Omerta

This just in

"Tell Joey the Ratz that I'll dialogue and to come heavy."

Vatican officials traveled this week to the island of Sicily, the heartland of the Mafia, to promote the church's role in fighting organized crime.

What? Oh man! Gonna go all Punisher on the Cosa Nostra?
Baddabing! Wait...does that mean that somehow we priests are supposed to join the fight? 'Cause I slap like a girl and scream when someone puts me in ropes and concrete slippers. You do that once...

Oh, hold on...there's more:
The Vatican says it wants to show that the best way to respond to the Mafia is through the promotion of a "culture of dialogue and legality."

Phew. Just that. Ok, I can handle that. Culture of dialogue and legality. Sounds like something that a workshop run by OCP can handle in 3 days. And dialogue? I say, "Whatsamattah?" and then you say, "Fuggedaboutit" and I say, "Fangool!" and then we have pasta.  Scorcese could do as well!

Well, dang, another Friday and I forgot another protest

Ok, that's funny. Papist. Ha.

Last week I forgot to tell everyone to STAND UP and this week, I forgot to tell everyone to FAST.

Thanks to St. Richard, I actually had this to pass on:

  
 U.S. Bishops set Friday, March 30th as a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Religious Liberty.
WASHINGTON (CNS)---The U.S. bishops have urged Catholics and "all people of faith" across the nation to observe Friday, March 30th as a day of prayer and fasting for religious freedom and conscience protection. The bishops announced the daylong observance in a statement titled "United for Religious Freedom" approved March 14th by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Administrative Committee.
They asked Catholics and others to join them in "prayer and penance for our leaders and for the complete protection of our first freedom--religious liberty--which is not only protected in the laws and customs of our great nation, but rooted in the teachings of our great tradition."
Prayer resources have been posted in the USCCB website, www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/resources-on-conscience-protection.cfm.

If only Catholic Charities in Jackson were behind this thing, I know I'd be on it. Immigration reform and Capitol Punishment alerts are as prominent as the Nigerian Prince pleas for aid in my inbox.

So, if you haven't eaten already today, you still can call it a fast retroactively.

The Priest in the Funny Hat

I've observed that very few pictures of clergy get printed in the Mississippi Catholic unless they follow certain themes:
1. Elderly priest with sign of aging (stooped over, a walker, a cane, a respirator.....)
2. Priest in/out of clerical garb doing something fun or funny (golfing, dancing a jig, bowling, playing some character at Vacation Bible School, etc.)
3. Priest in non-liturgically correct vestments and/or "presiding" at a liturgically, canonically inappropriate or awkward function or event (outdoor Mass, passing out children's bulletins, wearing a stole with children of the world on it, etc.)
4. Involved in SOCIAL JUSTICE (usually carrying a sign of some sort or standing on the Capitol steps)
and finally....
5. Priest in funny hat (beret, sombrero, Seuss hat, Burger King crown, novelty hat that says, "RETIRED", etc.)

So, when I got this picture from  the recent Abbey Youth Fest, I wondered if this were sent to the paper if it would get printed. I decided that, no...the priests are too young and fit, they aren't golfing, they are too correct in their dress and they aren't standing in front of an Army base with a sign "NO PEACE, NO JUSTICE! KNOW PEACE, KNOW JUSTICE!". So no. And the hat? Totally not as funny as the Irish tam on the priest in the iron lung doing a jig in front of the Capitol while blessing Occupiers.

As a service then to you, it sees the light of day here on SFC. You're welcome.

Fr. Scott, Fr. Matthew approach a quarantined clerically dressed guy with a pancho.

Vandy-scrimination

That commodore looks so unwelcoming

Fr. John from Starkghanistan sent me this link. Seems that our fellow SEC Catholic group has run afoul of some controversy. The article reads:

The sticking point is over student leaders. The university says it has an “all-comers” policy — meaning that groups must be open to all students and that every student should be allowed to run for office.
Religious groups such as Vanderbilt Catholic say any student can be a member. But leaders, they say, must uphold certain religious beliefs.

Ok, first, THANK YOU, OLE MISS! Thank you for letting us have what we call the Catholic Campus Ministry to Ole Miss on your campus. Even though we don't take up an office or have an official clubhouse or whatever or campus, you have been more than good and gracious to us and we appreciate it.
We also realize that an active Catholic presence can make the difference to students and parents in choosing which school to go to. And we don't want those precious kids from Baton Rouge and Alexandria to go to..well...you know.

