most people in a "red state" are going to be led to embrace your world view, merely because this new person happens to be a Republican, then you officially are living on Fantasy Island. When you get back, bring me a Mai Tai. Even if people are ameliorated at the position's being filled in such a transparently partisan bid, the instant the person in question does something dumb (or liberal, as this is clearly the stigma you are running from, PBS; wonder why?) then they will be called on it. Furthermore, would the esteemed senators Clinton and Dorgan stifle it already? Their simultaneous handwringing does not cover up the sound of the contempt you feel for those who differ from your thought. Would you have made the stink you are now if Paul Begala, a clearly political figure, popped up in this position at PBS? Not likely.

I need an address...

Why? Because they will be paying for the repairs to my computer. When I read the name of the page and its purpose I spewed forth a torrent of "Mountain Mellow Citrus Soda" upon the keyboard. I will leave faithful readers to discover the hilarity awaiting them.

Thanks to the ladies at Catholic Girl Talk for the link!

Relevent Radio

I have Fr. Tharp to thank for an early morning radio bit this morning. I received a phone call yesterday from the producer of the Morning Show on Relevant Radio (if you do not have one of their stations near you, go to www.releventradio.com). It seems that he had read my post on the new Batman movie and thought I would like to discuss it on air. So after the 6:25am Mass (so you see, Fr. Tharp was NOT to blame for me needing to be up very early this morning), I talked abit on vengence and justice as seen in "Batman Begins." They also said that they would like to talk with me in the next couple of weeks about psychology and religion. When I know when that will be I will let the readers of CRM know.

Belated Congratulations!

Fr. Robert Johansen was a friend of mine while in school at Saint Charles Seminary. For reasons that are'nt really relevant here, we parted company about halfway through our time here. I was ordained, either one or two years, before him, and from time to time we catch up with each other.

Well, God has seen it fit to move him from being First Officer to the Captain of his own vessel. That's right, folks, our pro-life crusader has been made a pastor in Dorr, Michigan at St. Stanislaus. This is something of a convergence between us as I was made pastor of my parish on the memorial of a martyr (St. Charles Lwanga and companions) and he is going to a parish dedicated to a martyr.

So, to my buddy, best wishes as you prepare to be a shepherd. Always be a good and faithful one for nothing else befits the vocation we have been given. And email me your new address when you get the chance.

Ragemonkey Red Alert: Contradiction and the Curse of Crying Wolf

I have been saving and savoring the right response to the whole Durbin debacle. For those who were under a rock or vactioning on the dark side of the moon, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) made disparging comments about Guantanamo Bay and the soldiers employed there, comparing them to Nazis and Stalinist thugs. Durbin's claim was that the soldiers had no concern for human beings.

Now, whether or not you like the war in Iraq or even war in general, you can recognize the ridiculous unneccesary dimensions of this rhetoric. To date, no one has died in G.B. No one has been sent to a gas chamber because they were of the wrong nationality or religion. When you look at the Nazi and Stalinist regimes, each of which can easily claim 28 million casualities, you can see the comparision of G.B. and our government to those regimes is totally bo-ooo-gus.

But this lead to a funny recollection. In 2003, when the ban on partial birth abortion was being run through Congress, Sen. Durbin voted "nay" to this ban. Apparently, it shows great concern for human beings to jam scissors into the back of their heads and vacuum out their brains. It would seem to me that Sen. Durbin falls into the great mass of those who can't stand to look at themselves throughly. In short, he cried wolf at Guantanamo all the while clapping his massive paws together on abortion. Each day approximately 4000 lives end in the abortion theater, yet Durbin saves his opporbrium for a situation which might be defective but doesn't match the evil he endorses. In short, Chicken Little, please lend the senator your umbrella.

Of course, being a skilled politician, Durbin retracted his comments. Personally, I am unaffected by crocodile tears. I would be more impressed if his tears were the product of a healthy sense of contrition. But that's what happens when you cry "Wolf!" You often have to back pedal in the hopes that someone will continue to take you seriously. I hope the voters in Illinois don't give him that chance.

Do you know this guy? If you do and would like to tour England with him and me, then send an email and we will get information to you as soon as possible.
Posted by Hello

Thanks to the Ninnemans of Ponca City for this succinct summation of the Catholic world.
Posted by Hello

Summertime and The Livin's Easy...

