I will fight to the death until liposuction is safe, legal, and readily available to all women who want...

... and who did I just start sounding like?

Confirmation of A Different Anecdote

I link this not simply to remind folks that the movement for women's ordination (and its assumptions) are afoot even after the Pope says, "Move on." I link this because it confirms a story someone related to me when the Clergy Abuse Scandal broke in Boston. As I expressed, along with many others, how did this happen, an elder priest said to me, "I am not surprised it didn't happen sooner; the Boston Archdiocese has been in a spiritual turmoil for decades now." Now, I am not one judge the merits of a comment merely because he or she who said it or a group based on one comment. However, it seems that this is an eminently sane and elegant partial explanation. When diocesan officials can be so in tune with the Faith that they can commit acts which publicly renounce and vitiate the Faith, clearly the hiring practices of the diocese need to be veted. But that's just me again...

I Guess At Least One of Those Consents Are Valid...

... or not. Can you see the real potential for invalidity.

Terry Schiavo, Round Two?

I beg to differ post #138402

The find is starling; the page it was open to is coincidental. Given that about 1/5 of the Psalms deal with Israel pleading for assistance against its enemies, the odds are pretty good you would have found one of those pages on top. Either way, it is a remarkable find given all the things which were against it.

St. Peregrine, pray for him!

Sorry, I am a little behind on this. I read somewhere that the surgery went off without a hitch. Let us remember him so that his recovery will be swift and he can get back to the head of his flock.

This only works if you don't mind the smell

The only question I have is after this, how will brimstone be employed to bring peace to the spotted owl?

Meet A Saint You Might Not Know Much About

Today is the memorial of St. Sharbel (or Charbel), hermit and priest of Lebannon. Given the situation in the Middle East, perhaps, we should seek his intercession for a peaceful resolution.

Checking my internal sympathy meter ... Checking ... Yeah, Not a Shred of Sympathy ...

Yes, I know this is cruel but I can hardly help it. He didn't check out the show by watching a few episodes; he let his staffers (who by the way apparently didn't warn him) cojole him into going on the show; so it's his fault.

Granted an equal case could be made for the host shouldn't make his living this way, but that is the nature of satire.

Just When I Thought Things Couldn't Get Weirder...

...but I invoke my usual criterion: you assert it, you prove it. I would love to see a DNA protocol for this one.

Would Appreciate Your Input

I am planning a trip to Seattle in October. (Yes, I am conspiring with Mark Shea for the complete takeover and conversion of the Western U.S. with a combination of two tools: beards, crushing wit, and devestating appreciation of Monty Python.) I am trying my best to find the best deal on airline tickets and was wondering what you all suggest is the best airline website.

I saw this when in New York and you should get a copy soon...

...I am incorporating it into RCIA and RE here in Alva. We'll see what fruit it yields.

Great, Something Else to Contend With On Thursdays...

Personally, I bear a striking resemblance to Baldur and Odin so maybe I am in not such bad straits.

A Brief Update on the Efforts to Evangelize Our Neighbors

Because he is still tied up with his efforts, I wanted to fill you in on what is happening with our RCIA summit as it is being expressed in that place most people don't want to deal with; you know it better as reality.

Thus far, I have watched with my 6 people for RCIA Inquiry four of the six available "Footprints of God". Tonight, though, was noteworthy in that the four folks that attended were chalk-a-block with questions and observations. What started as an evening on the Blessed Virgin Mary turned into a conversation on Martin Luther, purgatory, penance and other topics. So, I am so excited because it is a sign that the participants are engaging with the material and their hearts are being solely opened.

Now, my cohort is tied up tonight with his own RCIA program but he is also hosting the final week of Totus Tuus in the Archdiocese. You could read more about the program and how to bring to your neck of the woods here. The reviews so far have been great. Hopefully this will lead to the foundation of a program here.

I guess that explains all those nasty fences around airports...

When in doubt, summon the Carmelites!

I have said it before; I will say it again, "Thank you, Most Soverign Trinity, for giving us Benedict XVI." He has the ability to see so clearly when ideology and falsehood could reign. Let us pray for our enemies that they become our friends in Christ.

A Change of Tactic May Be In Order

I am something of a musical snob. Particularly, I have zero interest in that genre called Christian Contemporary. Put another way, I put the "contempt" in Christian Contemporary music. It is just one of those "de gustibus non disputantem est" things. Frankly, I don't find 16 bars of "I Love Jesus" repeatedly endlessly not particularly artful. And don't even get me started on using this genre at Mass.

However, lately, I have been struck by a need to be more famaliar with these artists, especially Catholic purveyors. I might be able to appreciate Palestrina or Mozart, but that doesn't mean that my young charges will be able to understand it. If I want to make a connection, I probably need to hit on the best of what's out there. It might not be fitting for the Liturgy, but it could do really good work in people's cars.

