Movember: Dang, missed out

Last year, we had this great idea: Stache for Cash but in typical Rebel fashion, the momentum and execution petered out and it was sort of a non event. No photographic evidence of it.

I miss you, stache sticker.

But seems Movember is kind of the hot thing. Worth a look and support.

However...just wanted to say.

We did it first.

Albeit poorly.

Do the Red

Another product from Fr. Z!

The influential "What Does the Prayer Really Say" site by Fr. Z has long promoted the simple saying: "Do the red, say the black".

I still see red!

What the statement means is, concerning the Roman Missal, there are two font colors. Red and Black. The Red (also called "the rubrics" because they are ruby colored) gives the priest instructions on what movements to make and postures to assume while celebrating Mass.
The Black indicates the color of everything else.

I must admit, I didn't do too awful yesterday. I get about an B- but did notice that even when I informed the congregation that the Red parts on their worship aid denote action such as "striking breast" during the Confetior or "bow" during the phrase concerning the incarnation during the Creed, not too many did it.

Was it just opening day jitters?
Was it information overload?
Was it some idea that gestures are optional?
Were there some medical issues the prevented a light pat on the breast or a bow?
Or was it something like an older parishioner who fancied herself a liturgist as far back as the 70's told me that all this bowing in the General Instruction was ridiculous and she'll "bow before no God!".
Ok maybe not that.
But what was it? I wonder.

This weekend: Ole Miss v. State! Sacramentary v. Roman Missal!

Can't get enough of Rebel the em-BEAR-assed..haha.

The great plodding grey thud you hear is the cumulative enthusiasm for this year's Egg Bowl among the Rebel faithful. Maybe a tad bit of cold comfort was given with that semi-whooping LSU handed out to the Hawgs yesterday but the general consensus is we just want it over with. Be gentle.

However, just as undying as the rivalry between State and Ole Miss is the classic rivalry between The Church and the Spirit of Vatican 2! Lining up on the field tomorrow are two formidable forces. At home is the unbending, teaching authority of Christ and the timeless Liturgy. On the visitor side are the people of the spirit empowered by their baptism to decide how God, whoever he or she may be is speaking at the moment. And the contest is: The Translation of the Roman Missal!

We in Oxford (as far as I'm the celebrant) will be doing it the way the USCCB and Vatican has told us to. However, some of you may be getting the same thing you've gotten since time began...40 years ago.

So, post in: DID YOUR CHURCH USE THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL?  What team were you on?!

St. Cecilia, pray for us

St. Cecilia (right) as depicted in the 9th-
century apse above the altar in the Church
of St. Cecilia in Rome. In this scene, she stands
next to her husband, St. Valerian, who
stands next to St. Peter the Apostle.

Today, the Church commemorates one of the early Christian martyrs of Rome: St. Cecilia, who seems to have been martyred around the year AD 230.

Cecilia is pretty well-known as the patroness of musicians because, according to tradition, she sang praises to God as Roman authorities attempted to kill her for her faith. Truth is, we don't know much for sure about Cecilia. The earliest stories about St. Cecilia's life and death were first preserved centuries after she died, so it can be difficult, from a secular historian's perspective, to know what is fact and what is embellishment.

The traditional story (first found in fifth century documents), is that Cecilia was a noblewoman, from a senatorial Roman family. She became a Christian as a young woman and, after being baptized, she pledged her life to God by making a personal vow of virginity. Despite this, her family married her off when she came of age. On her wedding night, Cecilia told her husband, Valerian, about her vow of virginity and persuaded him to convert to Christianity and to join her in a life of service to the Lord. He was baptized soon after, and he and Cecilia soon converted Valerian's brother, Tibertius, and another man, Maximus, a Roman soldier. The four, led by Cecilia, began ministering to the poor and needy by giving alms and distributing goods. They also ministered to their fellow Christians in a time of state-sponsored persecution by seeing to it that martyrs received proper burials.

According to tradition, Valerian, Tibertius and Maximus were arrested and martyred. After burying her husband and his brother, Cecilia was then arrested as well and, after refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods, she was locked in the caldarium (essentially, a sauna) of her bathhouse to suffocate her. From outside, the authorities could hear Cecilia singing hymns. After three days, she was still alive so they then proceeded to behead her. Even this was botched, and after three blows with an axe, Cecilia remained alive but gravely injured. She died a few days later from her wounds and was buried in the catacombs of San Callisto.

