The VERITAS RETREAT is next weekend (Oct. 7-9, 2011) at Camp Hopewell, just outside of Oxford, and I'm really looking forward to it! Spaces are limited! If you haven't yet signed up, print out one of the forms (found here) and get it turned in to me (Brad) no later than this Sunday. I'll bring some retreat forms to the Masses on Sunday, too, in case you want to fill one out "on the spot."
The cost of the retreat is $40.00 per person (which includes lodging on Friday and Saturday nights, three meals on Saturday and - of course - a snazzy t-shirt). Scholarships are available for those who need them.
This retreat will be unlike any retreat you've participated in before. I can't give you all the details but I promise you will want to go.
It's the Memorial of St. Jerome today. In honor of the man who said one must dance with Scripture*, here's some Jerome oriented dance music from McComb's own Bo Diddley.
Bo Diddley (center) Jerome Green (left) Frank Kirkland (right)
And for a little Detroit flavored Jerome boogie, here's Morris Day and the Time with Jerome Benton on mirror:
*According to the internet, Jerome never said such a thing. Once again, YOU LIED TO ME, DIOCESAN WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY A CATHOLIC PUBLISHER!
In the 90's, I coined a phrase : WRD or Widespread Related Death. Usually some kid...most times an Ole Miss kid...would inexplicably die before, during or after a Widespread Panic event.
Whether they veered off the road and wrecked, died of asphyxiation in a hotel room or in a friend's apartments bathroom with a needle in their arm, the survivor's parents would say, "He (rarely a she) was going to see Widespread Panic and they....(see above)." Most times, they'd say their child was tired coming back or going to the show and these things happen. Because of tiredness. Or sometimes it was the illuminati. But mostly tiredness. Never the deceased's fault.
Slightly ranking under the WRD is the WRA or Widespread Related Accident where you don't die but you just get messed up pretty bad. Because of tiredness. Maybe Widespread should pass out Nodoz as the drug of choice.
Duuuude, take a hitta this.
Everyone's tryin' to get to the bar
The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven
In Heaven the band plays our favorite song
They play it one more time they play it all night long
Oh! Heaven. It is a place
A place where nothing, nothing ever happens "Heaven" Widespread Panic*
Widespread plays Saturday in Memphis. If you go, don't die and don't be stupid.
I hate Widespread Related Funerals. And I won't, just won't, let anyone play "Heaven" by Widespread at your wake. You're at the mercy of the liturgy, amigo.
*The Talking Heads wrote "Heaven" but the Spreadheads will hear nothing of it.
"When I came out in 1988 as a gay man, then married with two children, I was emphatically told not to return to my Southern Baptist church; there was no place for my kind of Christian there. So I found a church where they would allow gays to be members.
Gay congregants weren't allowed to teach, pray, or preach; they could only attend, listen, sing, and of course contribute to the offering each Sunday. For a while that token involvement seemed enough, but I sensed inwardly that my calling to preach was still there -- alive, vital, and insistent."
A new book came out Tuesday, Gay in America, and I got a little sample from an AOL article yesterday. Yes, I still look at AOL, shoot me. I was reading some of the captions concerning the gay men featured and a little Google search led me to find this man quoted above. Naturally, he caught my interest because of his attire. I am presuming him to be Mark Bidwell, the pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit. He's an activist and minister on the issue of gay rights, especially gay marriage.
Mark Bidwell and a child
Gay rights is one of the hottest civil rights issues of the day. It creates lines of acrimony in almost every strata of our society, and will get hotter as times go on. In our Church, we have to walk the line between fidelity to God's plan for us and the flexibility that allows wide-room in our nets for all people, regardless of their gender, class, color, or orientation.
But taking things a step back, to address the Reverend Bidwell's concerns with the church (I am not sure which church he's speaking of):
Gay congregants weren't allowed to teach: In many mainline churches, openly gay men and women aren't allowed to teach Scripture and tradition. Especially if the person is living a sexually active homosexual lifestyle which is inconsistent with most churches' teachings on family life.
Gay congregants weren't allowed to pray: I have never, in my experience, heard of any church that would not allow gay members (or anyone) to pray.If that is true, then that's an awful church. Unless it wasn't praying but rather "multiplying words". I don't know. I am not sure if he meant that statement. ADDENDUM FROM BRAD: In the format for most Southern Baptist worship services (they would bristle at the term "liturgy"), there are times for a member of the congregation to come to the pulpit and give a prayer. Given the context of his comments (talking about being allowed to "teach" and "preach"), I'm pretty sure that's what he was referring to.