So, thanks for that.

Now, secondly. Since when do religious or social organizations have to be so dang welcoming and non-discriminatory? Part of BELONGING to something means you were discriminated, probed, questioned, proven. Well, not probed, or at least not always probed. But I do hear that the entrance rites to the Pikes can be probe-y. But moving on...
During this season of Lent, we start the SCRUTINIES. Yes, we SCRUTINIZE and QUESTION and PROVE the merit and desire of those who want to be Christian. Granted, the scrutinies aren't hard-ball questions or anything but we do take it seriously. Or should.

Fr. John Sims Baker and student at Vandy. Pray for them!

Even the rite of Confirmation, back in the days when the Bishop would ask questions of the candidate to TEST their knowledge and understanding of the faith reminds us that this faith is not come one, come all. Of course, now our Bishop, parroting the previous bishop, acts like he's going to ask questions but...SPOILER ALERT...doesn't ask questions. Wouldn't it be funny if we got to ask him questions? The answer would either be: "It's a mystery" or "It's all changed since Vatican II" or "SOCIAL JUSTICE!!!" Hahaha...ermm...moving on..again.

Point is religions have the right, and the reasons, to discriminate. Pity that the Vandy group had to move off campus but then we're not like most other "denominations". We don't fellowship. We don't welcome. We aren't inclusive. We aren't family.
We have been invited to participate in the sacred mysteries. We are asked to leave mother, father and family behind. We are called to take up our cross. To go through the Son as the only way to the Father. To lose ourselves. To die to oneself. To shake the dust off our sandals against the unbeliever.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand yet, we are black, we are white, we are old, we are young, we are crippled, we are blind, we are rich, we are poor, we are gay, we are straight, we are European, we are Asian, we are smart, we are dumb, we are fast, we are slow, we are the world, we are the children....

So exclusive, we are.

We are the Roman Catholic Church. We are the narrow gate. Come. If you desire, join us. There will be a test.

They'll know we are atheists by our mockery, by our mockery, yes they will know....

Sexually and racially integrated group of students
laughing while witty published professor leers.
So English 101.

Hoo, boy.
It's atheists like this that make me miss Hitchens. Here's a bit from former Oxford (not OUR Oxford, the other Oxford) professor, Richard Dawkins at the Rally for Reason.

“For example, if they say they're Catholic: Do you really believe, that when a priest blesses a wafer, it turns into the body of Christ? Are you seriously telling me you believe that? Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?” If the answer is yes, Dawkins suggested atheists should show contempt for believers instead of ignoring the issue or feigning respect.
“Mock them,” he told the crowd. “Ridicule them! In public!”
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/dawkins-calls-for-mockery-of-catholics-at-reason-rally/ And even more here.


When I studied philosophy in seminary, one of the basest forms of argument was the "ad hominem" argument. Which is a high-brow way of saying, "name calling". Before that was pointed out in pre-theology, it was also taught in nursery school.

Jesus said we must turn the other cheek. That's truly a beautiful path and usually I do when ridiculed or mocked or whatever. But I can also be quite the smarty mouth.  I just now came up with some snappy comebacks.

"Atheists are so stupid that when blondes get together they tell Dawkins jokes."
"Yo mama so atheist that she protest Church's chicken."
"How many atheists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None. It may inspire someone to say, 'Let there be light'."

I totally could have been in Vegas, baby! All those years of sneaking Al Jaffee's (left) books into Our Lady of Lourdes has paid off!

If I was a heretic or a bishop, I would write a book about the Annunciation

Annunciation by Mati Klarwein. Also the cover of Santana's Abraxas. Groovy.

I tell me people that they can be thankful God made me lazy, or I'd write a book! And ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, the tales I can tell.
There are several little fiction pieces running around in my head, however. I just don't have the motivation or the skills in the grammar writingness to put it all together. One such tale is based on this poem by Bishop Morneau:

Annunciation
Were others asked?
A lassie from an isle in a distant sea?

A maiden in North Africa
or a slave girl from the Congo?
How many times were angels sent
and returned, unheard, unheeded?
Was Mary tenth on salvation's list.
Or the hundredth?

And you, my soul.
was fiat spoken

when the angel came?

Although the poem deviates somewhat erroneously from traditional Catholic theology (Mary was immaculately conceived, so she was not only first on the list, she was all that was on the list!), I appreciate the sort of set-up of a frustrated Gabriel over centuries looking for someone to say "yes" to bringing the savior about and being met with the negative. In my book that won't get written ever, I envision this angel visiting various women and they coming up with viable reasons to say "no". One of the women is Mary Magdalene.
Don't worry. I'm not going to write it. Plus, the whole heretical angle makes it untenable.

