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

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

I Feel Like a Heel!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A sudden reprieve from my hat buying sadness...

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

Discovering One's Audience

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

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

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

"Batman Begins" final gets Batman Right

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

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

Evidence that my friendship with Dawn Eden is paying off

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

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

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

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

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

Homily for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

OK, this is shameless advertising for my blog.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

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

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

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

Chew on that one for a while!

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

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

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

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

Points to Ponder: Salt of the Earth

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, off to breakfast.

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

One Short Day in the Emerald City...

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

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

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

"John Francis Week"

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

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

Doing It Up Right!

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

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

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

How do you type that Homer sound?

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOCCER! Better than "priest parking"

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

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

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

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

Oklahoma's Highest Elevation
I had a great Memorial Day yesterday. After celebrating the Holy Mass in the morning, I hit the road heading an hour and a half west to Kenton, Oklahoma, in order to hike the Black Mesa. At 4,973 feet above sea level, the Black Mesa is Oklahoma's highest point. Also nearby are some fossilized dinosaur tracks in a dried up creek bed. The information about the Mesa provided by the State Park indicates that one should allow 4 hours to hike up the Mesa and back, at a fairly constant pace. I had tried to hike the Mesa last year, but I did not realize of the time requirements and so I didn't have the time to do it.

I made the hike with a parishioner at one of my parishes in Boise City, Oklahoma (about 35 miles or so from the Mesa). I have to say, this parishioner's presence made the hike a lot more adventurous than I probably would have pulled off by myself. I think I would have simply followed some trail the distance of the 4.2 miles to the summit of the Mesa. Instead, we basically climbed straight up the mesa and had to do some rock climbing to accomplish the goal of getting to the summit. I admit, there was one point where I was convinced that I was going to loose my footing, fall off the rock and tumble to my death. It was one of those "no turning back moments" where your ambition and pride have managed to get you into a situation where it is just as precarious to try to go back down as it is to keep moving up. I kept struggling to readjust my footing (there weren't many options of places to put my feet) and I kept trying to find better hand holds in the rocks. Finally, with my foot in a terribly awkward incline, hugging the rock tight, and pulling myself up, I managed to keep my footing and move to a better location.

It was a great day. It had rained quite a bit the evening and morning before the hike, so temperatures were mercifully less high. The skies were very overcast, but it was worth sacrificing some of the view from the Mesa's top, in order to skip out on the sun's heat. Oh, and there was an added bonus: No Prarie Rattlesnakes were seen or encountered! Signs at the trailhead and stories from locals all communicate the same thing: the Prarie Rattler is the most venemous of the rattlesnakes and a rather hostile creature. After finishing the hike, I went back to the parish in Boise City and as I gazed upon the statue of Mary standing on the serpent, I couldn't help but think that she had protected her boys that day.

We made the roundtrip hike in 3 hours and 15 minutes, with a few nice breaks to catch the breath and take in the view. I will post some pictures below. I'm not sure they will show very well, due to the overcast skies yesterday.

Here is a shot of one of the cliffs we had to navigate on our descent. You can probably tell that when we got to this point in the descent, we had to find another way around this baby. We found a much more manageable area to the right of the screen that allowed a safe way around this point.

Looking out at the landscape from the summit of Black Mesa.

Another shot at the surrounding landscape. Can you say "cloudy"?

Having survived the climb, we stopped midway in the descent for a photo op. For anyone who hasn't seen previously posted photos, that's me. Yes, I left my cassock at home for the day.

The Truth about Abortion and W

Maggie Gallagher, an independent write whom I admire, gave me the heads up about this article. I recall arguing with several Catholics who wanted to justify they vote for Pro-Abortion Senator Kerry by saying, "Well, President Bush is not really Pro-Life, after all the number of abortions in the US went down under President Clinton but up under President Bush's first term."

Let the truth be known! Now I am NOT endorsing a particular political candidate nor political party (frankly, when pollsters ask me my political affiliation I tell them I am a "Catholic/Christian Democrat in the historical sense." Let them figure out what that means). I bring this article up because I am passionate about Jesus Christ, the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. In fact, I am personally disgusted with politics and all political parties. While I know that there are exceptions, it strikes me that most are motivated more by self-interest than the common good.

