Reminder: Mass changes are coming... this Sunday!

Most people don't really like change. We may say we do, for fear of sounding wimpy or something. But, if we're honest with ourselves, we like comfort and change forces us out of our comfort zone.

This coming Sunday, many Catholics across the U.S. are going to encounter some of the biggest changes to the Mass that have taken place in almost 40 years. Namely, some of the words that we sing/pray during the Mass, will be a little different.Words that we've all become very familiar with.

These changes are very positive. Overall, they'll add a new level of beauty and majesty to the prayers of the Mass we pray and sing each Sunday. The prayers of the Mass are much richer than what you and I have become accustomed to hearing and saying each Sunday. In many ways, the biblical richness of the Mass texts and the exalted and humbling words of the prayers have been stilted and muted in the deficient English translation we've used for the the past four decades. That is all about to change.

The changes will also force us out of our spiritual "comfort zones," because we won't be able to rely on rote memory to sing, for example, the Gloria. No, we'll be forced to look at the words and, in doing so, we might be forced to reconsider the meaning of those words.

Now, I won't get terribly bogged down in the details of what and why these changes have happened, because it's been hashed and rehashed many times all over the internet and information is not hard to find if you're interested and you know how to use Google. I will say that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a great website dedicated to this topic, and they have a detailed timeline here which deals with the history behind the changes. I will, though, give you a very brief synopsis.

Basically, here are the important points you need to know about why we are getting a new English translation of the Mass: 

- After Vatican II (the last major Church council, which ended in 1965), the Roman Catholic Church decided to revise the Mass and to allow more of the Mass to be prayed in the vernacular (i.e., local languages; which means English, for us). 

-The new, revised form of the Mass was introduced in Latin (which is always the language of the Catholic Church) in 1969.

-Only a few short years later, in 1973, an official English translation was rushed into service in dioceses of the United States. This is the translation of the Mass that we've used until this year.

-The 1973 translation was accomplished very quickly, using a form of translation which sought to preserve the gist of the text without necessarily translating all of the words. This "gray area" in this old translation was seen to be a problem almost from the start and it is what led us to today's changes.

-The Church decided to get the translation right, this time -- without rushing things. So, translators from the Vatican have worked with English-speaking Catholic bishops and other experts throughout the world for more than a decade to create new, more accurate and more timeless translations of the prayers of the Mass. The completed work is known as The Roman Missal, Third Edition.

-The new translations of the Gloria, the Sanctus and the Memorial Acclamations will begin to be used in many dioceses -- including ours -- on the first Sunday of September, 2011 (i.e. this coming Sunday!).

-The entire new translation (including all of the prayers of the priest and the people) will begin to be used on the First Sunday of Advent (November 27), 2011.

So, this coming Sunday, we'll begin using the new and improved translations of some of the "Ordinaries" of the Mass. The "ordinaries" are the hymns that are sung or said at nearly all Masses. They include the Kyrie ("Lord have mercy..."), the Gloria ("Glory to God..."), the Sanctus ("Holy..."), the Memorial Acclamation (one of three choices in the new Roman Missal) and the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God..."). The Credo ("I believe...") is also considered an "ordinary" when it is sung or chanted, but we recite it instead at St. John's.

On Sunday, in accordance with the instructions of our bishop, we'll begin using new versions of the Gloria, Sanctus and a new Memorial Acclamation. The rest of the changes (i.e. the entire new translation of the Mass), will be used starting on the First Sunday of Advent.

With the Sanctus, only one word is changing in the new translation (the new version reads "God of hosts" instead of "God of power and might"). But with the Gloria, the changes are much more substantial. The translators in 1973 largely ignored the structure of the Gloria in the original Latin and left some lines of the hymn completely out. So, you'll probably notice more of the changes in that hymn starting this Sunday.

Here are the words of the new translation of the Gloria that we'll introduce on Sunday:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth, peace to people of good will.


We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you, 
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.


Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.


For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

As I said above, the new translation of the Sanctus hasn't changed much. What will be different for us at St. John's is that we will sing it in English instead of Latin (at least for a while) so that we can all learn the new translation. If you want to hear the new English version of the Sanctus that we'll begin using on Sunday, click here.

The new Memorial Acclamation that we'll use reads: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again." You can listen to the music for this new acclamation here.

What will not change in the new Roman Missal is the translation for the Agnus Dei. The English translation is not changing so there is nothing new for us to learn, so we at St. John's will continue to chant the Agnus Dei in Latin -- in line with desires expressed in the Church's documents on the liturgy since Vatican II.

We're being given a golden opportunity to re-discover the beauty and richness of the Catholic Mass. Our generation will be the first to pray this new translation of the Mass texts which is designed to be relatively timeless and should remain in use for many, many generations to come. It is a humbling realization. And a wonderful excuse to re-immerse ourselves anew in the ancient texts of the Mass.

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory to God in the highest!

Good Cheer starts tonight!

Join us tonight for Good Cheer at The Library, just off the Square, starting at 7pm. 

We'll talk about living our faith in college: the unique struggles and the unique blessings involved.

All are welcome, so bring a friend! And the first round is on us.*

See ya tonight!

* - Of course, you must be 21 years or older to drink alcohol. So if you're under 21, we'll happily buy you a soft drink. But you already knew that, right? Just making sure.

Catholics r teh awesomezz

Every once in a while our faith needs a little cheerleading. Check this video out. It can almost be titled CATHOLIC,EFFYEAH!



And check out the original blog for more Catholic fist-pumping!

Like a rainbow crash: Whereby Fr. Joe makes a pretty cool thing unhip by commenting on it.

When the world is recreated and there is a new heavens and a new earth, this is what it should be like.



Alexander "A Million Years"

I love you like grave danger
Like moon shining disguise
Mmm hmm
When I wake up with your makeup
And spread blush cross the sky

Like a meteor crush
I'ma tell the world
Been a million years full of tears
But I found my girl

My notion of love devotion
Was a corrosion of mind
Mmm hmm
Then come cupid and now I’m stupid
And I feel it’s just fine

Like exploding face
I’m gonna tell the world
Been a million years full of fears
But I found my girl

It’s a spun tongue
It’s a holy ....
It’s a loud cry from your heart
It’s a live death
It’s a big breath
It’s a no more we’re apart

Like a rainbow crash
As we bow and swirl
Been a million years full of tears
But I found my girl

Like exploding sun
Let the light unfurl
Been a million years full of fears
But I found my girl
http://www.lyricshall.com/lyrics/Alex+Ebert/A+Million+Years/

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Saint Sebastian: What's in your wallet?

