Mug relief

Here is a much more pleasing face to look at!



we will be blessed to have Fr. Brian Mullady O.P. in Boise September 24-27. He is here for a mass of investiture into the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. The Lay Chapter will be putting together some events around his visit as his time permits. Will keep you posted!

Today is the Feast of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei.

which is worth celebrating.

and no, this is not the result of too much celebrating, but a fall at the airport last week, resulting in broken nose. I'm less than cheery this week, but much better than Tues when I was startled by the zombie in the mirror!

The incompetence of reason to determine spiritual truth

From "The Invitation Heeded" by James Kent Stone (Fr. Fidelis of the Cross)

Part II, Chapter I
The Incarnation and the mission of the Holy Ghost

The loftiest of the ancient philosophers confessed the incompetence of reason to determine spiritual truth, and looked forward, with an instinct of prophetic anticipation, to the advent of a god who might remove uncertainty by the word of divine authority (Plato in Epinomide). It is time for Protestants to ask themselves whether they are any better off that Plato was. For them, a God has come – and gone. The Divine Word walks the earth no more; and for the ascertaining of truth it is as if he had never descended from heaven. Christianity has furnished many new and glorious ideas, so novel indeed and so beautiful that men call it a revelation. But when we come to sift the meaning of this expression, it only signifies that a new domain of speculation has been thrown open, in which the human intellect may wander up and down, and admire – and doubt. The relation of truth to reason, the appeal to which it makes to the mind, is the same now as before. The reception of what are called Christian doctrines is simply the assent of the understanding to propositions the truth of which appears probable (As Chillingworth has not only admitted, but endeavored to prove).

Men have what they call faith. But it is evident that this belief is only a number of opinions, more or less strong, and differing from any other intellectual judgments only in this, that they are of such a nature as to excite emotion, suggest comfort, and inspire hope. The very hope thus awakened in the mind is of a sort which shows the character of the belief from which it springs; for it is a looking anxiously forward – I am speaking, be it remembered, of protestants – to a future state, in which present doubt shall be exchanged for knowledge, and the mists of uncertainty be dissolved in the effulgence of light. This is in effect precisely what Plato did. ‘And exactly what St. Paul did,’ you quickly exclaim. Ah, dear friend, how clearly, if you could only see it, this very appeal of yours shows how utterly you have failed to comprehend the nature of Catholic faith! You quote St. Paul as if he had said, ‘Now I doubt, but then shall I know.’ St. Paul was a Catholic, and he spoke as a Catholic. And his words were: “NOW I KNOW” – I know now, and I shall know then; the assurance is the same, the measure of cognition alone is different; “now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known.”

[…]

If the Lord Jesus Christ were to come back to us, in the glory of his majesty, how quickly would we cease our dogmatizing, and hush our disputings. With one accord we would exclaim, ‘the Messsias is come, and he will teach us all things.’ Dear friend, he is here now; he is here today in the midst of us, radiant with the irresistible tokens of divinity, addressing us in awful tones of authority; in the person of his Church he comes and lays his hand upon you, and says, “I that speak unto thee am he.”

This is not a fiction of speech. It is no bold metaphor. The Church is the voice of God, speaking to the world now as it spoke eighteen hundred years ago. The God whose possible coming was dimly conceived by the intuition of the Greek philosopher has actually come. And has the meaning of that advent ever shown in upon your mind? Have you ever apprehended, have you even begun to apprehend, the appalling fact of he Incarnation? The infinite, eternal God brought himself within bounds; he took upon him a reasonable soul and human flesh; he suffered death as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; he created a Church, and built it upon a rock, and said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it;” he chose his representatives, an in words of omnipotence he invested them with their awful commission; to one of them he gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven; to all of them he said: “whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven;” he breathed upon them, saying, “receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained;” he pronounced upon them those sentences of unutterable import: “as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you:” “he that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me:” “all power is given to me in heaven and in earth: go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”

James Kent Stone converted to the Catholic Church after Pius IX, on convoking the Vatican Council, invited Protestants to return to the Church which Christ established. His unprejudiced response, after long and careful examination of conscience, was to leave the priesthood of the Protestant Episcopal Church (USA) and enter the priesthood of the Catholic Church and entered the Passionists, where, known as Fr. Fidelis of the Cross, he late in life, served in their highest office.

All is not all

There are those outside the sheepfold of Jesus Christ who attack the sinlessness of Mary, perverting very words of Holy Scripture, to wit:

All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God [Romans 3:23]

It not being enough to point out that all cannot be inclusive of every single one, lest one deny the sinlesness of Jesus Christ, who was without sin [Heb 4:15]. Yet even with the clear fact that the biblical "All" is a subset of the common use of "All" which means every single person, they object that Jesus can be excluded because, well, He's Jesus! and that exclusion can't possibly belong to anyone else who is a mere mortal.

Well, that's a lot to read into a text that, in their system, is supposed to be clear on the surface of it! So here's another little example whereby we can see if All is everyone or not (incarnate Godhead excluded):

Consider the battle of Jericho, after the walls came down, the Israelites put all the defeated to death, right? They observed the ban by putting to the sword all living creatures in the city: men and women, young and old, as well as oxen, sheep and asses. [Joshua 6:21] So, did they kill everyone? They were supposed to spare Rahab and her family; on Joshua's orders (Joshua is the Greek of Jesus), everyone was to die, except only the harlot Rahab and all who are in the house with her are to be spared [Joshua 6:17]. So was there an oversight, and putting to the sword all living creatures did they fail to observe Joshua's orders? We see that is not the case, for after the battle they entered and brought out Rahab, with her father, mother, brothers, and all her kin. [6:22-23]

so you see, dear friends, biblically speaking, all is not everyone at all!