During renovations of the Church which bares her name in 1599,
the tomb of St. Cecilia was opened. Inside, her body was found
to be incorrupt and Church officials were stunned. Gashes were still
visible on her neck. A local Roman sculptor, Stefano Maderno, was
hired to create a sculpture (pictured above) which records exactly
how the saint's body appeared when the tomb was opened. 

How much of the above story is true and how much is pious legend, is impossible to say. What we do know, according to archaeological and historical evidence, is that underneath the ninth century Church of St. Cecilia in Trastevere (an area of Rome located on the west side of the Tiber River), is a second-century domus ecclesia, or house-church. A house-church was a private home that was donated to the Church for use in worship, catechesis and administration. It was common practice in the early centuries of the Church for wealthy Christian families to donate homes to the Church for this purpose. Once donated to the Church, these homes usually continued to bear the name of the donor. 

Excavations of the third-century home
of St. Cecilia, underneath her church in Rome.

House-churches were often used, with few modifications, for centuries after their donation. Eventually, as the needs of the Church expanded, they were razed or filled in and a new, larger church building was built on top. This was the case for St. Cecilia's home which, in the fifth century, was filled in and served as the foundation for a new basilica of St. Cecilia. A major expansion was added to the church in the ninth century during the reign of Pope Pascal I (d. 824), and during this renovation, the relics of St. Cecilia, her husband and his brother, were moved from the catacombs to the new church and interred under the main altar.

If you visit the Catacombs of San Callisto on the outskirts of Rome, you can see St. Cecilia's original (now empty) place of burial. You can also visit the church which bares her name and there, you can see tour the archaeological excavations of her third-century home, beneath the church.

St. Cecilia is one of seven women, besides the Virgin Mary, whose names are mentioned in the ancient Roman Canon, or Eucharistic Prayer I, during the Mass. This, if nothing else, tells you in what esteem she was held by the ancient Christians of Rome. We call upon her in confidence to intercede for us in heaven. And we pray that God will make us, too, saints.

You know what I don't like? Ecumenical Thanksgiving Services

I don't like ecumenical Thanksgiving services. I have nothing against praying. I have no problem with Americans joining with one another to commemorate our historical landmarks. I am not against peaceful gatherings of Baptists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and so on and so forth.

I just don't like being part of it. A few reasons.

A Methodist and Muslim light a unity candle at a Chicago Thanksgiving Service 2010

First, Catholic prayer is traditional. We have texts that are revered and sacred concerning prayer. And our greatest Thanksgiving prayer is the Mass. When we water it down, take out the "offensive" words such as "Father" or "Jesus" or "Christ", and drop the traditional sign of the cross and Trinitarian formula, it seems almost a scandal. Like either we're not happy with our faith, we don't share our faith or we don't want our faith to bother anyone.

Relgious people light candles in an Indianapolis Catholic Church

Secondly, the symbol value is either terrifyingly true or banally false. If it's true we are really not sure who God is and what he or she or it wants of us but it's great to thank whatever it is, if there is a god, then we either need to work harder on understanding Catholicism or seek counsel with our priest about our doubts. If we don't really mean what we say at an ecumenical service but it's just a nice thing to hold hands and smile at each other, then that's a waste of time. It's not filling in mind, body or spirit.

Third, and this happens less frequently, when a Catholic pastor/bishop (or "the people of God" in a parish) decides not to have Mass in lieu of a community ecumenical service, that makes a lie out of the primacy and supremacy of Mass. We don't go to Mass to share fellowship and speak of our gratitudes. We go to encounter Christ, thankful in spirit that he has redeemed our sinful mortal souls and, if in a state of grace, we take receive Communion. Big difference. Or if there is no difference, it just shows how far we need to go to get us back in line.

 As a good start, Pope Benedict's visit to Assisi was not an ecumenical prayer service. Rather it was a day for religious leaders to speak to one another about peace.

Religious leaders at the Pope's 2011 Assisi Conference

If we stopped praying over one another and around one another and started talking to one another, that would be something I'd be grateful for!

Presentation of Mary

"Hey, someone tithed us a kid! What's the exchange rate on that?"

This feast day commemorates Mary being presented to the temple. The Apocryphal Book of James (non-canonical Scripture) tells the story. In a nutshell, Anne and Joachim were an elderly couple, who were faithful to God but...surprise, surprise...had no children. After years of praying for a child, God saw fit to have Anne conceive...wait for it....in her OLD AGE. So, the couple soon welcomed a baby...girl. Yeah, I know most of these tales end up with a boy being born but this was different. So grateful for the child, named Mary, the couple dedicated her to the temple and when she was 3, she was sent to the temple to live with the priests as an offering to God.