"Clear Eyes and full hearts can't lose". Friday Night Lights 3:16

The patron saint of athletes, Saint Sebastian, has a feast day on January 20th. Although that may be more or less close to the date of the Superbowl, it's really not the most active of athletic seasons.

So before the Rebs kick off  this Saturday and conference play begins hot-n-heavy in the high schools and all the other sports gear up on Ole Miss' campus, we offer you the Saint Sebastian Holy Card. It's free. Just come by the church, pick one up, and maybe say a prayer while you're in there.
Here's one traditional prayer to the saint:

Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor's court, 

you chose to be a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings---for which you were condemned to die.

Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. 

So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. 

May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been. Amen.

Put the card in your wallet, locker, or some place where you can be reminded of the divine power of God. St. Irenaeus tells us that "the glory of God is a man fully alive". Enjoy your lives. Compete like champions. Behave like angels. And experience God's glory in your athletic endeavors. Hotty Toddy.

The Church Military

One of the more interesting priest-bloggers out there is Fr. Z. Recently, he commented on the rise of vocations to the military diocese. That's right, the Military actually is considered a diocese in and of itself. Fr. Z laments that he's a bit too old for signing up for the military but had thought of being a Navy chaplain at one time. Some of his readers, however, seem to think his age is not a factor. Maybe there's a chance after all!

I understand that from time to time, every young man (or older man) has a sense of wanting to defend and protect someone or something. It's in our DNA, I suppose. The military is always an option for some who want to put these desires into action. The priesthood, in most dioceses, also is hospitable to these urgings. In dioceses such as Arlington VA (a military town all the same), Lincoln, NE, and even Memphis, TN, vocations to the priesthood are flourishing because men have a call to serve, protect and guide. It is inspiring.

A call to military service and/or priesthood has to be well thought out. Both institutions (military and Church) are both majestic and sullied. It's to both aspects a man is called to serve. I read this interesting piece by a man who wants to actually go back to Afghanistan and why. It speaks to any man who's thought about purpose and mission. And, like both vocations, is only for a select few.

Here's a taste:

How do I tell people that I do not want to look back on my generation’s legacy and see the wreckage of a self-absorbed Facebook culture? How can I say that I often feel alone when in bars and surrounded by people, and when we talk about our petty concerns, I feel hollow and angry at myself for not being in the fight?
How can I not come across as some self-righteous, look-at-me jerk?Am I that jerk?

And those are the thoughts that inspire some men to think about priesthood as well. And if you have those thoughts? Think them. 

"Take up your cross..."

People love quotes. For some reason, we lend much credence to a set of words when quotation marks surround them. On my Facebook page, I resisted listing a "favorite quote" for quite some time. Maybe I'm over-analyzing the whole thing, but I figure that if you've only got one shot (maybe two) at capturing the attention of someone who's interested in knowing more about you with a quote, you'd better pick a good one.

I mean, my life doesn't revolve around any particular movie, any specific song or around the late night ramblings of an inebriated friend. So I guess you'd say I'm something of a quote snob because when I (finally and very recently) chose a quote for my Facebook page (that I've had since 2004, mind you), I felt that I finally found a phrase by which I really try to live my life - nothing less than a personal motto and something that, God willing, will be such for me until my last day: "Tolle crucem tuam et sequere Jesum."

I love that quote. First of all, it's in Latin, the language of the Church that I love so deeply. So if a person comes across it on my FB page and really wants to know what it means, they're probably gonna have to put forth an effort to find out - which makes it sort of a mystery (which I also like). But for you guys, I'll give you a break: it means "Take up your cross and follow Jesus."

The quote is drawn from a book that I read just last year: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis - a spiritual classic. More importantly, though, it is rooted in Sacred Scripture, in a command from Christ to would-be disciples that's echoed in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Although it is nothing more than a snippet of Christ's teachings, to me it is an all-encompassing synopsis of my spiritual journey and of my purpose as a Catholic Christian. If I am to be Jesus' disciple, I am to take up my cross and follow him, wherever he leads and however difficult the journey. In short, I am called to imitate Christ, follow his Way of the Cross and die to self.

You see, by nature, I am selfish. I am quick to anger and slow to forgive. I am lazy and in love with creature-comforts. When I am being my "self", I can make rash judgements, and I can even be deceitful. I am quick to over-indulge and slow to be charitable.

But these qualities won't do. These are not the qualities of a son of God which, by virtue of my baptism, I have become. And they will never let me fully become the man that God intends for me to be, nor enjoy the life that he freely offers. In many ways, then, my "self" is a stumbling block for the eternal life for which I was created.

So, as Christ says, that "self" of mine must die. It must die in you, too. Selfishness, vanity and pride must be put to death. Anger, resentment and slothfulness have to be eliminated. They are poisons which do not allow the seed of eternal life to grow within us. They are barriers which prevent us from receiving God's full measure of grace through our prayers and through the Sacraments of his Church.

We must die to "self" so that we may live to serve others. That, my friends, is the essence of Christianity: the radical notion that we are called to heroic charity; dying to self and living to serve. (Is it any wonder, then, why Catholic churches always prominently display a crucifix? It is a visual summation of what we believe.)

It's not easy, though - this "dying to self." It never has been. Just last Sunday, the Gospel recorded Jesus' praise for the faith of Peter, the man whose name he changed and who was hand-picked by Christ to lead the Church. But this Sunday in the Gospel, Jesus dramatically excoriates Peter for his lack of faith! Last week, Jesus gave him the name Peter. This week, Jesus called him Satan. The very same man.

We are no different than Peter.

One week, we may (with God's help) live a life of faithfulness and charity. The very next week, we may slip. The key to spiritual success as a Christian is not perpetual perfection, but perseverance. Dogged determination is a basic ingredient in living out our Baptismal calling, because we will falter as surely as the sun will rise. But we cannot stay down. We must try, try again. Christianity is not a race. It is a marathon.