Family time

I'll be attending the memorial service for my Grandmother, who recently passed away at 104. She's been my prayer support for all of my 56 years; worthy of St. Monica, something I didn't appreciate until so late, as did Monica's son.

when I was perhaps 9 or 10, at a holiday family gathering I was in a funk because my mother had been angry at me; my grandmother took me aside and asked me if I knew why grandmas and grandkids got along so well together. In response to my answer in the negative, she replied with in immense smile, "It's because we have a common enemy." point being not that she didn't get along with my mother, but that she had a way of reaching you that was wonderful.

Here are my grandparents Ralph and Kathryn at their 50th in 1974.



Kathryn, may God grant you eternal rest.

Paul O'Leary O.P.L. visits Lourdes

Chapter member Paul O'Leary went on a military pilgrimage to Lourdes for the Ascension; he reports that there were something like 20,000 soldiers who went on this pilgrimage sponsored by the military archbishop in Berlin.

Here's Paul with an unnamed Bishop and his chaplain, Fr. Bebo. (Paul claims not to know the blonde...)



Leave it to Paul to bring his own unit flag...

click pictures for larger images

They're going outside today...

Interlude...

Here's the music to "Most Pure and Lowly Virgin" which was the processional hymn sung at the Solemn Professions (click to enlarge for a printable size version).

The words are by Fr. W. Becket Soule, O.P., set to the music of "Thaxted", an early 20th century piece by Holst. There is also a SABT setting here, and the music can be heard here as well.

The Dominicans apparently use this regularly for Solemn Vows and Ordinations; it will be appropriate to use it for our professions as well.

Br. Boniface Willard's solemn vows taken Saturday

I've had the pleasure to be able to attend the solemn vows of Idaho's native son Brother Boniface Willard O.P., professing with Br. Mark Francis Manzano O.P. at St. Albert Priory, Oakland, Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. better pictures were taken by his family, so I put my camera away after the entrance procession and enjoyed a tremendous sung mass (Missa de Angelis) with the priory schola, the highlight being the Ave Maria of Franz Biebl as communion hymn.

Some of our chapter will remember meeting Br. Peter Hanna, on candle at right...



...and here are Brs Boniface and Mark Francis (right and left)...




Here is Br. Boniface's mother, Kathy, with Cardinal Stafford, whom I was led to believe would be participating in the vows, but apparently is here for graduation at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology.



and ordinations are next weekend... sigh. frontier living does have its price. but after a flat, I thought briefly about trading in my Nissan for a faster car for the ride home... Certainly temptation abounds here!



But slow is good, too much is too fast already. at St. Bernard, Jordan Valley:

---

From the Office of Readings, Ascension (St Augustine, Sermo de Ascensione Domini)

Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food.

While Charity is the duty of all children of God, and the charism of feeding those who are literally hungry is the particular charism of many, the particular Dominican charism is the relief of Christ by preaching his word, so that those who persecute him become his friends, and many of these same are hungry for his word, but have never heard it, or have simply rejected it. So in the spiritual works of mercy, the Dominican relieves Christ.

New program to help parents impart morals, human dignity

New program to help parents impart morals, human dignity
By Bishop Robert Vasa

BEND — Besides the usual activities of traveling to parishes for confirmation, such as those at Merrill and Bonanza, the past few weeks have seen a significant amount of activity on the program with which I am very much involved titled, Healthy Families: Safe Children. Most of this article will concern itself with this program but first a couple of comments about my delightful trip to Merrill and Bonanza. Merrill has the distinction of being the southernmost parish of the diocese. As the crow flies it is probably less than 3 miles from California. Its mission at Bonanza has the distinction of being identified with Lost River. Neither Merrill nor Bonanza are “lost.” In fact, I found both of them to be quite vibrant and energetic. Like the other parishes I have visited this year, I found that the children were well instructed and eager to respond to my questions. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and commend them for their persevering fidelity. It was a delightful visit.

Now for some more extensive comments about Healthy Families: Safe Children. Several months ago the Board of Ardor, Inc. made the decision to publish and distribute the program on our own. This was, in itself, a huge leap. Then we decided that we needed to take the accompanying workbook and produce from it two separate works, a presenter’s workbook and a participant’s workbook. This has now been accomplished. The presenter’s workbook is essentially the same as the original workbook with the addition of a significant number of presenter notes, which give suggestions for introducing the various segments of the program. The participant’s workbook has been streamlined just a bit in order to make it more cost effective and thus more suitable for group use.
I mention this because, while there has been a great deal of interest in the program, that interest has not translated into a purchase commitment on the part of those who have shown interest. While I am very appreciative of the interest and the support which that interest provides for me and for those who have worked so hard on the program, the reality is that interest alone, while encouraging, is not ultimately effective. A very rough tally of the viewers on the program clips provided through Securechild.org indicates that the site and the video clips have been accessed more than 1,100 times. If every one of these had translated into an order for the program, and I know that such a hope is completely unrealistic, I would now be in discussion with the Board about the details of our next foray into program production.

Since I am never averse to reusing my own material I went to the workbook and found the foreword that I wrote for the program. I think it provides a very good overview of the program and I reproduce a significant portion of that here: Healthy Families: Safe Children addresses the moral crisis of culture, parenting styles, and child development, especially the development of moral values rooted in the dignity of human relationships. The program integrates the timeless truths of the human person from the perspectives of philosophy and theology with the most recent findings in neurophysiology, social biology, and psychiatry in order to provide parents with effective methods for communicating with their children, for preventing problem behaviors, and for guiding their children along healthy developmental pathways. Every parent can glean insightful information to reinforce, improve, and heal family relationships. While this program is primarily for parents, it will benefit any adult who is in a position of trust, authority, and responsibility for children. It provides adults of any age with a valuable experience for self-reflection and provides a deep understanding of the roots of morality and healthy relationships.