Gay congregants weren't allowed to preach: Again many churches, the Catholic church in particular, do not allow just anyone to preach. And most times, the preacher must be trained or ordained to do so. An openly gay man or woman living an openly gay lifestlye is, again, inconsistent with traditional Christianity and thus, not fodder for preaching.
Gay congregants could only attend, listen, sing, and of course contribute to the offering each Sunday:The second part of his sentence is one of those classic lines older church members use against their traditions: "We can only PAY, PRAY AND OBEY" which leads to some sort of revolutionary thought that is tinged with civil rights era language. Unfortunately, this type of language is used by clergy, even bishops, at times to show some sort of underclass struggle with the POWERS THAT BE. Strangely, this language is used by the powerful to convince others of their lowliness. It's an odd twist.
The relationship between church and state has always been tenuous. The church, most times, has been on the side of good when the state wouldn't house the orphan and widow, feed the poor or tend to the sick. But the church has also defended the basic rights to life, which includes the natural agent for life: marriage between a man and woman. In the same vein, our Church, the Catholic Church, never promotes hostility toward those who, through no fault of their own, have defects of mind, body or spirit. These are those that we should do good for and to. For we do the same to Christ.
As Father Joe alludes to in his post earlier today, it is the Feast of the Archangels on the Church Calendar. Traditionally called "Michaelmas" (after St. Michael the Archangel), today's feast celebrates the three archangels mentioned in Scripture: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Statue of St. Michael defeating Satan. Vienna, Austria.
Hey - ya gotta love St. Michael. He's easily the coolest of the three archangels and one of the coolest saints overall. He's the one who threw Satan (the rebellious angel of light) out of heaven at God's command. And the way he's traditionally depicted in Church art is pretty cool, too: usually in full angelic armor, with sword in hand and a foot on the head or throat of Satan. Michael's shield usually displays the battle cry of the angels, which is the Latin version of his name's meaning: Quis ut Deus?, or "Who is like God?"
St. Michael encourages us to be bold and brave in living out our Catholic faith - battling evil is not for wimps. His image is one which flies in the face of those who try to treat Christianity as a "pushover" religion or as a faith which kowtows to the norms and whims of secular society. Michael reminds us that the Church and the Faith which she has preserved for nearly two millennia are not to take a backseat in our lives, but are to drive and inspire us to "fight the good fight" (1 Timothy 6:12) every day of our God-given lives.
Today, I encourage you to echo St. Michael's other battle cry: "Serviam!" It means, "I will serve," and it is an act of faith to our provident God, against the "Non serviam!" of Satan and the world.
Answer God's silent call and serve him today, in honor of St. Michael and the other Archangels. Serve others - your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, your family - today. In so doing, you will emulate St. Michael and, more importantly, our Lord Jesus Christ. "May you know how to put yourself out cheerfully, discreetly and generously each day, serving others and making their lives more pleasant. To act this way is to practice the true charity of Jesus Christ." (St. Josemaria Escriva)
"Let no man seduce you, willing in humility and religion of angels, walking in the things which he has not seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh:"
Letter of Paul to the Colossians (2:19)
Today is the Feast of the Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael. Although the Church has great respect and belief in angels, we also don't believe some things that others do. One such thing is that when we die, we all turn into angels. NOT TRUE. SO NOT TRUE!
Nonetheless, that doesn't keep the bumper sticker, wall poster, screen-saver and cheesy preaching businesses from stating otherwise. Interestingly enough, lots of celebrities become angels. So on this feast of the BIG 3, I present some of our latter day angels.
Tupac Angel: Residing in Ghetto Heaven (or not)
Michael Jackson Angel: Moonwalking all over the devil. CHAMON!
Heath Ledger Angel (on either Mount Zion or Mount Brokeback)
Pavarotti Angel: Looks like Heaven agrees with him. Slimming down!
Kim Kardashian Angel: Still alive. And dang, girl, you got some big wings back there.
Iron Man Angel: Fake and not dead, with iron wings, carrying the guy from Coldplay's half naked wife. I hope this isn't from Iron Man 3.
I'm sick of this whole Forward Rebels* thing. And if they are so forward, why is the first "F" in the logo backward? Among other things, this group wants to restore Colonel Reb to the field and dispatch the bear. But Rebel the Bear is here now and we need to live with it. He's been paid for and out and about. But he doesn't have that swagger that's needed to take on a quasi-religious cult who have elevated a costume and a near show-tune to magical realism status. I mean, heck, we CATHOLICS don't even inspire as much superstition!