"Whoever wishes to come after me," says Jesus in the Gospel reading for this Sunday, "must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

"Why?" you can just imagine the obstinate disciples ask.

Jesus answers quite simply: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Lose our "selves" for the sake of Christ and find your life in the process. So says the Master.

Tolle crucem tuam et sequere Jesum. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Welcome to OXFORD! A beginner's guide.

Many of you students have been here for at least a week now and are figuring out that there is no place like Oxford. Here are some bon mots to help you understand this wild terrain known as the OUL Community! Perhaps the first part of an ongoing series.

1. Football, Football, Football: If you don't have an interest in football, get one. And fast. There are two seasons in Oxford: Football season and pre-football season. The lingua franca is Rebel football and anything related to Rebel football. If you must talk about pro football, you can get away with being a fan of the Colts and/or the Giants. Because they have Mannings. And even a Vol Manning is part of the Rebel fold. As a tepid fan myself, I suggest reading the Oxford Eagle daily as well as the Clarion-Ledger for sports. And you have to at least know that this exists.

Thank heaven that Archie Manning didn't choose to wear #2 or 10!

2. The best food comes from gas stations: The Germantown moms will talk about how good the chicken salad is at James Food as if they discovered some out of the way place that no one knows about but that's Junior League food. What I'm talking about is the fat, greasy, fried, hamhocked ribsticking soul food that can kill an appetite and a hangover any time. And this is at a gas station! And gas stations in Oxford are called by name: The Brittany Store, Marquis Chevron, and Lindsey's for example. If you don't call them by name, people will think you don't belong here.

3. We have electricity almost 6 days a week: Brown-outs and blackouts are part of life here. People ask where I learned to type so fast and blog so quickly. Easy. I try to beat the blackout. Blackouts happen from everything to the occasional tornado, thunderstorm, stupid texting kid hitting a power pole, or a squirrel*. If you notice your microwave's clock blinking or your cable channels re-setting once a week, that's all normal. If it happens twice a week, blame your  roommate. They are totally messing with you.

4. Roadwork gets done only when you are in a hurry, late for something or there's a huge event going on. There's no getting around it. And those guys are never too clear with the "STOP/SLOW" reversible sign, so you have to roll down the window and call out, "Reckon** I can go now?" Then they'll let you know.

5. Everything is 7 minutes away in Oxford. Unless you don't know where you're going or there's construction going on.

6. The SEE NO EVIL HOURS: Girls can look like this when they're jogging, shopping at Wal-Mart between 1am and 6am, and...sigh... going to Sunday Mass:

Other than that, every other time, including daylight shopping at Wal-Mart, homegames and going to Mass with the parents, they look like this:

7. Guys with beards are either:
Sikhs:

Brevard Hall REPRESENT!

Writers:

Ventress Hall REPRESENT!

 Hipsters:

Blind Pig REPRESENT!

 That CRAZY guy in the fraternity who just is who is he is and like wears flip-flops with his tuxedo and wears like a do-rag to the University club because he just doesn't care he's so crazy:

Only one in a billion bearded crazy guys end up being this guy.

*Each time the power goes out, coolers come out, candles are lit and parties are had. The next day, someone is selling t-shirts to commemorate the occasion. I once had neighbors wearing t-shirts honoring THE GREAT SQUIRREL CAUSED BLACKOUT OF 2007.
**"Reckon" is one of those words that you can use to be more of an Oxonian than just a tourist, student or professor from up north.

Devotion

Sometimes, we can learn the same important virtue from both a man and his dog. Read the whole tear-jerking story here.

A royal example for us all

 We have a lot of students at Ole Miss from St. Louis. A lot. And many of them are Catholics. So I feel a need today to wish a very happy "St. Louis Day" to all of them, because today is the feast of St. Louis, King of France - the namesake of their home town. Of course he is also the namesake of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans (one of my favorite places, mind you).

St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.

St. Louis (the man) ruled as king of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is often considered to be a shining example of the ideal Christian monarch. He is the only king of France to have been officially declared a saint by the Church. Pope Boniface VIII canonized him in 1297, less than 30 years after his death.

In college, we have many responsibilities. We have academic, family, and social obligations. There are a lot of people who expect a lot out of the college students they know. But despite the pressures you may face and the hectic schedule that you juggle, it is super important that you practice your faith. At the very least, this means attending Mass every Sunday and prayerfully striving to live out the Gospel each day.

King Louis was a pretty busy guy himself, running the entire country of France and all. But despite the pressures he faced and the important decisions with which he was entrusted in administering his powers as king, he made practicing his Catholic faith a priority. He used challenges and blessings alike for the same end: to strengthen his faith. When he died, he was remembered -- no, respected -- by all who knew him as a just and pious man.

He once instructed his son to always be patient in faith, in the face of life's obstacles or blessings: "If God sends you adversity, receive it in patience and give thanks to our Savior ...  If he sends you prosperity, then thank him humbly, so that you will not become worse from pride or any other cause, when you ought to be better. For we should not fight against God with his own gifts."

If you feel the pressures of life building up around you, and you fear the practice of your faith is suffering as a result, reflect on good King St. Louis. Trust God that he will make a way for you to exercise your love for him and to remain faithful and true, if only you will let him. Remember always: Christ wills only good for you. "Take up your cross, and follow."

Back to life...

...back to reality.

It's official. We're back into it! Yesterday's Welcome Back Cookout at the Lyceum Circle was a huge success. Special thanks to the Ole Miss Cheerleaders and Rebelettes who came to get us in all in the Rebel spirit and to the Knights of Columbus who cooked and served the food.

If you wanna see more pictures, check 'em out on Facebook. Also, be sure to "like" CCM Ole Miss on FB and follow us on Twitter! It's gonna be a great Fall! Are... you... ready?!?

HOT DOGS! HAMBURGERS! FREE S#+%! *TONIGHT!

6pm tonight at the Lyceum Circle join us for HOT DAWGS, HAMBURGERS, CHEERLEADERS, TSHIRTS, and GROVE CUPS!

Meet the new Freshmen and Ole Miss students. Bring your Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Jewish, Greek Orthodox, and Heathen friends!







*S#=% means tshirts and GROVE cups.

St. Bartholomew and Christianity: Not for wimps

St. Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael) was one of Jesus' original twelve disciples. Tradition holds that after the Resurrection, he became a missionary, spreading the Gospel and planting churches until he was martyred for Christ in modern-day Armenia. Today is his feast day on the Church calendar.