I believe that Healthy Families: Safe Children is an important contribution to the “wider context” of moral renewal recommended by Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his pastoral visit to the United States. In his address to the Catholic Bishops on April 16, 2008, Pope Benedict spoke about the issue of the clergy sexual-abuse scandal and the bishops’ response to it. He said: “If the policies and programs to protect children from sexual abuse you have adopted are to achieve their full purpose, they need to be placed in a wider context. Children have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. Every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it. Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish.”

Healthy Families: Safe Children strives to do what Pope Benedict proposes. It is a program to assist parents in promoting the sound moral formation of children while protecting their innocence and guarding them from abuse. It is my prayerful hope that Healthy Families: Safe Children will contribute to the moral renewal of our society and the building of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth — one child at a time.

Several hundred copies of the program have been distributed primarily to those who generously made advance contributions to enable us to move forward with the production of this series. I am very grateful to all who have assisted us financially to produce the program which is now available for all. I invite all recipients of this message to distribute it as a kind of advertising blitz with the hope that the Securechild.org Web site will be flooded with visitors and orders.
I suspect that this article could lead to an accusation of self promotion, but my belief that this program provides a necessary and valuable contribution to the whole area of the protection of children compels me to accept the risk of such an accusation.

© 2009, Catholic Sentinel

Mission report from Fr. Bart de la Torre O.P.

I thought some folks might be interested to read Fr. Bart's reports, so I'll post them as they are received - Mark

---

Dear Fellow Dominicans,

This is part one of four on my recent trip to Cuba. Were I to send it altogether, you may be discouraged from reading it all.

With much love and prayers,
Fr. Bart, O.P.


To Cuba and Back, 2009, Part I: Indecent Exposure Shocks Nun



Thank you very much for your prayers. My March 9 - April 3 loop through the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico City, Habana, Santiago de Cuba and Cobre (also Cuba), and then back to Mexico City and Mexicali, was one big miracle. There was no way all the good things that happened could have come about without many praying together. "If two or three of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven." (Mt. 18:19) There were those of you who received my request for prayers by personal contact, and when I got back parishioners told me that our pastor, Fr. David Bello, O.P., included my trip in the Prayer of the Faithful of every Mass.

Here is the background. Mother Teresa of Calcutta for many years had Fr. Emmerich Vogt, a priest of the Western Dominican Province, to which I belong, go to India to give her and the Sisters of the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, their annual spiritual retreat. After she died in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity continued inviting Fr. Emmerich. However, in Jan. of 2007, Fr. Emmerich was elected the Prior Provincial, i.e., was put in charge of the Western Dominican Province. He continues to be invited but sends someone else in his stead. This year he sent me, and it was to the annual seminar and retreat for the Missionaries of Charity in Cuba from March 18 to 31.

Thanks to the generous permission of the aforementioned Fr. David, I flew from Mexicali on Mon., March 9, to Guadalajara, Mexico. There my relatives had a family get-together so I could visit many at one time, and it was a very happy occasion. They are a cheerful lot, and because are all degreed in their various careers they are doing well despite the economic recession.

On Thurs., March 12, I flew to Mexico City, where the Missionaries of Charity met me at the airport and drove me to their convent where I was given a warm welcome, a nice, private room, and delicious meals. They are very well organized, and had asked me if I had a special diet. I told them that because of cholesterol I avoided red meat and shell fish, but could eat the white meat of chicken and turkey and fish. From the first day, I was given every part of the chicken cooked in many ingenious ways, but after some 10 days, I was pretty tired of chicken, and they were feeding me the dark meat of the chicken anyway. I even got chicken on Fri., March 13, and reminded Sister it was a Friday in Lent; they didn't repeat that mistake.

The convent's guestroom, in which I stayed, was next to the nursery for abandoned children. One mentally ill 6 y/o girl yelled all night, so I hardly slept.

On Fri., March 13, a lady friend of the Sisters drove me to the Basilica of O.L. of Guadalupe, where I prayed the Rosary before the 477 y/o tilma of St. Juan Diego (1474-1548). During my prayer, 24 priests in black cassock, white surplice and purple stole had a Liturgy of the Word and then processed down into the church and began hearing confessions. All 24 were still busy when my guide and I left the basilica (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica, and http://www.google.com/search?q=basilica+de+guadalupe&rlz=1I7GGLJ_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7). She then gave me a tour of all the other holy sites in the Guadalupe compound. Though I had visited Our Lady of Guadalupe twice before, there was no way my heart could let me be in Mexico City and not visit the country's most important religious and civic site. Kneeling before the artistic masterpiece painted by heaven to represent Mary as a Latin American mestiza, a race that did not yet exist, I prayed for all of you. Then we went to a pharmacy where I bought earplugs so that the poor little girl's wails would not keep me awake this night.

The next morning, one of the Sister Rita, the guest mistress, wanted me to meet the child, so she called out to her. The little girl came out through the curtain stark naked. The shocked Sister tried to get her to go back, but the innocent orphan was so fascinated by the priest-visitor that she did not want to leave. Eventually Sister Rita's remonstrances intimidated the 9 y/o to disappear back through the curtain.

