General

Before I forget, I wanted to post this picture of a brick. I don’t know why, and it’s a total non sequitur, and has nothing to do with much of anything that’s been going on lately. It’s a completely random update.

It’s from a memorial walk in Natchez, Mississippi, in a public park right next to the Cathedral. I was visiting with a family friend who had brought me to see the Cathedral, though it was closed.

Aside from liking the name, and thinking that Stokes must have been quite a character, I found myself wondering who on earth he was. What a great name. You can imagine the stories, “That ol’ Stokes!”…

So I googled it and realized it’s actually two surnames. I think. So disappointing… to me at least.

On the bright side, the garden is nearing a state of completion, although the cement pond has sprung a virulent leak. Also, I’m settling in and am almost living a box free life. (This is a good development.) The next project is my office.

Also, praying the Holy Spirit Novena again, which I had posted in January. Wonderful prayer. Here’s to a grand Feast of Pentecost.

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Given that St. Louis is the Patron Saint of New Orleans, and the Cathedral there is named after him, it seemed fitting to make a pilgrimage to his resting place. He’s at the Basilica of St. Denis, which contains the Royal Necropolis. It’s built over the grave of St. Denis, early Bishop of Paris.

Come to find out, there’s only a little bit of him left — part of a finger to be exact, and it’s in a beautiful reliquary in a special chapel which predominates the upper Sanctuary at the very crown of the church.

Almost all of the Catholic French monarchs are buried there including everyone’s favorite, Marie Antoinette. She’s in the middle, on the left.

Many of the tombs were originally decorated with these funereal statues. During the revolution they were saved by a savvy statesman who claimed them as national art treasures. The family remains were all removed, and the funereal statues / coffins were removed to a museum. Later, everything was moved back, but most of the monarchs’ remains have been placed in a large common ossuary, except for those who could be identified. For instance, the monarchs after Napoleon, and Marie Antionette and her husband Louis XVI, who were moved from the grave they were placed in quite unceremoniously after they were murdered, had their remains placed in their own graves here.

Here is a cape worn by Louis VII during some of the royal ceremonies of St. Denis, back in his day.

And below is from a print, showing how the Church was draped and made ready for the funeral of a Queen of France.

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Well one thing has finally led to another and I have a new, very stable computer. No more crashes every hour!

It’s taking some getting used to, but in a good way. It’s a Mac.

At any rate, this is a great development.

Peace, out.

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Calumny is defined by the Catholic Encylopedia (1917) as “Etymologically any form of ruse or fraud employed to deceive another, particularly in judicial proceedings. In its more commonly accepted signification it means the unjust damaging of the good name of another by imputing to him a crime or fault of which he is not guilty. The sin thus committed is in a general sense mortal, just as is detraction.

That means that if, say for instance, a Pastor spreads false rumors about his associate he is guilty of calumny. If one spreads any type of false rumors about another, they are guilty of calumny.

Unfortunately, it’s one of the most common forms of manipulation in religious life.

Coming up later… Detraction.

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Putting the weblog on a leave of absence while I take vacation. After that I will redo it and put it up somewhere else.

Until then it’s always a wonderful resource for friends and family to be able to keep in touch, so… it’s still up.

Peace.

Update: I had asked for a bit of time off to settle my parents’ estate, which went very well, and during that time the site automatically renewed. So… it’s back to BAU.

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From the Gospel reading today, Mark 4:35-41, we get the wonderful image of the Calming of the Storm.

Yon Galilee

The Sea of Galillee is known as Lake Kinneret around and about Israel. Kinneret means ‘harp’; the lake is harp shaped, though the name is taken from an ancient town which was located on the northwest shore. Galilee means “circle” and it’s the name of the lake and the region where it is located.

It’s below sea level, about 695 feet below at that, making it the lowest freshwater lake in the world. Because it is so low, air from the nearby mountains or deserts can settle in and cause rapid shifts in weather patterns, creating huge storms over the sea. It’s one such storm that the Gospel brings to life.

I visited the Sea of Galilee several years ago and was struck by it’s beauty. No picture I have ever seen does it justice, or prepares one for the rich abundance of the area. It’s no wonder God chose to live in that area for several years.