St. Bartholomew, holding his own skin. Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Bartholomew is reputed to have met his end at the sharp end of a flaying knife (bad pun intended). Seriously, though - tradition holds that he was flayed alive and crucified after having successfully converted Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity. The king's brother, who was not happy about the king's conversion, ordered Batholomew's execution.
The details of his martyrdom have made for some -- shall we say -- interesting artwork through the centuries. St. Bartholomew is usually identifiable in Church art because he is usually holding his skin in one hand and a flaying knife in the other. Pretty gruesome when you really think about it.

But that's how Christianity has always been: we've never shied away from harsh realities. Catholicism is raw. It's gritty. And as a faith, we have always proudly and defiantly honored the humanity as well as the mystery of the Church. We've always gloried in all the gory details of how some of our saints met their ends for the sake of the Gospel. In fact, we relish these details and cherish these stories because, in some mysterious way, we know that the sufferings of the martyrs glorify God and further his Kingdom. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," opined one early Church Father.

We've also always preserved, honored, and even venerated the remains of Christian martyrs. For example, when St. Polycarp, an early bishop, was martyred by Roman authorities in 157, an eyewitness member of the local church recorded that members of the church "took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place ... [where], as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom." In other words, they preserved his charred bones (which we would call "relics") and buried them with honor so that they could celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom at his tomb (the precursor to modern saints' feast days).

Stairs leading to St. Peter's tomb, underneath the high altar.

Many ancient Catholic churches throughout the world are built where they are not because it was a great location architecturally, but in order to mark the tomb of a saint, or the place of a Christian martyrdom. St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was constructed at great cost and much labor on the side of a hill (Vatican hill) which had to be excavated and leveled to accommodate the original church. This was because that hill was the site of a cemetery where the Apostle Peter's remains were buried and marked by the first-century Christians after his martyrdom. The location of this grave was marked and venerated from the first century on.

This was typical of many of the apostles' tombs. This custom of celebrating Mass over the tombs of Christian martyrs is what led to the eventual tradition of placing relics of saints under the altars of Catholic churches before their dedication. In our own church of St. John's here in Oxford, which was dedicated in 2008, there are relics of St. John Baptist de la Salle and of Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos. Relics from the old church altar are also preserved underneath the Tabernacle.

The deeds of martyr-saints such as Bartholomew should inspire us. Christianity is not a wimpy, milk-toast religion. Much is expected of us in our faith --- sometimes even heroism. Pray that St. Bartholomew and all the Martyrs might intercede at God's throne so that we will all be emboldened to live out our faith with even greater fervor.

A Rose in the garden of God

Today's saint (on the Church calendar) is from down south... waaaay down south. As in South America. Born in 1586 in Peru and named Isabel, she garnered a reputation for holiness from a very young age. At her Confirmation, she formally took her nickname - the name by which we all know her as a saint: Rose.

St. Rose of Lima lived a life of austerity for the sake of the kingdom of God. She fasted, performed severe penances and spent hours in intense prayer each day. All of this, she selflessly offered up to God for the good of all. So severe were her penances, that she died at the age of 31. By the time of her death, the fame of her holiness was so widespread that her funeral Mass was held in the cathedral of the city. All government officials attended and the archbishop celebrated the Mass himself. She was canonized (i.e. proclaimed a "saint") in 1671 by Pope Clement X. St. Rose was the first person from the Americas to be canonized.

In some ways, the story of St. Rose might be a little off-putting. Very few are called to a life of such rigorous extremes of devotion and prayer. The details of her life might even cause some to conclude that they could "never be a saint" because they could not imitate the sort of life that she lived.


But the truth is, that we are all called to be roses in God's garden. Very few will grow to great heights, profuse with blooms that attract the notice of the world. Most of us will grow quite unnoticed, covered in thorns and without apparent blooms for the world to observe. Our lives may be spent in a quiet and humble holiness of service to those around us and of offering up our day-to-day activities to the glory of God. Our prayers may be prayed in secret. Our sacrifices may be personal and internal -- known to God alone. Day in and day out, we can (and are called to) live a life with an eye toward sanctity - serving God in our own still, small ways. 



It is not an easy calling. But God's garden of roses is planted just as he intends - not as we intend. We should praise God for tall and shining examples of holiness such as St. Rose of Lima. But let us never forget the unseen roses - growing quietly in the shadows of daily life. All are beautiful in God's eyes.

"Hail, Holy Queen..."

Today, the Church celebrates the "Queenship of Mary."

"And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1)

As we start a brand new academic year, perhaps you can make a commitment to "make Mary your momma." In other words, make a commitment to ask for her prayers and to ask for her help in loving and following her Son as your Lord and Savior. Today is also a great day to sing the Salve Regina!

You know you want a hot dog.

Click on the above image for a mind-numblingly, primary-color induced eyeblasting supersize version. Facebook us, Tweet us, Stalk us, and JOIN US WEDNESDAY!

The power of the keys

Okay. Rarely do we have a set of readings that elicit two (count 'em two!) posts, but the readings for this Sunday's Mass are just so chock-full of great stuff that I couldn't resist. Last post, we looked at how Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter and promised that he (Peter) would be the foundation for the Christ's Church.

As Catholics, we believe that he did just that. Peter went on to be the leader of the disciples (notice that his name is listed first in every list of the group given in the New Testament). After leading the early Church in Jerusalem and then Antioch, Peter ended up in Rome, where he was martyred for the faith. For this reason, the bishop of Rome (i.e. the Pope, a name which is derived from the affectionate term, "Papa") has always been considered the leader of the world's bishops, who are the successors of the Apostles.

But how did this come to be? How and when did Peter receive authority from Jesus to lead the Church? It goes back, again, to the Gospel reading for this Sunday. Just after changing Simon's name to Peter, Jesus continues with this powerful pronouncement to Peter: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt 16:19-20)

There it is. Jesus gave Peter "the keys to the kingdom of heaven," and the power to bind and loose. In other words, he gave Peter authority to act as chief shepherd of the Church. He also gave him the power to act and make decisions in his place. When a leader will be gone for a period of time, he often appoints another to take his place, to take over his role; to act as his "vicar." A vicar is a person who has been given authority to act and make decisions "in the person of" an absent leader. Peter was appointed to be the "vicar of Christ."