I have been giving some thought to the summer re-run period. We are all accustomed to expect nothing new during the summer except for sunburns and bug bites. However, as television moves more toward absolute specilization ("Coming this fall, the Malamut Breeding Channel"), and digital satellite and cable feeds provide 24 hours a day of service, the summer re-run season will disappear. So, in that spirit, I would like to pitch a few shows that have a Catholic slant. Now that Joan of Arcadia is gone, I am looking to fill in the gap.

Show #1: CSI: Alva
Pope Benedict is troubled by the condition of the Church in the world especially in Europe. He wants a place to train and promote highly-trained priests to sniff out heresy wherever it may rear its head. Hence he creates the Clerical Studies Institute (called CSI for short) and places a quirky, irrepressible diocesan priest (guess whom that character is modeled upon) in charge of the program. He places this institute in Alva, Oklahoma so that suspicions won't be raised and that the participants won't be bothered -- it's very secluded. Weekly episodes feature exciting scenes of people pouring over texts in ancient languages and other folks reading furiously.

Show #2: What Not to Wear: Clerical Edition
Granted that this is a spinoff of a very successful series, the franchise has limitless possibilities. Just when you got sick of seeing your parish priest loafing around in jeans and a t-shirt (and assuming he isn't gardening or headed to the gym), two of the designers from Renzetti's in Philadelphia swoop in and give Father a complete make-over. As they get Father fitted for a cassock, the team would take time to explain to the audience what the meaning of each vestment is and its purpose. Nothing screams High Church like a feriola (and it's so practical!). If time permits, the team also takes a flame thrower to the contents of the sacristy thus disposing of nasty, liturgical experimental vesture (assuming it's blessed) at the same time. Could also branch into getting religious back into the habit.

Show #3: Star Trek: DS9
With the waning fortunes of the Star Trek franchise, the creators, now that Roddenbery is dead, go back and re-tool the program so that Christianity has a role in Star Trek history. When this series premieres, we meet a group of new seminarians as they arrive at Diocesan Seminary #9. Here they will not only prepare to become priests but also prepare to evangelize the Gamma Quadrant. If the Dominion thought Starfleet was a problem, wait until they meet the Dominicans. The show will be a vehicle for interesting questions such as "Because Adam fell, does that mean that every sentient humanoid species fell?" Look for conflicts between cultures and worlds as the Christian Faith is spread to the stars. Look for yours truly in a cameo as the Bishop of Bajor.

Show #4: Extreme Makeover: Rectory Edition
Many times a priest moves into a rectory only to discover that the roof leaks, the carpets have seen better days, and that some one thought wood paneling was a good idea. With the help of the Rectory makeover team, the house is transformed into a place of simple beauty and welcome. Pay particular attention to the addition of a chapel in every single place.

There will be more as I think of them.

Enough Already!

I got hit twice with the book meme so here are my responses:

1. Total Number of Books I've Owned: As both a nerd and one of the chronically over-educated, I have always had a severe case of bibliophilia. So for sake of estimation, let's say more than 1,000 but less than 2,000. When I left my previous assignment, I brought 13 boxes (large banker's boxes) of books. That should give you an indication.

2. Last Book I Bought: I think that would be a double purchase of a book on the role superheroes play in the spiritual life (written by a Protestant but is already getting tweaked in my brain) and another book called The Evil 100. Sadly, I didn't make the list.

3. Last book I read: Again, this is tricky as I am usually in the middle of three or four books at once. So, I will go by what I just finished which again is two books (I finished them on the same day) -- Wicked by Gregory MacGuire (far superior to the musical in a hundred or so ways) and Gift and Mystery by John Paul the Great of beloved memory (something of a re-read but extra enjoyable given that it was a gift from Fr. Robert Johansen)

4. Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:
a.) Catechism of the Catholic Church
b.) The Holy Bible
c.) The Lord by Romano Guardini
d.) Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
e.) Macbeth by William Shakespeare

5. Tag Five Bloggers to do the meme:
Hmmm, that's a hard list but...
The Curt Jester, Dawen Eden, J.P. Brown, Athanasius, and Fr. Sistare.

Of course, Dave's insistance that the other monkeys come up with this list will lead to interesting comparisions.

Another One Bites the Dust?

VBD from my neck of the woods sent me this missive. It shows the kind of man Bp. Robert Vasa is. I can certainly sympathize with his ordeal. I hit a deer once and though I escaped unharmed, it was traumatic. Glad to hear that his Excellency is on the mend.