That's the story.

Parents, do not try this at home. I do not want your children. I will feed them sugary snacks and sit them before an Xbox all day. I will tell them there is no Santa Claus and won't let them have friends over for sleepovers. Be warned.

Homily Watch: Donate Blood and Go to Heaven

This Sunday is the celebration of "Our Lord Jesus, Christ the King". It's the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Since we've been using the Gospel of Matthew, the year ends with a reading of the allegory of the sheep and goats.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,  and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’  And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’  Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’  Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Notice the Gospel follows the last two Sunday's readings that are concerned with judgement and the Endtimes as well. But instead of being cast out wailing and gnashing teeth, for some reason, this Gospel is a big ol' fuzzy muzzy wuzzy blanky that makes people feel good and redeemed. You collected some cans of soup for a food drive? Yay, you're going to heaven! You gave your old jacket to Goodwill? Heavenbound! You visited your girlfriend in the hospital? Somebody is going to Heaven...YOU!
Even if you don't believe in God or Heaven but do some nice stuff for people, you gotta go anyway! Kicking and screaming, God will wubu wubu wubuuuuuuuuuuu into HEAVEN!

Christopher Hitchens: Activist, humanist, and doesn't want to go to Heaven

Or so you'd think. But that's not even close to what the Gospel is about.
It's addressed to believers. The true believers who are not mere hearers of the word but "doers".

The presumption is that the sheep is a person who is living a life of CHRISTIAN virtue, ACTIVE in their faith and OBEDIENT to the Church and AT THE SAME TIME are doing great things for others, especially the least ones.

It is not saying that you can disregard the existence of Christ, ignore the Church's teachings, be lazy in practicing the faith but be a nice person and still be saved In fact, atheists these days are insulted that their works of altruism are construed as "closeted Christianity". Thanks, Karl Rahner, SJ!

Every Christian wants to be saved. If you don't, or don't care, then you're missing some fundamental Catholic hardware: pondering the FOUR LAST THINGS (dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuun) Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell.


Homily Watch: What do you hear this weekend? Do you hear those who WORK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE are going to Heaven before Christians? Do you hear that DOING PEACE AND JUSTICE is better than practicing the theological virtues of the Faith?
Do you hear...gasp...that EVERYONE IS GOING TO HEAVEN?

Comments are open!

Your best guess...

What stadium will be more filled this weekend?

Vaught-Hemingway, 6pm Saturday Ole Miss vs LSU

OR..........

Oxford Malco Theater 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:45pm 4:40pm 6:50pm 7:25pm 7:50pm 9:30pm 10:05pm 10:25pm All weekend The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn pt 1

I'm thinking "Team Rebel" is going to be a bit weak judging the Bear's reaction to last week's game...

Benetton is still around...and wants you to know it!

When you're covered in Benetton, you feel less racist

Back in the old days ('89), Benetton ads were all the rage. Colorful ads with multi-colored people doing tolerant things that ensured that if you bought an overpriced scarf or pair of rainbow socks, then you were a very understanding, caring person in the world.

None of these people are wearing Benetton btw.

The ads were sometimes very edgy and disturbing. The "Pieta of David" ad (right) comes to mind. It does have strong religious (ie: Catholic) overtones but then again, it's part of a commercial campaign to sell sweaters and pants. Kinda skeevy. A good deconstruction of the ad is found here.

Well, now the clothing company is back in the news. Seems they have come up with a new campaign with the theme of "UNHATE". The ads tell us with stark visuals that if more world leaders would exchange homosexual kisses with each other, then the world would probably be a much, much better place. They even have an "UNHATE" organization set up. You can even join their kisswall. Yes, a kisswall. I hear Proud Larry's had a kisswall in the Men's Room at one time but they patched it up. Moving on.

Among institutions of HATE pointed out in the ads, predictably the Catholic Church comes to play in the ads. Benetton once had an ad where an uber-hot nun was kissing a uber-hot priest. I note that they were models not real priests and nuns.

I would LOVE to see priests and nuns dress like that again. Does Benetton make clerics?

But this time around instead of a loving embrace between a man and a woman, there's a photoshopped Pope Benedict kissing Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the Muslim cleric installed under Hosni Mubarak, the ex-Egyptian president. Historically, the Pope and al-Tayyeb have some tension.

In Latin, the word is "eww" or in Arabic, "eww".

