In the Continuing Spirit of Shameless Self-Promotion
In another step toward the return of the great man, Mark Shea has an update on his new book. All signs point to another great contribution to Catholic letters. On a side point, I did make a very modest contribution to the book in that I helped Mark brainstorm a list of common urban myths. Unless that ended up in the electron wasteland, then disregard my comment.
Either way, congratulations to Mark, and we all look forward to his more frequent posting.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
The Virtue of Prudence and Gasoline Consumption
The virtue of prudence, according to the glossary in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition, is "The virtue which disposes a person to discern the good and choose the correct means to accomplish it. One of the cardinal moral virtues that dispose the Christian to live according to the law of Christ, prudence provides the proximate guidance for the judgment of conscience." Following up, paragraph 1806 offers these thoughts:
Prudence then contains two acts rather than one: the first act is of discernment of goods, the second of choosing a proper means to get there. Since the Catechism uses the idea of a charioteer, let me update this with a modern example. Going from Alva to virtually anywhere else in the state requires about two and a half hours on the road. If I am going to Oklahoma City, I can go by about 3 routes and they all take the same amount of time. Also, each path is about the same length, the variance being a negligible 10 miles or so. In this case, then, the path doesn't matter. Each one allows me to achieve the same goal, getting to Oklahoma City. When prudence is working, the same thing happens. First, the virtue equips the intellect to sift through a pile of good ends for which someone might strive in their willing. Then the virtue allows the intellect to weigh out the best means for the good in question. It should be clearer why this virtue is so closely connected with conscience. Conscience is the last best judgment of the intellect concerning the good one ought to choose. All that remains after the action of conscience is the employing of the will.
As I went to the Wal-Mart to pick up my meds, I glanced at the gas station signs and was unsurprised by the price of regular, basic gasoline. Unsurprised, but dismayed, nonetheless. Two stations in town were up to $3.00. The Love's was thronged with people as their gas was only $2.79. If you think this is bad, well, Europe has had it worse for years and it is just getting started. Depending on the action President Bush takes to release oil from the strategic reserve, the price will continue to rise. Quite frankly, I would expect the rise even if the President released all the oil reserve. Your car doesn't run on oil; it runs on gasoline. With so many refineries in the Gulf damaged or destroyed, you can have lots of oil and still end up with an gasoline shortage. The only silver lining I can see is Ponca City's fortunes got a little better. Their refinery has been reducing personnel and output gradually for years now. I suspect that in all wisdom (and dare I hope prudence) the folks at Conoco Philips would rather retool an old place than try to build a new refinery.
Watching the news can certainly help us to be sympathetic to plight of the Gulf region as they wade through the miles of destruction. But what if we could put this sympathy to a real, concrete positive action? I would invite everyone reading to begin now by reducing your gasoline consumption to only essential travel. First, this will lower the burden on demand by reducing how much we need. Second, by reducing demand, we can free up resources for those who need the fuel more than we do. Third, with the money we don't use to fill the tank, we could make a contribution to Catholic Charities, FEMA, or Red Cross to help with relief efforts. Also, your parish or St. Vincent de Paul society is going to be put to the test this winter when gas bills start rolling in. Many people come to the parish charitible organizations when they can't pay their bills, not to mention that heating a parish church on Sunday is free. Think of it as insurance against having to wear your coat during Mass. Fourth, by staying put and not racing around so much it will permit a greater degree of recollectedness and also some better planning. We could even get to know our neighbors by taking one car and running a bunch of errands together, not to mention carpooling to work.
Prudence would suggest that when things get bad, we have to strive all the more for the best decision amongst a field of goods. Practically speaking for me, it probably means curtailing my trips to Oklahoma City unless someone is dead or dying. It takes about $50.00 to fill my tank and a round trip is one tank of gas, so you do the math. Not only is the money an issue but also the properness of one guy using up 18 gallons of gas that someone else probably needs more than I. Or phrased more positively, I could use that gas for something other than my day off.
The virtue of prudence, according to the glossary in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition, is "The virtue which disposes a person to discern the good and choose the correct means to accomplish it. One of the cardinal moral virtues that dispose the Christian to live according to the law of Christ, prudence provides the proximate guidance for the judgment of conscience." Following up, paragraph 1806 offers these thoughts:
Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it;.... Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule andmeasure. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.
Prudence then contains two acts rather than one: the first act is of discernment of goods, the second of choosing a proper means to get there. Since the Catechism uses the idea of a charioteer, let me update this with a modern example. Going from Alva to virtually anywhere else in the state requires about two and a half hours on the road. If I am going to Oklahoma City, I can go by about 3 routes and they all take the same amount of time. Also, each path is about the same length, the variance being a negligible 10 miles or so. In this case, then, the path doesn't matter. Each one allows me to achieve the same goal, getting to Oklahoma City. When prudence is working, the same thing happens. First, the virtue equips the intellect to sift through a pile of good ends for which someone might strive in their willing. Then the virtue allows the intellect to weigh out the best means for the good in question. It should be clearer why this virtue is so closely connected with conscience. Conscience is the last best judgment of the intellect concerning the good one ought to choose. All that remains after the action of conscience is the employing of the will.
As I went to the Wal-Mart to pick up my meds, I glanced at the gas station signs and was unsurprised by the price of regular, basic gasoline. Unsurprised, but dismayed, nonetheless. Two stations in town were up to $3.00. The Love's was thronged with people as their gas was only $2.79. If you think this is bad, well, Europe has had it worse for years and it is just getting started. Depending on the action President Bush takes to release oil from the strategic reserve, the price will continue to rise. Quite frankly, I would expect the rise even if the President released all the oil reserve. Your car doesn't run on oil; it runs on gasoline. With so many refineries in the Gulf damaged or destroyed, you can have lots of oil and still end up with an gasoline shortage. The only silver lining I can see is Ponca City's fortunes got a little better. Their refinery has been reducing personnel and output gradually for years now. I suspect that in all wisdom (and dare I hope prudence) the folks at Conoco Philips would rather retool an old place than try to build a new refinery.
Watching the news can certainly help us to be sympathetic to plight of the Gulf region as they wade through the miles of destruction. But what if we could put this sympathy to a real, concrete positive action? I would invite everyone reading to begin now by reducing your gasoline consumption to only essential travel. First, this will lower the burden on demand by reducing how much we need. Second, by reducing demand, we can free up resources for those who need the fuel more than we do. Third, with the money we don't use to fill the tank, we could make a contribution to Catholic Charities, FEMA, or Red Cross to help with relief efforts. Also, your parish or St. Vincent de Paul society is going to be put to the test this winter when gas bills start rolling in. Many people come to the parish charitible organizations when they can't pay their bills, not to mention that heating a parish church on Sunday is free. Think of it as insurance against having to wear your coat during Mass. Fourth, by staying put and not racing around so much it will permit a greater degree of recollectedness and also some better planning. We could even get to know our neighbors by taking one car and running a bunch of errands together, not to mention carpooling to work.
Prudence would suggest that when things get bad, we have to strive all the more for the best decision amongst a field of goods. Practically speaking for me, it probably means curtailing my trips to Oklahoma City unless someone is dead or dying. It takes about $50.00 to fill my tank and a round trip is one tank of gas, so you do the math. Not only is the money an issue but also the properness of one guy using up 18 gallons of gas that someone else probably needs more than I. Or phrased more positively, I could use that gas for something other than my day off.
Our Good Holy Father Has A Word of Comfort for All the Flock
Yes, I meant that as written. Even if they don't acknowledge him, the Holy Father acknowledges the people of the United States are part of his flock.
Yes, I meant that as written. Even if they don't acknowledge him, the Holy Father acknowledges the people of the United States are part of his flock.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Why is Father making a face at Mass?
Some of my new parishioners might be asking themselves that very question if they were watching my face this morning at Mass during the purification of the chalice. For the second time since my arrival here, I have had a rather odd experience as I purify the chalice. I do the standard routine, carefully purifying all remnants of the Precious Blood from the chalice, but when I drink the contents of the chalice it tastes sweet, like Kool-aid. No, it's not a Eucharistic miracle but a much simpler explanation.
This morning I discovered after Mass that a well-meaning older sacristan had purchased what she thought was bottled water. What was it? It was Propel fitness water by Gatorade with a yummy Kiwi-Strawberry flavor! So, I'm not crazy afterall (at least this episode isn't evidence of it!) and the city's water isn't as awkward as I originally thought.
Some of my new parishioners might be asking themselves that very question if they were watching my face this morning at Mass during the purification of the chalice. For the second time since my arrival here, I have had a rather odd experience as I purify the chalice. I do the standard routine, carefully purifying all remnants of the Precious Blood from the chalice, but when I drink the contents of the chalice it tastes sweet, like Kool-aid. No, it's not a Eucharistic miracle but a much simpler explanation.
This morning I discovered after Mass that a well-meaning older sacristan had purchased what she thought was bottled water. What was it? It was Propel fitness water by Gatorade with a yummy Kiwi-Strawberry flavor! So, I'm not crazy afterall (at least this episode isn't evidence of it!) and the city's water isn't as awkward as I originally thought.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Moving Back to Business at Hand
I note, with some pleasure, the movement back to business now that schools and institutes of higher learning are back at full gear. I always thought that would cease to be a mode by which I would gauge the passage of time, the resumption of studies, once I became an adult. But then I became a priest, and any practicing Catholic worth their salt notices how the parish's activity level ebbs and waxes based upon the rising fortunes of schools and the ceaseless running footsteps of children. But then again, I am friends with teachers, and one can't help but notice how their eyes tend to glaze at the first mention of "Back to School" as though it were the same murderous mantra echoes in the labored breathing of Jason Voorhees. The resumption of school time reminds me of being caught in the act of playing hooky. As children romp and play in their respective schoolyards or as adolescents slough by masonry high school walls, sneaking a surreptious smoke, we suddenly remember to straighten our ties and button up a Roman collar, put away the beach gear, and get back to the office.
As I said, I find this comforting. It suggests something of the order, giving up its malingering, once it snuffs the first smoky, wistful hint of autumnal advent. Remember that when you are slurping your coffee tomorrow and searching your mind for reasons not to rear-end the dolt in the car ahead of you. This is as it has been before, but with better air conditioning and sanitary conditions. This is how things will be until the ages of man cease to run.