Well, folks, this is a whole new dimension of weird

You know, guyzos, I don't what to say. I want to ring this guy's neck. I want to wring this guy's bishop's neck. I feel terrible for the sister who went to this gentleman seeking healing and got the wrong end of a cross in the bargain. I don't want to impugn the good intentions of the Orthodox Christians who might (however unlikely) actually read this blog, but this seems to typify the weirdness of extremes. In the Catholic Church, it is the problem of not enough vertical thinking (i.e. a loss of the dramatically spiritual). In the Orthodox Church, again from an outsider's view, it is an absence of proper application to one's own time. In other words, Christ drives out demons so let's re-enact the Crucifixion and that will really scare them. Demons aren't scared because you have a piece of wood in your hand -- it is the power of Faith (and hence it is the power of Christ who compels them to leave;we are instruments) that drives out the demon. Again, I don't want people to think that I am condemning all and any Orthodox Christian -- I am just trying to wrap my mind around this.

I Feel Like a Heel!

Amy Buchwald went to all the trouble of giving me an interview and then it lanquishes in my inbox. So here's the hotness new meme. Her questions are in normal face; my responses are bold (in typeface).

1. 1. What is your favorite type of cheese?
Oooooh, a question at once easy and complex. Cheese is all about texture and occasion. Generally anything in triple creme school is great and will bring forth purrs of excitement. Brie on water crackers is phenom! Also, any blue cheese where the mold is so blue it's green is great. Although I find roquefort too piquant, stilton with roasted beets is a standard salad around the rectory.
2. Do you remember Bean the Bunny? (because Anne Shirley didn't)
What in the sam hill are you talking about? I don't know no stinkin' bunny. However, I do have immensely fond memories of G-Force and Battle of The Planets. Does that count?
3. In your opinion, what is the best way for new parishoners to start getting involved with their parish?
The best way is for the parishioner to get involved is to do what suits them best. If they love Knights of Columbus, then hook up with the local council. Then if there is something that needs to be added to parish life, they know who to talk to.
4. Korea: War or Conflict?
War. (As you didn't ask why, my rationale remains my own.)
5. We've seen loads of pictures of Pope Benedict XVI with beer because he's from Germany... what's the Ragemonkey brew of choice?
Again, a question that requires a little qualification. At the outset, anything that looks like it escaped the urinary tract of a plow animal is poured down the drain in contempt. If it is particularly festive occasion, Chimay Red or Chimay Blue is in order, but I better not have Mass in the morning. One of those is delicious but coma inducing. Also, the German beer Spaten Octoberfest or Hefeweisen is a great choice for a hot day. Lastly, I can never say "no" to stout -- think Guiness before Murphy's.

Now, the way this works is the first person who requests an interview gets a set of five questions from yours truly. You answer them and post those answers on your little corner of the internet. Then I link your post answering my questions. So if you are a fellow Ragemonkey, I won't be interviewing you. Second, no blog, no interview. Them's the breaks. I hope this is an illuminating and terrifying glimpse into the mind of the senior ragemonkey.

I'm linking it because Fr. H won't see it until it's too late...

Fr. Hamilton is away attending to the marriage of a cousin of his. Now, I would never accuse him directly of observer bias, he claims that the couple is going to make a lovely Catholic bride and groom.

Every priest has a couple of bridezilla stories, that is, brides who went on a rampage because they got the notion in their heads that their wedding day was meant to fulfill every pretty, pretty princess dreams and when things don't go their way, Tokyo must pay the price.

Well, turn about is fair play although I cannot admit to knowing any groomzillas -- not yet at any rate.

In case you were feeling as worn out as I am...

I thought I would throw to you all the best argument for being upset about asinine, useless pieces of anti-Catholic fiction. It goes like this.

Q: Why should we even worry about The DaVinci Code? It's just fiction.
Fr. T.: Well, that's an interesting idea. Did you hear about my new plan to pay off the Batmobile early? I am writing a novel about your mother. She'll feature as the center piece of a drug trafficing, bank robbing ring of cannibals who are plotting to take over the nation. Don't that sound great?!
Q: (looking stunned and perplexed) But none of that is true. I'll sue you for libel.
Fr. T.: Hey, buddy, why are you so upset? It's just fiction. It's not like any one who actually knows your mother could mistake my character for your mother, so just relax.
Q: But there are lots of people who will get the wrong impression of my mother.
Fr. T.: And that's why, even when cloaked in fiction, a lie is a lie is a lie and destroys whomever it is directed at. The Church is our Mother. And I won't put up with people lying about her.