But despite all of that, at the end, the poem asks if the angel came-or comes- to us, and tells us that we can also bring about the savior in some way, would we be willing to say: "Yes" (fiat)?

I think we have a lot more of "yes, but" instead of "let it be done to me". Good reflection for the feast day and for Lent!

Stand Up

I had almost totally forgotten this event today until I got the post from St. Richard in Jackson. I will pray for a peaceful and just solution to this issue.

Our Diocese is by far not "Red State"-ish and the current presidential administration is one of the favorites of many of the clergy, religious and administration. So we're not actually opposed to the president but this particular policy, that is, religious institutions are not given the option in opting out of providing abortions (abortifacients) or contraception as part of our health care plan.

If you, like me, could not "stand up" today, then kneel for a bit. Here's some Bob Marley in the meantime...

Constantine: He was no saint

Constantine and his mother, Helen as Saints

On this day, in 337 AD, most sources agree that Emperor Constantine the Great died.
The Catholic Encyclopedia (via New Advent) gives this account of his death:
Constantine himself preferred the company of Christian bishops to that of pagan priests. The emperor frequently invited the bishops to court, gave them the use of the imperial postal service, invited them to his table, called them his brothers, and when they had suffered for the Faith, kissed their scars. ...When at last he felt the approach of death he received baptism, declaring to the bishops who had assembled around him that, after the example of Christ, he had desired to receive the saving seal in the Jordan, but that God had ordained otherwise, and he would no longer delay baptism. Laying aside the purple, the emperor, in the white robe of a neophyte, peacefully and almost joyfully awaited the end. 
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04295c.htm 

Constantine was certainly THE MOST influential force in Western Christianity in the spread of the Gospel if you ask me. Moreso than Paul, even.
This Emperor declared that Christianity would be the official state religion and began to slowly but surely practice that faith. It's one thing to make a decree but when one is actually an adherent to that faith, that was a big deal. Simply, the Emperor was seen as a god among gods. And this was a god who declared that God was one and God was triune. Constantine actually sat in on the writing of the Nicene Creed, by the way. Aw, heck, who'm I kidding? He CALLED the Nicene Council together.

So why is he not a saint?
Although the Orthodox Church does recognize him as a saint, we Roman Catholics do not. The "saint-making" process is a bit different in the two faiths.
Despite his almost textbook "deathbed conversion", Constantine was a nasty piece of work when it came to dealing with his enemies and those enemies of Rome. He also had his wife and a son executed. Horribly.
Those factor in when one is being judged to be a saint. I think that sort of worked against any cause.

So, while he wasn't saintly, he is the reason we are Roman Catholic, by and large.
As saints are remembered by the day of their deaths as the day they enter Heaven, we wish Constantine a Happy Un-Saint's Day. Although, Constantine is not an official "saint name", wouldn't it be cool to use it for your Confirmation name? Then you could share it with this guy:

Aw, come on. YOU KNEW there would be a comic reference in this. You knew it!

"Follow me." -Jesus

How do you answer?

At Good Cheer tonight, we tackle the issue of conversion. Conversion... and Lent. 

Josh Whelan and I are the featured speakers and we're both going to talk about our own journeys to the Catholic Church. But, as you'll learn tonight, coming into full communion with the Church did not end our journeys of conversion - it only strengthened them. 

It may be raining outside, but it's warm and dry in The Library. Won't you bring your friends and join us?

Our Lord is calling each of us to conversion. How do you respond?

At OU Methodist today....

The Oxford-University United Methodist Church has sponsored a "Lenten Luncheon" throughout the season. The theme for the luncheons has been "Who Influenced My Spiritual Life".
Curious to me are a couple things.
You'll note on the poster that there is a list of  "sister churches" of the Methodist church and includes ours. A few years ago, when Pope Benedict XVI was installed, the pastor of OU Methodist told me, "We used to be sister churches and now we're deficient churches!" This was a reference to the 2000 document "Dominus Iesus" by Cardinal Ratzinger (the name of the pope before he was bitten by a radioactive pope and became...wait...it doesn't work like that...darn) on the relationship of the Catholic faith to other religions. I think I said, amiably, "And before that you were 'separated brethren'". I think I said it amiably, that is.