Bear Coat: $345.00
I say we ignore the haters. And support our new costume! Administration and Rebels, let's release the bear and let him get all straight grizzly on those whiners: Workaholics style!
B-- bettah have my honey! B-- bettah have my honey! Rinse and repeat!**
*I am not linking to that site because they don't need more "likers" who also like the Bible, The Blind Side and the Zac Brown Band. ENOUGH!
**for those offended at the language, please refer to the old, traditional, family-oriented Ole Miss chant "Hotty Toddy".
Tonight at Good Cheer, Fr. Matthew Simmons from Brookhaven will speak on "CATHOLICISM FOR THE CONVERT". This is a good chance for you to grab a friend who's on the fence wondering if he/she should check out our church. Fr. Matthew converted to the faith and is now a priest. He said he'll talk about some of the things a new Catholic can expect and not expect. So expect the unexpected!
Good Cheer begins at 7:00pm at the Library off the Square. Grab a cold beverage, a snack and sit back and let creamy Catholic goodness consume your soul! Mmm!
Yes, Rush week is upon us all. CCM wishes our best to all.
Sororities (and fraternities) are great at a lot of things: kindling friendships, building leadership skills and serving the community, to name just a few. They are not, however, rappers.
Warning: watching the video below might make you college grads give serious consideration to tearing up your degree.
Seriously, though: fraternities and sororities actually have a lot in common with historic Catholicism.
Yes, seriously.
A lot more, in fact, than many Greeks probably realize.
You see, Catholicism is the original Church. Which means that the practices of the early Christians were our practices. And many of the practices and traditions established by American college fraternities and sororities during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries bore a close resemblance to the early years of the Church.
Here are three examples of how fraternities and sororities are very similar to the early Church:
1. Secrecy: Fraternities and sororities are known for having secrets. Their meetings are often "closed" (i.e. open only to initiated members). This can be traced to the earliest days of these organizations when they were formed and met in secrecy; the only way that the members could meet without faculty interference and with total freedom to discuss what they wanted to discuss and to express their opinions.
In the early centuries of the Church, the Mass, too, was private - only fully initiated Catholics were allowed to attend. Remember: the Church was often persecuted in the early days, so this was largely a measure of protection and self-preservation. And even when there was no official persecution, Christians were largely not trusted by the rest of Roman society because they refused to worship any god but their own. This was seen as religious snobbery and most Romans found it odd, to say the least.
The secrecy of the early Christians was so extensive that it led to rumors about what the group actually believed and about their primary ceremony: the Mass. We have writings from as early as the second century which show that non-Christians thought that Christians were cannibals (because they heard that they regularly consumed the Body and the Blood of Jesus) and that they were incestuous (because all members, men and women, as "brothers and sisters in Christ," shared the "kiss of peace" during the Mass; this was way before the modern "handshake of peace" *ahem* and it was an unusually intimate exchange in the eyes of non-Christian Romans).
2. Initiation: The initiation rituals of fraternities and sororities are the biggest mystery to non-members. Tons of speculation goes on about what happens during those ceremonies. I can assure you that most non-members would be struck at the beauty and the high moral teachings of almost all fraternity and sorority rituals. They symbolism is often deep and very impressive. For the first time, the meaning of the group's name is revealed to initiates and age-old passwords and secret mottoes are passed on to the new members. Instead of being raucous, the initiation ceremonies themselves are usually very sober and meaningful.
Quite often, initiation is preceded by a time of "pledgeship", where the conduct of the hopeful member is monitored and they learn more about the fraternity or sorority they hope to join. Finally, they are led through a secret initiation ritual during which they are exposed, for the first time, to all the ceremonies and secrets of the order.
Early Christians kept their initiations secret, too. No one could just walk up and declare that they were a Christian. Every prospective convert went through a long probationary period where their conduct was monitored (to made sure that a conversion was truly sincere, and that the person had indeed left their former errant ways) and they were instructed over time by the local bishop and/or by a catechist (a teacher of the Faith). Eventually, the catechumens (those sincerely learning about the Christian faith) were admitted to the Sunday Mass for the liturgy of the word, but were dismissed before the liturgy of the Eucharist.