One of the most popular images of the calming of the storm on the internet is a picture of that name done by Rembrandt, The Calming of the Storm . It’s currently on the list of the FBI’s Top Ten Art Crimes! Who knew! (Great images of Biblical themes can also be explored via the Biblical Art Site.)

man of gentleness, man of peace, with words of life

Exploring and meditating on the life of Jesus Christ, which of course is what a Christian does, we note he’s a man of great gentleness, a man of peace; his words are life giving.

That description has been with me for several months now, and I keep going back to it, dwelling upon it to model my own life. In the calming of the storm we often look at the metaphorical level: Jesus calms the storms of our often troubled lives.

That’s great. Obviously.

But we should also look to the fact that we are called to be Christ-like, and that we are called to be people of peace in a world which is often troubled.

A must see.

There’s a movie made in 2002 about John XXIII, his life, his election as Pontiff, his pontificate and ultimate calling of Vatican II. It’s a must see.

In it, he says of the Pope to be elected, that he must be a man who has peace in his heart. Because if a man has peace in his heart, then all else will work out well.

And of course peace in our heart comes from submission to the rules of right living, which is what a submission to Christ is. A true submission in humility, patient endurance, in love… It’s not about an idle or fearful subservience, rather it’s a submission to the rules of right living, a recipe for greatness, and a call to nobility of character.

Right living produces right results.

St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians reminds us today about love. The Corinthians were the recipients of a fantastic reminder of the greatest gift, the gift of love, in Paul’s first letter to them (1Cor13 ) Of course being all too human they needed a second letter from Paul to stay on course. (I mention that because I can relate to so well to being human.)

Through love, a loving personal relationship with Jesus Christ, through faith in him, we are transformed and made mysteriously new. All things are renewed by Christ’s redemptive work. It’s mysterious; no one expects that everyone will believe or accept that fact.

But it’s also true, and will transform the lives of those who believe. Immersed in Jesus Christ we are made new; we become a new creation in a mysterious, yet very real, way. We become oriented to understanding the mysteries of Faith, of Scripture, religion, of spirituality.

People of Peace

Becoming an instrument of peace in the world today is probably one of the greatest things that one can do with one’s life. We need to have healing hearts. We need to all become men and women of peace, men and women of gentleness, whose words are life giving.

Thomas Merton wrote of peace:

To adopt a way of life that is essentially nonassertive, non- violent, a life of humility and peace is in itself a statement of oneís position. But each one in such a life can, by the personal modality of his position, give his whole life a special orientation.

It is my intention to make my entire life a rejection of, a protest against the crimes and in- justices of war and political tyranny which threaten to destroy the whole race of man and the world with him. By my monastic life and vows I am saying no to all the concentration camps, the aerial bombardments, the staged political trials, the judicial murders, the racial injustices, the economic tyrannies, and the whole socioeconomic apparatus, which seems geared for nothing but global destruction in spite of all its fair words in favor of peace.

I make monastic silence a protest against the lies of politicians, propagandists, and agitators, and when I speak it is to deny that my faith and my church can ever be aligned with these forces of injustices and destruction. But it is true, nevertheless, that the faith in which I believe is also invoked by many who believe in war, believe in racial injustices, believe in selfrighteous and lying forms of tyranny. My life must, then, be a protest against these also, and perhaps against these most of all.

Our lives are a witness to peace.

John XXIII left us great advice:

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” John XXIII

For future reference, check out the Catholic Peace Fellowship.

Called to greatness, called to noble lives, we are instruments of God’s peace in our time on Earth.

Men and women of peace, men and women of life, of gentleness, with words that are life giving for all.

So let it be written. So let it be done.

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I cannot imagine a better way to spend Corpus Christi Sunday than with the Mass, a wonderful lunch with friends, a liesurely walk and a relaxing evening. Add to that a great time visiting over breakfast and it was a lovely day all around.

The image here is the Lamb of God; I’m liking it a lot. And this image of the Holy Face, below, is in the archives too. Maybe they’ll end up in the design concept of the weblog because as anyone can clearly see, the design concept of this blog could use a little work!

All things in their time! Rome wasn’t built in a day! God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change… etc. etc. I can though, work on changing that in or by January.

Great Corpus Christi article by Rick Salbato here, and of course from the Catholic blogs aggregator here and here.