Second curiosity. I note that they have had a bishop from the Episcopal Church and the bishop from the Methodist Church come talk but the representative of the Roman Catholic Church is Coach Mike Bianco. Well, I am sure there's a metaphor there somewhere. But instead of wearing the amethyst ring of a bishop, would Coach Bianco be wearing a....diamond? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA...get it? Diamond?? Bwahahahah..cuz it's baseball...and...

Coach Bianco representing us Catholics..making the Ozzy sign.

Y'all come out an support our not-the-bishop but really great speaker and benchwarmer on Sundays, Coach Bianco!

12:00pm today at OU Methodist.

And be nice to your sister.

More holiness than you can shake a stick at

On his blog today, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (AKA "Father Z") examines a little-known series of images in which Our Lady wields a club while protecting a child from the devil. Essentially, in these images, the normally-pious Mary is about to beat the devil with a stick... literally.

Sure, it's just one seemingly-insignificant depiction of Mary from the Italian Renaissance (after all, there just really aren't any modern depictions of a club-weilding Mary). But it's still really cool! Sure, Mary is super sweet (heck, she's perfect for crying our loud!). But many of us Southern Catholics can definitely relate to a scrappy Mother who's sweet as sugar but wouldn't think twice about smacking a snake who threatened her child. So, if your mind is inundated with too many sappy images of Our Lady, you might do well to take a gander at these examples of Madonna del Soccorso, or "Our Lady of Assistance."

Move over, Chanel No. 5. It's Benedict No. 16.

Seriously. This happened.

Pope Benedict XVI has commissioned a custom cologne to be blended by Italian fragrance whiz Silvana Casoli, a perfume maker who created scents for Sting, Madonna and King Juan Carlos of Spain.

 http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/314976/20120315/pope-benedict-xvi-cologne-commissions-silvana-casoli.htm

A perfume that smells like the alley behind Two Stick on Thursday night.

Casoli also made a fragrance for Justin Beiber and Derek Jeter as well as producing a scent that is called "Cannabis" which is described as "hypnotic".

Joe

Someone emailed me today and wished me a happy saint's day. In the message she mentioned that her pope, her bishop and her pastor are all "Josephs". Pretty cute, I'd say.
Although people have wished me a happy "name" day, my name is sort of an irony.

My birth certificate states that I am Joseph II. The "II" is because my father had some aversion to his son being called "Junior" so the Roman numeral was employed. Although an aunt vehemently berated him about it.
Oddly enough, that wasn't the only error. I am not the second Joseph.
My father's name really isn't Joseph. Nor Joe.

He tells the story about going to school for the first day. His teacher was asking the children their names and entering them in her roll book. When she asked my father what his name was, he said, correctly, "Habeeb". She asked, "What did you say?"
This was Mississippi in the early 1930's before the common names were "D'Antenarious" or "Kareem".
He said, "Habeeb." She begged again, "Honey, you'll have to tell me your name one more time." He answered, "Habeeb". She tried another avenue, "Can you spell that for me?" He said, "No m'am. I'm five. That's why I'm in school." She then asked, "Ok, tell me again your name."

He said, "My name is Joe."

And that's how it came to pass.
That's why my name is Joe.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, y'all!

St. Patrick's coming and those snakes are hisssstory! Okay, that was bad.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here in the U.S., this is the day when everyone wears green, goes to a parade and suddenly becomes Irish. And all because its the feast day of a Catholic saint! 

So our society likes to celebrate St. Patrick (or - let's be honest - just likes any excuse to celebrate). But how much do you really know about the patron saint of Ireland? Did he really drive all of the snakes out of Ireland? Did he like green and shamrocks? Did he speak with a thick Irish brogue? 

Some of these questions will never get answered, but we do know some facts about good St. Patrick. For starters, we know that he was ordained as a Catholic bishop to evangelize the people of Ireland and that he died on this day (the year is not certain, but most likely, it was c. 493). What we know for sure about him comes from two of his own writings which have been preserved to this very day. And, of course, there are also many pious legends which have grown up around the person of St. Patrick over the centuries. 

Truth is, Patrick had an amazing life and we are fortunate that he recorded some of the details in his own biographical writings. While it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that Patrick is single-handedly responsible for 

the conversion of the entire island of Ireland to Christianity, his contribution to the building-up and the spread of Christianity among the competing Celtic tribes of Ireland during the fifth century certainly merits our honor and remembrance on this day. 

And now, prepare to amaze your friends today with the top five myths about St. Patrick's Day:

Myth #1: St. Patrick was Irish.