I note, with some pleasure, the movement back to business now that schools and institutes of higher learning are back at full gear. I always thought that would cease to be a mode by which I would gauge the passage of time, the resumption of studies, once I became an adult. But then I became a priest, and any practicing Catholic worth their salt notices how the parish's activity level ebbs and waxes based upon the rising fortunes of schools and the ceaseless running footsteps of children. But then again, I am friends with teachers, and one can't help but notice how their eyes tend to glaze at the first mention of "Back to School" as though it were the same murderous mantra echoes in the labored breathing of Jason Voorhees. The resumption of school time reminds me of being caught in the act of playing hooky. As children romp and play in their respective schoolyards or as adolescents slough by masonry high school walls, sneaking a surreptious smoke, we suddenly remember to straighten our ties and button up a Roman collar, put away the beach gear, and get back to the office.
As I said, I find this comforting. It suggests something of the order, giving up its malingering, once it snuffs the first smoky, wistful hint of autumnal advent. Remember that when you are slurping your coffee tomorrow and searching your mind for reasons not to rear-end the dolt in the car ahead of you. This is as it has been before, but with better air conditioning and sanitary conditions. This is how things will be until the ages of man cease to run.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Over My Dead Body!
What is this monster up to? Has he never known the sublime delight of Coq au Vin? Or how about a perfect pan-fried thigh, topped with your own 11 herb and spice mixture? While the proposed goals are laudable (e.g. wanting to up the dietary punch chicken nuggets have) there are better ways than taking out the lip-smacking dark meat. If he wants healthier chicken nuggets, start by serving something that actually part of the chicken's anatomy!
If this researcher thinks that I am changing my poaching cut of choice because he has fuddled with the bird, he has got another thing coming...
What is this monster up to? Has he never known the sublime delight of Coq au Vin? Or how about a perfect pan-fried thigh, topped with your own 11 herb and spice mixture? While the proposed goals are laudable (e.g. wanting to up the dietary punch chicken nuggets have) there are better ways than taking out the lip-smacking dark meat. If he wants healthier chicken nuggets, start by serving something that actually part of the chicken's anatomy!
If this researcher thinks that I am changing my poaching cut of choice because he has fuddled with the bird, he has got another thing coming...
Theological Calculus or Why the Guests At Lunch Can Change Your Entire Outlook
This is the second try at this post. The first version was eaten by Blogger. Granted it will probably be better for the mental fermenation, but the first version was better for its being written. Also, discussion during Spiritual Direction has helped some points as well.
There is a pitfall which every person of serious faith falls into. It is the confusion of success with fidelity. The assumption runs something like this. "I did everything right; why aren't I getting results?" This last Tuesday was a key exercise in such a matter.
The day started late as it was the kickoff for the Campus Ministry Program at the parish. This meant that Mass was delayed until noon thus making it possible for me to cover a pair of errands first. First stop, the country jail.
Now, for sake of privacy, I am only going to mention absolute essential details. There is a young prisoner incarcerated in the county jail, whom I have known in better and certainly different circumstances, who wanted a visit primarily for confession. So I went and heard the confession and then stood around a chatted for a while. I find working with prisoners both rewarding but difficult. I think I know why. It's because going to the prison is going to encounter Christ in His weakness before the Passion. The souls in prison are people who are receiving what is their due; this makes them different in one sense from our Lord who suffered imprisonment and mistreatment despite His innocence. But the fact that the Lord was imprisoned suggests that, as Matthew 25 would suggest, the Lord has thrown in His lot with these who are treated by us on the outside as expendable and lost. They are people who must live in the present moment because there is nothing else. Look to the past and you recriminate yourself for your actions; look to the future and wonder when or if that sentence will end before you die. As the prisoner looks across the iron bars, the look behind their eyes inquires of you, the viewer, "Where are you going?" In short, the hell of prison is the confrontation with conversion. To stand in the present moment be speaks a confrontation with reality. To confront reality, especially the reality of one's own deeds, means confronting the meaning and destiny of one's life. Again, the prisoner asks, with new depth, "where are you going?"
(N.B. This is not the place to discuss the appropriateness of sentencing policy in the jails regardless of what side you stand on. The sentence the prisoner in question will receive is not germane, precisely, with my point.)
So, after the jail, I sped off to the Wal-Mart. I had to pick up the last of the food and drinks for the luncheon after Mass for the college students. As I walked around, I encountered an older woman whom I had met on a previous occasion but couldn't recall the name. She related to me how she hadn't come to Mass for various reasons because she had felt isolated and hurt about somethings that had happened. Again, I am trying to be circumspect, because while we had this conversation in public, I am not sure she would want it public on the internet level of public. As the end of the conversation, all I could say was, "I am sorry that you feel that way, but if it makes you feel better, I would want you to come to Mass." But the time I saw the woman again, we were preparing to check out and she hugged and thanked me again for the time.
Then came the moment I was anxiously awaiting. Our kickoff for college ministry at Sacred Heart was fast upon me. I had a good list of kids and we were doing this in the midday because many students commute and therefore aren't around on weekends or evenings. I had a list of about 20 kids and an equal number of Catholic faculty so it boded well. When it was all said and done, three folks showed up, two faculty and one student. It was very disheartening. The best part? The student wasn't Catholic. He was a young man with whom I have played rounds of phone tag with and thus have known him for about a year, if you can call phone contact actually knowing someone. He is interested in becoming Catholic so there is one person for RCIA Catechesis, assuming he stays the course.
The failure of the campus ministry kickoff left me a little blue. Okay, a lot blue. I mostly spent the afternoon reading and reflecting. To put your minds at ease, I have worked up the beginning of an alternate solution, but more on that later.
The day concluded with Holy Mass at Cherokee. As I came back to Alva, I wasn't in much a mood than when I left. I stopped to get gas (that was unpleasant to say the very least) and noticed two folks sitting on the front stoop of the gas station. They were talking and smoking. As I took furative glances both at the escalating price at the pump and the couple, I began to think about them. I don't know why the thought came to mind, but began thinking about the problems of the day and seeing them from the point of the persons.
It is not a matter of numbers which set up success or failure. All that matters is one more soul is saved. Okay, so almost none of the people who could show up did, but there are three, at least, who are set back on the way. And I was able to do this because I had been faithful to the vocation I was given. Big numbers can be deceiving. You might have lots of people because you are telling them what they want to hear. The question must return to do what did I do with the talents, opportunities, and gifts given to me. And that is the only measure of lasting success.
Allow me to give the last word to Evelyn Waugh. In his Sword of Honour trilogy, Guy Crouchback's father writes him a letter after Guy responds harshly to what he sees as shabby treatment of the Church by worldly powers. Guy's father writes: "When you spoke of the Lateran Treaty did you consider how many souls may have been reconciled and have died at peace as the result of it? How many children may have been brought up in the faith who might have lived in ignorance? Quantitative judgements don't apply. If only one soul was saved that is full compensation for any amount of loss of 'face'."
It may have felt like a "loss of 'face'" to not have a good turn out, but there was nothing lost and for some, everything to gain.
This is the second try at this post. The first version was eaten by Blogger. Granted it will probably be better for the mental fermenation, but the first version was better for its being written. Also, discussion during Spiritual Direction has helped some points as well.
There is a pitfall which every person of serious faith falls into. It is the confusion of success with fidelity. The assumption runs something like this. "I did everything right; why aren't I getting results?" This last Tuesday was a key exercise in such a matter.
The day started late as it was the kickoff for the Campus Ministry Program at the parish. This meant that Mass was delayed until noon thus making it possible for me to cover a pair of errands first. First stop, the country jail.
Now, for sake of privacy, I am only going to mention absolute essential details. There is a young prisoner incarcerated in the county jail, whom I have known in better and certainly different circumstances, who wanted a visit primarily for confession. So I went and heard the confession and then stood around a chatted for a while. I find working with prisoners both rewarding but difficult. I think I know why. It's because going to the prison is going to encounter Christ in His weakness before the Passion. The souls in prison are people who are receiving what is their due; this makes them different in one sense from our Lord who suffered imprisonment and mistreatment despite His innocence. But the fact that the Lord was imprisoned suggests that, as Matthew 25 would suggest, the Lord has thrown in His lot with these who are treated by us on the outside as expendable and lost. They are people who must live in the present moment because there is nothing else. Look to the past and you recriminate yourself for your actions; look to the future and wonder when or if that sentence will end before you die. As the prisoner looks across the iron bars, the look behind their eyes inquires of you, the viewer, "Where are you going?" In short, the hell of prison is the confrontation with conversion. To stand in the present moment be speaks a confrontation with reality. To confront reality, especially the reality of one's own deeds, means confronting the meaning and destiny of one's life. Again, the prisoner asks, with new depth, "where are you going?"
(N.B. This is not the place to discuss the appropriateness of sentencing policy in the jails regardless of what side you stand on. The sentence the prisoner in question will receive is not germane, precisely, with my point.)
So, after the jail, I sped off to the Wal-Mart. I had to pick up the last of the food and drinks for the luncheon after Mass for the college students. As I walked around, I encountered an older woman whom I had met on a previous occasion but couldn't recall the name. She related to me how she hadn't come to Mass for various reasons because she had felt isolated and hurt about somethings that had happened. Again, I am trying to be circumspect, because while we had this conversation in public, I am not sure she would want it public on the internet level of public. As the end of the conversation, all I could say was, "I am sorry that you feel that way, but if it makes you feel better, I would want you to come to Mass." But the time I saw the woman again, we were preparing to check out and she hugged and thanked me again for the time.
Then came the moment I was anxiously awaiting. Our kickoff for college ministry at Sacred Heart was fast upon me. I had a good list of kids and we were doing this in the midday because many students commute and therefore aren't around on weekends or evenings. I had a list of about 20 kids and an equal number of Catholic faculty so it boded well. When it was all said and done, three folks showed up, two faculty and one student. It was very disheartening. The best part? The student wasn't Catholic. He was a young man with whom I have played rounds of phone tag with and thus have known him for about a year, if you can call phone contact actually knowing someone. He is interested in becoming Catholic so there is one person for RCIA Catechesis, assuming he stays the course.