To the ears of many modern non-Catholic Christians, this might sound very strange -- to consider a man to be ruling the Church "in the place of Christ." But it is according to Christ's plan (as is obvious in the quotes above), and it is not without precedent. In fact, there is an important Old Testament precedent (a prophetic one) for a steward being given the "keys" of authority in the master's absence.

Let's look at the First Reading for this Sunday, which comes from the Prophet Isaiah.

"Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: 'I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.'" (Isaiah 22:19-23, emphases mine).

"Peter's keys" are the main element of the Papal arms.

Keys are a symbol of authority because the one who holds the keys can control who comes in and who goes out. As Isaiah says, "when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open." The "peg" to which Isaiah refers was driven into the framework of a building during construction, holding the entire structure together. Jesus takes this template and applies it to Peter when he appoints him to be the servant/leader of his Church. Both Peter and Jesus were certainly very familiar with Isaiah's story about Eliakim. So, in essence, Jesus was saying to Peter: "I have the same confidence in you that God had in Eliakim. You, Peter, will be my vicar, and will be a father figure and a servant/leader for all of my followers, for all in my house."

But Jesus goes one step further, not only investing Peter with the symbolic keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (a synonym for the Church), but also announcing that he is giving Peter the power "to bind and to loose" (Mt. 16:19). He also gave the other Apostles authority to bind and loose (see Matthew 18:18), so this is not specific to Peter. But the point is that Jesus gives Peter and his fellow Apostles the power to make binding decisions in matters of faith and morals - decisions which are to guide all of Christ's followers.

This explains Catholics' insistence of remaining in communion with our bishops (the successors of the Apostles) and with the Successor of Peter - the Pope. We take Christ at his word. We believe in the power of his promise that he would build his Church on Peter and that he gave Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. We believe that he gave Peter and the other Apostles the power to bind and loose.

Funny thing is, all Christians recognize this power, too, to some extent - whether they realize it or not. For example, all Christians agree and recognize the same 27 books in the New Testament. What many of them do may not think about is that the canon (or "official list") of the New Testament books is not found in Scripture. Instead, it came from the Church (namely the bishops - the successors of the Apostles). They held authoritative Church councils over the course of many centuries in the early history of the Church and, among other things, codified the traditional New Testament books, deciding which books were to be regarded as Scripture and which were not. All Christians now accept their decisions without issue. Interesting, huh? (It is facts like these which led Bl. John Henry Newman to conclude that "to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.")

Anyone who accepts the 27 books of the Christian New Testament, thereby accepts the authority of the bishops and Church councils who canonized those books in the early centuries of the Church. So every Christian who accepts the Bible as authoritative negates their own argument that it is to be the sole source of authority for Christians. Indeed, without a need for guidance in matters of faith and morals, we would not need the Church. But Christ knew better than we and he generously gave us both: the Church and the Scriptures.


The "keys of St. Peter" from this Sunday's Gospel reading have led to an abundance of jokes about St. Peter being the doorman at the gates of heaven. But in truth, they symbolize an immense amount of trust that Jesus placed in the person of Peter -- enough trust and confidence to imbue the career fisherman with the responsibilities of guidance and governance for the universal Church. They also symbolize the confidence that we as Catholics can have, trusting Jesus' promises, in "following Peter," just as the first Christians did. And we still recognize the special place of Peter's successor as "a peg in a sure spot," calling him "father," and recognizing his place of honor in our "family." 

Home Leaving

Bruce Newman: Photographer, Parishioner, Iron Man.

This week is a time for most people to be leaving home. Rare, but joyful, it is when an actual home leaves. The old white house of history is now...well..history.

Feel free to caption the picture in the COMMENTS. For the uninitiated, the Hulk up there is pretty famous. Have a ball.

"You are Peter..."

Statue of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.

Names are important. They are how others know us and are one in the same with our identity. Think about it: your name is one of the few permanent things in this life that is given to you. Even our language reflects the deep level of identity associated with our names. For example, we don't say "He is called John." No, we say, "He is John." We don't say, "I am called Susan." We say, "I am Susan." Our name and our identity are one in the same in language, thought and culture.

This is even reflected in the way we worship as Catholics. Holy Scripture gave us some precedents for honoring the name of the Lord: the Psalmist wrote in Scripture that "[a]ll the nations you have made shall come and bow before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name." (Psalm 86:9). St. Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi that "at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow..." (Philippians 2:10). These instructions are fulfilled in the customs of the Mass. Have you ever noticed that during the Mass, Fr. Joe and many others bow their heads slightly at every mention of the name of "the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" and at the names of Jesus and of Mary? This is to show respect to these names and, at the same time, for the persons that they identify.

This isn't some sort of hyper-inflated piety. The Church actually instructs us to do this in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM for short) - which is basically the official instruction book for how to pray the Mass. Specifically, GIRM 275 says: "A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated."

So, even in worship, respect for names is central. Since names are so important in God's design, then, it is a really big deal when the Scriptures record that someone's name was changed. When God changes someone's name (as he does only a few times in Scripture), he changes their identity for a new purpose according to his plans. He changes their name when he changes what they are to become. For example, Abram became Abraham, because he was to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:1, 5).

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is another important example of God changing a person's name and their identity.

The story comes from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 16:13-20).  It surrounds the apostle that we know as Peter. But he wasn't always called Peter - the Gospel reading tells us that his original name was Simon bar Jonah, or "Simon, son of John." In the reading, Jesus asked Simon what people were saying about him. Finally, he asked Simon: "Who do you say that I am?" Simon's response was pivotal. He replied: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

That response, given not in response to proofs, but given in pure and unadulterated faith, changed everything. With that response, Jesus knew that he had his leader - the one he would use to be the chief apostle and upon which he would build the new, universal and everlasting Israel: the Church. Jesus proclaimed Simon "blessed" (can you imagine being called blessed by Jesus himself? wow -- what an honor!) and then he did something amazing: he changed Simon's name.

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Mt. 16:17-18, emphasis mine).


Now, to us in 21st century America, Peter is a perfectly normal name (he was a Brady, after all!). But in the first century, in the Aramaic language in which Jesus and his disciples conversed, the name was virtually unheard of. Super strange, in fact. "Peter" is derived from the from the Greek "Petros" (the language in which the New Testament was written). But Jesus and his disciples spoke Aramaic (a form of Hebrew). In Aramaic, the name would be Kepha. It means "rock", referring to a foundational stone or natural slab. "You are Kepha, and on this Kepha I will build my Church," Jesus would have said. From this, it is clear that Peter's confession of faith led to Jesus declaring that he would build his Church upon Peter as its chief pastor. Simon's name and identity were changed by God. He was now Peter, the foundation of the Church.

But, of course, it's not that simple. You see, some Protestants argue that Peter is not the foundation upon which Jesus built his Church (if he is, that gives credence to the Catholic position that all Christians should be in communion with the Pope who is the Successor of Peter). Instead, they argue that in the New Testament Greek, Jesus says "You are Petros, and on this petra I will build my Church." Notice, they'll say, the different forms of the word used for the name (Petros) and the foundation (petra). In their argument, they believe that this proves that Jesus wasn't calling Peter the foundation of his Church, because the words are different. "What is the foundation if it's not Peter?", you may ask them. They'll reply that the foundation is "faith."

Here is the deal: Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek, and in Aramaic only one version of the word is involved: Kepha. It is gender-neutral. But in Greek, words are gender-specific. In other words, there are masculine and feminie forms of words.

When Matthew wrote his Gospel and translated this exchange into first century Greek, he ran into this translation problem. The Greek word petra, which means a large, foundational rock, ends in "a", which makes it a feminine word. "Petra" would be a feminine name. So, Matthew simply followed the rules of Greek grammar and used the masculine version ("Petros") for the name. But while Petros also means "rock", it usually refers to a small, insignificant pebble.

So, it seems that the rules of grammar and gender-specific nouns unwittingly created a major source of contention for the Protestant Reformers in the 16th century who rejected the pope and his Church. They seized on the different versions of the name in Greek (petra and Petros) to argue that Peter is not the foundation of the Church. But when you understand the issue about gender-specific terms and know about how this was a moot point in the original Aramaic words that Jesus spoke, their argument falls apart.

So, what's in a name? It seems a whole lot. A poor first century Galilean fisherman named Simon had the faith and tenacity which led Jesus to choose him (of all people) to be the foundation for his Church. Yes, Jesus promised to build his Church upon Peter. "And the gates of hell shall not overcome it."

World Youth Day underway in Spain

WYD 2011 is now underway in Madrid, Spain. We have some Mississippi Catholics there, joining more than one million young men and women from all over the globe (193 nations, to be exact) for a week of fellowship, prayer and worship. Pope Benedict is expected to arrive there tomorrow (Thursday) and will celebrate a huge open-air Mass on Sunday.

Please pray for all of the pilgrims who are taking part this week in Spain!

How to be just

...according to St. Stephen the Great, whose feast day we celebrate today on the Church calendar:

Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may not voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.

St. Stephen died in 1038 after establishing Christianity throughout the region of modern-day Hungary. He is considered the founder of the Kingdom of Hungary.

His crown (pictured below) is still on display in the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest. (That's one old crown!)

Do you make "assumptions" about Mary?

Today is a very important feast day on the Church's calendar: the Assumption of Mary. It commemorates the day that Mary was assumed (i.e. brought) into heaven and it is the most ancient feast day in honor of the Blessed Virgin. Usually, this is a "holy day of obligation" but because the feast falls on a Monday this year, the bishops in the U.S. have relaxed the obligation to attend Mass for this year.

Mary is quite the stumbling block for many of our non-Catholic friends. Trust me. I know from personal experience all-too-well how big of an issue she is for non-Catholic Christians. But many Catholics themselves aren't all that sure about why she is given so much honor in the Church.

Now, lets take a moment to clear up a couple of very common misconceptions about who (or what) Mary is not:

1) Mary is not a goddess. Nor is she equal with God. Mary is a human being - a creature - just as we are. The fact that we pray to her does not make her divine. To pray to Mary (or any other saint) is simply to make a request for their prayers -- no different than asking any other Christian to pray for you. We Christians are supposed to interceded for one another. It is not the same as worship. Only God receives our worship and adoration. God alone. Mary may be honored and venerated by Christians but she is never worshiped.


2) Mary does not save us. Jesus alone is our Savior. Once again, we may ask Mary for her prayers and we may venerate her with flowery language ("our life, our sweetness and our hope" as one famous prayer says), and we can be sure that her prayers are very effective. But, it is Christ alone who saves us.

Now that those common misconceptions are cleared up, let's review who Mary is:

1) Mary was the first Christian. Mary was the first to accept Jesus as the Son of God. When she assented to the Archangel Gabriel, Mary became the first person to express faith in God's Son. (Luke 1:26-38).

2) Mary is the Mother of God. It may sound weird to some people, but the logic is quite simple: If Jesus is truly God, and Mary is truly his mother, than Mary is the Mother of God. If Mary is not the Mother of God, than somehow Jesus' nature is divided and/or we profess that he is something less than fully God. Take this one step further and contemplate that all the humanity that Jesus possesses came from Mary, for he had no natural father. So, Mary shares a bond (spiritual, personal and genetically) with Jesus that no one else could ever share.

3) Mary always points to Jesus. From the marriage feast at Cana where she instructed the steward "Do whatever he says." (John 2:1-11). Mary always point us to Christ, instructing us to "do whatever he says."

4) Mary is a model of Christian faithfulness. Even at the end, when darkness enveloped the earth and her son's head hung low in death on the cross, Mary stood by his side. Mary's faithfulness is something to which all Christians should strive to imitate.

So, on this day dedicated to Our Lady, let us thank God for her life and for her example. And let us pray that she intercede at God's heavenly throne ..."for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

A Jesuis-tic Retreat

Manresa's St. Mary's Hall

 One of the terms that gives me fits in our ecclesial ("churched up") language is "eucharistic". I am sure that it's a valid term to refer to the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. But it's the "ic" part that sort of sounds like Eucharist once removed. It feels like saying "buttery" or "Faulknerian". It's more description than noun.
And, yes, it has fallen out of my lips so many times that I should have to drop a nickel in the jar for "dirty ecclesial terms". With that being the case, we may be able to pay off this building fund (hint, hint)!

Anyway, at the constant urging of my capable staff, Ms. Terry and Paul, I have decided to make a retreat at Manresa House of Retreats just outside of Baton Rouge (even typing the town's name made my monitor smell a bit corndog-ic). It's a Jesuit retreat house and one of the great Jesuit experiences of prayer is the famed Spiritual Exercises. To do the Exercises right, the Jesuits strongly recommend 8 days at least, 30 days at most. And I don't have time for either. Or have made the time. Or can afford the time. Or some sort of excuse.


So when I make my plans to go, the Jesuits of Manresa have made one more solemn pact along with the others of their order, "Leave Tonos alone". And they do. I walk the grounds. I smoke cigars. I pray. I throw stuff in the river. I write. I sleep. I eat. I draw pictures. I peruse the library. And I let the Mass and the homily be my day's spiritual director. So it's not Jesuit spirituality, it's Jesuistic.

The Oaks at Manresa

I'll be away this next week getting all holy-ic and refreshed-ic. Pray for me. Pray for our Campus Ministry. And pray, this is personal, that they don't serve me meatloaf more than once.

CATHOLICS AMONG THE CHRISTIANS: GOOD CHEER PREVIEW

Actually, George's neighbors could be CATHOLICS! That guys hairy arms seem sort of Lebanese-y or Italian.

I live in a condo community with mostly under 20 year olds. It's not a bad deal and I get along pretty well over there. They put up with the kindly old man who carries that bag of garbage to the bin instead of drives there. I've even be asked by neighbors for the loan of an egg (at 11:00pm, no questions), a safety pin (for a precariously torn...err..strap on a young woman's Thursday-going-out dress) and even to open a bottle of wine. Heck, I've even given a bottle of wine to graduates (over 21, for those who are trying to get all judgey!). I keeps it gangsta that way.

I suppose Catholicism works in well with college students. Catholics don't have any problem with having a drink now and then. We aren't too terribly afraid of a nice game of Spades and smoking, unless you read one of those new-agey examinations of conscience*, isn't a sin.

Before I launch into an overlong catechism, try checking out GOOD CHEER this year (7pm at the Library off the Square on Wednesday's). We have planned a special series on "CATHOLICISM FOR...." and will answer specific issues that Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists and Baptists may have about us. So learn how you can have a beer with a Baptist fraternity brother and BOTH BE SAVED! (See what I did there?)


*Honest ta goodness, I've seen examinations of conscience that include smoking, running Stop signs and...really...the "Sin of ISM". Now this means stuff like "racism", "sexism" and "materialism". However, me being me, when I was in high school, I got a dirty look from the open-minded priest by adding "Catholicism", "Buddhism" and "Feminism" to the list.

A successful recipe for prayer

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon."
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus' disciples came and asked him,
"Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me."
He said in reply,
"It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
"O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.  (Mt 15:21-28)

This is the Gospel reading for this upcoming Sunday. It relays the story of a famous exchange between Jesus and a Canaanite (i.e. Gentile) woman. If you're like me, Jesus' initial refusal to help her and his seemingly-condescending tone, can catch you off-guard. But there is a valuable lesson that he teaches in the way that he responds.

First, the woman approaches Jesus and makes a humble request. But humility alone was not enough.

But she persists. Persistence, too, was not enough.

Then, the woman worships Jesus, calling him "Lord." But worship alone was still not enough.

Finally, the woman verbalizes her faith. Finally, Jesus heeds her request.

When we pray and bring requests to God, we should take a lesson from this story. We should make our requests in humility and selflessness (the woman in the story, after all, is seeking healing for her daughter -- not herself). We should be persistent in our prayers. And we should never neglect to worship and praise God in faith. These four ingredients (humility, persistence, adoration and faith) are necessary for effective prayer.

Lastly, take a look at the last line of the reading: "the woman's daughter was healed from that hour." Her petition was effective. Christ answered her request and healed her daughter. But we are not told how she was healed. Was it in the way that the woman expected?

When we pray with humility and persistence, worshiping and in faith, our prayers will surely be answered. But "God's ways are not our ways," and we cannot always expect that the healing for which we ask will be in our time frame nor in the ways that we can fully understand.

As we continue to prepare for a new academic year, learn and use this recipe for effective prayer. And let us all join the Canaanite woman in humbly seeking "scraps from the table."

Wow.

If you haven't caught it yet, let me relay to you a truly amazing and faith-strengthening story:

Last Friday, two boys became caught in a rip tide at Cranberry Beach in Washington state. One boy was quickly rescued by bystanders, but the other - 12-year-old Dale Ostrander - was pulled under water by the tide. It was about 10 minutes before a rescue team arrived and at least another 15 minutes before they could locate the boy in the surf. He was finally pulled from the ocean after more than 20 minutes (t w e n t y  m i n u t e s ! ! !) under water.

Essentially, Dale was dead.

But rescuers began efforts to resuscitate him as the members of a youth group from a local church (who were visiting the beach and had witnessed the whole ordeal) knelt in the sand nearby and prayed. And prayed.

At a nearby hospital, they were able to get a faint pulse. Then they airlifted him to a hospital in Portland, Ore. where he was placed in a medically-induced coma to protect his vital organs until doctors could decide what to do.

On Monday afternoon, Dale's family gave this amazing update on his condition on their blog: "The doctors just removed Dale's breathing tube and he is now breathing on his own. Also, because of possible damage to the brain, they were unsure if he would be able to speak. Minutes after the tube was removed, the doctors told him to cough. Not only did Dale talk back to the doctors, he responded in a full sentence saying, “I don't have to.”

More photos of the event can be seen here. Please pray for Dale's continued recovery.


Friends, God is great. "Praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." And amen.

The Help and Mississippi Catholics

The movie "The Help" is opening in Jackson today. The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Mississippian Kathryn Stockett and was filmed in Mississippi, most notably in Greenwood and Jackson.

"Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close-up"

It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that many of our readers (of the 5) could be featured in the movie as there was a broad casting call for the film. However, one prominent Ole Miss luminary and Catholic did get a special casting call from the director himself. I am referring to Dean of Students, Sparky Reardon!