Not until the great nightlong Vigil of Easter were the catechumens fully (and finally) initiated into the Church. And those initiation ceremonies were nothing short of impressive. For example, the catechumens would have spent months (and sometimes years) learning about how Christ would purify them and wash them clean of their sins, but they were never explicitly told about the sacrament of Baptism. But, on the night of the Easter Vigil, they were ushered into a darkened room and told to disrobe. Then, after being led in a renunciation of Satan and his vain glories, they were led, for the first time, in reciting a series of beliefs called the Credo, or Creed: the Christian oath, if you will. Then, they were led into the waters of the baptismal font and baptized. Upon emerging from the baptismal waters, the darkness was broken by the light of a candle which was presented to the "neophyte" (Greek for "newly enlightened one") as a symbol of their being a new bearer of Christ, "the Light of the world." They were then robed in pure white, a symbol of their Christian purity.
After this, they were anointed with chrism and were led to the bishop, seated on his chair. The bishop then laid hands on each newly baptized Christian. And, after exchanging the "kiss of peace" for the first time, the new Christians took part in the liturgy of the Eucharist and received the Body and Blood of Christ in their first Eucharist. For this reason, these three: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, were (and still are) known as the "Sacraments of Initiation."
3. Service: When most people think about fraternities and sororities, they think about social events and parties. And while it's true that Greek organizations certainly know how to have a good time (what college student doesn't?), they actually spend quite a bit of time and energy organizing service projects to benefit those in need. Philanthropy has long been an important part of the Greek experience.
In like manner, early Christians did not keep to themselves with their secret meetings and symbolic rituals. They lived out the Gospel of Christ in personal and corporate ways. On a personal level, all who embraced Christianity in the early years of the Church were held to a very high moral standard. To embrace Christ was to reject the world and the vain pleasures of secular society. But on a corporate level, the Church structure, from the earliest centuries, proved to be a highly effective bureaucratic machine: able to organize vast charitable works and, through the inter-connectiveness of the local churches throughout the Mediterranean world, the Church was able to provide this charity much more effectively than any organization before.
And my point is...?
So, what does this all mean? Well, firstly, I just always getting a kick out of pointing out how so much of what we take for granted in the modern Western world actually has deep roots in our shared Catholic past. As I often say: you're more Catholic than you think. You have to admit that the similarities and connections are kind of cool.
But whether or not you have decided to dive into Greek life, remember that you'll be fine if you do and fine if you don't. People seem to view our school as one which is "heavily Greek." There's even a false notion that the majority of Ole Miss students are in a fraternity or sorority. Actually, though, that's just not the case. According to statistics, about 1/3 of the undergraduate student body here at Ole Miss is Greek. Which means that 2/3 aren't. So if you decide to forego rush and pledging, you'll be in good company and in the majority.
Regardless, always remember that you're Catholic first. Sometimes it's difficult to be Roman in a Greek world. But remember: God never promised us "easy," he promised us life. Live yours for Christ!
That humeral veil? Up there? That is actually ours now. That one. I got it LESS THAN RETAIL off the floor model. And I'm using it tonight. Come out and see it's beauty.
What's so great about our faith? What brings hundreds of people in MISSISSIPPI to the Catholic faith as converts? And why, oh why, would one of those converts not only become Catholic but A PRIEST? Find out tomorrow evening at Good Cheer (7pm, The Library).
Fr. Matthew Simmons grew up in South Mississippi and experienced just about every flavor of Christianity one can imagine. However, he finally discovered Catholicism and after some prayerful discernment, became Catholic and later became a Catholic priest.
He's now Director of Seminarians for the diocese of Jackson and pastor of Brookhaven's St. Francis of Assisi Church. He also serves the mission parish in Macon, Ms.
In the internet world, this is really old news, but last week, Sinead O'Connor, on her twitter feed, warned that if the pope came to Ireland she'd have him shot. She tweeted that there'd be a "f--king bloodbath."
Sinead O' Connor on Saturday Night Live in October 1992
Really, Sinead? REALLY?
I realize that Sinead O'Connor was relevant, musically, only for a short snippet of time, long before many of our readers were even born. At the height of her fame, back in 1992, she performed on Saturday Night Live and, during her performance, tore up a photo of then-pope John Paul II in front of the camera.
So Sinead's problems with the papacy are nothing new. But, here's the clincher: she claims to be Catholic. (To take it one step further, she also claims to be a priest, but that's a topic for another post.)
In all seriousness, Ms. O'Connor's comments scream of mental illness which needs desperately to be treated. But what gets me is this angle: she hates and rejects the teachings of Catholicism, but still insists that she is Catholic. What gives?
This is pertinent because I've met many Catholics over the past few years who are in the same boat. Granted, I've never heard any of them threaten the life of the Holy Father, but, like O'Connor, they hate the teachings of the Church but stubbornly subsist as Catholics.