Even in a fake pic, they don't look they're "into it

To show that Benetton is an equal-opportunity-insulter, President Obama is seen in two ads. One liplocking with Hu Jintau, the Chinese "Paramount Leader" and another ad shows the president kissing Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who has insulted Obama publicly several times.


I understand that the Vatican and even Muslim groups are protesting the ads and they are being pulled in some areas. I think the world can do without seeing photos of old, moderate to low attractive men kissing one another. I also think that if anyone gets their information from a Benetton ad, then prayers to them and their offspring, of whatever race he/she/it may be.
And finally, if anyone makes up their mind that the Church or the United States are fundamentally institutions of HATE due to this campaign, then they can kiss my....nevermind...that would make an even worse picture.

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

It’s always a good thing to hear that the Holy Father has called for something and then to realize, “Great! We’re already doing that!” Yesterday, in his weekly General Audience, Pope Benedict said:

“I would like to renew my call to everyone to pray the Psalms, to become accustomed to using the Liturgy of the Hours, Lauds, Vespers and Compline.”

For some time now, CCM has sponsored Vespers (Evening Prayer) each Tuesday night at 6:00pm at the church. This is followed by Eucharistic Adoration (with confession available) until 8:30pm, and ends with Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. If you haven’t come out for this, you should!

Pastoral guidance on prayer

As Pope Benedict is the successor to St. Peter, he is the chief shepherd of the Church. And as such, he is constantly giving pastoral guidance to all of us Christians on how we can better live out our lives in accordance with the Gospel of Christ. In this instance, the Holy Father is echoing the Church’s call to all Christians to pray the Psalms and, specifically, the Liturgy of the Hours.

The life of a Christian necessarily includes regular prayer, but this is an area of our faith lives where many of us struggle. We’ve discussed prayer many times this semester in our Good Cheer sessions, at our Veritas Retreat and in small group sessions. Prayer is one of the foundational building blocks for a life rooted in Christ, but, in different ways, we often fall short of basic expectations: praying at least three times each day.

The early Christians were no different from us in many ways. They had busy lives full of time-consuming activities and obligations. They, however, knew the importance of praying together (in community) and alone. How did they do this? Well, they had two important tools – tools that we, too, possess: they had Jesus’ example and they had the Psalms.

Praying like Jesus

Jesus led and taught by word and deed. The Gospels tell us that he frequently separated himself from the disciples to pray alone. We, too, can deliberately withdraw to pray. Turning off the TV and the computer. Silencing our phone. We can “leave the world” for a few moments to talk and listen to God.

Christ also taught us how to pray. He taught us to pray to our Father “in secret.” He also gave us the beautiful words of the Our Father (i.e. the Lord’s Prayer).

The Psalms, too, were an important part of Christian prayer in the days of Christ and beyond. They are, essentially, a prayer book, expressing the wide range of human emotions in a constant dialogue with God. And they are supposed to be prayed.  

Carrying on the Christian tradition of prayer

Early Christians carried on the ancient Jewish practice of dividing the days into parts and praying at certain intervals each day. Praying at these set times (or, “hours”), the Christians would pray through all 150 psalms within a cycle of daily prayer. Then, they’d start all over. This is the foundation of the Liturgy of the Hours (also known as the Divine Office).

The complete daily cycle of the Liturgy of the Hours contains seven times for prayer in the day and night. Their names, and the normal time that they are prayed are:

-       Office of Readings – any time

-       Lauds (Morning Prayer) – usually sunrise or upon waking

-       Terce (Midmorning Prayer) – traditionally around 10am

-       Sext (Midday Prayer) – traditionally at noon

-       None (Midafternoon Prayer) – traditionally around 3pm

-       Vespers (Evening Prayer) – usually sunset or early evening

-       Compline (Night Prayer) – usually just before going to sleep

In the Liturgy of the Hours, the cycle of the psalms is used. In fact, in imitation of Christ and the early Christians, the psalms comprise the backbone of the Liturgy of the Hours. Some religious brothers and sisters (and even some laypeople) observe all seven “offices” each and every day. Most laypeople who pray the Liturgy of the Hours, however, pray only the three “main” offices: Lauds, Vespers and Compline. And no matter how busy your schedule may be, praying these three offices is very doable.

How to get started

You, too, can pray the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s really not that hard and when you join in, you’re uniting your voice with those of millions around the world who take up the same prayers each day. That’s a powerful reality.

If you’re beginning to take up the Liturgy of the Hours, you might want to start out by praying just one office (Lauds, or Morning Prayer, for example). Try this every day for a couple of weeks, until you get used to the idea of daily, scheduled, prayer. After that, you might add another office (Compline, or Night Prayer). After a couple more weeks, you can find a way to fit in Vespers (Evening Prayer).