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“Two of the pubs near Oxford which C.S. Lewis frequented were The Trout and The Six Bells.

Some of Lewis’s American readers had written him to inquire about his views on drinking alcoholic beverages. His response to them was in no uncertain terms:

‘I have always in my books been concerned simply to put forward mere Christianity, and am no guide on these (most regrettable) interdenominational questions. I do however most strongly object to the tyrannic and unscriptural insolence of anything that calls itself a Church and makes teetotalism a condition of membership.

Apart from the more serious objection (that Our Lord Himself turned water into wine and made wine the medium of the only rite He imposed on all His followers), it is so provincial (what I believe you people call small town). Don’t they realize that Christianity arose in the Mediterranean world where, then as now, wine was as much a part of the normal diet as bread?”

C. S. Lewis: Images of His World by Douglas Gilbert & Clyde S. Kilby

Courtesy of The Six Bells Blog.

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Can you wait? Can you stand the excitement!? Neither can I…. It’s the Year for Priests

“Here I am everyone! Come unto me!”

I have the feeling I’m a bit cynical going into this. I truly want to be prayerful about it.

As we shortly commemorate the “150th anniversary of the pious departure to Heaven of St John Mary Vianney, the Curé d’Ars”, the Year for Priests will commence.

The Year for Priests, announced by our beloved Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of the saintly Curé of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney, is drawing near. It will be inaugurated by the Holy Father on the 19th June, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. The announcement of the Year for Priests has been very warmly received, especially amongst priests themselves[oops.]. Everyone wants to commit themselves with determination, sincerity and fervour so that it may be a year amply celebrated in the whole world – in the Dioceses, parishes and in every local community – with the warm participation of our Catholic people who undoubtedly love their priests and want to see them happy, holy and joyous in their daily apostolic labours.

Well it’s certainly a good opportunity to get in the spirit of things. There are special indulgences attached:

A. Truly repentant priests who, on any day, devoutly recite at least morning Lauds or Vespers before the Blessed Sacrament, exposed for public adoration or retained in the tabernacle, and who, after the example of St John Mary Vianney, offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the sacraments, especially Confession, are mercifully granted in God the Plenary Indulgence, which they may also apply in suffrage to their deceased brethren, if, in conformity with the current norms, they receive sacramental confession, participate in the Eucharistic banquet and pray for the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions.

Furthermore the Partial Indulgence is granted to priests, who may likewise apply it to their deceased confreres, every time that they devoutly recite the prayers duly approved so as to lead a holy life and to carry out in a holy manner the offices entrusted to them.

B. The Plenary Indulgence is granted to all the faithful who are truly repentant who, in a church or in a chapel, devoutly attend the divine Sacrifice of Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, for the priests of the Church, and any other good work which they have done on that day, so that he may sanctify them and form them in accordance with His Heart, as long as they have made expiation for their sins through sacramental confession and prayed in accordance with the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions: on the days in which the Year for Priests begins and ends, on the day of the 150th anniversary of the pious passing of St John Mary Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month or on any other day established by the local Ordinaries for the benefit of the faithful.

It will be most appropriate, in cathedral and parish churches, for the same priests who are in charge of pastoral care to publicly direct these exercises of devotion, to celebrate Holy Mass and to hear the confession of the faithful.

I am going to pray for the grace to be open to the upcoming Year for Priests.

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Today the Easter Season is over and it’s the return to ordinary time: Ordinary meaning counted.

The Rev. Bosco Peters of the Aglican Communion, has a wonderful article on his site.

There is nothing “ordinary” about “Ordinary Time”. Ordinary Time is not about common, regular, mundane, or run of the mill. Ordinary Time comes from the word “ordinal” as in “ordinal numbers”. Remember your Maths: Cardinal numbers answer “how many?” “Ordinal Numbers” tell the rank, they answer “what position?” Ordinal Numbers are first, second, third, fourth, etc.

His home page has an interesting blurb on ecumenism, too. Peruse to the bottom.    Today’s also the Feast of Justin, Marytr, early Father of the Church.

Il Papa Benedicto talks about the role of the Laity, an ever endearing topic:

“The Church, therefore, is not the result of a sum of individuals, but a unity among those who are nourished by the Word of God and the Bread of Life,” the Pontiff noted.