As a person who embraced the fullness of the Catholic faith as an adult, I have to say that I really do not understand and cannot appreciate such a stance. Blame it on my age, for I am a product of my generation, but I have no respect for what St. James calls "doublemindedness" (James 1:8): the act of paying lip service to your beliefs, or claiming allegiance to a group without agreeing with its tenets.
At the base of it all is a severe case of intellectual and spiritual dishonesty. If you seriously disagree with the teachings of a group, why on earth would you insist on remaining a member of that group? To do so is to be disengenuous.
Don't get me wrong: I wish no one ill and I'm no proponent of "purifying" the ranks of Catholics. When a person is of age, faith is a personal decision and we are not able to read one another's hearts. This is why our Lord tells us not to judge one another.
But assent to a system of beliefs is the hallmark of membership in any organization. If one were to join the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited but had a moral problem with hunting ducks and publicly criticized the sport, I'd think they were being (at best) dishonest with themselves and (at worst) dishonest with everyone else. Why waste your time and energy?
Why is religious affiliation any different?
The tenets of Catholicism are well-known. They don't hide in workshops or newsletters. They aren't held hostage by religious leaders who impart them to only a few persons. They are eternal and very public.
So, if and when a person disagrees with the teachings of our Church, no one in their right mind would mistreat them or think ill of them. But if they have sincere disagreements with the teachings of the Church, yet still claim to be members in good standing, all in their right mind who are honest with themselves, would most certainly wonder (politely and privately) why in the world they would cling to an organization with whom they so vehemently disagree.
I am no different.
I pray for the Sineads of the world. I also pray for those much closer to home who display an inexplicable religious self-loathing. You should pray for them, too. Just pray, love... and be patient. Do not judge.
We are not to judge who is and who is not worthy to call themselves "Catholic." We may wonder why they do so, but it is not our place to judge them... only to love and welcome them. Christ said that there would always be both wheat and tares in the Church. It is up to the harvester to separate them. (Matthew 13:24-30, et al)
Today is the birthday (or "belly button birthday") of Eurosia Fabris or "Mama Rosa" as she is called with affection. She was born in 1866 in Italy and had deep religious aspirations. However, her life would change in 1885 as her biography tells us:
A young married woman near her home died, leaving three very young daughters. The first of them died shortly after her mother. The other two girls, Chiara Angela and Italia, were only 20 months and 2 months old, respectively. The father of these girls was away, living with his uncle and a grandfather who suffered from a chronic disease. They were three very different men, always quarreling among themselves. For six months, every morning, Rosina would go to care for the children and take care of their home. Later, following the advice of people close to her and after praying about it, she decided to marry. Rosina married Carlo Barban, well aware of the sacrifices that married life would hold for her in the future. The marriage occurred in May 1886 and, in addition to the two orphaned babies, she had nine other children. Her home was always opened to other children as well.
This is how she became Mama Rosa! The story continues:
Like the strong woman in Scripture, she became a treasure to her family. She knew how to balance the family budget and at the same time exercised great charity toward the poor, sharing her daily bread also with them. She cared for the sick and gave them continuous assistance, showing heroic strength during the final illness of her husband Carlo, who died in 1930. Mamma Rosa became a member of the Franciscan Third Order, known today as the Secular Franciscans. She faithfully attended all their meetings, but above all tried to live the true Franciscan spirit of poverty and joy in her home, in the midst of her daily work and prayer.Mamma Rosa’s family home was an ideal Christian community where her children were taught to pray and love God’s will as they practiced Christian virtues. In her vocation as a Christian mother, Mamma Rosa sacrificed herself day by day. She died on Jan. 8, 1932, and was buried in the church of Marola.
The Church is continuing the process toward declaring her a saint. Of course, her saint's day will be January 8 as it is the day of her death thus the first day of her birth in eternal life. Much like the saint of today, Vincent de Paul, Mama Rosa had a desire to care for others, the least ones. With such a love for them, she was preparing herself for eternal life. However, there are some modern concerns about her holiness:
Mama Rosa, pray for us.
Bishop Cesare Nosiglia of Vicenza, who co-presided with Cardinal Saraiva Martins at her Beatification said in his homily that "Mother Rosa represents a model of sanctity accessible to everyone...." Some outside sources say that the Catholic Church wishes to use Eurosia Fabris as a role model in order to encourage them and all people in the world to have more children. The Associated Press reported: "The average number of children per woman in the European Union is 1.5, according to EU statistics, but in some countries, including heavily Roman Catholic Italy and Spain, the average is 1.3. Pope Benedict has described large families as useful witnesses to 'faith, courage and optimism' in society." Some controversy surrounds this ideology, with some citing world overpopulation and the eventual depletion of essential natural resources. However, the notion of overpopulation as a threat is itself a matter of dispute.
Responsibility and care never overburdens our resources. But that's a discussion for another day, and we just don't have the bandwidth for it!
Pray for those who take care of the needy and especially those families who welcome children into their lives and homes. It's not overpopulation, it's adding to the Kingdom of God. (Mk 9:36-37)
Mondays, as office posters and Garfield the Cat tell us, are never pleasant. Even here at my office, it can get a bit hectic and nuts. And then I reflect on the four last things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell to center my focus. Oh sweet release! O kind fields of gentle rest!
And then, this comes from the internet. Arch West, a former Frito-Lay executive and creator of Doritos, will be buried with the chips that made him famous.
The 97-year-old passed away in Dallas on Sept. 20, his family confirmed in a statement over the weekend.
West died of natural causes.
During the graveside service, his family has plans to toss Doritos chips in "before they put the dirt over the urn," West's daughter Jana Hacker told The Dallas Morning News.
If you want heavenly tasting Doritos, don't try these. They taste like feet.
I am not a big fan of theme-y or cutesy funerals. I put in my Will that I want to be buried with the strictest Catholic rituals and nothing novel. But, I gotta admire this. Here's to you, Mr. West. May there be onion dip in the hereafter and when this Monday ends, I'll lift a downy-cheese coated chip to you, sir!
But...may the Lord not look upon such transgressions as this unfortunate Doritos ad...
Today is the Feast of St. Pio. Lots of great things have been said of him and written about him. But, no one, until now, can show just how he can TAKE ON THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! Read and prepare to be AMAZED!!!
ROUND 1: PROFESSOR XAVIER v. PADRE PIO MIND CONTROL
Professor X
Padre Pio
Professor X: from Marvel.com- Professor X is a mutant who possesses vast psionic powers, making him arguably the world's most powerful telepath. He can read minds and project his own thoughts into the minds of others within a radius of approximately 250 miles. With extreme effort, he can greatly extend that radius. Professor X can also psionically manipulate the minds of others, for example to make himself seem invisible, and project illusions into them.
Padre Pio:from padrepio.catholicwebservices.com-A spiritual son of Padre Pio who lived in Rome omitted out of shame to make his customary small reverence when he passed near to a church in the company of some friends. Suddenly he heard Padre Pio’s voice saying: “Coward!” After a few days he went to San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was reproached by Padre Pio: “Be careful! This time I have only scolded you; next time I will give you a slap.”
WIN: Padre Pio- he's the slapper. X is the slapp-y.
ROUND 2: DOCTOR STRANGE v. PADRE PIO ASTRAL PROJECTION and LEVITATION
Dr Strange
Padre Pio
Doctor Strange:from Marvel.com Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence. Like most sorcerers, he draws his power from three primary sources: the invocation of powerful mystic entities or objects, the manipulation of the universe's ambient magical energy, and his own psychic resources.
Padre Pio: from acatholiclife.blogspot.com-On one occasion, St. Padre Pio levitated through the air in order to reach the Confessional without being seen and stopped. He immediately began to receive penitents. A man in the church was amazed how the priest had gotten to the confessional because so many people were outside of his door waiting to talk with him. St. Padre Pio said to him that God made him invisible and he walked on their heads to the confessional. WIN: Padre Pio: Although both have snappy vestments, Pio does not wear Danskins. Oh, and he doesn't consort with the dark occult forces either.
ROUND 3: NIGHTCRAWLER v PADRE PIO BILOCATION
Nightcrawler
Padre Pio
Nightcrawler: from Marvel.com-Nightcrawler is a mutant who can teleport by opening a portal into another dimension, travelling through it via an unconscious direction-finding sense, and returning to his own dimension. When teleporting, Nightcrawler leaves behind a small portion of the atmosphere of the other dimension that escapes with a muffled “bamf” sound and smells of brimstone.
Padre Pio: from pdtsigns.com- Padre Pio allegedly put in an appearance at the canonization of St.Therese of Lisieux in 1925," writes the minister, Bernard Ruffin. "Within the Mass, however, Padre Pio admitted to an intense mystical involvement with the unseen world. He apparently saw, as in a vision, the entire Passion, and actually felt, physically, the wounds of Jesus. " WIN: Padre Pio: Both Nightcrawler and Pio are priests (seriously, I am not making it up about a made-up character) and both can teleport but one smells like old rotten eggs the other, roses (not making it up).