For those who read the Sooner Catholic, be prepared for a big spread once the movie comes out. I would have written something sooner, but 1.) I have received no questions (scary in itself) and 2.) the movie will play bigger than the book did.

A sudden reprieve from my hat buying sadness...

My head is too big. I cannot wear nor buy a hat unless someone custom manufactures said hat (read cha-ching!). So now you can look at me with awe and wonder at my massive cranium. I won't be crying myself to sleep on my huge pillow tonight because I know the truth. Of course, the real problem is not that my brain is too large but rather I have, like Homer, and extra thick skull and an extra 1/8th of inch of fluid surrounding my brain.

Discovering One's Audience

Television and film actors, especially if they have a background in the theater, often comment on how it is difficult to act when you don't have the feedback of the audience. The same is true of writing. I have been writing this blog with two of my best friends for the last year or so and the consistent comment that comes up between us is "I wonder who that commentor is?"

Last week, while I was in the city, I bumped into a large group of dedicated Rage-i-cans from the OKC area. The strangest encounter was right before a funeral for the father of one of our priests. It was strange only due to context and nothing else. Then I was over in Woodward, doing some follow-up work for the Borromeo Project, and one of the participants said, "I read your blog at least once a week." I would recommend more, but that would require me to write more, and frankly I don't have it in me.

I wanted to say thanks to all the folks in OKC and Woodward and other parts of the diocese who stop by for the madness that lurks behind my glasses.

"Batman Begins" final gets Batman Right

I went to see "Batman Begins" last night withe new priest here at St. James. While I do not read the Batman comics much, I think this movie finally got Batman right. Yes, he is a tormented soul, wacked with guilt and anger over his parents death, but he is not insane, like some of the other movies almost make him seem to be. It is a "dark" movie, but not the down-right blackness of Tim Burton's take on the Batman genre. Very cool FX, just the right amount of humorous dialogue.

There is an interesting question throughout the movie as to just what constitutes "justice." I do not want to spoil anything, but I would recommend the movie.

Evidence that my friendship with Dawn Eden is paying off

I found this lovely, perfectly logical, editorial cartoon thanks to a link via the Petite Powerhouse. Dawn, if you are reading this, I am still working on that blog idea you came up with. Be patient...

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

We return after a brief pause to our consideration of an interview Cdnl. Ratzinger gave to journalist Peter Seewald. This excerpt comes from page 20.

"Whoever can be as small as this child," it says in the New Testament in Matthew, "is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

The theology of littleness is a basic category of Christianity. After all, the tenor of our faith is that God's distinctive greatness is revealed precisely in powerlessness. That in the long run, the strength of history is precisely in those who love, which is to say, in a strength that, properly speaking, cannot be measured according to categories of power. So in order to show who he is, God consciously revealed himself in the powerlessness of Nazareth and olgotha. Thus, it is not the one who can destroy the most who is the most powerful -- in the world, of course, destructive capacity is still the real proof of power--but, on
the contrary, the least power of love is already greater than the greatest power of destruction.

Homily for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

OK, this is shameless advertising for my blog.

John Francis Week: Wrap up
Well, dear readers, it has been a fast "John Francis Week" here at Catholic Ragemonkey. We have enjoyed hunting through the archives over at John Francis' blog to provide you with some cute photos and some humor. And I think JF's parents will think it humorous to know that earlier today, at a gathering of some Catholic people in Oklahoma City, I actually had someone approach me with a picture of another cute baby. It seems that competition has begun and more and more parents want CRM to be a host site for their cute baby photos.

From the first sight of JF in his ragemonkey baby bib, he has captured our attention at CRM and we have enjoyed sharing this little back and forth, good-natured fun with the folks over at Johnlet. You can link to Johnlet on our blogroll and keep up with JF as he approaches his first birthday in the coming weeks. May God bless John Francis, his parents, and his family with grace and peace. May they walks always as children of the light!

John Francis: Early Religious Education
I know Fr. Tharp loves this photo, as do I, because John Francis is exploring the Catechism. Readers of CRM may be aware that Fr. Tharp has been trying to get his adult study course "The Borromeo Project", the first series of which is designed around the Catechism, published for a wider audience. So, this is a warning to John Francis' parents: Fr. Tharp may be expecting little JF to enroll in the Borromeo Project as a further sign to unwisely-reluctant publishers that they must concede to Fr. Tharp's insistence that the work be spread as far and wide as possible!