In the beginning, you might want to start out by using a website, such as Universalis. Different times and days have different psalms, readings and prayers assigned to them. Universalis provides you with the correct prayers, in the correct order, on the correct days. It makes it easy for you and – best of all – it’s free.

After you become accustomed to praying the offices, you might want to consider purchasing a Breviary (a book containing the Liturgy of the Hours) or even a smart phone app.

For those interested only in praying the three main offices (Lauds, Vespers, and Compline), I’d highly recommend purchasing Shorter Christian Prayer.  You can find it for less than $15.00. It is relatively compact and easy to take with you when you travel, etc. If you get more serious (and want the fuller experience of optional readings, etc.), you might then move on to Christian Prayer.

Some of you, however, might find a smartphone app more useful. In that category, iBreviary is probably the best app available.

However you choose to pray, follow the old Nike slogan and “just do it.” But pay heed to the Pope’s urging and start praying the Psalms. And when you get serious about doing that, remember that there’s no need to re-invent the wheel: you should start praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

Your [Holy] Father says so.

Poke-rose

A Pokemon rose! A miracle! Not a religious miracle, per se. Not even a scientific miracle. Just a miracle that someone did this!

Nerds can be romantic!

But for a real miracle of the roses, check out this legend of today's saint, Elizabeth of Hungary.

"Elizabeth was carrying bread in the folds of her mantle to give to the poor of her village. She was met by her husband, who was returning from a hunt. Ludwig protested that it was beneath his wife's dignity as a member of the nobility to be carrying food in her skirts, and he flung open her mantle. The bread which she had been carrying was miraculously replaced by beautiful red and white roses, although it was not the season for flowers. This sign from God, legend says, caused Ludwig to commit himself to living a more Christian life."
http://saintmartins.psbackup.com/StainedGlass/HomiliesinGlass/TheWindowsofStMartinofTours/tabid/410/saintmartins.psbackup.com/StainedGlass/HomiliesinGlass/TheWindowsofStMartinofTours/6SStElizabethofHungary/tabid/433/Default.aspx 

A message of hope...

Smoking. Drinking. Praying. Seminary ROCKS!

Classic fun from St. Louis' Kenrick Seminary.

GOOD CHEER TONIGHT! Fr. Scott Thomas returns!

Tonight at Good Cheer, Fr. Scott Thomas returns! Come on out, grab a cold beverage, a bite to eat and enjoy an hour of Catholic bliss before heading back into the grinder.

Fr. Scott Thomas during his ordination to priesthood

This past weekend, I attended a conference on vocations sponsored by the diocese. Bishop Latino opened the meeting with a few anecdotes about his own call to priesthood and then some other priests spoke about theirs. The goal was to inform lay people on how to encourage vocations among men and women to the Church.

The point was made that when a priest tells you that he believes you may have a calling to priesthood, then that's a strong endorsement. So, who knows? Maybe tonight Fr. Scott will put the word on you!

Come on out to the Library off the Square and listen. You may discover your own calling! Directions here.

For more information on the vocations to the Diocese of Jackson, clicky clicky.

Anglo-Catholics are coming!

To follow up on our earlier post from this morning, Cardinal Wuerl is announcing (as I type), that Pope Benedict has approved the erection of an ordinariate in the United States, for Anglo-Catholics.

So, this is really happening. Now.

According to Cardinal Wuerl, the new ordinariate will officially be established on the Feast of Mary, Mother of God (January 1st), 2012.

This is wonderful news for many Anglo-Catholics in our country who have long-sought union with the See of Peter. May we all continue to pray for real and visible unity in Christ!

UPDATE: The text of Cardinal Wuerl's report on the new ordinariate is now available to read on Whispers in the Loggia.

Hattiesburg and L' Affaire Huxtable

White people used to be entertained by white men in black face spinning tambourines and wearing tights. Really.

Ohh...college kids. A group of Phi Mu girls had the idea to dress as the Huxtable family at an 80's Swap at USM.
In blackface.

Have they lost their flibbinfloobiflobbity minds?

Which provides fuel to the fire concerning our state's racial relations. Gawker called the incident "the most predictable incident of the year".Nice.

Well, at least it wasn't Ole Miss. This time.

From the Hattiesburg American article:“'Though it is clear that these women had no ill intent, it was also clear that they had little cultural awareness or competency, and did not understand the historical implication of costuming in blackface,' said Dean of Students Dr. Eddie Holloway."