On Sat., March 14, I visited relatives in Mexico City, and we met at the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies because it is near the home of my 84 y/o first cousin on my father's side, Dolores Ruiz Esparza. This large and very popular shrine houses a small image of Mary from Spain, brought over to invoke Mary's protection by a captain in Hernán Cortez's army of conquest. In the June 30, 1520, in the battle of the Noche Triste (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Noche_Triste), as he fled with Cortez's army, the captain hid the image on a hillock in a small Aztec shrine. The image was found 20 years later, and the present church (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalavinka/3264710514/) was finished in 1575 to house the statue, which has turned out to be miraculous.



Happy Feast Day of O.L. of Fatima and of Bl. Imelda, O.P.

Fr. Bartholomew de la Torre, O.P.

Western Dominican Mission, Mexicali, B.C., Mexico

Jesus the Revolutionary

After a week I think I can write about something vexing.

A week ago was the first time I ever had a priest at mass tell me with a straight face in the homily that “Jesus was a revolutionary.” (OK, I lead a sheltered life)

Now the moon is revolutionary because it revolves around the earth, and the earth is revolutionary because it revolves around the sun; but I don’t think that is the construction the average person would put on that statement.

Computers were considered “revolutionary,” as are new cleaning products, but that construction, if it is what he meant, seems to trivialize Jesus to the point of a Mr. Clean. Possible that was what was meant.

However, the characterization of “revolutionary” when applied to Jesus always seems to be in the context of opposition to the power structure in place at his time, and by extension, following this “revolutionary Jesus” is seen as an opposition to the perceived (and often imaginary) power structure in place in our time (usually the bad-old institional church).

The characteristic of this sort of revolution, is always the taking of power by force.

The characteristic of Jesus, is that He already had ALL POWER, and He chose to renounce it all on the cross.

Thus, it seems to me that one who uses power to take power can be said to be against (anti)christ. To apply this construction to the opening statement above, is to make Christ opposed to Christ, and then you might as well call Him Beezlebub. (Lk 11:18)

But if you want to think of Him as the ultimate Mr. Clean, then get to the confessional where he will make you whiter than snow. (Isaiah 1:18)

Truth Be Told - Issue #4

Issue #4 of "Truth Be Told, Bringing Christ to the World," the newsletter of the Laity of the Province of the Holy Name of Jesus, is completed and is online for reading/downloading at:

http://dominicanidaho.org/TBT/TBT_May_09.pdf

The Church Considered as a Divine Creation

Excerpted from The Invitation Heeded, (Pg. 109ff) by James Kent Stone (also here).

Part II, Chapter I
The Incarnation and the mission of the Holy Ghost

The loftiest of the ancient philosophers confessed the incompetence of reason to determine spiritual truth, and looked forward, with an instinct of prophetic anticipation, to the advent of a god who might remove uncertainty by the word of divine authority (Plato in Epinomide). It is time for Protestants to ask themselves whether they are any better off that Plato was. For them, a God has come – and gone. The Divine Word walks the earth no more; and for the ascertaining of truth it is as if he had never descended from heaven. Christianity has furnished many new and glorious ideas, so novel indeed and so beautiful that men call it a revelation. But when we come to sift the meaning of this expression, it only signifies that a new domain of speculation has been thrown open, in which the human intellect may wander up and down, and admire – and doubt. The relation of truth to reason, the appeal to which it makes to the mind, is the same now as before. The reception of what are called Christian doctrines is simply the assent of the understanding to propositions the truth of which appears probable (As Chillingworth has not only admitted, but endeavored to prove).

Men have what they call faith. But it is evident that this belief is only a number of opinions, more or less strong, and differing from any other intellectual judgments only in this, that they are of such a nature as to excite emotion, suggest comfort, and inspire hope. The very hope thus awakened in the mind is of a sort which shows the character of the belief from which it springs; for it is a looking anxiously forward – I am speaking, be it remembered, of protestants – to a future state, in which present doubt shall be exchanged for knowledge, and the mists of uncertainty be dissolved in the effulgence of light. This is in effect precisely what Plato did. ‘And exactly what St. Paul did,’ you quickly exclaim. Ah, dear friend, how clearly, if you could only see it, this very appeal of yours shows how utterly you have failed to comprehend the nature of Catholic faith! You quote St. Paul as if he had said, ‘Now I doubt, but then shall I know.’ St. Paul was a Catholic, and he spoke as a Catholic. And his words were: “NOW I KNOW” – I know now, and I shall know then; the assurance is the same, the measure of cognition alone is different; “now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known.”

[…]

If the Lord Jesus Christ were to come back to us, in the glory of his majesty, how quickly would we cease our dogmatizing, and hush our disputings. With one accord we would exclaim, ‘the Messsias is come, and he will teach us all things.’ Dear friend, he is here now; he is here today in the midst of us, radiant with the irresistible tokens of divinity, addressing us in awful tones of authority; in the person of his Church he comes and lays his hand upon you, and says, “I that speak unto thee am he.”

This is not a fiction of speech. It is no bold metaphor. The Church is the voice of God, speaking to the world now as it spoke eighteen hundred years ago. The God whose possible coming was dimly conceived by the intuition of the Greek philosopher has actually come. And has the meaning of that advent ever shown in upon your mind? Have you ever apprehended, have you even begun to apprehend, the appalling fact of he Incarnation? The infinite, eternal God brought himself within bounds; he took upon him a reasonable soul and human flesh; he suffered death as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; he created a Church, and built it upon a rock, and said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it;” he chose his representatives, an in words of omnipotence he invested them with their awful commission; to one of them he gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven; to all of them he said: “whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven;” he breathed upon them, saying, “receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained;” he pronounced upon them those sentences of unutterable import: “as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you:” “he that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me:” “all power is given to me in heaven and in earth: go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”

Cabernet is growing

With the longer days, more buds are opening, and starting to grow more vigorously, as this group of Cabernet Franc illustrates. I'm starting to realize I'm going to have a jungle on my hands if I don't get these into the ground!

The Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of St. Joseph

– EXERCISE –

IN HONOR OF THE

SEVEN SORROWS

AND THE

SEVEN JOYS

OF

SAINT JOSEPH

I.

Chaste spouse of the holy Mother of God, by the sorrow with which thy heart was pierced at the thought of a cruel separation from Mary, and by the deep joy that thou didst feel when the angel revealed to thee the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation, obtain for me from Jesus by the heart of Mary, the grace of surmounting all anxiety which might trouble the repose of my soul, with that of drawing from the adorable heart of Jesus, the unspeakable peace of which He is the eternal source.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

II.

Foster-father of Jesus, by the bitter sadness which thy heart experienced in seeing the Child Jesus lying in a manger, and by the joy which thou didst feel in seeing the Wise Men recognize and adore Him as their God, obtain by thy prayers that my heart, purified by they protection, may become a living crib, where the Savior of the world may receive and bless my homage.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

III.

O thou to whom God confided His only Son, by the sorrow with which they heart was pierced at the sight of the blood which flowed from the Infant Jesus, under the cruel knife of the circumcision, and by the joy that inundated thy soul at they privilege of imposing the sacred and mysterious name of Jesus, obtain for me that the merits of this precious blood may be applied to my soul, and that this divine name may be engraved forever in my heart.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

IV.

August Minster and Holy Confidant of he Holy Ghost, by the cruel agony by which thy heart was torn when the Lord declared that the soul of Mary should be pierced with the sword of sorrow, and by the joy that thou didst afterward experience when the holy Simeon added that the Divine Infant was to be the resurrection of many, obtain for me the grace to compassionate the sorrows of Mary, and have part in the salvation which Jesus brought on the earth.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

V.

Glorious Ambassador of the Most Holy Trinity, by the extreme affliction laid upon they heart by the order to fly into Egypt, and by they joy in seeing idols overthrown at the arrival of the living God, grant that all impressions of sin being destroyed in my heart, the empire of my passions may be likewise annihilated.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

VI.

Angel of the earth, glorious St. Joseph, who sawest with admiration the King of Heaven, submitted to thy orders, the consolation that thou dist experience in bringing Him back from Egypt, was soon troubled by the fear of Archelaus. But reassured by the angel of the Lord, thou didst abide with joy at Nazareth in the company of Jesus and Mary; obtain for us by this joy and this sorrow, that disengaged from all fear, we may enjoy the peace of a good conscience, and may live in security, in union with Jesus and Mary, experiencing the effect of they salutary assistance at the hour of our death.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

VII.

Faithful Coadjutor of the great council, by the bitter sorrow with which the loss of the Child Jesus crushed thy heart, and by the lively and holy joy which inundated thy soul in recovering thy treasure on entering the temple, I conjure thee not to permit me to lose for a moment my Savior Jesus; yet should this misfortune befall me, grant that I may share thy eagerness in seeking Him, and obtain for me the grace to find Him again, never to lose Him more.
Pater, Ave, Gloria, etc.

---

The above was found in "The Invitation Heeded" by James Kent Stone (1870), printed on a yellowed slip that looks the age of the book.

The Good Shepherd

Next Sunday's gospel is the good shepherd, and Fr. Speekman (Homilies and Reflections from Australia) posted the lovely picture above.

Of course, the Good Shepherd is Jesus...



This morning an Air Force pilot pointed out that flying close to the deck in Afganistan and Iraq, you can always tell what kind of animals you are coming up on. A flock of goats scatters in every direction in response to the noise of the aircraft, whereas the sheep all run to the shepherd; so before you are even close, you know what kind of animals the flock is made of.

That said, this seems like one occasion to make a shameless plug. The scripture doesn't make mention of the assistant that the shepherd has, the dog. Now the dogs' job is not just to herd the sheep, but to bark when the wolf comes, and to defend the sheep and the shepherd, even at the cost of their own lives. It is worth noting in this context that the dog has always been associated with St. Dominic, appearing in art at his side, and the word "Dominicans" being derived from Domini canus - God's dogs.



Isaiah says of the silent dog: His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams. And most impudent dogs, they never had enough: (Is 56:10-11a)

Now most of us don't like the incessant barking of yappy dogs, but in this case, I hope you'll indulge me for my yapping.

Cogent analysis

Author Michael Greaney, at The Just Third Way blog, has an interesting analysis of our times through the lense of history. These full essays are well worth reading.

The State is God, God is the State, Part V

If we assume that man creates God in man's own image and likeness, then (logically) man, not God, is the supreme ruler of the universe and the only standard for determining what is good or evil. Reality depends not on some objective actuality, but on subjective opinion. Everything becomes relative, based on the opinion of whoever can force others to accept his or her version of reality — for it becomes, ipso facto, reality by the mere fact that people "agree" on it. Black can become white, and up can become down, simply by convincing people that such is the case. You only think the Emperor is walking down the street naked, because your consciousness hasn't been raised and your perceptions corrected.

We can therefore easily understand the attraction that basing the natural law (and thus the social order) on the Will has for many people. In essence, you can do anything you want, as long as you have enough faith in your own interpretation, enough of an ego to maintain your position in the face of all argument and evidence to the contrary, enough inventiveness to dismiss objective facts and truth, and enough power to force others to comply with your will.