John Francis: An image from the Garden of Eden?
Might this be what things looked like as the original holiness created by God disappeared (though obviously involving adults and not a baby)? And then when God came walking back through the garden, might the look on Adam's and Eve's faces be captured here?

John Francis: Taking matters into his own hands
You just know the little guy would log himself onto Catholic Ragemonkey if only he knew how! One day, Slugger, one day you'll be able merge onto the information superhighway.

Quis est Ioannes Franciscus?
"Who is this John Francis?", the question has been asked. Allow me to answer. No, he is not a family member of mine, nor of Fr. Tharp. We here at CRM came to learn of John Francis on about August 20, 2004 (almost two months after his birth), when we learned that his wise parents had purchased Ragemonkey gear from our Cafe Press link. At the blog featuring John Francis (the first blog is now defunct and has moved to the current link), a photo was posted of John Francis and his father both in ragemonkey gear, John Francis in his ragemonkey bib and his dad in a ragemonkey t-shirt. Fr. Tharp and I couldn't believe it when we saw the photo. So, we immediately put the John Francis blog in our blogroll. We would each check over at the John Francis blog from time to time to see the myriad of cute photos.

Well, recently, thanks to a post on the Johnlet blog, we noticed that the John Francis family had taken a trip to Houston from Colorado. In their post of the trip, the family posted a sign seen as one enters the State of Oklahoma. Since they had clearly entered Oklahoma, but had not visited Fr. Tharp or me, Fr. Tharp posted that he was hurt by the snub. That prompted me to make a similar post and then to raise the bar by declaring a fake hunger strike until the Johnlet blog made up for the snub by dedicating a photo essay of John Francis to CRM. I also demanded a photo of little JF in a full monkey suit. Well, JF's parents delivered on the strike with more photos than we ever could have imagined -- it was a whole photo essay! So, we decided to reward the Johnlet blog by dedicating a week to John Francis. Readers should also recognize that we will reward their blogs if they go out of their way to send visitors to CRM. Remember, it is all about world conquest here at CRM! So, that's the story. We don't really know John Francis, but we do know him in an online sense through his own blog and its multiple feature of the little guy who turns one year old on July 1.

John Francis: Terrible rumors
I noticed this morning an unfortunate comment in one of yesterday's posts. You know, you have a blog and you just open yourself to some really vicious, rumor-mongering people. Such is life. I can't respond to the allegation in that comment, but perhaps this photo reveals some of the truth. Look at the photo now. Okay, so, having seen the photo, I would just like to add: Who cares if John Francis was actually unlinked from a borg-like being and inserted into a family unit of earthlings? Is he any less adorable?!

John Francis: Fun with felines
I really love this picture because of the high potential for humor which I imagine accompanied the original scene. First of all, though the picture doesn't provide the vantage point, I can just see the look on the cat's face, the raised lips, the awkward meowing, and the occasional hissing. And then, there is that thing babies do when they get excited. You know it. They start raising their hands and slapping them down together directly on the object of their attention -- in this case, the cat. Gosh, I love this. And, oh, please tell me, that if any of this happened, the cat raised its (hopefully declawed) paw and slapped back at John Francis. I love it!

A reminder
If you have joined us late, dear readers, this week, June 6-10 is "John Francis Week" here at Catholic Ragemonkey. We are providing photo essays of the little star of the Johnlet blog. If you want to see more adorable photos than you can possibly handle, go over to Johnlet and make a visit.

John Francis prepares to be a good carnivore
I can't resist these pictures. John Francis demonstrates here that he has an innate awareness that he already occupies a higher level on the food chain and that he is meant to ascend still higher. Folks, guard your bunnies! This kid is going to town. Now, if only he had a nice red wine reduction sauce to go with this feast! I guess that refinement will have to come later. Actually, looking at the photo again, maybe he is feasting on a polar bear. How un-PC of him. Who knows what it is, but he certainly seems to have the carnivore thing down. Hey, John Francis, if we ever meet, I'll complete your carnivore lessons with a class on cigars. Of course, I do hope JF knows where to stop with the meat hunt because this picture could raise some serious questions. And finally, the little ragechimp demonstrates his propensity toward red meat in this photo. I feel for you kiddo! He gets extra, extra points for making use of his ragemonkey baby bib, which can be purchased at Cafe Press (link on our side bar, under "Monkey Like Fundraising").