The failure of the campus ministry kickoff left me a little blue. Okay, a lot blue. I mostly spent the afternoon reading and reflecting. To put your minds at ease, I have worked up the beginning of an alternate solution, but more on that later.
The day concluded with Holy Mass at Cherokee. As I came back to Alva, I wasn't in much a mood than when I left. I stopped to get gas (that was unpleasant to say the very least) and noticed two folks sitting on the front stoop of the gas station. They were talking and smoking. As I took furative glances both at the escalating price at the pump and the couple, I began to think about them. I don't know why the thought came to mind, but began thinking about the problems of the day and seeing them from the point of the persons.
It is not a matter of numbers which set up success or failure. All that matters is one more soul is saved. Okay, so almost none of the people who could show up did, but there are three, at least, who are set back on the way. And I was able to do this because I had been faithful to the vocation I was given. Big numbers can be deceiving. You might have lots of people because you are telling them what they want to hear. The question must return to do what did I do with the talents, opportunities, and gifts given to me. And that is the only measure of lasting success.
Allow me to give the last word to Evelyn Waugh. In his Sword of Honour trilogy, Guy Crouchback's father writes him a letter after Guy responds harshly to what he sees as shabby treatment of the Church by worldly powers. Guy's father writes: "When you spoke of the Lateran Treaty did you consider how many souls may have been reconciled and have died at peace as the result of it? How many children may have been brought up in the faith who might have lived in ignorance? Quantitative judgements don't apply. If only one soul was saved that is full compensation for any amount of loss of 'face'."
It may have felt like a "loss of 'face'" to not have a good turn out, but there was nothing lost and for some, everything to gain.
He Knew You and I Were There...
That is the profound unity experienced in Baptism. As I sat in the rectory on that Saturday morning, praying with the news coverage on, muted, of course, the only thing keeping us apart was space. Otherwise, he and I were together in the final moments. Thank you again, Lord, for letting me live in the time of John Paul the Great.
That is the profound unity experienced in Baptism. As I sat in the rectory on that Saturday morning, praying with the news coverage on, muted, of course, the only thing keeping us apart was space. Otherwise, he and I were together in the final moments. Thank you again, Lord, for letting me live in the time of John Paul the Great.
Friday, August 26, 2005
New location
Well, folks, I am sorry for the silence, but I moved this week and only today did I manage to get my computer unpacked and situated in my new office. To date only my computer and my clothing has found a new home. The rest of my things (mainly books and some framed items) are still in their boxes in the entry way of my new home. The first few days in my new parish have simply flown by. I am simply exhausted. My first full day involved visiting many of the sick, spending a significant portion of the morning on the roof of the church investigating a major leak (along with the insurance adjustor, a roofer, and some parishioners), serving school lunch to the kiddos, attending a faculty meeting after school, and attending the Parent Teacher Group meeting in the evening. The days have been non-stop. More to come...
Well, folks, I am sorry for the silence, but I moved this week and only today did I manage to get my computer unpacked and situated in my new office. To date only my computer and my clothing has found a new home. The rest of my things (mainly books and some framed items) are still in their boxes in the entry way of my new home. The first few days in my new parish have simply flown by. I am simply exhausted. My first full day involved visiting many of the sick, spending a significant portion of the morning on the roof of the church investigating a major leak (along with the insurance adjustor, a roofer, and some parishioners), serving school lunch to the kiddos, attending a faculty meeting after school, and attending the Parent Teacher Group meeting in the evening. The days have been non-stop. More to come...
Monday, August 22, 2005
Moratorium on Misapplied Words or Why Every Journalist I Know Will Receive a Dictionary for Christmas This Year
Okay, folks, that's it. It's time to have a little sitdown about word choice. Because words have meanings, both connotative and denotative, when you use a particular word you create an expectation and responsibility for what you have said. Take for example the linked article above.
The word "Debate" means to weigh out, through logic, argumentation and evidence, the pros and cons of one position over another. For this article to be a debate, one side would have to say "Yes, indian fry bread is healthy" while the other side would say "No, indian fry bread is not healty." This is not what the article does. What it presents is a conflict. The Native American community is conflicted over this staple because while tasty and deeply associated with their community it is about as healthful as running over to the Long John Silver's, buying an entire canister of the hushpuppy solution and sucking on it with a straw.
So, folks, and I know I am guilty as the next guy, let's choose our words a bit more carefully, please, huh?
Okay, folks, that's it. It's time to have a little sitdown about word choice. Because words have meanings, both connotative and denotative, when you use a particular word you create an expectation and responsibility for what you have said. Take for example the linked article above.
The word "Debate" means to weigh out, through logic, argumentation and evidence, the pros and cons of one position over another. For this article to be a debate, one side would have to say "Yes, indian fry bread is healthy" while the other side would say "No, indian fry bread is not healty." This is not what the article does. What it presents is a conflict. The Native American community is conflicted over this staple because while tasty and deeply associated with their community it is about as healthful as running over to the Long John Silver's, buying an entire canister of the hushpuppy solution and sucking on it with a straw.
So, folks, and I know I am guilty as the next guy, let's choose our words a bit more carefully, please, huh?
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Farewell Dinner
I just returned from a farewell dinner at the home of some locals here. There were two couples in attendance plus me. They wanted to have me over to say goodbye and to thank me for our friendship. So, after Mass this evening I headed over and enjoyed the nice conversation, the mercifully cool weather, and a delicious meal. So, what is so noteworthy as to deserve a post?
Well, the couples aren't parishioners. They belong to the Methodist church! The two husbands are a couple of fun older guys I have gotten to know at the coffee shop. We tend to meet up for coffee on many mornings a week and if one or the other of us is at the shop, we sit and visit for some time. We have become friends and so they wanted me to come over for a dinner with their wives. It was a nice time and a rather unique send off.
I just returned from a farewell dinner at the home of some locals here. There were two couples in attendance plus me. They wanted to have me over to say goodbye and to thank me for our friendship. So, after Mass this evening I headed over and enjoyed the nice conversation, the mercifully cool weather, and a delicious meal. So, what is so noteworthy as to deserve a post?
Well, the couples aren't parishioners. They belong to the Methodist church! The two husbands are a couple of fun older guys I have gotten to know at the coffee shop. We tend to meet up for coffee on many mornings a week and if one or the other of us is at the shop, we sit and visit for some time. We have become friends and so they wanted me to come over for a dinner with their wives. It was a nice time and a rather unique send off.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Another Prayer Request
I will comment more a bit later on the Midwest Family Life Conference and why for the last three years I have NEVER regretted signing up and going. But I wanted to mention something to you all that came of it before I actually pick apart the nitty-gritty.
I am of the general opinion that those things a priest says in confession, as part of the advice he gives to the penitent, are generally the most close contact we have with God, especially the third person of the Holy Trinity. I have caught myself in the confessional saying something or knowing what question to ask without having any sort of cognition process operative. At the Family Life Conference, I kept asking penitent after penitent, "What are you going to do with what you have gained at this conference? Is it just going to be a nice, pious activity, or are you going to run with the new beginning the Lord has bestowed upon you?" I have yet another machination in the works for those in the Archdiocese (yes, wheels within wheels with this one), but there is something that flew across my radar and now I can't shake it.
It was something Matt Arnold said (and Matt is the subject of a whole other post, trust me). Referring to The DaVinci Code and other things like it, Matt said (excuse the paraphrase), "There hasn't been much outrage about The DaVinci Code because we have all become too comfortable with blasphemy." That rattled around my head, and continues to do so now. I think there is a special little project I can put together that might be of benefit for others as well as for myself. I am still in the working phases of the plan, just making the sketch so to speak, but I would appreciate your prayers and pious remembrances while I work this out. If it comes together it could be dynamite.
Huh? You want a hint? Okay, fine. Here's a hint: "Come, Patsy. We have work to do." (Figure of Fr. Tharp clapping coconut halves together as he recedes in the distance.)
I will comment more a bit later on the Midwest Family Life Conference and why for the last three years I have NEVER regretted signing up and going. But I wanted to mention something to you all that came of it before I actually pick apart the nitty-gritty.
I am of the general opinion that those things a priest says in confession, as part of the advice he gives to the penitent, are generally the most close contact we have with God, especially the third person of the Holy Trinity. I have caught myself in the confessional saying something or knowing what question to ask without having any sort of cognition process operative. At the Family Life Conference, I kept asking penitent after penitent, "What are you going to do with what you have gained at this conference? Is it just going to be a nice, pious activity, or are you going to run with the new beginning the Lord has bestowed upon you?" I have yet another machination in the works for those in the Archdiocese (yes, wheels within wheels with this one), but there is something that flew across my radar and now I can't shake it.
It was something Matt Arnold said (and Matt is the subject of a whole other post, trust me). Referring to The DaVinci Code and other things like it, Matt said (excuse the paraphrase), "There hasn't been much outrage about The DaVinci Code because we have all become too comfortable with blasphemy." That rattled around my head, and continues to do so now. I think there is a special little project I can put together that might be of benefit for others as well as for myself. I am still in the working phases of the plan, just making the sketch so to speak, but I would appreciate your prayers and pious remembrances while I work this out. If it comes together it could be dynamite.
Huh? You want a hint? Okay, fine. Here's a hint: "Come, Patsy. We have work to do." (Figure of Fr. Tharp clapping coconut halves together as he recedes in the distance.)
Hey...Machinations!
I am so excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow is the freshman orientation for our local university here in Alva, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and yours truly will be staffing a booth for the incoming freshmen. Hehehehehehe! Imagine the orthodox Catholic pamphlets. Envision registration materials. Bask in the knowledge of attractive flyers announcing the Immaculate Heart Newman Society. The groups start coming through from 9:00 a.m. to about 11:00 a.m. which leaves plenty of time to get back for confessions. There might even be time for a quick trip to the gym.
This is very exciting and nerve-wracking because this is the first real program that I have had to engineer from scratch. Our weekly meetings will revolve around the Holy Mass, lunch, and a discussion of the works of Luigi Guissani. Yes, you guessed it, I am going to give Communion and Liberation a try. While I am nervous about "running" the School of Community correctly, I know that even if done badly, it is better than not doing anything for the college students. Now, I would love to sit and chat, but I have flyers to print, banners to create and other fun jazz. Take it easy!