I see this as a gross socially awkward move on the girls' part and maybe even stupid. Seems the USM administration is taking some good measures to ensure some understanding of why blackface can be seen as socially wrong based on the history of minstrel shows and other gross stereotypes perpetuated concerning Black people.

However, I am also reminded of another person,with ties to Hattiesburg, who does a regular routine in blackface without any incident. 

Saturday Night Live's Obama imitation by Fred Armisen

I am really not interested in defending a sorority swap or SNL. However, it does seem there's a double standard when it comes to race. Granted, when a Black actor portrays a "White" character, he rarely employs "whiteface". Unless it's for total comedic effect such as in "White Chicks". If you call that comedy.

White Chicks on TBS, Comedy Central and WGN...all the time.

I'm not talking about the "double-standard" of what Blacks or Whites can do that the other can't. Plenty of those out there but I'm more interested in the question of what some people can say is legitimate racism and the same people decide the almost same act is "imitation" or "tribute". It's murky, for sure. And perhaps generational. And that's where I can see the girls point of view while supporting the tactics of the USM administration.

White People, please do not imitate Black characters from the 80's. Stick to the Ricky Schroeder costume!
(This, I keed you not, is Andre Agassi from this past Halloween. Foo)

The girls, in their late teens or early 20s, understand race differently, or I believe they do. More Blacks are represented in the media than in the past. Integration isn't a huge battle in the state or nation. Interracial relationships are almost commonplace in most areas of the state so they may not even see what is wrong with portraying a Black family. Even some Black young people don't see the same hurt as those from the civil rights era do. So, in that case, I find some understanding for their point of view. And even if it's a case of "haha..we're white girls being black people", the ironic sensibilities of youth even has some tolerance for that.

Black faced?

However, to take the other side of the issue, there is still a lot to be said in understanding the historical context of blackface and other things that were meant to be hurtful. By "hurtful", I include the concept of ignoring an entire race of people wholesale. It wasn't just the idea that it was "getting at" Black people, it was one more indication that they did not truly exist as people. So even in jest, there still are vestiges of disrespect and though it may be funny, it's not needed. Or, as it seems, wanted.

Rise of the Anglo-Catholics?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) begins the last day of their annual meeting in Baltimore today. This year's meeting has been without fanfare even as the American bishops have discussed important topics such as homosexual marriage, abortion and perceived encroachment upon religious freedoms by recent decisions of particular government agencies at the federal level.

Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, D.C.

Tucked away at the end of the agenda for today's final session, however, is an interesting agenda item: "Anglicanorum Coetibus, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl." Anglicanorum Coetibus, if you'll remember, is the name of Pope Benedict's 2009 apostolic constitution which establishes a structure within the Church (called a "personal ordinariate") to receive former Anglicans (in our country, usually known as Episcopalians) into the Catholic Church while allowing them to retain some of their distinct Anglican heritage as Catholics. Cardinal Wuerl was appointed to oversee the establishment of the an ordinariate here in the U.S.

Last year, on November 19, 2010, the Catholic bishops' conference of England and Wales announced that they would establish the world's first ordinariate structure for former Anglicans. And in January of this year, the "Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham" was officially established by the Church.

Even though England and Wales were allowed to establish their ordinariate first, the United States has actually been at the forefront of the movement towards unity between Anglicans and Catholics. Since the beginning of the last century, there has been a concerted effort by some Anglicans (i.e. Episcopalians) to enter into the fullness of the communion with the Successor of St. Peter.

Perhaps I should insert a brief history refresher for those of you who may be a little confused up to this point. Until the 16th century, England was Catholic. I mean, really Catholic. So Catholic, that they used to call it "Our Lady's Dowry." But in 1534, after the Pope refused to declare his marriage null, King Henry VIII declared that he (not the Pope and the bishops) was the head of the Church in England. This was the beginning of a separation between the Church of England (also known as the Anglican Church) and the Catholic Church. This (sad) separation exists to this day.

For reasons of history, the branch of the Anglican Church in the U.S. came to be called the Episcopal Church. So, for simplicity's sake, Anglican = Episcopalian, by and large.

How did this all begin?

Fr. Paul Wattson (d. 1940)

Here's a brief timeline:

In the mid-1800s, some Anglicans began to move for the re-adoption of many lost Christian traditions of faith and worship. They argued for restoring the use of "Catholic" elements of worship (think: "high church," like incense, chant, beautiful vestments and altar appointments, etc.). Because many leaders of this movement were connected with Oxford University, this movement within the Anglican Church became known as the Oxford Movement.