John Francis in the dictionary?
I would like to suggest to the various editors of dictionaries that this photo of John Francis be used in the margin next to the word "content" ... oh, and did I forget to mention it could also be used for
Cutest Baby in the World!!!!!? Ooops, I guess that isn't a word in the dictionary. Oh, well, using this picture for the "content" entry will have to do.

John Francis plays to the camera
Folks, there are so many examples of this little tike playing the camera. He just seems to know he is one of the most photographed babies ever! So take a look at this, this, this, this, this, and this. Does he ever stop? I think these are perfect examples of John Francis realizing he has an audience through the camera and, he is playing it up so as to please the viewers!

John Francis: I get allergic smelling hay...
Here is a link to John Francis appearing as if he were a character on Green Acres!

John Francis: All-American!
Is this a great photo of John Francis or what? His grasping for the beverage is classic, but so is the wonderfully excited look on his face.

Another John Francis post
We continue to celebrate "John Francis Week" here at CRM. This is sort of an odd picture to link, but, hey, who wouldn't like this image. And since I lifted this photo from John's blog, it fits our general theme for the week. And here is another sweet photo of our little star. Who could pass this photo up and not stop to say, aaaahhhhh!?

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

Today's post comes from pages 17 - 18 of the book, Salt of the Earth. Please feel free to comment below. The interviewer's comments are italicized and the Holy Father's comments are bold.

It's evident that people also no longer know what the Church actually is and is supposed to be. The true significance of the signs and words of this faith are hidden behind a kind of fog bank. When it comes to Zen Buddhism, to take an example, it would never occur to anyone that he could understand this entity without teaching and effort.

An awareness needs to develop that in fact to a large extent we no longer know Christianity at all. For example, how many images in a church no longer say anything to some people? The original meaning is no longer generally understood. Even terms that are still barely familiar to the
middle generation, like tabernacle and so forth, have become foreign words. Nevertheless, the predominant mentality is still that we already know all about Christianity and are now in search of something different.
There needs to be a renewal of what you could call a curiousity about Christianity, the desire really to discover what it's all about. It would be very important for preachers to show the way out of this feeling of staleness, this feeling that we are already long familiar with this, to create curiousity about the richness hidden in Christianity, so that this richnesss is regarded, no longer as a matter of burdensome systems, but as a living treasure that it is worth knowing.

Chew on that one for a while!

Wonderful / They Call Me "Wonderful / Well, Wonderful, if you insist!

I have to keep up on the links more assidously than recently. Technorati gave me 11+ pages of links. I scanned 5 of them; that was 2 hours ago. So this is it for today. Check out the new members of the CRMH.

Veritatis Visio
The Hound of Heaven
Rob in Madtown
The History Buff's Traditional Catholic Blog
Secundum Iohannem
What is Truth?
The Vessel with the Pestle
Colleen's Catholic Corner
FinestKind Clinic and Fish Market
Happy with Ratzinger! (No, Really!)
Knit and Pray
Roman Catholic Blog
Exultet
Nocturnal Sloth
The Dawn Patrol
Catholic Girl Talk
Idle Mendacity
Crowhill on Varia
The American Inquisition
Anne Elliot
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
JP Brown's Official Website
CatholicLand!
CAPP Moms
Mere Complexities
The Dawg's Spiritual House
Proud to be a Papist
Imprimatur Blog
Faynights
Pancho's Juke Joint
Musings of an Expagan
FRM Disciple Blogzone
Veritas Nunquam Perit
The School of Mary
Luminious Miseries (read that twice to get the joke)
where there's smoke

Now, I am going to take an advil, a nap, and marinade some pork chops, not necessarily in that order.

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

In a continuing effort to reveal the actual person of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, I will be posting brief excerpts from his pre-pontificate writing. I wouldn't want to suggest that Benedict wouldn't be as candid now as then but you have to admit it is a different venue he finds himself in now as opposed to then. Today's sample comes from Salt of the Earth pg. 11-12. Please feel free to comment below. The questions in the selection come from Peter Seewald.