The State is God, God is the State, Part VI

While Judgment at Nuremberg used an obvious situation to make its point, the very obviousness of the point obscures it. People assume that what was done was wrong because "the Nazis" did it, not because it was wrong by nature itself. To this day we find many people asserting that there must be some flaw in the German national character that allowed them to give in to Hitler. They forget, ignore, or never knew that every tendency, even the philosophy itself that led to Hitler and the Holocaust is still with us today, and is much stronger and more pervasive now than then.

Protestant scholar's words

ALthough published in 1870, this remains remarkably cogent for today:

"Only superficial minds, that disdain the study of documents, and are blinded by the pretended superiority of our epoch, or by systematic hatred, dare accuse the Church of having favored ignorance"

Protestant historian Frederick Hurter, History of Innocent III, book xxi, quoted in The Invitation Heeded, by James Kent Stone

If anyone wants to read Hurter in the French, and has 55 eu to part with...

HURTER, F.E.Histoire du pape Innocent III et de son siècle,
d'après les monuments originaux. Traduction nouvelle, augmentée d'une introduction, de notes historiques et de pièces justificatives, par L'Abbé Jager et Th. Vial. Tome I-II. Paris, A. Vaton & Gaume Frères, 1840. [iv],xxxvi,792; [iv],852p. 2 vols. 8vo. 21x13 cm. Later library binding. Good copy. Interesting history of Innocent III (ca 1160-1216), champion for the freedom of the church against the kings & striving for peace for the people, by F.E.Hurter (1787-1857) official historiographer of the Austrian empire.

The Church the Guardian of Morals

From "The Invitation Heeded" by James Kent Stone (Fr. Fidelis of the Cross)

No Catholic ever turned Protestant in order to reform his morals and lead a better life. So undeniable is this fact that the Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg numbered it among the Fifty Reasons which induced him to abjure Lutheranism and return to the Church of his forefathers. Let us put the matter in such a shape that no one will have the hardihood to demur. No Protestant ever because Catholic in order to throw off restriction and indulge his passions. The system of the Catholic Church is a system of restraints; the sinner is hedged about by her on ever side, and, if his heart be not right, her yoke is galling.* I have been asking for an explanation of the fact that the Church has so long withstood the assaults upon her; if I am requested in turn to furnish an intelligible reason why mankind should cherish against her such undying animosity, here is a sufficient answer: the Catholic Church wages ceaseless warfare against the lusts of the flesh.

*Erasums wrote, while the Reformation was yet in progress: "It seems as if the Reformation aimed at nothing more than to strip a few monks of their habits, and to marry a parcel of priests; and this great tragedy terminates at last in a conclusion that is entirely comical, since, just like comedies, all ends in marriage." "What an evangelical generation this is!" "Nothing was ever seen more licentious, and, withal, more seditious; nothing, in a word, less evangelical than these pretended evangelists." "They set fire to the house in order to cleanse it. Morals are neglected; luxury, debauchery, increase more than ever; there is no order, no discipline among them. The people indocile, after having shaken off the yoke of their superiors, will believe no person; and in so disordered a licentiousness, Luther will soon have reason to regret what he calls the tyranny of bishops." "I find more piety in one good Catholic bishop than in all these new evangelists." Epist., Bossut.

James Kent Stone converted to the Catholic Church after Pius IX, on convoking the Vatican Council, invited Protestants to return to the Church which Christ established. His unprejudiced response, after long and careful examination of conscience, was to leave the priesthood of the Protestant Episcopal Church (USA) and enter the priesthood of the Catholic Church and entered the Passionists, where, known as Fr. Fidelis of the Cross, he late in life, served in their highest office.

Today from Divine Intimacy (repost)

From Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.,
#154, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

In truth, Jesus could well repeat to each one of us: “What more could I have done for you that I have not done?” (cf. Is 5:4). Oh, would that our generosity in giving ourselves to Him had no limits, after the pattern of His own liberality in giving Himself to us!

“O good Lord Jesus Christ, my sweet Shepherd, what return shall I make to You for all that You have given me? What shall I give You in exchange for Your gift of Yourself to me? Even if I could give myself to You a thousand times, it would still be nothing, since I am nothing in comparison with You. You, so great, have loved me so much and so gratuitously, I who am so small, so wicked and ungrateful! I know, O Lord, that Your love tends toward the immense, the infinite, because You are immense and infinite. Please tell me, O Lord, who I ought to love You.

“My love, O Lord, is not gratuitous, it is owed You…. Although I cannot love You as much has I should, You accept my weak love. I can love You more when You condescend to increase my virtue, but I can never give You what You deserve. Give me then, Your most ardent love by which, with your grace, I shall love You, please You, serve You, and fulfill Your commands. May I never be separated from You, either in time or in eternity, but abide, united to You in love, forever and ever: (Ven R. Jourdain).

I've reposted this before I realized I'd posted it before. This time, what I have realized is that although we are not capable of gratuitously returning love to God who has gratuitously loved us who did not merit His love, we can "walk in His way" by gratuitously loving those who do not merit our love. (Love the Lord your God... (not gratuitous, but owed) and your neighbor (gratuitously, as God does).

UNICEF Calls for Legal Abortion in Dominican Republic

United Nations imperialism.

"...Nils Kastberg, UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, interjected himself, calling on Dominican legislators to consider liberalizing abortion so women would not be forced into “unsafe procedures.”