Just a few days remain
Since my ordination to the Priesthood in 1999, I have held the "title": Youngest Priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. As I feel the need to remind readers, that is youngest by calendar age, not most recently ordained. As a few years of ordination passed (and Fr. Tharp, who is just a few months older than I, turned 30), I became the only priest of the Archdiocese in his 20's. That soon passed too, and now, this Friday, I will relinquish the "title" to the now-Deacon Joseph Irwin, who is set to be ordained a priest in our Cathedral on Friday evening. He is the first priest ordained since my year who is younger than I. He is 28 and I am 32. With this event I think it is only fitting that I be named a monsignor or given some other impressive-sounding title that is less paternal-sounding and ultimately meaningless! LOL!

Take that Fr. Hamilton
You may have taken education in Rome, but the quiz doesn't lie.


You are Pope John Paul II. You are a force to be
reckoned with.

Which Twentieth Century Pope Are You?

Corpus Christi Procession 2005, St. Peter Church, Guymon, OK

Here is a shot of the procession after our last Mass of the day. The processional cross and candles lead the procession. Behind them are some of the 98 kids who made their First Holy Communion this year. I asked that they come in their outfits for this procession. You can see that only some managed to do that. Nonetheless, it was a good showing of kids and they were most excited (as were their parents). I had the procession after the 10:00 a.m. Mass this morning, so, unfortunately, I don't have any photos of that one to show.

Here is a good shot of the procession moving around the perimeter of the parking lot. In the foreground are some of the children who made their First Holy Communion a few weeks ago. They are holding white carnations and occupying a special place in the front of the procession. Further back, if you look carefully, you can see the monstrance. Finally, in the background you can also see the people filing around behind the Blessed Sacrament. 

Finally, the Source, the Summit, the Center of the procession itself: Jesus Christ, truly, really, and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar (carried in the monstrance by Rev. Kumar Udagandla, the Associate Pastor). 

Hunger Strike: Report #1
A few days ago I posted my demands for a peace settlement with the good folks over at Johnlet. Little John Francis is the star over at Johnlet and we here at CRM have enjoyed the photo updates his good parents post on their blog. There is no doubt about it, John Francis is pretty darn cute! I mean, yes, he did sort of win us over by sporting a Ragemonkey baby bib, but with all objectivity, he's a cute little baby. And, oh, does he play the camera!

CRM staff understands that John's parents are first time, young parents (we think) and so there is much to learn as they embark on the adventures a growing family brings. We don't expect them to be perfect. After all, some lessons can only be learned the hard way. Such is the case, with what CRM perceives as a slight by the staff at Johnlet. They apparently traveled from their home in Colorado to Houston, passing through at least a part of Oklahoma. We have no evidence that they stopped to visit even one Reverend Ragemonkey. Thus began some posting on CRM's part that we feel slighted.

In my last post on this matter, I demanded that little John Francis slap together a special photo essay dedicated to CRM, with at least one photo of him in a full monkey suit. Friends, to date, there have been no new posts over at Johnlet and no evidence that their staff is even aware of the tensions that have arisen between us. As threatened, I have begun a hunger strike until such time as Johnlet complies with our demands. The hunger strike has only been going for a few days now, but I assure you I am making huge sacrifices. I mean, for instance, I can report to you in this first hunger strike report, that I am really hankering for a delicious steak fromage, a lovely filet with blue cheese filling, with asparagus topped by hollandaise sauce, a nice garden salad, and some fresh bread.

BUT, I am not going to give in! I'll just eat regular food until Johnlet complies!

Trying not to laugh while baptizing
I had three baptisms yesterday, which is always a joy. I think yesterday's bring me up to 110 baptisms since I was ordained almost six years ago. We are all quite accustomed to the baby's wearing a white garment for his baptism. However, I saw one yesterday that takes the cake. The little boy was in an outfit that made him look like the Pope! No joke! I almost couldn't stop from chuckling it was so cute. But I managed to compose myself so that I wasn't laughing while baptizing anyone.

The kiddo was in a long white robe with buttons down the front, with a half length shoulder cape, a broad belt/band around his waist which dangled down one side with gold fringe on the ends, and finally a little white cap (not quite the bishop's zucchetto, but darn close!). When I saw him I just stopped and looked at the parents and said, "He looks like the Pope." They said, "Yeah, we know." I did, however, make the boy take off the pectoral cross, gold ring, and drop the crozier before I would perform the baptism. Just kidding! It was just one of the cutest things I have seen in a while.