FINAL BATTLE: WOLVERINE v PADRE PIOBLOODY HANDS
Wolverine
Padre Pio
Padre Pio: from michaeljournal.org-The crucifix in the choir, he said, had transformed itself into the Being. The hands, feet, and side of the Being were dripping blood. And the countenance terrified Pio. “From Him there came forth beams of light with shafts of flame that wounded me in the hands and feet. My side had already been wounded on the fifth of August of the same year.” Wolverine:from Marvel.com-Wolverine’s skeleton includes six retractable one-foot long bone claws, three in each arm, that are housed beneath the skin and muscle of his forearms. Wolverine can, at will, release these slightly curved claws through his skin beneath the knuckles on each hand. The skin between the knuckles tears and bleeds, but the blood loss is quickly halted by his healing factor.
Which is cooler...adamantium claws forged onto a near invincible skeleton that can cause unheard of damage or welts that pour forth blood like Christ himself, especially during the sacrifice of Mass?
However, both men have indestructible bodies, so I'm calling for a beauty contest.
Finally! For those of you who want to sign up for the Veritas Retreat (Oct. 7-9), you can now do so by clicking here or following the link at the right!
It's so great outside. Cool breeze. Nice blue skies. Bright sun.
Thank God for it.
Rosary Walk at 6:30pm. Pat Lamar Park (Off College Hill Rd). Everyone welcome!
Get all shiny and happy (I said that because R.E.M broke up and thought it part of the zeitgeist of my generation to recognize the event...)
What do I do when I'm in the Confessional? Other than absolving sins and praying for the lost sheep? I read. Sometimes I text but most times I read. And the book on the left is the latest I've been reading in "the box".
Fr. Matthew Simmons (COMING NEXT WEEK TO GOOD CHEER) is on the Vocations Team for the Diocese and he alerted me to this book this summer as a trial for vocations work at Ole Miss. I expressed some interest and received my copy along with some study materials this summer. The title "To Save A Thousand Souls" had me interested and it turns out it comes from an old adage, "The one who saves a priest, saves a thousand souls".
I actually have enjoyed the book as it honestly tackles some of the questions a man may have about becoming a priest. The author, Fr. Brett Brannen has vocation direction experience and knows all of the pitfalls and concerns a man discerning priesthood.
I passed on a copy to someone this week and he told me he's enjoyed it so far. So here's my offer: If any guy wants a copy, let me know and I'll get you one. I would like to maybe have a study group with the book as the center. You know. Just guys, sitting around, talking about God, celibacy and obedience. Just regular guy stuff.
Email me if you want a copy: tonos@stjohnoxford.org. It could save your soul...and maybe thousands!
Addendum:I should have mentioned that this book is written specifically for men who are thinking about the DIOCESAN priesthood. It's not for guys who may want to be a Franciscan, Benedictine, Glenmary or Jedi. It's for men who are interested in serving a diocesan bishop. Religious orders are usually responsible enough to have publications for their particular order (men and women).
What one thing do these three people have in common?
Mel Gibson
Warlock
Lady Gaga
If you said "They're all CATHOLIC!*" You are correct!
Come out to GOOD CHEER tonight where I'll speak on the JOYS OF BEING CATHOLIC! Find out what we all share with those luminaries above. You'll hear of the sweet nectar that is Catholic schooling, fear of bloodied saints, incredible but endearing guilt and ecclesial snobbery.
7:00PM at the Library off the Square.
*You also get points for answering "bsc". -----------UPDATE
Here's the outline from last night's talk! Only at GOOD CHEER, can you have a beer, pray and have some priest go off needlessly about a youth misspent. My feelings on a video of it being out there is best summed up by an animated gif:
Thanks for coming out! Next week, Fr. Matthew SImmons from Brookhaven is our guest and speaking on his conversion.
Ahhh... the seasons: the very rythym of the earth on display. Slowly but surely, we're moving from summer into fall. The days are getting shorter and the weather is (sloooowly) cooling off - even down here in Mississippi.
Of course you know all about the changing seasons. But did you know that the Church, in her wisdom, has long recognized these changing seasons with something called "Ember Days"?
Yep. Four times a year, the Church sets aside three days (a successive Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) to draw our collective attentions back to God and to his wonderful creation. These four periods coincide with the beginnings of each natural season. Today starts the Fall Ember Days.