I am so excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow is the freshman orientation for our local university here in Alva, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and yours truly will be staffing a booth for the incoming freshmen. Hehehehehehe! Imagine the orthodox Catholic pamphlets. Envision registration materials. Bask in the knowledge of attractive flyers announcing the Immaculate Heart Newman Society. The groups start coming through from 9:00 a.m. to about 11:00 a.m. which leaves plenty of time to get back for confessions. There might even be time for a quick trip to the gym.
This is very exciting and nerve-wracking because this is the first real program that I have had to engineer from scratch. Our weekly meetings will revolve around the Holy Mass, lunch, and a discussion of the works of Luigi Guissani. Yes, you guessed it, I am going to give Communion and Liberation a try. While I am nervous about "running" the School of Community correctly, I know that even if done badly, it is better than not doing anything for the college students. Now, I would love to sit and chat, but I have flyers to print, banners to create and other fun jazz. Take it easy!
Lunch-Lady Land
Before I get to the matter of this post, allow me to say how shocked I am at the number of comments on the hand holding post, most of which have nothing to do with the original point of my post. I am not sure whether to just jump in and say "enough," asking that all comments stop, or to sit and watch to see how many comments accrue. You know, I never imagined that post would garner so much attention and go off in such a direction. Such is the nature of blogging, I suppose. I will say this: Let's all calm down and try to stay on topic.
Okay, it has been a practice of mine since my second parish (I wish I had thought of this at my first parish) to have lunch with my parishioners who attend public school. If the parish has a Catholic school option, I don't visit the public school equivalent only because as a priest I must appear totally supportive of the parish school. In other words, at my last parish (Ponca City) I would go to lunch at the public high school because the parish doesn't have a Catholic high school, whereas it does have a grade school.
I have found that going to the public school is a wonderful way to see the kids on their turf and to learn about "their world". It forces, even in a secular or public setting, the reality of the sacred to at least be considered, if not evaluated and acknowledged. And, no, I don't go in beating my Bible and proselytizing the kids. I simply go to have lunch with "my kids" and any of their friends who join them. I lead them in prayer before meals (if at all possible) and we eat and just talk. The kids really respond well to it and are very excited by my visits. I never considered this before going to the schools, but I think the kids really feel important when some other adult (a parent, a priest) who is not at the school by virtue of being a teacher comes to have lunch with them and to spend some time with them. I almost fear that deep down they wish their parents would/could come, and perhaps it never happens. Teenage years are tough ones.
Anyway, I have visited the junior high here several times at the end of last year (mainly to provide some assurance to them after the drowning death of one of their classmates, also a parishioner), and I have attended lunch a couple of times at the grade school and high school at Boise City, Oklahoma, where we have a mission church; however, before today I had never managed to attend lunch at the high school here in Guymon. Another positive thing about this pastoral initiative of mine is that it helps me learn names and place kids' faces I don't yet know well. I dare say there is nothing negative about it. Every time I have done this it goes off smashingly. And the parents love hearing that the priest has gone to have lunch with their kids. I know, I AM the Messiah!
Today's lunch, however, was rather unique. At one point, I got pelted with a grape, which I choose to assume was not intended for me, but for someone nearby me. It hit my arm and I could certainly tell the direction from which it came. When I traced the trajectory back to the presumed table of origin, I saw a couple Catholic kids at that table. I don't know if they threw it or if it was thrown by their non-Catholic friends at the table, but I choose to believe it was an innocent prank intended to simply drop a grape in the center of the table at which I was sitting. Instead, it hit my arm. Oh well! I can't imagine throwing food at a priest, unless it was a mutual food fight, but anyway ... I'm a stick in the mud! But the really unique thing about today's lunch was what happened while I was waiting between the two lunch periods. There is some time between lunch periods to allow the cafeteria staff to clean up and get ready for round two. As I roamed the halls, passing the time by looking at award cases and reading bulletin boards, I noticed a young man step into the hall through a set of classroom doors, look my way, re-enter the room, and then repeat the process a few times. He, too, appeared to be passing time. He's not a Catholic, but I recognized him because we met once through a mutual acquaintance who is Catholic.
Eventually, this young man came out of the doors again and, this time, started to walk in my general direction. I decided I would say hi to him. As I started to approach him, I realized he had intended to come to me because he said, "Father, I have a question." "Okay," I said. He asked, "What would I have to do to become Catholic?" I told him about another young man in his class who has expressed interest in becoming Catholic and I explained that attending RCIA classes this fall would be a way to accomplish this, provided, of course, the new Pastor agrees and doesn't design something else for these youth. So, we chatted a bit and I asked how school was going. We talked about football and the really poor scrimmage from the night before and then we parted company after I told him I would add his name to our growing RCIA list and give his phone number to the new priest. He said he would listen for announcements of the classes.
I walked away thinking: God works in mysterious ways. How long did it take this kid to get up the gumption to approach a priest he doesn't really personally know -- and to do so smack dab in the middle of the halls of his high school -- in order to ask about becoming Catholic? And what if I had only stayed for the first lunch period, thus having no reason to roam the halls? Would he have ever approached me after Mass? Or was today that rare window of grace and opportunity that I had nothing to do with? And I thought I was just there to have a cheeseburger! Oh, the eternal value of a lunch, even at a public school.
Before I get to the matter of this post, allow me to say how shocked I am at the number of comments on the hand holding post, most of which have nothing to do with the original point of my post. I am not sure whether to just jump in and say "enough," asking that all comments stop, or to sit and watch to see how many comments accrue. You know, I never imagined that post would garner so much attention and go off in such a direction. Such is the nature of blogging, I suppose. I will say this: Let's all calm down and try to stay on topic.
Okay, it has been a practice of mine since my second parish (I wish I had thought of this at my first parish) to have lunch with my parishioners who attend public school. If the parish has a Catholic school option, I don't visit the public school equivalent only because as a priest I must appear totally supportive of the parish school. In other words, at my last parish (Ponca City) I would go to lunch at the public high school because the parish doesn't have a Catholic high school, whereas it does have a grade school.
I have found that going to the public school is a wonderful way to see the kids on their turf and to learn about "their world". It forces, even in a secular or public setting, the reality of the sacred to at least be considered, if not evaluated and acknowledged. And, no, I don't go in beating my Bible and proselytizing the kids. I simply go to have lunch with "my kids" and any of their friends who join them. I lead them in prayer before meals (if at all possible) and we eat and just talk. The kids really respond well to it and are very excited by my visits. I never considered this before going to the schools, but I think the kids really feel important when some other adult (a parent, a priest) who is not at the school by virtue of being a teacher comes to have lunch with them and to spend some time with them. I almost fear that deep down they wish their parents would/could come, and perhaps it never happens. Teenage years are tough ones.
Anyway, I have visited the junior high here several times at the end of last year (mainly to provide some assurance to them after the drowning death of one of their classmates, also a parishioner), and I have attended lunch a couple of times at the grade school and high school at Boise City, Oklahoma, where we have a mission church; however, before today I had never managed to attend lunch at the high school here in Guymon. Another positive thing about this pastoral initiative of mine is that it helps me learn names and place kids' faces I don't yet know well. I dare say there is nothing negative about it. Every time I have done this it goes off smashingly. And the parents love hearing that the priest has gone to have lunch with their kids. I know, I AM the Messiah!
Today's lunch, however, was rather unique. At one point, I got pelted with a grape, which I choose to assume was not intended for me, but for someone nearby me. It hit my arm and I could certainly tell the direction from which it came. When I traced the trajectory back to the presumed table of origin, I saw a couple Catholic kids at that table. I don't know if they threw it or if it was thrown by their non-Catholic friends at the table, but I choose to believe it was an innocent prank intended to simply drop a grape in the center of the table at which I was sitting. Instead, it hit my arm. Oh well! I can't imagine throwing food at a priest, unless it was a mutual food fight, but anyway ... I'm a stick in the mud! But the really unique thing about today's lunch was what happened while I was waiting between the two lunch periods. There is some time between lunch periods to allow the cafeteria staff to clean up and get ready for round two. As I roamed the halls, passing the time by looking at award cases and reading bulletin boards, I noticed a young man step into the hall through a set of classroom doors, look my way, re-enter the room, and then repeat the process a few times. He, too, appeared to be passing time. He's not a Catholic, but I recognized him because we met once through a mutual acquaintance who is Catholic.
Eventually, this young man came out of the doors again and, this time, started to walk in my general direction. I decided I would say hi to him. As I started to approach him, I realized he had intended to come to me because he said, "Father, I have a question." "Okay," I said. He asked, "What would I have to do to become Catholic?" I told him about another young man in his class who has expressed interest in becoming Catholic and I explained that attending RCIA classes this fall would be a way to accomplish this, provided, of course, the new Pastor agrees and doesn't design something else for these youth. So, we chatted a bit and I asked how school was going. We talked about football and the really poor scrimmage from the night before and then we parted company after I told him I would add his name to our growing RCIA list and give his phone number to the new priest. He said he would listen for announcements of the classes.
I walked away thinking: God works in mysterious ways. How long did it take this kid to get up the gumption to approach a priest he doesn't really personally know -- and to do so smack dab in the middle of the halls of his high school -- in order to ask about becoming Catholic? And what if I had only stayed for the first lunch period, thus having no reason to roam the halls? Would he have ever approached me after Mass? Or was today that rare window of grace and opportunity that I had nothing to do with? And I thought I was just there to have a cheeseburger! Oh, the eternal value of a lunch, even at a public school.
And how will the ingrafting be completed?
I find the Pope's comments on this subject interesting mainly because it makes me think of St. Paul. St. Paul notes that somehow the Lord God will bring all Israel to salvation through the Church and the Pope seems to be saying something akin to this. By a mutual respect, a mutual knowledge, and a gentle nudge, mayhap, those who have been ingrafted to the Olive may bring the tree to full vigor.
I had to note with some disappointment the concluding paragraph: "Many of them [young Catholics] have been openly critical of the prohibitions he issued during the 20 years when he headed the Roman Catholic Church's disciplinary body." Who are the BBC referring to? Certainly not to any one in my circle or age group who have embraced the need for clarity in the Church's teaching. Once again, I think we have the man bites dog style of journalism. If you don't agree, think for a moment. If all these young Catholics disagree with Pope Benedict's actions as head of CDF, why is there not one citation in the article? If you answer, "the article isn't about that," that leads to the question "why bring it up and waste the space?"