Check out this correction!

Finally the AP plays nice and tries to =shock!= get the facts straight!

Playing Email Catch Up: Edition 1, Volume 1, Post 5
When East Meets West

Athanasius over at Summa Contra Mundum has gotten embroiled in a very interesting and potentially very worthwhile project. He is in on the ground floor of a whole new vision of Catholic education with an Eastern Catholic flava. Check out Transfiguration College! I think I speak for all the readers when I say "We're expecting big things from you!"

Playing Email Catch Up: Edition 1, Volume 1, Post 4

He may be gone but he is not forgotten.

Thanks to the Ragemonkey Sibling for this material link!

Playing Email Catch-Up: Edition 1, Volume 1, Post 3

Suffering is a most baffling thing. The best response I can find to suffering and its meaning lies in St. John's Gospel. When the apostles come upon a man born blind, they ask the logical question: "What caused this?" Jesus's response is telling: "It is not the cause that is important; it's the purpose it will serve." The blindness becomes the stage for revelation. Perhaps we have another dimension for concern concerning the Terri Schiavo matter -- we don't like suffering because it reveals nothing to us.

At any rate, here is an interesting, albeit old, news piece to point up my point. Thanks to Robert Badger (Bobby the Badger for those who love him) for the heads up.

Playing Email Catch Up: Edition 1, Volume 1, Post 2: Right Nationality, Wrong Resemblance

Gilbert Chesterton and Hillare Belloc were so great a pair of friends that people, wags mostly, used to refer to them as the Chesterbelloc. Well, one member of my third order chapter sent this little ditty composed by Hillare. However, I will remind Kevin that Chesterton is much more the match for me. Oooo, that gives me a marvelous idea for a Halloween costume. But where will I find nez pierce glasses that actually work and have black ribbons?

Okay, here it is:
Pelagius lived at Kardanoel
And taught a doctrine there
How, whether you went to heaven or to hell
It was your own affair.
It had nothing to do with the Church, my boy,
But was your own affair.
No, he didn't believe
In Adam and Eve
He put no faith therein!
His doubts began
With the Fall of Man
And he laughed at Original Sin.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
He laughed at original sin.
Then came the bishop of old Auxerre
Germanus was his name
He tore great handfuls out of his hair
And he called Pelagius shame.
And with his stout Episcopal staff
So thoroughly whacked and banged
The heretics all, both short and tall --They rather had been hanged.
Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long
Upon each and all occasions
Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong
Their orthodox persuasions.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow Their orthodox persuasions.
Now the faith is old and the Devil bold
Exceedingly bold indeed.
And the masses of doubt that are floating about
Would smother a mortal creed.
But we that sit in a sturdy youth
And still can drink strong ale
Let us put it away to infallible truth
That always shall prevail.
And thank the Lord
For the temporal sword
And howling heretics too.
And all good things
Our Christendom brings
But especially barley brew!
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Especially barley brew! -- Hillaire Belloc

Playing Email Catch-Up: Edition 1, Volume 1, Post 1

Like everyone else in the universe, my email inbox gets jammed and then my schedule gets jammed, and then people send me flaming bags of dog poo to get even -- quite frankly, it's a mess.

So, in the effort to clear my box, I will be updating a few things here and there. First, there is Dev Thakur, Catholic medical student and blogger, who has resusciated his blog "Christus Medicus." It has a new name but I am not so organized that I can get that to you. Go check out what I mean.

Truth-licious!

I am a huge fan (meaning my admiration and not my waistband) of Fr. Tad Pacholczyk. He is both neuroscientist and priest and brings the truth about stem cells and other weighty matters. Read this article which only hints at Father's brilliance.

For more information of a Catholic bio-ethical nature, go here.

Thanks to Curt Jester for the tip.

Bringing the Pro-Life Smackdown to You!

This post is why I love Fr. Rob Johansen. This same matter came up when I was on the radio yesterday with Drew mariani so I will repeat what I said to a caller about this duplicious manner of legislating: "As Catholics, we vote for the priniciple and not the party. Don't let them off the hook. If they break their promises, vote them out of office."