Relevant Radio has got a tasty show, SpiritJuice, which I am going to use as the template. Check out the Jack Lewis' Catholic House album, in which exercepts from Fr. Corapi are spun with ragin' House Music. It's funky cool.

Reminds me of a joke I once heard...

"Once there were three ministers chatting, a priest, a Protestant pastor, and a rabbi, who were complaining of bats infesting their churches. Each had tried various means but had been largely unsuccessful. The priest suddenly, struck with inspiration, said he had to go; he had thought of a perfect solution. The next week the three get together for lunch and the priest happily admitted that the bats were gone. The other two were astonished.
'How did you do it,' both men exclaimed.
'It was simple. I baptized, confirmed, and married the whole lot of them, and I haven't darkened the door of my church since.'"

I guess this is going to ruin Leslie Gorenstein's day...

Personally, I think it is sad that Suri Cruise is being described in the same way we describe Sasquatch.

Even More Catholic Radioliciousness

While I am on hold, preparing to be interviewed on Relevant Radio, I wanted to tell everyone about the new upgrades. First, the audio archive has gotten more sophisticated and are very user-friendly. Second, there are new shows and access to local shows from around the Relevant Radio series. Third, all hail the Tech Squirrels; they have incorporated podcasting into the services they provide.

Check everything out here

Oklahoma City Ascendant

When the Hornets arrived here during their exile from New Orleans, I suspected that this meant that the status of Oklahoma City, as a metroplex, was changing. For a major league team to not consider coming to Oklahoma City as a demotion, it signaled that in people's mind, Oklahoma City was a viable major city, or at least was headed toward major city status. Further, the good turnout for Hornets games also spelled something good for the future.

Well, friends, that future may be upon us. Now, once again, I could only vaguely care. The genetic sequences necessary for sports enthusiasm were removed to make room for other more important things, like machination construction. But I can easily see how, if the Supersonics were to move to Oklahoma City, it could spell better recreation opportunities which in turn could spell more companies coming to the area.

Granted, the Seattle folks seem a little, well, peeved. Of course, I hope they are over it before I arrive in October. I would hate to catch flack just because I am from the Sooner State.

For those who don't want to buy one, the Holy See gives you an online version of both the Catechism and the Compendium. Biretta Tip to Rosary Army for letting me know it was out here.

Desperation, Thy Name is the CBS Marketing Department...

Well, in fact, this seems to make more sense than my previous obcession with Batman, although it's not like I need another obcession.

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 90% Superman 85% Spider-Man 80% Iron Man 75% Hulk 70% Batman 65% Robin 62% Supergirl 47% The Flash 45% Wonder Woman 42% Catwoman 25%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Is the Carmelite Convent too far away?

Fr. Groeschel is fond of saying that he is praying for Madonna and that in her re-conversion to the Catholic Faith, she will enter the Carmelites. Given her marriage and children, the third order will have to do. Remember to pray for all celebrities that fame and fortune will not divide them from Christ.

Distant Ragemonkey Relative Makes Good

This is not what is meant by "Fishers of Men"

In case you are wondering, Fr. Hamilton is not around. That's right, if you hoof it over to Kingfisher, you will find the pastor out of town. The real question is where is he?

Well, Fr. H is up in Alaska with the male parental unit (a dad for the uninitiatied) trying to catch salmon. Of course, I have insisted that he bring some dry ice so that salmon may be shipped to a certain rectory in Northwest Oklahoma.

At any rate, please remember him and his travelling companions during this vacation period.

For Those Who Cannot Commit the 2.5 hours needed for the new version...

Another Member of the Chattering Classes Prattles On About The Role of Freedom...

...oh wait, I thought some of those points seemed particularly correct and well-written.

Is that the right word for it?

I think the word I want is "pangyric." The following essay is a combo -- both a rundown of my week with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and some reflections on that experience. Trust me. What follows is not what you usually get from me.

So, Friday last, June 23rd, I boarded a train in Latrobe, PA after the completion of an excellent conference. In so many ways, the conference was enlightening, refreshing, and envigorating. Most importantly, the conference sought the most essential truth to theological education, that theology is best done on one's knees. Prayer pervaded the time of study so much that many guys said they thought that they were on retreat. While I was cheered by that reflection, I was a little dismayed. After all, theological reflection is the springboard of prayer, at least it always has been to me. I can't take credit for that insight; it was the essence of what many of my professors at Saint Charles imbued us with.

Anyway, I got on the train with two seminarians and a priest from New York. On board, I discovered we were sitting next to two other priests. So this made the trip really fun and interesting as we discussed our lives as priests, two of us being recently ordained, one retired, and a religious priest who worked at Riker's. Yes, he had the badge and everything. What made the trip hard however was the imcompetence of Amtrak. The train was a couple of hours late regularly delayed and stymied every step of the way. In the end, we all got safely to New York. However, by the time I was done with Amtrak I was done with trains, subways, and the like. I caught a cab to Harlem to meet up with the Friars at Saint Joseph's. Friday night was uneventful as Fr. Luke and I enjoyed some company and I ate a late, light dinner. I was really pleasant all said.

Saturday started early with Office of Readings at 6:00 a.m. (Yeah, I know. Not what everyone envisions a vacation as.) After an hour of quiet reading and prayer (and unpacking) we prayed Morning Prayer, celebrated Mass, and trucked over to the Bronx for a day of work. Normally, the friars, on Saturdays, do work in a pro-life vein, often spending the entire morning at a local abortion clinic, praying and counseling women coming in. For whatever reason, that didn't happen. Instead we worked at Saint Crispin's and Our Lady of the Angels helping the brothers in whatever way we could. My job was to clean out the garage and the basement so that it was more user-friendly. It was quite a little workout. Part of that job was to move a work bench, a bench that was too big by about an inch to get through a particular door. Between one other visitor, myself, and Brother Tobias, we managed to partially disassemble the table and move it into the garage. We also removed the door and then I promptly lost the door screws. It was a flurry of intercession to Saint Anthony which led to their turning up. Before the day was out it was already being put to good use. By the time we return to Harlem, I was beat and ready for sleep to say the very least.

Sunday, however, was something of a treat. On Sunday, we hoped in the van and booked it down to Philadelphia for the 25th anniversay party for EWTN. Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Rigali who preached I thought an excellent homily in an understated fashion. In other words, very few verbal fireworks but a powerful vision of the life in Christ delievered in a way which if reflected upon had radical implications for the lives we Christians lead today. It was a nice event also in that I got to connect with priest friends and acquaitences from around the area. So, Fr. Francis, Fr. Anthony, and Fr. Mark from the Missionary Franciscans of the Eternal Word were present (of course) as was one of my professors (Fr. Shawn Mahoney - chaplain at Temple University) and a school mate of mine (Fr. Stephen McDermott of Philadelphia). Also, Fr. Benedict Groeschel was there and that set the stage for the next exciting event of the day.

I think that I have mentioned in the past my connection to Fr. Benedict, but a brief summary might be helpful to readers. I met Fr. Benedict in 1995 while on the Spiritual Year in Northhampton, PA. From there, Father's and my paths would cross from time to time in our various junkets around the East Coast. Then in 2000, Fr. Benedict conducted my priesthood retreat. From there the friendship has continued and still does today. When he saw me in the sacristy he said, "Shane, what are you doing here?!" I guess he wasn't expecting a bad penny to keep showing up. Okay, back to the story.

After the Mass, we hopped back into the van and sped up to Yonkers so that we could be in the audience for Fr. Benedict's show on EWTN. Points go to eagle eyed reader, carl, for spotting me in the crowd. We won't repeat the hurtful comment that Fr. Hamilton made at my expense but it was a really great experience. Father Benedict spoke that night on the virtue of hope, and he very deftly handled the subject matter and the calls that came in. So Sunday was a long day, mostly because of being in the car.

Monday turned into a major workout. On Monday, myself and one of the guys visiting the community went to help at St. Crispin's with the weekly food distribution. The friars every Monday distribute food to those in the neighborhood. What is really interesting is what goes on during the food distribution: one friar leads the group in Rosary and preaches/teaches the crowd who show up. It looked like a well-oiled machine with mostly neighborhood folks coming by for whatever assistance could be provided. After that we helped with the clean up of the house because they had some masonry work done and the dust was EVERYWHERE.

Tuesday and Thursday were largely the same. The morning was spent preparing lunch for the local folks at St. Joseph's Table. On Wednesday, we helped at the friary in Yonkers, especially Casa Juan Diego which is an apostolate and outreach to immigrants.

But in the end, what is most important about this contact is the parts I am not telling. You see, there are so many things about the Friars of the Renewal which commend them to me. Their life is very serious and very rigorous and quite frankly, it is quite attractive. If you are discerning a vocation to the religious life, I would say, "run, don't walk" to the nearest friary.

In all seriousness, my time with the friars was one of the most edifying experiences of my life. The humility and simplicity with which these men go about their mission was simply stunning. And even when you caught a whiff of tension, perhaps an old argument or tussle, they still genuinely liked and cared for one another. The friars give me hope for the future of the Church. What they do is not easy; it's humanly impossible. I can see how God is clearly working in their community and transforming the Church at large. So, remember to pray for them. After all they had to put up with me for a week. That's penance enough for anyone.