Basically, he’s reaffirming the Biblical concepts of our unity in Christ, as we’ve done for centuries. The Church is not the Clergy and the Heirarchy, it’s not the buildings: it’s the people of God, the Body of Christ living and breathing it’s vocation in the world, each one of us living out our Baptismal calling. Sweet.

In politics what isn’t happening? Is it the death of the GOP?

Senate Republicans do not need to resort to the kind of hysterical lies Ted Kennedy told about Robert Bork in 1987, nor those told by Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas in 1991. They simply need to look long and hard at this nominee’s long oral and paper trail and let her record speak for itself. If they do not — or if they do and find the kind of radical ideology Obama embraces — and then vote for her out of fear of a popular president, we should order the headstone that reads, “RIP, GOP,” for this great party will be headed for the ash heap of history, right alongside the Whigs.

As a Catholic citizen of the USA I’ve grown a bit calloused toward politics lately. I’m starting to identify more with my faith and with my spiritual beliefs than with any particular party, and even more with my Faith than with the nation. I love the USA, don’t get me wrong. But I find every side is getting more vehement. The Republicans in Congress are complete cavers. the Democrats seem to be more interested in partisan politics than any serious purpose, and Obama seems interested in complete socialization. The right wingers shriek and the left wingers shriek.  There’s so much hate building up. I don’t want to take part in the hate. That being said I love my faith, and I love the USA, so … cause for further reflection. Senator Tom Coburn, writes over at Red State that:

To our founders, America was, and is, an idea that trusts individuals more than the government, and it is an idea that trusts the competition of ideas and the entrepreneurial spirit to produce a more fair and just outcome than the cold calculations of governing elites.

The dignity and life of the individual over the life of government, now that’s Catholic!

Fr. Ryan Larson’s Pentecost Homily.

Then over at Bloomberg they’re dissing the stimulus and comparing it to a sugar high.  (How surprising!)

Ten Scandalous Facts about historic figures has the beta to quench the curiousity (Hitler was a tax evader, Gandi was a dirty old man…).And if you truly have nothing to do in your life…. Facebook is using Twitter!

Taking pause here, there’s a story out podnering the abuse in the Church and wondering if the abuse is Irish or is it Catholic?

Damian Thompson has a tough question to ask about the Irish abuse scandal. “How much of the abuse was Irish and how much of it was Catholic?”

“Journalists noticed (but scarcely dared point out) that” the worldwide abuse scandal “seemed concentrated among the Irish Catholic diaspora.”

He said a prominent American priest scholar agrees …

Abuse is abuse and let’s not cut corners or throw stones. Socialogically one might wonder, but seriously, if it happened in the Church, it happened and let’s deal with it and prevent it from happening again. Are we going to start pointing fingers at the Irish now?

Rick Salbato’s article on Information vs. Knowledge is right on tack. ‘Are People Stupid?” he asks. Yes. And I am in that number more often than I would prefer to be.

Enough with the information overload for today… Aside from abortionist murders and plane crashes.  Peace out.

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Pentecost. Filled with spiritual import.

Briefly, here is a wonderful article by Rick Salbato, who’s writing is always clear and well thought out, the result of a prayerful life.

Judge Sotomayor’s record on abortion, obviously important with Supreme Court nominees, is reviewed at the Supreme Court’s weblog ,(who knew…) The verdict: still out.

On a completely different note, I wonder what Aquila and Prisiclla were doing on the Feast of Pentecost after they met Paul?

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I love that quote. John 21:22.

It’s just that we so often (and by ‘we’ I am euphamistically referring to ‘me’; and not in the royal sense, but in the sense that I’m of course better than everyone else, [not!]) so where was I again…

We so often get concerned with everything *but* the things we actually need to be concerned with. Peter just gets the word he’ll be killed for JC, and sees John strolling along the peaceful sea shore. Who wouldn’t wonder if there’s a better option? An easier way?

Anyway. It’s in the reading today and I had a moment of spare time. I guess I should unregulate blogging from my spare time and pursue it a bit more intentionally. Perhaps.

What concern is it of yours? We wonder upon so much in life…

We only have to worry about doing the ‘next thing right’; not the ‘next right thing’, anyway.

Peace out, off for a small hike.

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