Does a cardinal have certain higher demands to live up to, higher, I
mean, than those placed on, say, a priest or an archbishop?
A cardinal is a Christian, a priest, and a bishop. He is
someone who has a responsibility in the Church to see that the Gospel is being proclaimed and the sacraments are being celebrated. I wouldn't simply accept the phrase "higher demands." I would say instead that there are very specific demands on a cardinal. Even a parish priest, a simple
country priest, has very heavy demands made of him, and in that he has to understand people and assist them in sickness, grief, and joy, at marriages and funerals, in crises and in moments of joy. He has to try to believe with
them and to keep the ship of the Church on course.
(Sidebar - This last sentence so completely justifies using Captain Picard and Captain Sisko as human models for pastoral leadership.)

Isn't it extremely wearing having to deal with God every day?
Doesn't one get sick and tired of it?
Dealing with God every day is a necessity for me. For just as
we have to breath every day, just as we need light every day and have to eat every day, just as we also need friendship every day and truly need certain people every day, dealing with God is one of the absolutely fundamental elements
of life. If God suddenly disappeared, my soul wouldn't be able to breathe properly. In that sense there is no boredom here. It can occur when it comes to certain pious practices, in relation to certain devotional readings, but not in relation to God as such.

Popular / You're Gonna Be Pop-u-lar...

The interview is finished. I was certainly less nervous than I have been in the past although I can't shake the feeling like I acted like a twit. Oh well, chalk it up to insecurity. For those who missed it, you can catch it again this evening on the re-broadcast.

I really hope that the young men and their parents who were listening got the message. If you want to know your vocation, you have to listen hard. You sharpen your hearing by clearing the clutter out of the way -- the cares of the world and the cloak of the devil. Even if you can't imagine how God will work, know that He does and is working right now for your benefit and eternal happiness.

Okay, off to breakfast.

You can see it on his face
As we continue to celebrate "John Francis Week" here at CRM, the link provided communicates loud and clear what John Francis thought when he learned of the now-thankfully-ended standoff between CRM and Johnlet. He was so distraught at the thought that the ragemonkey troop was upset that, well, you can see it on his face!

One Short Day in the Emerald City...

Well, it's happened again. Despite the warnings from good sense and prudence, the staff at Morning Air want to interview me on air. The topic will be vocations and how did I know that I was called to be a priest. For once, Fr. Hamilton can't complain that I didn't mention his contributions to the blog because that is not what the interview is about. Actually, all it means is that Fr. H shouldn't complain but probably will anyway.

The interview will be the whole hour from 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. CDT and repeated again in the evening. Listen to me making a monkey out of myself. In advance, thanks Sean and Sally and Glen and Josh, oh my!

Anuntio vobis gaudium magnum!
The hunger strike is over and the fine people at Johnlet have responded to CRM demands in a fashion better-than-imaginable! Therefore, the CRM staff declares this week, June 6-10,

"John Francis Week"

on Catholic Ragemonkey! What better way to feature a little ragechimp, a budding ragemonkey, than to celebrate one of the cutest blog babies around. It is time to put past differences behind us, to move beyond petty squabbles, to heal and renew. Therefore, make sure to visit CRM this week to see the host of ways we celebrate John Francis Week.

I'll begin this special week by linking up one of my favorite past photos of John Francis. Here's the little slugger himself, fallen victim to cute baby clothing. However, you can clearly read on his mind: "I'd rather be wearing a monkey costume!"

Doing It Up Right!

After the lunacy that followed Fr. Hamilton's hunger strike, the lesson that identifying yourself as a Rage-reader when visiting the CRM staff has been clearly communicated. After Mass this morning, I was greeting parishioners and visitors to my little parish in Oklahoma. Toward the end of the line, a woman came up to me (she's the sister of one of my parishioners) and said, "Hello, Ragemonkey." I was both pleased and discomfetted by the comment. Yes, it means that Las Vegas is part of the reading public -- that's where the woman was from. At the same time, now the secret is out. Crow feather! I was feeling reasonable invulnerable because my parishioners didn't seem that internet savvy. This changes everything.

My thoughts exactly
This is another moment where the picture says most if not all of the truth.

This warms my heart
I just read on the Vatican web site that Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, and has named Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, formerly personal secretary to Pope John Paul II, the new Archbishop of Krakow. I know how this looks through "political" lenses, however this is a man who deserves some special treatment and care. He served Pope John Paul II so faithfully before he was Pope and during the entire pontificate. And suddenly, upon Pope John Paul II's death, he had no job and had to move out of his home within one week. It is rough being the Pope's secretary when the Pope dies. And now Archbishop Dziwisz gets to go home to Poland and enjoy some pastoral work on a slightly more "normal" scale than the previous decades. Congratulations Archbishop Dziwisz and may God bless you in your new ministry!