This type of interjection carries the weight of the United Nations behind it and is quite intimidating to smaller countries. That is why it is commendable that the land of St. Dominic [Santo Dominigo] has stood its ground so far against this type of domination.

http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.1118/pub_detail.asp

News from Mike Lee

Christos Anesti! (Christ is Risen!)
Alithos Anesti! (Indeed He is Risen)

Dear Friends of Mike and Family,

Here is the link to the latest news from the Lee family in Austria. Read to find out about Mike's accomplishments and his gratitude, and also find out where the family will be spending the summer!!

http://friendsofmikelee.org/.../April2009.pdf

Bless you and thank you for your continued prayers and support!
The Friends of the Mike Lee Family

Sign of the times - Coup de Culture

Notre Dame Expects Obama to Wear Prayer to Virgin Mary on Chest When He Accepts Honorary Degree

CNSNews.com -The RightNews, Right Now

Posted using ShareThis

Is there no shame?

The Gospel according to Fred

One of our chapter members has been engaged in an email discussion with a Baptist whom I will call “Fred,” who has written extensively and with presumed authority, establishing rules by which the Holy Scriptures are to be understood. This is just a look at a corner of

The Gospel according to Fred:

I do depend with my heart upon that great Teacher that Jesus promised would lead the dedicated, studious, and committed child of God into "all truth," (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7-16)!

Looking at this statement using Fred's rule; “consider every passage under these guidelines: Who is talking, who is being taught”

14:16. And I will ask the Father: and he shall give you

another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever:

14:17. The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him. But you shall

know him; because he shall abide with you and shall be in

you.

In Fred’s first citation, Jesus is speaking, the Apostles are being spoken to. Here is a record of a promise made to them (the Apostles) forever, which in the Church for almost 2000 years has been continuously interpreted to mean “the Apostles and their successors.” Fred has chosen to interpret it to mean the promise is made to the “dedicated, studious, and committed child of God” This is an interpretation completely without support in the text. In fact, the condition applied is not being studious or dedicated or committed, but “keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15).

15:26. But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you

from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from

the Father, he shall give testimony of me.

Jesus is speaking, the Apostles are present, and to them He makes a promise. In order to apply this to ourselves, we have to insert an interpretation into these words. No where is there a clear statement that the “dedicated, studious, and committed child of God” will be led “into all truth” Fred has made an leap from the Apostles to himself, and then from “testimony of me” to “all truth”

Fred’s last leap is even more extensive (Jn 16:7-16).

16:12. I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot

bear them now.

16:13. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will

teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself: but

what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak. And the

things that are to come, he shall shew you.

Jesus is clearly speaking to the Apostles. Fred believes he personally is being taught that he is in possession of the Holy Spirit’s personal guidance into all truth (John 16:13) rather than there are many things which he, Fred, cannot bear (John 16:12). We can test this, as John has elsewhere instructed us to (1 Jn 4:1) when spirits are claimed.

Now, if Fred is lead by the Holy Spirit to “all truth,” then because Truth is Truth, and Truth is One, there will be agreement in Truth between Fred and every other Christian (actually and in fact) led by the Holy Spirit to “all truth.” If there is disagreement between those who claim to be led by the Holy Spirit to Truth, then one or both are in error, having not yet arrived at truth. Since I can easily find a Christian making the same claims as Fred, and yet disagreeing with him, how am I to tell the difference? Who really has the truth, and who is in error?

The bible bears testimony of the place to find the answer, although Fred rejects it because Fred does not really believe the bible, Fred believes what he thinks the bible means.

1 Tim 3:15. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou

oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is

the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the

truth.

Rising from the dead

In 1984 when I worked at JPL I was given an "Otrona Attache." The Multimission Image Processing Lab (MIPL) building had just been wired with coax for a "network" (that wasn't completed by the time I left).

I'm sure by now that the coax has either been ripped from the walls, or is unused. The Otrona Attache will never "come back from the dead." But that's only a metaphor, as the device itself was never "alive" to begin with, its "life" only being measured in motion and utility, a mere metaphor. When it ceases to move, to have any usefulness, it's metaphoric "life" is over. Dustbin time.

It strikes me how much this parallels the view of human life as being nothing more than a biological machine, a machine without a soul; a machine that is dead when it doesn't move, and a machine that can be considered dead when it has no more utility. a machine that can be destroyed under myriad circumstances; but once gone, is gone.

Our vast array of junked machines do not turn themselves back on and work as good as new after being destroyed. While I would love to see my old 1967 Austin Healey back in the driveway with 0 miles on the odometer, pristine and new, the machines just don't do that and we don't pretend that they do.

Likewise, "reason" and experience indicates the same understanding of the biological machine, a thought that has gained the ascendency in the popular imagination; a machine that is used and is gone for good. They don't come back from the grave. So if it is reported to have happened, even once, it is dismissed as false, not because the evidence is lacking, but because since it is believed a priori that it cannot happen, it didn't because it is outside the realm of possibilities the modern mind will accept.

This is the corner the materialist has painted himself into. To be a materialist, contrary to popular miss-use of the term, is to believe only in the material, to deny the existence of the immaterial, first among which are God and the immortal soul. The materialist and skeptic have always been around, refusing to believe without a "proof" attainable to the senses, and refusing to believe even when it is provided. Jesus has certainly told us of them:

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. Mt 12:38-40

The modern skeptic usually fails to consider that in a court of law, the testimony of reliable witnesses is the “proof” which is enough to prove a material fact beyond a reasonable doubt. The modern skeptic demands proof beyond an unreasonable doubt because he has made up his mind already and no amount of evidence will persuade him to change it. In a courtroom, the defense, prosecution, and judge will dismiss him from jury duty because he is hopelessly prejudiced; one cannot sit in judgment of what they do not know when they think they already know what they do not know.