A little background is in order
According to the Old Testament, Jews were called to fast four times each year, marking the start of each season (see Zechariah 4:19). In addition to this, observant Jews (our forefathers in faith) also fasted two days each week: on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Early Christians carried on the tradition of fasting two days each week, but they moved their weekly fast days to Wednesday (the day that Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot) and Friday (the day that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross).
So, for centuries, Christians fasted every Wednesday and Friday. And even today, our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches still observe a strict fast every Wednesday and Friday, in accord with ancient Christian tradition. In the West, however, the Roman Catholic Church eventually amended the old two day fasts each week to keeping only Fridays as penitential days (something we Catholics are bound to observe every Friday, BTW, either by abstaining from eating meat or by "some other act of penance" ... but that's for another post) But four times each year, at the change of the seasons, on the Ember Days, the Catholic Church observes the old two day fast (Wednesday and Friday) and adds a third day: Saturday.
When and why
The Ember Days come at the same time each year and are always near the start of a natural season, helping Christians to mark each change of season with penance, fasting and thankfulness. The first Ember Days of the Church year fall on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the week after the Feast of St. Lucy (December 13th). The spring Ember Days come after Ash Wednesday; the summer Ember Days fall after Pentecost and the fall Ember Days (which start today and continue this Friday and Saturday), always fall on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in the week after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14th). The old way of remembering when the Ember Days were was: "Lucy, Ashes, Dove and Cross."
"So," you're saying, "this is nice and all, but I've never heard any of this. What does it mean to me today?"
I'm glad you asked.
Ember Days are one of the traditions of our Catholic faith which, sadly, have largely disappeared in popular observance since Vatican II. But they serve an important purpose: they call our attention to the rhythm of God's creation and can spark our thoughts to better stewardship of our natural resources and the created world. They help Catholics to stay "in tune" with nature by using the world's movement in time and seasons as a spiritual "alarm clock" which calls us back to a closer walk with our Creator. In a world full of man-made distractions, the idea of using the earth's seasons as regular calls to prayer and fasting rings of common sense and is refreshingly simple.
So, where are the Ember Days on my Catholic calendar?
Well, the new universal Church calendar introduced in 1969 did not mark the Ember Days but, instead, the Church's General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the instructions for the post-Vatican II Mass) asked the Catholic bishops' conference in each country to create a national Church calendar that would include, among other things, the feast days of blesseds from that country that are not included on the universal Church calendar. "In the drawing up of the national calendar," say the Instructions, "...Ember Days should be indicated" (GIRM, paragraph 394).
Essentially, then, the national conferences of Catholic bishops in each country were left with the responsibility of seeing to it that national (also called "local") calendars were created. Whether or not these calendars retained the traditional Ember Days, though, seems to have become optional. As you could probably guess by now, the bishops of the U.S. never officially retained the Ember Days on the Church calendar for our country while many other countries' bishops kept them. For we American Catholics, then, observing the Ember Days are optional. Some Catholic calendars that you purchase still mark the days as "optional days for prayer and fasting."
So, (at this point), the Ember Days are optional. But what a great option they are! Not only do they reconnect us to an ancient Christian observance, but they can help us to re-focus on our spiritual life as sure as the seasons change. And if observing the Ember Days draws you into a greater appreciation for the majesty and wonders of God's creation and if they lead you to offer up some extra prayers and fasting to our Triune God, then observing the Ember Days is a very good thing to do.
Our challenge to you? Observe the Ember Days. Be a rebel and re-claim an important piece of the Church's liturgical cycle. It's really easy to do. And like Jesus, who regularly withdrew to fast and pray in the wilderness, it gives you an important doorway to sacrificial and focused prayer.
How do you observe Ember Days?
It's pretty simple, actually. The Ember Days are traditionally days of fasting and partial abstinence from meat. In other words, to observe a day of fasting, you would eat no more than one light meal during the day. Because it is a day of partial and not full abstinence from meat, that one meal could include meat. In addition to fasting and partial abstinence (a personal sacrifice which you should offer up to God in thanksgiving), you might also give alms to the poor. You can do this by saving the money you would have spent on meals and snacks on your days of fasting this week and donating them to a charity such as the Clayton Stevens Fund at St. John's or some other charity. Remember, the Ember Days are today (Wednesday), Friday and Saturday.
We at CCM Ole Miss are always interested in practices and observances that help us draw us closer to God and help us to reclaim and reinforce our Catholic identity. We'll talk more about the idea and the place of Catholic identity and re-connecting to timeless traditions in future posts, but I'll leave you with a teaser: we aren't the only ones who are thinking this way.