I find the Pope's comments on this subject interesting mainly because it makes me think of St. Paul. St. Paul notes that somehow the Lord God will bring all Israel to salvation through the Church and the Pope seems to be saying something akin to this. By a mutual respect, a mutual knowledge, and a gentle nudge, mayhap, those who have been ingrafted to the Olive may bring the tree to full vigor.
I had to note with some disappointment the concluding paragraph: "Many of them [young Catholics] have been openly critical of the prohibitions he issued during the 20 years when he headed the Roman Catholic Church's disciplinary body." Who are the BBC referring to? Certainly not to any one in my circle or age group who have embraced the need for clarity in the Church's teaching. Once again, I think we have the man bites dog style of journalism. If you don't agree, think for a moment. If all these young Catholics disagree with Pope Benedict's actions as head of CDF, why is there not one citation in the article? If you answer, "the article isn't about that," that leads to the question "why bring it up and waste the space?"
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Thirty Pieces Adjusted For the Cost of Inflation
Tip of the Biretta to Sister Mary Michael for her defense of orthodox Faith. There is still hope for Our Lady's Dowry after all.
Tip of the Biretta to Sister Mary Michael for her defense of orthodox Faith. There is still hope for Our Lady's Dowry after all.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Liturgical crop circles
Okay, I had to draw the line today at Holy Mass. I have not been and I am not a fan of hand holding during the Our Father in Catholic churches. Hand holding at that moment is not something we are directed to do by the liturgical documents. It is a practice that has crept in from elsewhere. Now, with all of that said, I still am not going to tell people NOT to hold hands. I think that would be making too much of a scene out of a relatively minor matter.
However, things have been getting progressively more and more strange at morning Mass during the Our Father. Our religious sisters are back at their home convent in Mexico for some summer rest, and so our daily Mass attendance is down about as low as it gets. We have about three people who come on average. With the low attendance, I have been noticing the adoption of increasingly bizarre "formations" to accomplish the felt need for hand holding. While I did not tell the people not to hold hands any longer, I did explain that hand holding for the Our Father is not a Catholic practice and that if holding hands requires anyone to turn away from the altar and the focus upon the Holy Eucharist, which is the center of our gathering, then a different posture ought to be adopted. Everyone seemed to understand. As I looked out today during the Our Father, the three people having formed a little circle, turned in on itself, I couldn't help but think of "liturgical crop circles"! It really looked silly from my vantage point. Thus, the liturgical tutorial was given after the post-Communion prayer, before the final blessing.
Okay, I had to draw the line today at Holy Mass. I have not been and I am not a fan of hand holding during the Our Father in Catholic churches. Hand holding at that moment is not something we are directed to do by the liturgical documents. It is a practice that has crept in from elsewhere. Now, with all of that said, I still am not going to tell people NOT to hold hands. I think that would be making too much of a scene out of a relatively minor matter.
However, things have been getting progressively more and more strange at morning Mass during the Our Father. Our religious sisters are back at their home convent in Mexico for some summer rest, and so our daily Mass attendance is down about as low as it gets. We have about three people who come on average. With the low attendance, I have been noticing the adoption of increasingly bizarre "formations" to accomplish the felt need for hand holding. While I did not tell the people not to hold hands any longer, I did explain that hand holding for the Our Father is not a Catholic practice and that if holding hands requires anyone to turn away from the altar and the focus upon the Holy Eucharist, which is the center of our gathering, then a different posture ought to be adopted. Everyone seemed to understand. As I looked out today during the Our Father, the three people having formed a little circle, turned in on itself, I couldn't help but think of "liturgical crop circles"! It really looked silly from my vantage point. Thus, the liturgical tutorial was given after the post-Communion prayer, before the final blessing.
New items for the sanctuary
Throughout the year some large gifts have been given to the parish for special purposes. I indicated to a few donors that I woud direct the money toward some new items for the sanctuary. Two huge boxes arrived today containing ecclesiastical Christmas in August! We have a new (and enormous stand for the Paschal Candle), a new aspergillum ("sprinkler") and bucket for Holy Water, a new thurible (censer) with stand, a bookstand for the altar, and a new processional crucifix. It is all lovely and will certainly beautify our sanctuary. Let it not be said that we can't do nice things for Jesus!
Throughout the year some large gifts have been given to the parish for special purposes. I indicated to a few donors that I woud direct the money toward some new items for the sanctuary. Two huge boxes arrived today containing ecclesiastical Christmas in August! We have a new (and enormous stand for the Paschal Candle), a new aspergillum ("sprinkler") and bucket for Holy Water, a new thurible (censer) with stand, a bookstand for the altar, and a new processional crucifix. It is all lovely and will certainly beautify our sanctuary. Let it not be said that we can't do nice things for Jesus!
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
My Thoughts Exactly
For many years, the custom in question has bugged me and if you ask Steph, our Techmonkey Buddy, she has some very definite thoughts on the matter. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will let my Eastern Rite buddy, Karl, fill you in. And Karl, don't blame us Romans for us. This is one Roman who tries to dissuade people from doing this.
For many years, the custom in question has bugged me and if you ask Steph, our Techmonkey Buddy, she has some very definite thoughts on the matter. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will let my Eastern Rite buddy, Karl, fill you in. And Karl, don't blame us Romans for us. This is one Roman who tries to dissuade people from doing this.
Let's Just Nip That in the Bud
This morning, as I was wrapping up my interview on Relevant Radio (it went fine from what I could tell), my AOL IM alerted me that Fr. Hamilton was signing on. Now, my experience with IM tends to be a bit iffy and when you factor in Fr. H, it just gets worse. Fr. H has a history of sending me a thousand one-line messages just so that message alert sounds will play. Yes, faithful reader, when he describes himself as the rambunctous little brother, he isn't merely jesting. He is accurately describing reality.
The moment the sign-on alert played, I leapt into action. While not breaking my stride, speechwise, I reached out and TURNED OFF AOL IM. I am no one's fool. I don't claim to have absolute knowledge of how that stuff works so better safe than sorry. I just nipped Fr. H's potential juvenille hijinks in the bud.
Of couse, I am sad I didn't leave it on so that when Sean Herriot asked, "What is that sound?" I could respond, "Oh, that's just Fr. Hamilton hoping to get some air time." On second thought, my initial approach was more charitible. Blogging about it, less so.
This morning, as I was wrapping up my interview on Relevant Radio (it went fine from what I could tell), my AOL IM alerted me that Fr. Hamilton was signing on. Now, my experience with IM tends to be a bit iffy and when you factor in Fr. H, it just gets worse. Fr. H has a history of sending me a thousand one-line messages just so that message alert sounds will play. Yes, faithful reader, when he describes himself as the rambunctous little brother, he isn't merely jesting. He is accurately describing reality.
The moment the sign-on alert played, I leapt into action. While not breaking my stride, speechwise, I reached out and TURNED OFF AOL IM. I am no one's fool. I don't claim to have absolute knowledge of how that stuff works so better safe than sorry. I just nipped Fr. H's potential juvenille hijinks in the bud.
Of couse, I am sad I didn't leave it on so that when Sean Herriot asked, "What is that sound?" I could respond, "Oh, that's just Fr. Hamilton hoping to get some air time." On second thought, my initial approach was more charitible. Blogging about it, less so.
"Hey, trust us. We're journalists; we were made to be fair and objective..."
Once again, my gut check asks "why does this remind me of the Garden of Eden?"
Once again, my gut check asks "why does this remind me of the Garden of Eden?"
Notes from a Marriage
Here are the notes from this morning's talk on Relevant Radio. You can catch the rebroadcast this p.m. If this seems sketchy, there is a good reason -- it is. It is just a thinking through. If you want clarification, just note in the comments box.
In each period of the Church’s life, a sacrament comes to the forth front as the chosen locus of conversion. This is not to say that the sacraments, in toto, do not bring about conversion but rather that something in the nature of that sacrament confronts a particular failure or sin present in the prevalent culture. Consider these two examples. In the sixteenth century, the Church’s firm teaching on the nature of the Holy Eucharist at the Council of Trent directed all the faithful to reflect upon the reality of their communion with the Church and to recoil in horror before the possibility of tearing the Body of Christ to pieces, either via schism or dissent. Two hundred years later, give or take a block of fifty, the Cure of Ars converted the town he was assigned to by renewing the Sacrament of Penance, a sacrament receiving new attention given a renewed focus upon moral theology. In our time, the sacrament of Matrimony offers the same confrontation.
The Icon of the Couple
In the theology of the Eastern Church, the icon serves as a window into the eternal. The encounter with beauty means that more than your looking at the icon, the icon is looking at you and forcing you to ask in what ways you don’t measure up to the divine goal. Surfing through the Church’s teachings, I think you can see a three fold icon present in the sacrament of marriage. First, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the restoration of the fallen human couple. Christ, by raising marriage from the natural order to the order of Grace, points backward initially to show where it was headed. Therefore, the shame and division represented in the fall, because of Christ, is patched by the two in marriage who become one flesh. Second, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the mystery of redemption and the union of Christ and His Church. This is what St. Paul is referring to in Ephesians 5. The relationship in marriage is one based in mutual service, not mutual one-upmanship. Just as Christ gives his life for His Spouse, the married couple make a gift of themselves in the service of one another and their children. Third, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the Holy Trinity. Just as in the Holy Trinity, life begets life. The Father and the Son make such a total gift of themselves one to the other that a third person, the person-bond of love, is breathed forth. In the married union this is the fruitful goal of fertility. The child is not a prize; he is a gift generated first by the mutual love and realized in the conjugal act.