Those who are regulars to the 5pm Ad Orientem Mass on Sundays in the summer may have noticed that Sparky has been absent from his all-time reader duties. Well, he's been to LA with the movie's promotion but promised he will return. For those of you interested in Sparky's earlier film work, click here. It's safe for work, by the way.

I personally enjoyed the book and loaned it out to almost everyone. The epilogue includes some personal notes by the writer to explain some of her struggles with writing the novel. She included the dialect of Southern Blacks and used actual real-world places and events to flesh out the story. It has been met with praise and scorn from critics for this choice. However, our diocese has shown some favor toward it (as well as including a SPOILER in the interview). Since the paper is Bishop Latino's voice to the diocese, that can be sort of an imprimatur!

And Catholic Rebel, Leigh Cummins also got a sweet scoop at the movie's premiere in Mississippi for the Clarion-Ledger interviewing the cast including lead actress, Emma Stone!


I'm proud of all these connections and hope the movie will do well. I haven't been totally blown away by any summer movies, even the superhero ones, so maybe "The Help" will be the one. For gossakes, it's got Sparky in it! I'm already giving it 3 stars!

Please continue to pray for our military

By now we've all heard the news out of Afghanistan from this weekend. It was horrendous: thirty one American soldiers (twenty five of them Navy SEALs) killed in a single downed helicopter. It was the largest amount of American soldiers killed in a single day since we began operations in Afghanistan in 2001. Please remember that each and every day, as we go to work or school, spend our leisure time, visit with friends and family, etc. - our brave soldiers are literally risking their lives to defend our freedoms and our way of life. Please, remember them in your prayers.

Over the next few days, in towns across the US, the soldiers killed on Saturday will be buried. Let us pray for the repose of their souls, and for those they left behind. If you are able to donate to a worthwhile cause to assist the families left behind, I take a cue from Fr. Z and encourage you to visit the website of The Navy SEAL Foundation.

RIP: Heinrich Paulus (150 years dead today).

Theoretically, Paulus is really, really dead.

Since "The Man From Jackson" emailed me last week concerning the originator of the "loaves and fish picnic basket turnover theory" and the "Peter nearly drowns in a drop of water" theory, I was struck by the fact that this man, Heinrich Paulus died 150 years ago today. Memento Mori.

Who was this man? Wikipedia says:

Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus (1 September 1761 – 10 August 1851) was a German theologian and critic of the Christian bible. He is known as a rationalist who offered natural explanations for the biblical miracles of Jesus.

Paulus was a professor of theology and oriental languages at the University of Jena (1789-1803), then professor at the University of Würzburg (1803-1807). He spent time in Bamberg, Nürnberg and Ansbach before becoming professor of exegesis and church history at the University of Heidelberg (1811-44), where he was instrumental in hiring Hegel in 1816. His theological rationalism greatly influenced Hegel's own theology.

As a Lutheran in the Age of Enlightenment, he firmly believed in the autonomy of the individual and freedom of the individual (through reason) from the dogma of the church.

I can kinda see those hip, mellow-cat priests digging the Paulus groove. FREEDOM! INDIVIDUALS! NO DOGMA! NO CHURCH! WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION!
Now here's more:Charges of anti-semitism have been levelled at Paulus for his advocacy of assimilation of Jewish people into German culture. In his published pamphlet "The Jewish National Separation: Its Origin, Consequences, and the Means of its Correction." he argued that "Jews were a nation apart, and would remain so as long as they were committed to their religion, whose basic intent and purpose were to preserve them in that condition. In a country that was not their own, therefore, Jews could not claim more than the bare protection of their lives and possessions. They might certainly not claim political equality."
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT, cool priests???!!! Seriously, you're gonna make me go all internerd Godwin's law and say it? FINE!
If you quote Paulus in your homilies then you MUST BE:

HITLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem...
A more detailed account of this man, Paulus tells about his theories. Among them:

• The Pic-a-nic basket theory: whereby the bread and fish were not miraculously multiplied by divine power, but merely that the generous example of Jesus and His disciples, offering what little they had, inspired the rest of the crowd to pull out packages of food that they had actually concealed in their belongings. The true miracle, therefore, was the spontaneous generosity of a crowd that had previously been inclined to selfishness and concern only for their own needs.
• Shallow end of the pool theory: since it is physically impossible for a human being to walk on water, the reference to Jesus doing so should actually be translated as “walking along the shore” – a translation which is linguistically possible, but certainly doesn’t seem to fit well with the context of the story as we have it.
  On another site, more of his theories:
• The Swoon hypothesis: Paulus wrote in various works from 1802 onwards that he believed that Jesus had fallen into a temporary coma and somehow revived without help in the tomb.
• The bad sight or crazy from the heat vision hypothesis:(Vision Hypothesis) used to cover a range of theories that question the physical resurrection of Jesus, and suggest that sightings of a risen Jesus were visionary experiences (figments of the imagination or tricks of the eye). 

I understand that the stories of the Christian miracles are literally hard-to-believe but are these theories any more credible?
If you want to go straight to the hard-stuff, then skip over trying to make sense of the sensational and read about the whole Jesus-St. Paul-God thing being made up. None of it was real, according to this chilling little number I bought a few years back:

Acharya is not a name it's a title. Like "Lady" for Gaga.

Now, this chick, Acharya S. tells you the straight dope. That the apostles were really the zodiac creatures, St. Paul was a re-hash of an old Indian god and Jesus, seriously, may have been a mushroom. And there's some really fascinating stuff about the dirty art in the Papal museums. With drawings of them. It's like the margin of my 10th grade geometry notebook!

And here is my favorite refutation of this book by a good ol' Mississippi boy who can sure use them big words!




But in defense of Acharya S.? Over Heinrich Paulus, I'd be more interested in hearing her theories. Not because she developed them particularly well but...just look at her!

Hey, what's your apostle..er.umm..sign?

Unlikely source for a dang good Vocation quote...

“Your life is like a river. If you’re aiming for a goal that isn't your destiny, you will always be swimming against the current. Young Gandhi wants to be a stock car racer? Not gonna happen.  Little Anne Frank wants to be a high school teacher? Tough Anne. That's not your destiny. But you will go on to move the hearts and minds of millions.  Find out what your destiny is and the river will carry you. Sometimes events in life give an individual clues as to where their destiny lies." 

Lyn Cassady (portrayed by George Clooney in "Men Who Stare at Goats")