In 1909, an Episcopal religious community in the Franciscan tradition called the Society of the Atonement, along with their founders Father Paul Wattson and Mother Lurana, were received into full communion with the Catholic Church. This community had been founded in line with the Oxford Movement, back in 1898 and had, from its beginnings, made movements toward reunion with Rome. The Society of the Atonement's reception into the Church was an unprecedented step where the Church allowed a Protestant religious community to enter into union with the Church as a whole (instead of individually). Up to the present day, Fr. Paul's community of friars is committed to fostering ecumenical relationships and cooperation between Catholics and other Christians.

In the 1950s, the Catholic Church began to allow, on a case-by-case basis, dispensations from the rule of celibacy for married clergy of some Protestant churches who joined the Catholic Church and asked to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood. Although extremely rare in the 1950s and 1960s, this practice was mentioned by Pope Paul VI in his 1967 encyclical Sacerdotalis caelibatus.

In 1977, after the Episcopal Church in the U.S. began to make some changes to their church laws and disciplines, small groups of Episcopalians began to contact individual Catholic bishops to ask about the possibility of married Anglican (i.e. Episcopalian) clergymen being ordained to the Catholic priesthood.

In 1980, in response to repeated requests from Anglicans and Episcopalians who wanted to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while being allowed to retain some of the particular traditions in liturgy, prayer, and discipline, Pope John Paul II announced a "pastoral provision." This provision allowed small groups of United States Episcopalians to enter into the Catholic Church while retaining elements of their "Anglican patrimony" in certain areas.

Specifically, this document allowed for the establishment of "Anglican-Use" parishes in the United States which were (usually) pastored by a married, former Episcopal priest who has been ordained to the Catholic priesthood. The liturgies celebrated in the parishes come from the 1984 Book of Divine Worship, based closely on the 1928 and 1979 versions of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, with some changes that ensure a thoroughly Catholic spirituality in the celebration of the Sacraments.

These parishes could only be established, however, in dioceses where the local Catholic bishop approved. And since 1983, seven "Anglican-Use Parishes" have been established in the U.S. and around 80 former Episcopalians clergymen have been ordained as Catholic priests under the Pastoral Provision.

Mass being celebrated at Our Lady of the Atonement Church, San Antonio, Texas.

The first Anglican-Use Catholic parish was established in San Antonio, Texas in 1983. It is named in honor of Our Lady of the Atonement - an homage to the Fr. Paul Wattson, Mother Lurana and their Anglo-Catholic communities which paved the way for Anglicans to "come home to Rome" in the early 20th century, and whose prayers for unity between Anglicans and Catholics are now beginning to bear true fruit.

What would a U.S. Ordinariate look like?

The advantage of the establishing an ordinariate structure for former Anglicans (Anglo-Catholics, if you will) here in the U.S. is that it will supersede the local bishops and will allow Anglican-Use (maybe they'll be called "Anglo-Catholic"?) parishes to be established and flourish anywhere there are a group of interested converts, with or without the permission of the local bishop. It will also allow the establishment of Anglo-Catholic schools, institutions and, most likely, even a seminary for the raising up of future Anglo-Catholic priests, all here in the U.S.

Will there be an important announcement about the establishment of a U.S. ordinariate this afternoon by Cardinal Wuerl? If so, one wonders about the name of our ordinariate. England and Wales' ordinariate is named in honor of Our Lady of Walsingham, a tribute to the ancient English shrine - what was once one of the most important Marian shrines in all of pre-Reformation Europe. If this country's ordinariate is officially announced soon, one wonders if it may be dedicated under the patronage of Our Lady of the Atonement.

All Saints Sisters of the Poor

The really exciting part is that even before any official announcement, movements towards an American ordinariate have already started. At this time, there are more than 60 parishes, missions, and groups across the United States asking to be admitted under the new U.S. ordinariate as soon as it is established. Back in September, a community of Episcopal nuns - the All Saints Sisters of the Poor -, along with their chaplain, were received into the Catholic Church. And in October, Mount Calvary church in Baltimore became the first Episcopal parish to vote to join the new Catholic ordinariate as a whole.

These are exciting times in which we're living. Pope Benedict is the "pope of Christian unity," and we should all join him in echoing the fervent prayer of Jesus: "that they may be one." (John 17:21)

Priests administer Holy Communion at Mount Calvary Church in Baltimore.