Why Marriage Matters
In a time when efforts at redefining are being aggressive made both in the natural order (homosexual marriage initiatives) and in the supernatural order (laxity toward divorce and re-marriage), marriage must be defended. It then follows that marriage must matter if it is worth defining. Here are some thoughts on why marriage matters. One, society at large depends on it. The most basic society is the family and the family begins when man and woman say "I do." In that moment, a whole new structure, with a entire new future, burst on the scene. Because the couple are making promises now that only play themselves out over the duration of earthly days, the couple are creating a new society around themselves, their respective families and their offspring. It is within this society that both the couple and their children learn what it means to live for the common good – service and sacrifice that doesn’t necessarily benefit self, directly or indirectly. If they learn to serve it with those whom they are given to love, the odds are much higher the neighbor existing outside the confines of the home will be served in the same way. Our public society and the Church, organized as a society, flourish to the degree families as primal societies flourish. Two, vocations depend upon happy, stable families. The average reader will assume that when I say "vocation" I mean "priesthood or religious life," and they would correct but deficient. The stability of families translates itself into children who can properly give themselves to any vocation, priesthood, religious life, or marriage. After all, if a child doesn’t see a marriage lived to the full in their home, where, pray tell, will they see it? On HBO? Ask Tony Soprano for marriage tips and see what you get. Three, marriage ultimately is a path to holiness. The Catechism makes this most telling observation about both marriage and Holy Orders. Paragraph 1534 reads "Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God." How could we treat as trivial that which leads to SALVATION?!
More than ever the words of E.F. Schumacher "Small is Beautiful" are proving relevant. Cancer spreads one cell at a time and is cured the same way, one cell at a time. The ills of society have their roots in the rootlessness of the modern family. Therefore, it would seem logical that the solution to societies’ ill lies not on the senate floor, but on the living room floor of every home.
Here are the notes from this morning's talk on Relevant Radio. You can catch the rebroadcast this p.m. If this seems sketchy, there is a good reason -- it is. It is just a thinking through. If you want clarification, just note in the comments box.
In each period of the Church’s life, a sacrament comes to the forth front as the chosen locus of conversion. This is not to say that the sacraments, in toto, do not bring about conversion but rather that something in the nature of that sacrament confronts a particular failure or sin present in the prevalent culture. Consider these two examples. In the sixteenth century, the Church’s firm teaching on the nature of the Holy Eucharist at the Council of Trent directed all the faithful to reflect upon the reality of their communion with the Church and to recoil in horror before the possibility of tearing the Body of Christ to pieces, either via schism or dissent. Two hundred years later, give or take a block of fifty, the Cure of Ars converted the town he was assigned to by renewing the Sacrament of Penance, a sacrament receiving new attention given a renewed focus upon moral theology. In our time, the sacrament of Matrimony offers the same confrontation.
The Icon of the Couple
In the theology of the Eastern Church, the icon serves as a window into the eternal. The encounter with beauty means that more than your looking at the icon, the icon is looking at you and forcing you to ask in what ways you don’t measure up to the divine goal. Surfing through the Church’s teachings, I think you can see a three fold icon present in the sacrament of marriage. First, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the restoration of the fallen human couple. Christ, by raising marriage from the natural order to the order of Grace, points backward initially to show where it was headed. Therefore, the shame and division represented in the fall, because of Christ, is patched by the two in marriage who become one flesh. Second, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the mystery of redemption and the union of Christ and His Church. This is what St. Paul is referring to in Ephesians 5. The relationship in marriage is one based in mutual service, not mutual one-upmanship. Just as Christ gives his life for His Spouse, the married couple make a gift of themselves in the service of one another and their children. Third, the Sacrament of Marriage points to the Holy Trinity. Just as in the Holy Trinity, life begets life. The Father and the Son make such a total gift of themselves one to the other that a third person, the person-bond of love, is breathed forth. In the married union this is the fruitful goal of fertility. The child is not a prize; he is a gift generated first by the mutual love and realized in the conjugal act.
Why Marriage Matters
In a time when efforts at redefining are being aggressive made both in the natural order (homosexual marriage initiatives) and in the supernatural order (laxity toward divorce and re-marriage), marriage must be defended. It then follows that marriage must matter if it is worth defining. Here are some thoughts on why marriage matters. One, society at large depends on it. The most basic society is the family and the family begins when man and woman say "I do." In that moment, a whole new structure, with a entire new future, burst on the scene. Because the couple are making promises now that only play themselves out over the duration of earthly days, the couple are creating a new society around themselves, their respective families and their offspring. It is within this society that both the couple and their children learn what it means to live for the common good – service and sacrifice that doesn’t necessarily benefit self, directly or indirectly. If they learn to serve it with those whom they are given to love, the odds are much higher the neighbor existing outside the confines of the home will be served in the same way. Our public society and the Church, organized as a society, flourish to the degree families as primal societies flourish. Two, vocations depend upon happy, stable families. The average reader will assume that when I say "vocation" I mean "priesthood or religious life," and they would correct but deficient. The stability of families translates itself into children who can properly give themselves to any vocation, priesthood, religious life, or marriage. After all, if a child doesn’t see a marriage lived to the full in their home, where, pray tell, will they see it? On HBO? Ask Tony Soprano for marriage tips and see what you get. Three, marriage ultimately is a path to holiness. The Catechism makes this most telling observation about both marriage and Holy Orders. Paragraph 1534 reads "Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God." How could we treat as trivial that which leads to SALVATION?!
More than ever the words of E.F. Schumacher "Small is Beautiful" are proving relevant. Cancer spreads one cell at a time and is cured the same way, one cell at a time. The ills of society have their roots in the rootlessness of the modern family. Therefore, it would seem logical that the solution to societies’ ill lies not on the senate floor, but on the living room floor of every home.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Monday, August 08, 2005
Father spent how much?!
I had a rather funny and embarrassing moment yesterday at the final Mass of the day. This past weekend I presented the parish with a summary financial statement from the fiscal year 2004-2005 which just ended on June 30. I asked one Hispanic man to explain the statement at the Spanish Masses since I am not able to adequately communicate such an explanation in Spanish. Meanwhile I handled the explanation at the English Masses. As the Spanish explanation was going on, I stood in the back of church to observe the scene.
One area listed in parish expenses was capital expenditures. I broke that category down some to offer an explanation. The largest part of that category was expenses for roofing work and new lighting for the church. There were also some expenses for the parish hall. Those two line items totaled thousands of dollars. Then there a line item for rectory expense. Well, the man doing the explanation in Spanish (and doing a fine job, by the way) was rattling off the first numbers which were all in the thousands, that when it came to the rectory expense he converted the actual expense of $265.00 to $265,000.00! I stood in the back church as he said expenses for Father's house and office totaled $265,000.00, and I realized the error when someone standing near me made a slight hissing sound in disapproval. So, I quickly went over to the area where that person and a few others were standing and pointed to the figure in the summary before them, clarifying, "No, no, not thousands, but two hundred." I hope no one else still labors under the misunderstanding and is scandalized.
Yes, it was an out of control year in the rectory: a new microwave, a new toaster, and a can opener! $265,000.00! I wish!
I had a rather funny and embarrassing moment yesterday at the final Mass of the day. This past weekend I presented the parish with a summary financial statement from the fiscal year 2004-2005 which just ended on June 30. I asked one Hispanic man to explain the statement at the Spanish Masses since I am not able to adequately communicate such an explanation in Spanish. Meanwhile I handled the explanation at the English Masses. As the Spanish explanation was going on, I stood in the back of church to observe the scene.
One area listed in parish expenses was capital expenditures. I broke that category down some to offer an explanation. The largest part of that category was expenses for roofing work and new lighting for the church. There were also some expenses for the parish hall. Those two line items totaled thousands of dollars. Then there a line item for rectory expense. Well, the man doing the explanation in Spanish (and doing a fine job, by the way) was rattling off the first numbers which were all in the thousands, that when it came to the rectory expense he converted the actual expense of $265.00 to $265,000.00! I stood in the back church as he said expenses for Father's house and office totaled $265,000.00, and I realized the error when someone standing near me made a slight hissing sound in disapproval. So, I quickly went over to the area where that person and a few others were standing and pointed to the figure in the summary before them, clarifying, "No, no, not thousands, but two hundred." I hope no one else still labors under the misunderstanding and is scandalized.
Yes, it was an out of control year in the rectory: a new microwave, a new toaster, and a can opener! $265,000.00! I wish!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Sorry to disappoint
Fr. Tharp was at the outstanding Midwest Catholic Family Conference this past weekend and so he was away from blogging. Perhaps some of you had hoped would step up the blogging to cover the absence. Well, I haven't been able to get onto the blog for the past many days (since my last post). Every time I would try to open the blog, the blue screen would show but none of the posts. I kept thinking it was a blogger problem which would eventually get fixed, but it never got better. Then, just now, I opened up my internet options and clicked on delete temporary internet files. After much lag time while it deleted the many files, I have now opened the blog and logged onto blogger. I guess I should clean out those files more frequently; I am assuming those files played a role in preventing my computer from functioning properly.
Anyway, I am back now but, alas, I don't remember the things I had thought were blog-worthy over the past few days. Sorry to disappoint, but we'll have to wait until the next wild idea comes to the fore!
Fr. Tharp was at the outstanding Midwest Catholic Family Conference this past weekend and so he was away from blogging. Perhaps some of you had hoped would step up the blogging to cover the absence. Well, I haven't been able to get onto the blog for the past many days (since my last post). Every time I would try to open the blog, the blue screen would show but none of the posts. I kept thinking it was a blogger problem which would eventually get fixed, but it never got better. Then, just now, I opened up my internet options and clicked on delete temporary internet files. After much lag time while it deleted the many files, I have now opened the blog and logged onto blogger. I guess I should clean out those files more frequently; I am assuming those files played a role in preventing my computer from functioning properly.
Anyway, I am back now but, alas, I don't remember the things I had thought were blog-worthy over the past few days. Sorry to disappoint, but we'll have to wait until the next wild idea comes to the fore!
Friday, August 05, 2005
I am OUTTA HERE!
Whenever I am gone, it is not long before hijinks ensue. So with that, you have been warned. I am off to the Wichita Family Life Conference for the weekend. If you are there, look me up. I'm the tall priest with the nappy goatee and the yellow messenger bag. You know which one I mean...
Whenever I am gone, it is not long before hijinks ensue. So with that, you have been warned. I am off to the Wichita Family Life Conference for the weekend. If you are there, look me up. I'm the tall priest with the nappy goatee and the yellow messenger bag. You know which one I mean...
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Check her out
Lisa, a frequent reader of this blog, who is known by both Ragemonkeys from our past parish work, has started her own blog. I just noticed this. So, check out her blog, My Spirit. She has even posted a few pictures of her wonderful family.