Why these men are most fittingly called "illusionists"
(implied salty language in the link -- you were warned!)

Around grade 3, which would be what, age 9, I had a fascination with stage magic, especially slight of hand. I'm too clumsy to master the techniques (and quite bluntly, too lazy) to work my hands to pieces to get this stuff down. I liked being in the know, you know. I had the trick and they (the audience) didn't. The illusion is what matters.

Well, Penn and Teller were favorites of mine. The edgy, weird and wired manner of their act always added another dimension of surprise. As is the case with all celebrities, once they stray from entertaining to informing and/or pontificating, they immediately begin to falter. Take the case of the lovely analysis of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity. Certainly, one could make the argument that social services that merely focus upon day-to-day assistance are not in the long term wise because they do not address underlying social structures that result in widespread poverty. If they had made such an argument, then one could actually, I don't know, think through the issue. But instead they take the road of invective and useless, childish language, in an effort, I suppose to present themselves as "rebels" against the establishment, read the Catholic Church. Ladies and Gentlemen, if hurling insults for the sake of ratings is being rebellious, then it renders them rebels without a clue. As a matter of fact, didn't I catch Penn Gillette, slumming on some home repair show? Nice way to fight the man, Penn. I would suspect that much of the oppobrium leveled against the good sisters comes from the fact that their so-conceived liberal outreach (work with the poor) doesn't automatically force them to reject the Church's so-called conservative teaching on sex and marriage.

I'm not sure this exactly angers me because it is so darned silly. Anyone who can claim to have spent most of his life carrying those that everyone else stepped over -- and stepped on -- is reasonable immune to this. The work speaks for itself, and Mother Teresa did and her sisters continue to do exactly this. When Penn and Teller quit their homes in Las Vegas and do what Mother Teresa did, I might be willing to give them a hearing. Until then, I am, literally, waiting for them to put their money where their mouths are.

What might be lurking here is something that Benedict XVI alludes to in his book Introduction to Christianity. For people of unbelief, the most damning argument is not the one that is for belief but rather the one that is against unbelief. The venomous yawping of those who choke in their thunder boxes upon the poison of our age, cannot drowned out the testimony of charity, embodied, incarnated in those who are baptized. Call me the "starry-eyed optimist" but this furious nashing of teeth is nothing more than the confusion that proceeds before conversion, as one both remains attached to the vile stuff they have consumed and brutally wants to cough up the whole tainted pile. Staring, unblinking, into raw charity in a creature we assume unredeemable forces every illusion to fall leading to the unmistakable confrontation with a reality greater than we could have imagined.

(Tip o' the biretta to Ignatius Insight Scoop and Jeff Grace for the report.)

Excellent Explanation of Liturgical Music

I discovered this parish's website after reading an article on Spirit Daily, about their monthly Novus Ordo Latin Mass. They really seem to have a good understanding of what the Second Vatican Council called for in revising the liturgy, and the appropiate use of Sacred Music.

For the Soccer Fan

I know that not all CRM readers are soccer fans, and many may be wondering why I post this to a blog that is general about the Catholic Faith, but I have mentioned the English Premier League before, and how Liverpool is the chief rival for my team, Everton. I have also mentioned how, historically, Liverpool is the Protestant team, and Everton is the Catholic team. So I guess in the spirit of ecumenism I should say, "Well done Liverpool! Congratulations on an exciting, come from behind victory."

Now this raises an interesting issue, for Liverpool finished in fifth place in the English Premiere League this season (they had qualified to play this season in the Champions League, which is the old European Cup, based on their finish last season in the Premiere League. Only the top four teams from the English Premiere League typically are allowed to compete in the Champions League next season, which means Liverpool will not even have the chance to defend their title. Unless, of course, rules are "bent." They just better not "bend" Everton out of the Champion League next season.

Following the Design Protocol

The lives of men are filled with moments worth remembering. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduation, and many more events punctuate the otherwise unremarkable roll of day to night succeeding down the generations. Today is such a day for myself. Five years ago, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, I laid down on the floor, and pledged to give my life for the Gospel as a priest of Jesus Christ.

To tell you that every day has been wonderful would be to put forth a terrible piece of revisionist history. But this year, I have had the experience of seeing what it is I am made for.

Since your ordination anniversary is not a day off, I celebrated the Sacred Mysteries this morning. Then after puttering around all morning, doing paperwork, I got up and did some sick calls and then made a visit to the local jail. At the hospital, the woman I visited was clearly out of the woods, but I visited because I was worried about her spiritual health. She is (hopefully soon to be was) a lapsed Catholic who lapsed many moons ago. We chatted and then I enquired about the lapse in practice. In those moments, I try to stress that one need not stay outside -- you can always come home. Then I swung over to the nursing home and visited a couple of the residents. I was particularly struck by the moment when I imposed my hands before anointing one gentleman. He began to tremble -- not convulsively, but clearly in pain. As I placed my hands on his head, I could not help but think of the times my mother placed her hands on my head when I was feverish. From there, I swung over to the country jail to visit an inmate. He had been a parishioner but had lapsed in practice as of late. Frankly, I thought he had moved away. It wasn't clear how long he would be in or when he would be transferred. As the day ended, I ran to the local Kinko's to make copies for this weekend's Third Order Dominican Meeting in OKC.

Now, to forestall commentary, I don't tell you this to toot my horn or to elicit "well done" from anyone. I just know that I more often miss the mark of pastoral excellence. Quite frankly, I would suspect that most priests do exactly the same sorts of things in their average day. This is what makes priesthood greater than its attendant complications. What part of life did I not reach into, not because I am particularly astute or gifted but because I was given the sacred power via the sacrament of Order to do so. When you do what you are made for, then you can be called "Father" and not find in it a title of honor but rather a vocation to live up to.

I consider it divine justice that I was ordained on the Feast of St. Philip Neri. He was a priest known for his orthodoxy and his joy, his fidelity and his simplicity. I pray that today, every priest, throughout the world, thanks to the intercession of St. Philip, may have his heart expanded so that he may make greater room in it to love God and to love his little flock.

St. Philip Neri, pray for them.
St. John Vianney, pray for them.
Bl. Damien of Molokai, pray for them.

Announcing Something New!

In February 2004 I heard the word "blog" for the first time, from Fr. Tharp when he told me about his and Fr. Hamilton's endeavor to create Catholic Ragemonkey. Since then I have gone from a "frequent commentor" to last August becoming the East Coast correspondent for CRM. It has been a hoot.

Now, I'm not leaving CRM. I have, however, decided to start my own blog, Fr. JC Maximilian. Mostly I will be posting my Sunday homilies, and other spiritual reflections (i.e., reflections on spiritual books I am reading, bulletin pieces I write about the liturgy, saints, etc.). I have been sending my Sunday homilies to my sisters, parents, and a few friends. Well, they have been sharing them with their friends, so now I have a bunch a folks (especially in St. Louis, MO where my one sister and her family live) who wants them. I think it will be just as easy to post them to my own blog. Plus, hopefully with the help and guidance of our CRM techmonkeys, I will learn more about "html", whatever that is (I know it is some kind of computer lingo). I will be saving my more witty, at times sarcastic social and Church commentary for CRM.

If you check out "Fr. JC Maximilian" please keep in mind that it is still a work in progress.

The Numbers are Looking Better!

I know that many people who read CRM have been praying for me as I continue my treatment for thyroid cancer. Last month the main number they look at, TSH (which stands for "Thyroid Stimulating Hormone") was at 84. Now for folks without thyroid cancer a TSH over 5 is considered high (which means that I do not have enough TH, or Thyroid Hormone), and for people like me, for whom the TSH can stimulate the growth of the cancer, they want the TSH to be 0.0-something. Obviously mine was sky high, leaving me exhausted, irritable and depressed. My endocrinologist immediately increased my dosage of Synthroid to 200 mcg.

Since then I have been feeling merely tired all the time, not exhausted, and the smile on my face is more natural and less forced. I have been feeling more like my old self. I saw my doctor again today and my TSH is down to 5.6, which is MUCH closer to "normal." Now we are just fine tuning the dosage of Synthroid. Of course a major imbalance in part of your metabolism throws off other parts as well -- my LDL is back to normal, though a liver factor is still high as is my triglyserides. Over all, I am doing much better, so thank you all so much for your prayers.

A Good Day Off

Yesterday was my day off. To be honest, I am rather protective of my day off; God wanted Man to have a day of rest, to count his blessings and to be re-created, and priests generally do not get to do a lot of that on Sundays. Yesterday I had a very nice day off.

After my early morning Mass (6:25 a.m.), I made a "mini-pilgrimage." Since May is a Marian month, another priest and I decided to go to a church, named in honor of Our Lady, to pray three decades of the Rosary. We decided to go to a church we had not been to before, and about half way between us. Our Lady of Mercy in Englishtown, NJ fit the bill quite nicely. Our Lady of Mercy is a small, country church. While not a Gothic church, the church was very tasteful decorated, and the stain glass windows, while small, were very nice. The design of the church showed the devotion of the people who built it. One of the first things I noticed were the TWO Respect Life signs outside the church. It was great to see them boldly proclaiming the truth of the sanctity of human life.

Fr. Juan (my friend, the Opus Dei priest in Princeton) and I prayed the first decade in the devotional chapel, then another in the main body of the church, with meditations from St. Josemaria's book on the Rosary. After going to the rectory to pay our respect to the pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, we prayed our final decade standing outside the church, in front of the statue of our Lady. It was a relaxing, refreshing hour and a half.

The mini-pilgrimage was a wonderful idea of Fr. Juan's, demonstrating that you do not have to go far to make a special morning of prayer. Fr. Juan and I have been discussing forming a group for priest of the diocese to have monthly discussions of living and growing in the virtues as we minister as priests. Something to which those who participate can be supported and accountable. Not a religious order, but a bit more structured than the typical "priest support" group which often ends up being just a social group (which is great, too). Of course in the seminary we were held more accountable in our formation. As priests, while we are still suppose to work on on-going priestly formation, the activities of the parish can often "bump" that if it is just done on one's own. We don't know if there will be much interest, but we will pray about it.

After the morning of prayer, I slipped out of my new cassock, under which I had my "day off" clothes (jeans, golf shirt), I went to see Star Wars, Episode III. OK, I am of the age when the first Star Wars (Episode IV) was a life altering experience for some people. I just really liked that movie and "Empire Strikes Back." "Return of the Jedi" was fine, but IMHO not the same quality as the first two. Episodes I & II, well, I frankly thought blew big baby chunks. They struck me as really long comercials for merchandise. Of course I wanted to see Episode III just to see how the "Saga of Anakin" wrapped up, and left us primed for the "Saga of Luke" (the "Saga" bit is more my own organizational framework). However, two people told me that they thought that the Jedi Council vs. the Chancellor dynamic was interesting, and left you wondering which was the really "good" side. I do not want to give away any plot, and I don't think I will, but just in case YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP READING HERE BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER (there, I warned you).

I actually thought the dynamic left less of a confusion of who were the "good," but seemed to demonstrate the deceptiveness of Modernist and Post-Modernist thought. The Chancellor tries to woo Anakin by playing largely on emotivism, and a false philosophy of tolerance. The Jedis are "dogmatic" whereas the Chancellor wants Anakin to see that other perspectives could be just as good; that there is no real Truth. For the Chancellor, self-interest and power is the ultimate goal, even if it is dressed up in terms of "order," "justice", and "protecting democracy." Now, I am not saying that the Jedi Council is ideal, they do seem to speak in platitudes a lot; but I think the "unfairness" that Anakin rales against so much, is really more do to the Council wanting him to learn patience. While the two friends of mine who brought up the issue seemed to question which side was truly the right one, I did not see much confusion. In the end, I still do not think that this was a very good movie. I like character development, and in this film there were huge leaps, and basically just trying to do too much. While I have like Natalie Portman as an actress ever since I saw her in "Leon/The Professional" she did nothing for me in this film. The dialogue between Padme and Anakin sounded like something a 14 y/o would write -- it was sappy. I know that they had to end with Luke and Leia being born, to set up the "Saga of Luke," but besides that they could have cut Padme out of the film for the little it contributed to the film. They could have found another emotional cause, more closely related to the dynamic between the Jedi Council and the Chancellor for Anakin to be conflicted over, that would lead to his becoming Darth Vader, so that more attention could be given to developing that part of the plot. The large battle scene in the first 20 minutes of the film was visually very pleasing, but was largely wasted film for it did little to advance the story. This is in contrast to the large battle scenes at the end of Episodes IV and VI, where the story comes to a resolution in the battle. In this film the battle scene seemed to be there just to demostrate the special effects; we already knew that there was a war going on. While the film did not ruin my day off, it is not something which excited me as Episode IV still does, over 25 years after I saw it for the first time. I am glad that the series is finished, but in hindsight I think it would have been better to end with only 3 films (IV, V, VI).

No vacation from vocation
The modern media can be quite useful to the mission of the Church, even if not without some dilemmas. There is a helpful service at masstimes.org, which I am publishing in the parish bulletin. This service allows parishes to post their pertinent information and sacramental schedule so that faithful travelers can search out churches as they plan their vacations away from home. I have recently updated the listings for my three parishes: St. Peter, Guymon; Good Shepherd, Boise City; and Sacred Heart, Hooker. Don't forget about this great service and make your early planning for Mass a little act of faith in the midst of holiday planning. We have been called to be Christ's faithful people and, as regards Holy Mass, to "do this in remembrance of" him. There is no vacation from our vocation!

No, not vacation
Well, readers, I am back with a few posts. No, I have not been on vacation. I suppose I have not blogged much for a combination of reasons: grief at the death of my young parishioner, distractions galore at this busy time of year full of solemnities and special events (First Holy Communion, May Crowning, graduations, planning Corpus Christi...), and attending to some issues in the diocese (helping to intervene in the situation of which Fr. Tharp has posted, and helping one of our retired priests realize he needs to move into an assisted living center).

The bottom line is that I have not felt much like posting on the blog and/or I have been too busy to get around to it. But I am still around and I am doing fine. Now if only I could get rid of all of this paperwork on my desk...

Adios, Amigo!

In the sad news department, Fr. Sibley has decided to conclude his blog. Certainly, I felt a friendly sort of rivalry with him, since I was trying to be Mr. Funny Man...sorry, Fr. Funny Man. His presence in the blogosphere will be duly missed.

Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Several days ago Fr. Tharp posted on feeling hurt that the good folks over at Johnlet, who had apparently traveled through Oklahoma, did not stop to visit at least one Reverend Ragemonkey. I, too, was alarmed at the discovery and I demanded reparation in the form of a new and cuter-than-ever photo essay of John Francis (the little star of Johnlet) specifically dedicated to Catholic Ragemonkey.

Well, days have passed since I "anted up" and I see no response on Johnlet. So, I am turning up the heat with this post. If a photo of little John Francis dressed in a full monkey outfit is not posted on Johnlet soon, I will ... I will ... I will shut down Fr. Sibley's blog, A Saintly Salmagundi! Oh, wait, Fr. Sibley has already decided to do that himself. Okay. Well, then, I will ... I will begin a hunger strike! That's it! I will refuse to eat and drink until the good folks at Johnlet comply. Be looking for hunger strike updates, dear readers!

Can you tell that I have been busy?

My apologies for not blogging more over the last couple of days. There has been a lot of chaos here at my parish trying to tie up loose ends and making a list of new things that need dealing with. There is one matter however that I wanted to mention to all readers and to ask their intercession.

This time, last week, I left a message saying that I had to attend to a small emergency. The emergency entailed an intervention on the behalf of one of the priests of the diocese. I am not at liberty to go into details (and I strongly recommend that readers from OK who are in the know don't go into details either) but this priest has some personal problems of a non-moral nature that have been brewing and needed dealing with. He is currently receiving treatment for this matter and we hope to have him back in the diocese soon. I would ask then for two things from readers.

One, please pray for this priest and for all priests who feel overwhelmed. Speaking as the pastor of three parishes, life feels awfully scattershot when you are juggling three places. Two, please, some time soon, thank your pastor and the parochial vicars for what they do. Priests invariably hear 20 times the criticism compared to the praise. And not that priests should work or live for praise. But it is awfully lonely to feel as though you are dragging the flock, kicking and screaming, toward salvation with no one of the flock all that interested in going the way you are. So, do him and yourself and favor and mention one positive thing that you think he specifically brings to the parish.

Thanks for your assistance in this matter.

Battle Bot Follow Up

I have added some further thoughts on the post about ecclesial movements. You can find it below. Jump in and add your two cents.