St. Albert the Great Goes to College

St. Albert the Great

Today's saint is St. Albert the Great. As this biography on EWTN says, he was the teacher of "everything there is to know". He was one of the first people to attend a university (The University of Paris) and throughout his life, engaged theology with scientific knowledge. Notably, at this time, most universities were founded by Catholic religious orders and were positive about studies in mathematics, literature, the sciences and philosophy, among other things. The University of Paris has a long history with the Church and as the university developed, the Church encouraged growth by instituting structures, such as "tuition" and "rectors", that are common in most universities today.The Sorbonne (as the University of Paris is called) still exists as a cluster of schools in France.

Another graduate of the Sorbonne

The school has produced several saints such as St.Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ignatius of Loyola among others as well as scientific pioneers (Marie and Pierre Curie), and innovators in the arts (Jean Luc-Goddard, Victor Hugo). Pope Benedict XVI also is graduate of the school as is birthday boy, Sam Waterston (insert "Law and Order" dun dun noise).




They do not have a football team, however. And rarely rank on the list of "TOP 10 PARTY SCHOOLS IN EUROPE".
LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME.

How the French kids roll with their solo cups...

Long Distance Love: CATHOLIC STYLE

I recently met with a couple engaged to marry. One lived in the state while the other in the west somewhere. While they were "long-distance", they spent a lot of time on the phone.


"So during that time, what possibly could you have talked about on the phone?" I asked.
"We bought a book on Catholic dating and talked about it," they replied.

A book study with your fiancee. Just. Wow.

Based on their recommendation, perhaps you will check out "Christian Courtship in An Oversexed World" as a study guide for you and your beloved. Read alone, you may even find out what to look for and what not to settle for. Also, there may be some other books on Catholic love and lurrrving you may be interested in. Click here!

A Little Bit of Everything Monday

Our football team just isn't any good.
Exams are coming up and you haven't shown up for class.
Being Greek isn't all you thought and you wonder why you did it in the first place.
Your roommate cries all the time and eats your food.
Your car needs repair but you spent the money on a tattoo and a snake.
It was cold this morning and now it's hot.
It's November in Oxford.

It's a little bit of everything. And this is Dawes.

With his back against the San Francisco traffic,
On the bridges side that faces towards the jail,
Setting out to join a demographic,
He hoists his first leg up over the rail.
And a phone call is made,
Police cars show up quickly.
The sergeant slams his passenger door.
He says, “Hey son why don’t you talk through this with me,
Just tell me what you’re doing it for.”


“Oh, it’s a little bit of everything,
It’s the mountains,
It’s the fog,
It’s the news at six o’clock,
It’s the death of my first dog,
It’s the angels up above me,
It’s the song that they don’t sing,
It’s a little bit of everything.”


An older man stands in a buffet line,
He is smiling and holding out his plate,
And the further he looks back into his timeline,
That hard road always had led him to today,
And making up for when his bright future had left him,
Making up for the fact that his only son is gone,
And letting everything out once, His server asks him,
Have you figured out yet, what it is you want?


I want a little bit of everything,
The biscuits and the beans,
Whatever helps me to forget about
The things that brought me to my knees,
So pile on those mashed potatoes,
And an extra chicken wing,
I’m having a little bit of everything.


Somewhere a pretty girl is writing invitations,
To a wedding she has scheduled for the fall,
Her man says, “Baby, can I make an observation?
You don’t seem to be having any fun at all.”
She said, “You just worry about your groomsmen and your shirt-size,
And rest assured that this is making me feel good,
I think that love is so much easier than you realize,
If you can give yourself to someone,
Then you should.


Cause it’s a little bit of everything,
The way you choke, the way you ache,
It is waking up before you,
So I can watch you as you wake.
So in the day in late September,
It’s not some stupid little ring,
I’m giving a little bit of everything.


Oh, it’s a little bit of everything,
It’s the matador and the bull,
It’s the suggested daily dosage,
It is the red moon when it’s full.
All these psychics and these doctors,
They’re all right and they’re all wrong,
It’s like trying to make out every word,
When they should simply hum along,
It’s not some message written in the dark,
Or some truth that no one’s seen,
It’s a little bit of everything.

In honor of our veterans...

In honor of our veterans on this Veterans' Day, I'd like to pass on to you some historic photos collected by New Liturgical Movement, showing Mass being celebrated during wartime.

Please pray for our veterans today.

Barefootin'

This photo from the Mississippi Catholic is classic. What better representation of a Southern church than a priest in short sleeves and barefeet?

The full story is here.