Lisa, a frequent reader of this blog, who is known by both Ragemonkeys from our past parish work, has started her own blog. I just noticed this. So, check out her blog, My Spirit. She has even posted a few pictures of her wonderful family.
Prayer pays
Of course it does. And it pays in a special way ... at least when I am around. Let me explain.
Fr. Kumar, the Associate Pastor, and I were out for lunch today at Mazzio's, enjoying the pizza buffet. Toward the end of our meal a woman walked in the restaurant with two boys and one girl and sat two tables behind me. We finished our lunch and were slowly drinking the remainder of our sodas, when I heard the voice of one of the boys say, "Hey, aren't we supposed to pray first?" I then heard the other one say, "I guess I should take off my hat." Then they said a little prayer, which sounded like something learned at summer camp -- hey, but it was a prayer. So, in a move that would make my grandfather proud (actually, I think grandpa may have taken over my body for a few moments) I got up before leaving Mazzio's and walked over to their table. I said, "Excuse me for butting in. You don't know me. I am Fr. Hamilton, the Pastor of the Catholic church here." They said hello. I said, "Which one of you did I hear saying you needed to pray?" The oldest boy, probably about 11 yrs. old, sheepishly raised his hand. So, I said, "Good job, young man. For that you get a prize." And I pulled out two bucks from my pocket, placed them near his plate, and patted him on the back before saying goodbye and God bless.
As I was walking away from the table and the boy was offering an astonished thanks, the woman with them said, "His dad is a pastor." So, I responded, "He's learning well, then." Now, I must wait for some twenty years before reading an endearing story in Our Sunday Visitor about a newly ordained priest who traces his entrance into the Church and his priesthood to some priest whose name he doesn't remember from Mazzio's in Guymon. We shall see. And you know what? It just came to mind that maybe it was St. John Vianney, that most excellent of parish priests, whose feast day is today, who really inspired my actions. Sorry, Grandpa, but I am sure you were at least egging me on.
Of course it does. And it pays in a special way ... at least when I am around. Let me explain.
Fr. Kumar, the Associate Pastor, and I were out for lunch today at Mazzio's, enjoying the pizza buffet. Toward the end of our meal a woman walked in the restaurant with two boys and one girl and sat two tables behind me. We finished our lunch and were slowly drinking the remainder of our sodas, when I heard the voice of one of the boys say, "Hey, aren't we supposed to pray first?" I then heard the other one say, "I guess I should take off my hat." Then they said a little prayer, which sounded like something learned at summer camp -- hey, but it was a prayer. So, in a move that would make my grandfather proud (actually, I think grandpa may have taken over my body for a few moments) I got up before leaving Mazzio's and walked over to their table. I said, "Excuse me for butting in. You don't know me. I am Fr. Hamilton, the Pastor of the Catholic church here." They said hello. I said, "Which one of you did I hear saying you needed to pray?" The oldest boy, probably about 11 yrs. old, sheepishly raised his hand. So, I said, "Good job, young man. For that you get a prize." And I pulled out two bucks from my pocket, placed them near his plate, and patted him on the back before saying goodbye and God bless.
As I was walking away from the table and the boy was offering an astonished thanks, the woman with them said, "His dad is a pastor." So, I responded, "He's learning well, then." Now, I must wait for some twenty years before reading an endearing story in Our Sunday Visitor about a newly ordained priest who traces his entrance into the Church and his priesthood to some priest whose name he doesn't remember from Mazzio's in Guymon. We shall see. And you know what? It just came to mind that maybe it was St. John Vianney, that most excellent of parish priests, whose feast day is today, who really inspired my actions. Sorry, Grandpa, but I am sure you were at least egging me on.
Okay, Folks, Let's Just Calm Down...
It's a funky backward universe we live in when the right to access pornography is supported by public institutions as a first amendment issue, but the teaching of the Bible is treated as sanctionable.
Folks, learning arises from culture as does art. For best or for worse, Christianity is the religion of the west. Therefore, if you are trying to teach students about a culture that is based and grows from the Christian soil in which it was planted, and if said students are effectively pagans because the family is no longer the locus of Christian formation, then a teacher can never effectively communicate the content of the vast majority of Western Culture, Science, Literature, and History.
Take, for example, T.S. Eliot's brilliant poem The Waste Land. Do you know why most people miss what is happening in this poem? They miss the point because they don't know Dante. In not knowing Dante, they don't know Christian eschatology. So, if you want your students to actually, I don't know, appreciate what this poem (and many others) are getting at, you are going to have to walk them through some basic Christian theology.
I will add this one caveat. The Bible popped out of context with the Church is problematic. I am concerned that the Bible is not being fleshed out in the fullest way possible, but that is easily correctable. It is far easier to correct an absence of context than to try to teach as though that absence of context didn't exist and didn't matter.
It's a funky backward universe we live in when the right to access pornography is supported by public institutions as a first amendment issue, but the teaching of the Bible is treated as sanctionable.
Folks, learning arises from culture as does art. For best or for worse, Christianity is the religion of the west. Therefore, if you are trying to teach students about a culture that is based and grows from the Christian soil in which it was planted, and if said students are effectively pagans because the family is no longer the locus of Christian formation, then a teacher can never effectively communicate the content of the vast majority of Western Culture, Science, Literature, and History.
Take, for example, T.S. Eliot's brilliant poem The Waste Land. Do you know why most people miss what is happening in this poem? They miss the point because they don't know Dante. In not knowing Dante, they don't know Christian eschatology. So, if you want your students to actually, I don't know, appreciate what this poem (and many others) are getting at, you are going to have to walk them through some basic Christian theology.
I will add this one caveat. The Bible popped out of context with the Church is problematic. I am concerned that the Bible is not being fleshed out in the fullest way possible, but that is easily correctable. It is far easier to correct an absence of context than to try to teach as though that absence of context didn't exist and didn't matter.
Opening Salvo of DVC Movie
Yes, faithful readers, once again, I called it. I knew the book The DaVinci Code, once it became 1.) a run-away hit and 2.) clear what the contents concerned that I would have a problem on my hands vis a vis my column for the diocesan newspaper. I do a modest little column on questions concerning the Catholic Faith and its practice. I expected a raft-load of questions concerning the DVC. You can imagine my surprise (and quite frankly, my concern) when NO ONE ASKED ANYTHING about it. But then I realized the flaw in my logic. While many people were reading it, the vast majority of Americans don't read; they go to the movies. So, I put any thought of addressing DVC's claims until nearer the movie's release.
Based upon the contacts being made with Amy Wellborn, Carl Olson, and Barbara Nicolosi (sp?), it sounds as though the movie is going to be used as a bully pulpit to attack the Church. This is just the first salvo. It suggests how much bolder anti-Catholic rhetoric is and is becoming. Could you imagine making a movie that propped up scurulous lies about Mohammed or Moses? But the Catholic Church is open game; perhaps, this alone makes me say, "The Church must be the true bride of Christ. No one bothers with attacking the other folks."
All I can hope for is a poorly made movie that will end up in the wastebin of Hollywood, but I am not putting any money on it.
Yes, faithful readers, once again, I called it. I knew the book The DaVinci Code, once it became 1.) a run-away hit and 2.) clear what the contents concerned that I would have a problem on my hands vis a vis my column for the diocesan newspaper. I do a modest little column on questions concerning the Catholic Faith and its practice. I expected a raft-load of questions concerning the DVC. You can imagine my surprise (and quite frankly, my concern) when NO ONE ASKED ANYTHING about it. But then I realized the flaw in my logic. While many people were reading it, the vast majority of Americans don't read; they go to the movies. So, I put any thought of addressing DVC's claims until nearer the movie's release.
Based upon the contacts being made with Amy Wellborn, Carl Olson, and Barbara Nicolosi (sp?), it sounds as though the movie is going to be used as a bully pulpit to attack the Church. This is just the first salvo. It suggests how much bolder anti-Catholic rhetoric is and is becoming. Could you imagine making a movie that propped up scurulous lies about Mohammed or Moses? But the Catholic Church is open game; perhaps, this alone makes me say, "The Church must be the true bride of Christ. No one bothers with attacking the other folks."
All I can hope for is a poorly made movie that will end up in the wastebin of Hollywood, but I am not putting any money on it.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Once again, the CRM Hegemony is reaching out those readers in the upper Midwest via the gracious kindness of Relevant Radio. I received an email this morning from the producers of the morning show, Morning Air, asking me to speak on one of the sacraments. I offered either Marriage or the Holy Eucharist, and they took me up on Marriage. Now, I just have to figure out what I am going to say and what points I would like to address on air.
Tune in next Wednesday to find out what my cluttered mind decided to address.
Once again, the CRM Hegemony is reaching out those readers in the upper Midwest via the gracious kindness of Relevant Radio. I received an email this morning from the producers of the morning show, Morning Air, asking me to speak on one of the sacraments. I offered either Marriage or the Holy Eucharist, and they took me up on Marriage. Now, I just have to figure out what I am going to say and what points I would like to address on air.
Tune in next Wednesday to find out what my cluttered mind decided to address.
Will You Be There?
In less than 24 hours, I will be away to the Family Life Conference in Wichita. Perhaps if you are going to be there, we could hold a CRM Hegemony Caucus. Otherwise, look for me trolling around either the confessionals or the vendors area.
In less than 24 hours, I will be away to the Family Life Conference in Wichita. Perhaps if you are going to be there, we could hold a CRM Hegemony Caucus. Otherwise, look for me trolling around either the confessionals or the vendors area.
Good News? Bad News? Who Can Say?
It has become increasingly clear to me that in the final analysis all points of conflict, be they political, social, theological, or otherwise, all point back to a conflict of culture. In our time in history, we confront multiple layers of culture that are intertwined but mutually exclusive. The danger arises when we fail to recognize that these layers are indeed mutually exclusive. With that in mind, we who profess Christ would do some good and examine ourselves for the contradictory houseguests of the soul or at least, there might be a conflict hidden in our actions.
It has become increasingly clear to me that in the final analysis all points of conflict, be they political, social, theological, or otherwise, all point back to a conflict of culture. In our time in history, we confront multiple layers of culture that are intertwined but mutually exclusive. The danger arises when we fail to recognize that these layers are indeed mutually exclusive. With that in mind, we who profess Christ would do some good and examine ourselves for the contradictory houseguests of the soul or at least, there might be a conflict hidden in our actions.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Getting Away from It All
Last year, the parishes in my region put together a speaker's tour in an effort to promote the Catholic Faith. Our speaker was Mark Shea who apart from being an honorary Ragemonkey Hegemony Director was well received. This year, however, I am having less success in finding someone to come and speak. I invited Stephen Ray, pictured above, but he made some claim for being out of town. Probably has to do with getting an update for his camel operator's license. Then I invited Carl Olson, but alas, he wanted time with his family. So, now I am stuck. I might run a request through Amy Wellborn. If you were a parishioner of mine, whom would you like me to invite to the parish?
Third Star from the Left and Straight On Till
Morning
I was on retreat when the news of Doohan's death came out, so obviously, I missed it. While I was never much of a fan of the original series, I recognize how much Star Trek (and its sister series) positively influenced the man I was to become and am becoming. You have to love the show for no other reason than recognizing that it is a show that enshrines competence and intelligence as goods worth praising, especially when you consider how prominent the engineer characters are in each series. They all deserve the nomen "Miracle worker" after their names. It goes without saying that I could do with far less of the materialist horsehockey that also inhabits the series.
Of course, when we praise any good that might be present, we are ultimately praising the Good who is Christ. It's funny to think how Christ can make use of a popular T.V. series to prompt people to think about larger questions. But that is for another post...
Rest in peace, Mr. Doohan. You did a science nerd some good...
Morning
I was on retreat when the news of Doohan's death came out, so obviously, I missed it. While I was never much of a fan of the original series, I recognize how much Star Trek (and its sister series) positively influenced the man I was to become and am becoming. You have to love the show for no other reason than recognizing that it is a show that enshrines competence and intelligence as goods worth praising, especially when you consider how prominent the engineer characters are in each series. They all deserve the nomen "Miracle worker" after their names. It goes without saying that I could do with far less of the materialist horsehockey that also inhabits the series.
Of course, when we praise any good that might be present, we are ultimately praising the Good who is Christ. It's funny to think how Christ can make use of a popular T.V. series to prompt people to think about larger questions. But that is for another post...
Rest in peace, Mr. Doohan. You did a science nerd some good...
Checkmate, Indeed
As a passing amateur when it comes to chess, and Techmonkey Dave can verify how much I truly stink at chess, this sort of story amazes me. To prove how unworthy I am, you could always challenge me to a game online...you name the venue.
As a passing amateur when it comes to chess, and Techmonkey Dave can verify how much I truly stink at chess, this sort of story amazes me. To prove how unworthy I am, you could always challenge me to a game online...you name the venue.
Fisking Frist
I received the following via email. I met the good Father at a recent retreat. I am working up a Top Ten list of reasons why you should not support Embryonic Stem Cell Research. I'll try to have it up by the end of the day. In the meantime, enjoy the following item.
HLI’s statement on Senator Frist’s Stem-Cell Betrayal
July 29, 2005
A medical doctor should know better than to say irresponsible things like he believes that embryos are “nascent human life” but that it is also okay to kill those little human beings. This is the insanity that we have to face with so-called “pro-life” politicians such as Senate Majority leader Bill Frist who just announced that he is in favor of killing embryos for science—but as long as we do it in a pro-life way of course.
Here are his words: “I am pro-life. I believe human life begins at conception. It is at this moment that the organism is complete -- yes, immature -- but complete. An embryo is nascent human life. It’s genetically distinct. And it’s biologically human…. And accordingly, the human embryo has moral significance and moral worth. It deserves to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. I also believe that embryonic stem cell research should be encouraged and supported.”
Then he goes on to say: “It’s not just a matter of faith, it’s a matter of science.” But that’s exactly the point , Senator! Pro-lifers have been arguing for years that the need for the legal protection of human life is not a matter of faith. Science proves to us that this is distinctly human life, and therefore it should be definitively protected by law. Shameless politicians wanting to bear the pro-life mantle and reap a harvest of pro-life votes are playing politics with sacred realities, and the ones who suffer are always the tiny human beings who don’t have lawyers to plead their case.
The worst aspect of this story is that Senator Frist has definitively gutted the term “pro-life” of any meaning. If he admits that the embryo is human life, and clearly he does, but at the same says that there are circumstances under which we may legally kill her for our purposes, then how is he pro-life? That is how abortion and euthanasia advocates talk! They said the same about unborn babies thirty years ago; they said it about Terri Schiavo last March, and they are now saying it about human embryos. Let’s just hope that our lives don’t fall under some special interest legislation before spineless senators who want to run for president. Then we might find out that we too are considered human but expendable. More pro-life traitors like Senator Frist we do not need.
Life is precious from the moment of conception, and unless we are willing as a people to defend it from ideology, special interests, federal funding and politics, then we are not pro-life and we should not dare to hide under that moral mantle.
I received the following via email. I met the good Father at a recent retreat. I am working up a Top Ten list of reasons why you should not support Embryonic Stem Cell Research. I'll try to have it up by the end of the day. In the meantime, enjoy the following item.
July 29, 2005
A medical doctor should know better than to say irresponsible things like he believes that embryos are “nascent human life” but that it is also okay to kill those little human beings. This is the insanity that we have to face with so-called “pro-life” politicians such as Senate Majority leader Bill Frist who just announced that he is in favor of killing embryos for science—but as long as we do it in a pro-life way of course.
Here are his words: “I am pro-life. I believe human life begins at conception. It is at this moment that the organism is complete -- yes, immature -- but complete. An embryo is nascent human life. It’s genetically distinct. And it’s biologically human…. And accordingly, the human embryo has moral significance and moral worth. It deserves to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. I also believe that embryonic stem cell research should be encouraged and supported.”
Then he goes on to say: “It’s not just a matter of faith, it’s a matter of science.” But that’s exactly the point , Senator! Pro-lifers have been arguing for years that the need for the legal protection of human life is not a matter of faith. Science proves to us that this is distinctly human life, and therefore it should be definitively protected by law. Shameless politicians wanting to bear the pro-life mantle and reap a harvest of pro-life votes are playing politics with sacred realities, and the ones who suffer are always the tiny human beings who don’t have lawyers to plead their case.
The worst aspect of this story is that Senator Frist has definitively gutted the term “pro-life” of any meaning. If he admits that the embryo is human life, and clearly he does, but at the same says that there are circumstances under which we may legally kill her for our purposes, then how is he pro-life? That is how abortion and euthanasia advocates talk! They said the same about unborn babies thirty years ago; they said it about Terri Schiavo last March, and they are now saying it about human embryos. Let’s just hope that our lives don’t fall under some special interest legislation before spineless senators who want to run for president. Then we might find out that we too are considered human but expendable. More pro-life traitors like Senator Frist we do not need.
Life is precious from the moment of conception, and unless we are willing as a people to defend it from ideology, special interests, federal funding and politics, then we are not pro-life and we should not dare to hide under that moral mantle.
New York Gov George Pataki Will Veto Morning After Pill Bill
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Upsetting abortion advocates, New York Gov. George Pataki has decided to veto a morning after pill bill that would make the state the next to allow over the counter sales of the morning after pill, which can sometimes cause an abortion. Pataki says young women aren't protected enough under the bill, which was approved in the Democrat controlled State Assembly and the Republican controlled Senate. "This bill, which hasn't even been sent to the governor yet, is a flawed, politically expedient measure that fails to include any common-sense protections for minors and ignores the fact that the FDA will rule on this issue in just a few weeks," Pataki spokesman Kevin Quinn told the Associated Press. "Consistent with his record on women's reproductive issues, the governor plans to veto the legislation primarily because it provides no protection whatsoever for minors," Quinn added. "If this and other flaws in the bill are addressed, and a responsible version of the bill is advanced, the governor would support it." The measure would allow women, including teenagers to purchase the drug at a local pharmacy without first seeing a doctor and obtaining a prescription.
I offer this article in support of the notion that grace can change anyone. Even when we don't see immediate results that should never dampen our hope. Full story can be accessed at LifeNews.com
Albany, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Upsetting abortion advocates, New York Gov. George Pataki has decided to veto a morning after pill bill that would make the state the next to allow over the counter sales of the morning after pill, which can sometimes cause an abortion. Pataki says young women aren't protected enough under the bill, which was approved in the Democrat controlled State Assembly and the Republican controlled Senate. "This bill, which hasn't even been sent to the governor yet, is a flawed, politically expedient measure that fails to include any common-sense protections for minors and ignores the fact that the FDA will rule on this issue in just a few weeks," Pataki spokesman Kevin Quinn told the Associated Press. "Consistent with his record on women's reproductive issues, the governor plans to veto the legislation primarily because it provides no protection whatsoever for minors," Quinn added. "If this and other flaws in the bill are addressed, and a responsible version of the bill is advanced, the governor would support it." The measure would allow women, including teenagers to purchase the drug at a local pharmacy without first seeing a doctor and obtaining a prescription.
I offer this article in support of the notion that grace can change anyone. Even when we don't see immediate results that should never dampen our hope. Full story can be accessed at LifeNews.com
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Unsurprising and strangely disturbing...
You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean you're pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat.
I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer. Your sense of humor takes the most effort to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais
Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid
| the Wit |
CLEAN COMPLEX DARK |
You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean you're pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat.
I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer. Your sense of humor takes the most effort to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais
Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid
Monday, August 01, 2005
In Praise of True Sportsmanship
I am not much of a sport fan. I don't care for professional sports players. I have a personal hero worship focus -- His name is Jesus Christ.
At the same time, I am begging, pleading, imploring for someone to please, please, please play some game, any game, Scrabble, Chess, Bridge, anything, just so that ESPN will stop playing competitive eating spectacles. I am so nauseated that I can actually feel myself losing weight and losing the desire to ever eat again.
I am not much of a sport fan. I don't care for professional sports players. I have a personal hero worship focus -- His name is Jesus Christ.
At the same time, I am begging, pleading, imploring for someone to please, please, please play some game, any game, Scrabble, Chess, Bridge, anything, just so that ESPN will stop playing competitive eating spectacles. I am so nauseated that I can actually feel myself losing weight and losing the desire to ever eat again.
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