How do you type that Homer sound?

Whenever Homer Simpson saw something he really wanted he made some "guaaah" sound as drooled with his tongue hanging out. I know more than a few couch potatos who are doing their best impersonation when they saw this.

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!
Okay, in a few hours the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City will have a new priest, the Rev. Joseph Irwin, who, at the age of 27 will take from me the title I have held for almost 6 years now: Youngest Priest in the Archdiocese. So, soon I will be the second youngest priest in the archdiocese. Does that sort of make me the middle child? Oh, dear! Now, I must struggle to establish my own identity among the College of Priests. Hey, I've got it! I'll wear bell bottom pants and an enormous afro-wig to the next priest meeting!

Hunger Strike: Report #3
Does anyone know how to e-mail or otherwise contact the good people at Johnlet? If so, please do not publish their contact information in our comment box. Rather, simply contact them and inform them of the stand-off between our blogs. I am really getting hungry.

Hunger Strike: Report #2
I know many of you are concerned about my hunger strike and its ramifications. If you are unaware of the situation surrounding this strike, you need to scroll down and read report #1 with its links. Some new developments are both promising and disturbing at the same time. After days of no posting over at Johnlet, there have been several new posts in the last two days. This could be interpreted to mean that after a hiatus of sorts, new activity at Johnlet is a sign that the staff of that blog are back to surfing the web and will surely find my demands soon, if not already. However, in the past few days of posts, the staff at Johnlet have also not made mention of my demands nor my hunger strike. This does not bode well.

Little John Francis is seen on his blog learning about instrumentation, by his use of a comb. We congratulate little John on this and on his eleven month birthday. However, why couldn't little John learn the same lesson of instrumentation with a banana, while wearing a full monkey suit. Hey, and what eleven month-old kid doesn't want a fully monkey suit?!

As regards the specifics of my strike, I can feel that my clothing is a bit looser now. My PB&J sandwich for lunch today probably won't provide the nourishment I need as a busy priest. However, there are some issues which require us to take a stand.

SOCCER! Better than "priest parking"

Yesterday Fr. Mike, the newly ordained priest who has been assigned to St. James (he starts June 17), and I went to watch not one, but two soccer games yesterday. Fr. Mike and I have been friends since both of us were in the seminary, and we have tried to catch a Metrostars game each summer.

Sunday I noticed that the Metrostars were going to be home for a game against the Chicago Fire, on Tuesday (5/31). Since Tuesdays are my day off, and I knew he was off, I call Fr. Mike to see if he wanted to go. We did not think that the game would be sold out. Then I noticed that it was actually going to be a double-header, with the national teams from Columbia and England playing at 4pm, before the Metrostars and Fire. We went up yesterday, now a bit nervous if we would get seats. The cheapest tickets were $35, but they would be nearly all gone, so we were expecting to pay $45 or $55. As we were on line a woman asked us if we were looking for tickets because she had 2 extra (friends had canceled). She said that she had paid $120 a piece, but would sell them for $50 each. We bought them, and it was the best they we could have done.

We were alittle off mid-field, and in the first row. We could see the beads of sweat on David Beckam. It turned out the the man sitting next to us, his son is a seminarian for the NeoCatechumenal Way at the seminary Fr. Mike just graduated from. The first game was so awesome; crisp passing, excellent runs on the ball. England won 3 to 2.

Then the Metrostars and Fire played. Wow, what a dramatic difference in the quality of play. Watching the MLS each week, you don't realize that while the quality of US soccer has improved in the 10 years the league has existed, it still is no where near the level of European football. It was like having watched two MLS teams play the opener, and then two recreational league teams play the main event. Sloppy passing, basically just kicking the ball into the open field even though no player on your team was in the area to make a run on to it. Somehow the Metrostars came back to win, scoring one goal in the 77th minute and the winner in the 90th (stoppage time). It was a blast. Oh, the "priest parking" I refer to in the title is that a priest I know said that it seems to him that once he was ordained, good parking spots in big lots, just seemed to open up for him. He called it the grace of "priest parking." I am not as sure of that particular grace, but yesterday's excellent seats and company certainly has a grace.