There is only one sign for our skeptic; it is a narrow doorway to life, to the fundamental thing that the heart of man desires, and never attains with satisfaction; Love. As St. Augustine put it, "You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."

Those who stand outside, please examine the testimony. Contrast it to the testimony of what you already believe. Perhaps you believe that life exists on other planets and that faster than light space travel is possible and even is going on somewhere in the universe; what does this represent but hope, rather than a belief based on testimony? The testimony of reliable witnesses regarding spaceflight (the discipline of physics), in fact, indicates the opposite. Perhaps you believe that Reiki does channel energies that can 'cure' your health problems. You have accepted the testimony of the Reiki boosters, and dismissed the testimony of the "scientists" who demand objective and verifiable facts, and do not find them.

My point is, that we become a maze of contradictory beliefs, all cobbled together on the most shaky of evidence, rather than selected because evidence indicates truth, but that what is offered somehow appeals to us and we "like it." Yet, when it comes to the case of the Christian Thing, all of a sudden, rules are applied which are not applied elsewhere. "But this is too important!" it is objected, not to apply a more stringent rule. Ah, that is indeed an intelligent thing to do when the stakes are high, but to then fail to do so, to dismiss out of hand the evidence, is not intelligent at all. This is too important for that.

The thing I find odd, is of all the goofy things that we as goofy people are prone to believe, the idea that an all-powerful God could and did raise a dead man from the grave, seems, well, not that big a deal. Perhaps it's because to enter the narrow door means new life; and that means change. The platitude “change is good,” it is often parroted, but it always comes with the implied caveat “you first.”

'nuff said

"The common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights--for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture--is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination." Pope John Paul II

Because self-renunciation is not easy...

"Obedience is the burden of the strong" – Pius XII, Allocution to the Discalced Carmelites, 1952

Rejecting the superstition of REIKI

The following was posted by Fr. Powell O.P. at Dominie, da mihi hanc aquam
Reiki: Not Science, Not Christian

The following document (excerpted) was issued today by the USCCB's committee on doctrine. It directly condemns the practice of Reiki in Catholic facilities.

Let the temper tantrums begin!



GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING REIKI AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY
Committee on Doctrine
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops


A) The Origins and Basic Characteristics of Reiki


4. Reiki is a technique of healing that was invented in Japan in the late 1800s by Mikao Usui, who was studying Buddhist texts. According to Reiki teaching, illness is caused by some kind of disruption or imbalance in one's "life energy." A Reiki practitioner effects healing by placing his or her hands in certain positions on the patient's body in order to facilitate the flow of Reiki, the "universal life energy," from the Reiki practitioner to the patient. There are numerous designated hand positions for addressing different problems. Reiki proponents assert that the practitioner is not the source of the healing energy, but merely a channel for it. To become a Reiki practitioner, one must receive an "initiation" or "attunement" from a Reiki Master. This ceremony makes one "attuned" to the "universal life energy" and enables one to serve as a conduit for it. There are said to be three different levels of attunement (some teach that there are four). At the higher levels, one can allegedly channel Reiki energy and effect healings at a distance, without physical contact.


B) Reiki as a Natural Means of Healing

5. Although Reiki proponents seem to agree that Reiki does not represent a religion of its own, but a technique that may be utilized by people from many religious traditions, it does have several aspects of a religion. Reiki is frequently described as a "spiritual" kind of healing as opposed to the common medical procedures of healing using physical means. Much of the literature on Reiki is filled with references to God, the Goddess, the "divine healing power," and the "divine mind." The life force energy is described as being directed by God, the "Higher Intelligence," or the "divine consciousness." Likewise, the various "attunements" which the Reiki practitioner receives from a Reiki Master are accomplished through "sacred ceremonies" that involve the manifestation and contemplation of certain "sacred symbols" (which have traditionally been kept secret by Reiki Masters). Furthermore, Reiki is frequently described as a "way of living," with a list of five "Reiki Precepts" stipulating proper ethical conduct.

C) Reiki and the Healing Power of Christ

8. Some people have attempted to identify Reiki with the divine healing known to Christians. They are mistaken. The radical difference can be immediately seen in the fact that for the Reiki practitioner the healing power is at human disposal. Some teachers want to avoid this implication and argue that it is not the Reiki practitioner personally who effects the healing, but the Reiki energy directed by the divine consciousness. Nevertheless, the fact remains that for Christians the access to divine healing is by prayer to Christ as Lord and Savior, while the essence of Reiki is not a prayer but a technique that is passed down from the "Reiki Master" to the pupil, a technique that once mastered will reliably produce the anticipated results. Some practitioners attempt to Christianize Reiki by adding a prayer to Christ, but this does not affect the essential nature of Reiki. For these reasons, Reiki and other similar therapeutic techniques cannot be identified with what Christians call healing by divine grace.

9. The difference between what Christians recognize as healing by divine grace and Reiki therapy is also evident in the basic terms used by Reiki proponents to describe what happens in Reiki therapy, particularly that of "universal life energy." Neither the Scriptures nor the Christian tradition as a whole speak of the natural world as based on "universal life energy" that is subject to manipulation by the natural human power of thought and will. In fact, this worldview has its origins in eastern religions and has a certain monist and pantheistic character, in that distinctions among self, world, and God tend to fall away. We have already seen that Reiki practitioners are unable to differentiate clearly between divine healing power and power that is at human disposal.

III. CONCLUSION

10. Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent.

11. In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science. Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction. While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such ignorance as much as possible.

12. Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.

Most Rev. William E. Lori (Chairman)
Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt
Most Rev. Leonard P. Blair
Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli
Most Rev. José H. Gomez
Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus
Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl