Quasimodo...Eucharist....Mercy.....Beatification...Funnel Cakes....

This could be one of the most sanctified weekends of the year! Although, it may feel like an ordinary, post-cataclysmic tornado weekend, we have a lot going on!

The introit of Sunday's Mass will begin with the phrase : "As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation: If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet" (1 Peter 2: 2-3). In Latin, the translation of the term "as" or "in the manner of" is "quasimodo" (in the mode of). And, yes, that's also the name of the Hunchback of Notre Dame as he was discovered at Notre Dame's door as an infant on Quasimodo Sunday!

The introit also recalls that this is the season where Catholic newbs are being introduced into the mysteries of the faith. They were baptized and confirmed last week, now they are being cultivated to be strong Catholic Christians through further knowledge and instruction.

Segueing into the next subject, EUCHARIST! This is the Sunday we also give first communion to our children at St. John's. Although, "first holy communion" is part of the full initiation of a Catholic, over the years it has been sort of displaced (the original order of initiation was Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist). Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and is central sacrament of the Church. Some of the girls, doubtless, will be wearing little white dresses with veils. The symbolism is of a bride wed to the Eucharist. It's a lifelong union begun with Eucharist. The spotless brides, humbly take...umm...what..the...

MY EYES ARE BURNING!!! GAHHHHH!!!!
MAKE IT BETTER! MAKE IT BETTER!!!!

Phew..better...

Ahem...These little kids who will take their first communion are making a commitment. It is up to their parents to see how long that commitment will last. But I digress and I promised myself I won't rant...maybe at the pulpit tomorrow....we'll see.


Ok, Mercy! Tomorrow is Divine Mercy Sunday. Long story short, a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina had a series of personal encounters with Christ. He showed her these rays emanating from His heart (the colors of OLE MISS!) and told her of His Divine Mercy. Full story here. What's sort of amazing is that this is the only Sunday dedicated to a personal devotion on the Catholic calendar. Most other "personal devotions" ie; experiences of a subjective nature that are beyond the realm of apostolic or scriptural teaching are at best relegated to optional holy days. One wonders....

Oh, by the way, that Polish nun? She was also canonized by a Polish pope! Pope John Paul II and coincidentally, he will be BEATIFIED tomorrow. Beatification means he will be named "blessed" as his cause for sainthood continues forth toward canonization. He died six years ago on the Saturday before Quasimodo/Divine Mercy Sunday. As he was being funeralized (did I make that word up? Spell check says I did), crowds were shouting "Santo subito!" which is "Sainthood now!". Seems someone was listening! Pope Benedict XVI, among many things, has seen to it that his cause be expedited. Who says the church moves slowly? Tomorrow, Rome will be full of pilgrims, especially Poles who will crowd in to witness this glorious proclamation.

Oh, speaking of crowding. Our town Double Decker Festival is today down on the Square. The Knights are selling funnel cakes with some of the proceeds going to help relieve tornado victims. Good cause. Good cakes. We are also selling Drawdown tickets for our First Inaugural Drawdown for the building fund in front of the Lilly Pad.

And, that's about all I can report this morning. I seriously want me some funnel cakes.

Prayers, please.

Please take a moment to pray for those affected by recent outbreaks of storms and tornadoes in our state and in others throughout the South.

Thinking about a summer vacation?

You can spend a week in the Rocky Mountains with Communion and Liberation at the University this summer. "Communion and Liberation (CL) is a lay ecclesial movement in the Catholic Church... The aim of life in CL is to propose the presence of Christ as the most adequate response to the deepest needs of human life in every moment in history."

"CLU (Communion and Liberation at the University) Summer Vacations are characterized by the joy, wonder and intensity that spring from 'taking this life seriously.'" The dates are May 28th to June 2nd and the total cost is $290 per person which covers everything but airfare. If you're interested, you can find more details here.

Thinking about a vocation?

We've covered some of the great things that some groups of Dominican sisters are doing in previous posts. The Province of St. Joseph of the Dominican brothers ain't too shabby, either. They aren't trying to be what they're not, they are proudly following the particular traditions of their Order (including wearing their habits) and, guess what? Surprise! They're booming with vocations. A lesson that keeps being repeated over and over again.

Here's a great video they've recently released. And, please continue to pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life!

Life before birth...

Good Cheer returns tonight and welcomes guest speaker Professor Steve Cutler with a powerful presentation about approaching pro-life issues from a secular and scientific point of view. You won't want to miss it! 

7pm at The Library. Bring your friends!

Adoration tonight...

For us Catholics, Easter is not just a day - it is a season! We have fifty full days (seven weeks) of Easter, commonly called Eastertide and culminating with Pentecost. But the first eight days after Easter Sunday (called the Octave of Easter, from the Latin word for eight) are the most important of the entire season. Every day during the Octave is treated like a mini-Easter. At the daily Masses of the Octave, the Gloria is sung or said, just like on Sunday. This is truly a joyful time in the Church, which is why we make generous use of the word "Alleluia" in our hymns and our praise during this time of year.

There are many ways that we can celebrate the Easter season. We can attempt to live out our Easter joy by serving our friends and neighbors with charity and humility. We can joyfully be more giving than usual. We can make an extra effort to invite our friends to church with us on Sundays to share in this joyful season. And we can make an extra effort to stop by the church at some point in our busy day to spend some time before Christ in the tabernacle. And don't forget about Adoration tonight.

What better way to honor our Risen Lord than to spend some time with him in prayer and adoration? You can do just that tonight, from 7:15-8:30pm at St. John's.

CCM update

A quick update/reminder about CCM events. 

The semester is drawing to a close, but we've got two more weeks of great CCM activities. Tonight we have Adoration from 7:15-8:30pm at the church.

Good Cheer returns tomorrow night at 7pm at The Library with special guest speaker Prof. Stephen Cutler, from the School of Pharmacy's Department of Medicinal Chemistry. He's got a fascinating presentation on embryology and will explain how Catholics can make consistent and intelligent arguments in defense of life in the womb based not on religion but on science and secular ethics.

Next week will be our final week of CCM activities. See you there!

He is risen!

 

Alleluia!

Why we announce that thing about cutting cell phones off before Mass....

Holy Week Weirdness pt 4

Ricky Gervais: Made to suck in his gut for our sins

 Today's theme is the popular ATHEIST RANT CLOSE TO A HOLY DAY.

I really, really like Ricky Gervais' comedy. He created "The Office" which is one of my favorite television shows and he and two of his friends weekly broadcast "The Ricky Gervais Show" on HBO which guarantees at least one out-loud-laugh from me each week.

But Ricky, like comedians before him, namely George Carlin, have gone the way of snarky atheist. And it's an atheism that is centered on poking the eye of Christianity, or a cartoon idealized version of it. Comedians rarely slap Islam or Hinduism which have far more outlandish ideas of "god" but that's perhaps for another post.

So this Easter, Ricky has sent us his own Easter greeting. Being this is a page for adults, I warn that the material is not suitable for children. Or the sensitive.

Gervais, humble atheist as he is, details in his post why he's a better Christian than Christians. He's followed the 10 Commandments. Good on him. Most people do. Seriously. I hear confessions all the time and most people are good with the decalogue.

Gervais' point is one you will doubtless hear over and over, Christians aren't good people. Atheists can be better than Christians because they want to be good for better reasons. And they can be so good, they follow the 10 Commandments without knowing what they are!

When you're an atheist, you can make fun of stuff without guilt. BONUS!

Being good is not the goal of Christianity. That's what we tell kids. Eat your veggies. Be nice to people. Don't stare at old people. Those sort of things. Good things.
What we have is a message of salvation that includes first and foremost, a sense of humility and awe before a God who loves us. This sense of humility is expressed in worship and obedience.
Worship. Obedience. Put those together and it spells "Catholic". Well, it spells worshipobedience but I was trying to be funny.
But I'm not a comedian, so what do I know about funny? And Gervais is not a religious leader, so why do people care what he thinks about God?
Why indeed....

Holy Week Weirdness pt 3

"Forgive them, Father, for they know not..what? oh, wait..huh? what?"

The 420 Edition....

On this week of our Lord's Paschal Mystery, the great state of Alabama gives us a mixture of nudity, the name of our Lord and weed...
"A naked man claiming to be Jesus Christ broke into a residence where a woman and her young children were home late Monday afternoon and took all of the photos off the walls before he was taken into custody."
"He said the homeowner’s husband came in after Buxton was in custody and officers borrowed a pair of pants for Buxton to wear to jail....Authorities said Buxton was taken to the Lawrence County Jail and it was determined he tested positive for illegal drugs — marijuana and methamphetamine."

Drugs. Is. Bad.
Thanks, Alabama!

CCM Guide to Holy Week

Here are seven tips for getting the most out of your Holy Week:

1. Remember to PRAY. This week is the holiest on the Church's calendar. It is the perfect time to put forth an extra effort to pray, to seek God's guidance and blessing and to re-commit ourselves to our faith. Talk to God this week... and listen. One particular suggestion is to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary each day this week. If you need some help in doing this, there are lots of great guides online. For example, there's a good one here.

2. Go the extra mile. As this week draws to a close, try to go the extra mile and offer extra sacrifices on Wednesday (traditionally called "Spy Wednesday" because it is assumed that Judas Iscariot made his deal with the Jewish authorities on this day), Holy Thursday (when we commemorate the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest), and Good Friday (when we remember the crucifixion and death of our Lord).

3. Re-read the passion narratives in the Gospels. Start today (Tuesday), and read a different Gospel's passion each day. Here's a suggested outline: Tuesday of Holy Week: begin at Mark 14; Spy Wednesday: begin at Luke 22; Holy Thursday: begin at Matthew 26; Good Friday: begin at John 12. Notice the different details of the events that different gospel writers have included and/or stressed. Spend a few minutes of prayerful meditation on our Lord's passion after the reading each day.

4. Fast from media. Try giving up the t.v. and internet on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Just try it. You'll be amazed at the freedom and how conducive it is to prayer.

5. Go to Confession. Make a special effort to make a good confession this week, in the days before Easter.
NB: Fr. Joe will hear Confessions on Holy Thursday evening after the Mass, on Good Friday from 1:30 until 3:00pm and on Saturday from 6:30 until 7:00.

6. Pray the Stations of the Cross. Go by the church and pray the Stations of the Cross (yes - you can do this by yourself). Maybe you'll even be inspired to make it part of your weekly faith practice. After all, that's what they're there for. If you need a guide, here is a good one from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Also, Fr. Joe will lead Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 3pm in the church.

7. Attend the Triduum Liturgies. The last days of Holy Week (specifically Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday) are known collectively as the Holy Triduum. Make plans now to attend these great services that serve as the pinnacle of the Church year. Also, invite (maybe even challenge?) a friend or family member to come with you.

Cas-sock it to me!

Padre Pistolas: A real gun-totin', macho cassock wearing priest

Fr. Scott Thomas has invited some of his fellow priests to wear their cassocks tonight for the Chrism Mass. He's only invited a few of us, truth be told, because only a few of us have them. The idea is that we take some pride in the traditional garb of the priest and since this is a celebration (of sorts) of the priesthood, then why not?

I won't be wearing mine. Not that I'm against Fr. Scott's idea. It's a good one but I suspect that I'd get more critique from the other priests than our newest ordained. It would appear to some of the clergy as a confusing choice or a betrayal of the work our clergy and diocese has done in the area of equality and justice.

For a certain generation of priest, the clerical garb is a sign of arrogant clericalism. It evokes ideas of a self-important cleric who lords his status over others and seeks to take rather than to give. Instead, a more somber black suit and clerical shirt (sometimes a little dirty and worn to show how "really humble" the priest is) is in order. Or some would prefer a pair of Johnson-Murphy loafers, khaki Polo pants and a cotton golf-shirt with a corporate logo topped in a light golf sweater bearing the mark of a private country club to identify them as "just a guy". Just a guy who happens to live like an upper-middle class suburban male because people give him all that stuff free because he's...a priest.

Nope. Nothing clerical there.

Maybe next year!

Holy Week Weirdness pt 2

Today's weirdness is an old classic. The womynzzzzzz groups that protest outside of Cathedrals on the Mass of Chrism in defiance of the Church's male only priesthood. This story comes from Canada. But it happens all over.

Womyn protesters for ordination in stoles, Lilith Fair tshirts and Andre 3000's hairstyle.

Why on this particular day? In the past, the Chrism Mass was held during the morning of Holy Thursday. The bishop would bless and consecrate the oils to be used in the parishes throughout the year (oil of the sick, oil of catechumens and oil of Chrism). The Mass in most dioceses is now held on Tuesday due to, among other reasons, the long distance priests have to travel from their parishes to the Cathedral. The Mass' relationship to Holy Thursday still remains. As on Holy Thursday Christ mandated the apostles to spread the Gospel, so at the Chrism Mass, priests are called on to renew their vows/promises to the bishop and be faithful to their promises.
So, the protests begin because somehow it's all about civil rights. A case can be made for a "civil rights" violation. Just as much as the idea that gays cannot marry in the church and divorce is not permissible can be seen as violations of civil rights. However, in the Church, there is another sense of order. This order is established by Christ. It's not a power play or an oppression but a deeper challenge to service and...get this...OBEDIENCE.

In Jackson, we don't have any protests scheduled this evening at our Cathedral. Not that I'm aware. Either we don't have a body of dissidents so large to protest. Or perhaps our people accept and abide by the Church's traditions. Or maybe, with the many roles women have in the diocese, especially as "pastoral administrators", what's to complain about?

Just too cool...

 
Here's a cool story to start your Holy Week: Scientific evidence may support traditions about two early Catholic martyrs, Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria. You can read about it here.

Holy Week Weirdness pt 1

A couple of times a year, the media drags out "SHOCKING" or "EARTH-SHATTERING" reports dealing with Christianity. Those times of the year are specifically Christmas and Easter.

True to form, today's SHOCKING story deals with a physicist who has some EARTH-SHATTERING theories concerning the true timing of "The Last Supper". It's a good story but the way the media churns these out you'd think it was discovered today when it's been cooking for some time. However, who wants to hear a SHOCKING tale of Christ in August?

If you stare long enough at this painting, the true date of Easter appears. (psyche!)

For your Friday...

Sorry for the sparse posting this week - I assure all of you that we'll make up for it next week. In the meantime, here is a video that has been making the rounds for a few days now. Not exactly appropriate for Lent but the people on this video are Baptist, so I give them a by there.

But look, ummmm, don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't know what to say about this other than that dancing is a gift that very few people have soooo, statiscally speaking, there can be very few decent dancers out of the 2,000 or so church members I'm told participated in the making of this video. I think the evidence of the accuracy of this statistic is quite evident in the video itself.

And the purpose of making this video? That's the real mystery to me because, once again, I can't really say that I get it or that it does much for me, spiritually speaking. Hey, I know that some might find this inspiring, but, honestly, not me. But, whatever floats your boat...

Enjoy... or whatever.

From Papal to Pay-pal, from Good to Evel: A Papal Cross' Journey

Papal donation from Paul VI to the United Nations

I caught this article online today and it sort of reflects the era we live in concerning our Church. The article tells of a papal cross and ring, encrusted with diamonds and pearls that was given by Pope Paul VI  to the United Nations in 1965 as a donation from the Vatican to be sold to raise funds to end world hunger. Perhaps a bit of the old argument "If the church cares so much about (insert cause here) then why don't they sell their treasures and help?" was at play?

The article says:
The donation to the UN was more than a canny fundraising strategy, though. Paul VI’s tenure coincided with most of the Second Vatican Council, which brought seismic shifts to Catholicism, including a new enthusiasm for engaging the contemporary world. Part of that, for Paul, included de-emphasizing what had become symbols of Catholic triumphalism, like the pectoral cross.
He also donated his papal tiara, the three-tiered crown symbolizing the pope’s authority, as a fundraising tool to the Catholic Church in America. It remains on display at the Basilica of the National Shrine, and none of his successors have been crowned with tiaras.
“The business of giving away objects of value that also symbolized power, it showed how Pope Paul spoke out a great deal for the poor and the Third World,” said the Rev. Thomas Worcester, a Jesuit priest and history professor at the College of the Holy Cross. “He really created a new style of the papacy.”

The cross somehow left the hands of the United Nations and ended up in possession of 70's daredevil, Evel Knievel.

Even though he had a papal cross, he relied on a rabbit's foot..just in case.

 Now the cross and ring are supposedly going up for auction on ebay. I wonder if those who would celebrate the church giving her wealth to the poor would also cry for those who would bid on the item to give as well? One such advocate of the poor comes to mind when it comes to treasures and the Church. A certain apostle who worried about the needs of the poor when Jesus was being treated liberally with rich oils. The apostle Judas Iscariot (Jn 12:5).

Responsibility

As Catholic Christians, we have certain responsibilities in the public sphere. Some of these responsibilities, such as the protection of innocent human life, are non-negotiable. Tonight at Good Cheer, join us as we discuss the important responsibility of defending life. Our speaker, Luisa Arico, is on the board for Save A Life - a local group who ministers to women facing unplanned pregnancies. Come out and bring your friends. As always: 7pm at The Library.

See you there!

Ask a Catholic: Why are our statues covered?

On Sunday at Mass, I noticed that the statues in the church were covered with purple cloths. Is there a reason for this?

Glad you asked. The Fifth Sunday of Lent is also first Sunday of Passiontide - the final two weeks of Lent when the daily Mass readings place a stronger emphasis on the growing tensions between Christ and the Jewish authorities in the days before his suffering and death (i.e. "Passion"). It is ancient custom to veil the images in the church in violet (the liturgical color of Lent) during this time - most especially statues and crucifixes - because these are images of heavenly glory, reminders of the eternal joy that awaits the saints of God. The veils over these images will remain in place until after the service on Good Friday, when they are removed without ceremony. In effect, just as we have been fasting throughout the Lenten season, now we fast even from heavenly images during the last and most intense stage of Lent, as we prepare to enter into Holy Week.

Who would have thought...

...this "Friday" internet phenomenon could actually get... worse.

Introducing, the "Christian version" of the song.... Sorry - doesn't make me wanna go to church. Just sayin'.

Enjoy your Friday.




UPDATE:

In case you've been under a rock the past couple of weeks, here are some more examples of how big this Rebecca Black "Friday" thing has gotten:

Conan O'Brien has covered it here and you can't miss:

Stephen Colbert and the Roots sing "Friday" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Good Cheer Tonight: Communion and BRAD BUYS A ROUND!

Let Brad buy you a draaaaaaaaaaaaaank!

Brad will continue the discussion on Communion tonight at GOOD CHEER! As an incentive to bring 2 or 3 together, he'll buy you a drink! Yep, from a Shirley Temple to a Fuzzy Navel to whatever it is that real men drink, the first beverage is on Brad!
It begins tonight at 7pm at the Library off the Square.

Francis on Adoration

What does the poor man do at the rich man’s door, the sick man in the presence of his physician, the thirsty man at a limpid stream? What they do, I do before the Eucharistic God. I pray. I adore. I love. 
- St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226)


Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Tonight.

7:15-8:00pm at St. John's.

Catholic Guilt: The Continuing Saga

One of the Catholic caricatures is the person overwrought with "Catholic guilt". Usually that guilt is the product of some sexual issue. Just to prove the point, I Googled the term "you'll go blind", then hit image search and, yep, within 3 images this came up:

If you are under 18, please do not Google that.

There is an article on AOL.com (yes, I still look at AOL. I like the Black Crowes too. Leave me to my 90's reverie!). The article is concerned with a phenomena of 10% of women experiencing depression after sex.
The article says, "Some adults have mixed feelings about sex — from their upbringing, religion, or other influences — and may experience guilt or frustration after a sexual encounter. This may especially be a factor in people prone to sex-addictive behavior...."

Guilt. Frustration.

The article deals with the issue (if indeed it is an issue) as if it were merely something to be treated with medicine or a therapist. Since it doesn't mention another dimension of sex, I will. I am speaking of the spiritual dimension.

We believe in conscience as Christians. Most of all, we believe in conscience formation. The Catechism tells us that ""Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths" (1776).

So, we have a conscience that is given to us by God. It's the natural tool that points us toward  what is right and wrong. Is sex "wrong"? No. Not at all. But sex is sacred. It is sacred because it brings forth human life. Lives with souls. We promote chastity before marriage. The catechism says, "Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person... Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift" (2337).

In other words, there is a power of individuation in maintaining sexual abstinence to give oneself sexually is to give oneself totally to another.

From a spiritual perspective, the reason we feel guilty about things is most likely because we are guilty of things.


Lent is a time to get things right. If you are guilty, of anything, then spend some time in prayer, cleanse your conscience and make a confession.


The article concludes: "...experts agree it’s important not to dismiss your feelings, and to address any something’s-not-right emotions with your partner. If you often feel sad after sex and can’t pinpoint why, [talk]to your doctor and getting support from a counselor or sex therapist"

Or better, get absolution from your priest!

April Fool's

"Patron Saint of Pitying Fools"

 Today's day of pranks and jokes is arguably Catholic.  Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull, ‘Inter Gravissimus’ on February 24, 1582 that established the Gregorian calendar as the official calendar of the Catholic world. Since the Julian calendar had fallen ten days behind over the centuries, Pope Gregory XIII designated that October 4, 1582 would be officially followed by October 15, 1582. The news of the calendar change spread quickly across Europe. With a new calendar, ten days would be ‘lost’ forever, the new year would now begin on January 1 instead of March 25, and there would be a new method of determining the date of Easter.
The story is that the celebration of the new year was held at the Vernal Equinox (March 21-April 1) until the decree. Since there were still many people who did not know of the changes, they innocently celebrated the new year on or around April 1 and..thus..were considered to be April Fools!

Pope Gregory XIII introduced the calendar we now use and rode on a dragon.

Google has this really cool timeline deal with the various histories of April Fool's Day.