Fact: Nope. 

St. Patrick (or, Patricius), was born around 387 in Roman Britain. He was born into a Christian family: his father, Calpornius, was a deacon and his grandfather, Potitus, was a priest (this was in an era before the discipline of clerical celibacy was widespread). Patrick's own writings record that at the age of 16 he was captured by a group of marauders and taken to Ireland where he was sold as a slave. In Ireland he was forced to be a shepherd and he spent most of his time outdoors and alone. During this time he turned to prayer and his Christian faith for strength. After six years in servitude, Patrick believed God spoke to him and told him it was time to return home. He escaped from his owner and returned to his family in Britain.  

A few years after returning home, Patrick experienced another calling, urging him to return to Ireland - this time as a missionary. Patrick began religious training - a process toward eventual ordination that lasted around 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, Patrick was then consecrated a bishop and sent back to Ireland.

Myth #2: St. Patrick was the first Christian missionary to Ireland.

Fact: Nope. 

Ireland had already been visited by Catholic missionaries prior to St. Patrick and there were already well-established pockets of Christianity on the island. There is some evidence of Christian missionary activity in Ireland as early as the fourth century and those unnamed missionaries had some success. In 431, Pope Celestine sent a missionary bishop named Palladius to Ireland. Palladius (not Patrick) was the first bishop sent to Ireland. He died around 457 and, along with St. Patrick, is honored as an apostle to the Irish people. Patrick did not arrive back in Ireland as a missionary bishop until at least two years later. 

Myth #3: St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to teach the doctrine of the Trinity.

Fact: Unprovable. Not necessarily false, just impossible to prove. 

As I mentioned earlier, we actually have writings by Patrick himself and in them he does not mention the shamrock. The tradition of its use by St. Patrick to teach the pagan Celts about the Triune God can be dated no earlier than the 18th century. The truth is, we just don't know whether St. Patrick used the shamrock or not. It's certainly possible that he could have. What we do know is that it is a pretty cool idea and that the shamrock has now come to be a beloved symbol of St. Patrick.

Myth #4: St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland.

Fact: False. 

While it's true that there are no native snakes in Ireland (while neighboring England is full of them), we probably can't St. Patrick the credit (despite the fact that this feat has been the subject of some really cool depictions of St. Patrick over the centuries). According to geologists, the island of Ireland's geographic history has kept it snake-free. Snakes aren't exactly keen on cold climates and Ireland was covered with glaciers for ages. By the time the island warmed up again (about 15,000 years ago), there were no land bridges connecting Ireland to England, so Ireland has remained snake-free. .

Myth #5: You should pinch people who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

Fact: False. 

It's called assault. I wouldn't recommend it. ;-)

Seriously, though: have a wonderfully happy St. Patrick's Day. Remember that there was a real man beyond the myths and legends, and that - through the grace of God - he lived such a virtuous life that he attracted many to faith in Christ Jesus. In fact, within a generation of his death, Patrick was already being venerated by the faithful of Ireland as a saint. 

So have fun today! Be joyous and maybe even drink something green. But above all this, take a moment or two to thank the good Lord for the example of Patrick. 

St. Patrick, pray for us!

Just... plain... wrong.

An Oregon couple recently won a $2.9 million "wrongful birth" lawsuit against a healthcare provider. The reason? Their daughter has Down's Syndrome and, the couple testified in court, they would have aborted her if they had been told during prenatal screenings.

I honestly don't have the capacity to comprehend just how depraved this argument is. The parents insist that they love the child but then, within the framework of the same convoluted argument, insist they would have taken her life in the womb if only they knew that she would be mentally handicapped. Just... plain... wrong.

On the bright side, the beauty of life is still recognized and celebrated by many. Just take a look at the video below and thank God for the gift of life and selfless families!

This video is just... so... right!

Lower your expectations...

We're on Spring Break here at Ole Miss. So don't expect to see much action and foolery on this blog. Unless something really, really, really good happens.

Now, on to break:

Mass Times in the Jackson Area are....

Lift up your hearts. Insert heart gag here.

The infamous Catholic of the Republican fight for the nomination is in Jackson today. And will be at the Baptist Church in Brandon.
I asked some priests in the area where they thought Newt would go to Mass. I also wonder if the priest may give him communion. Because conservatism is one of those "ism" sins. Or so one would think.

Ugh. My head hurts again. Must. Stop. Politics.

My head hurts

Like clockwork, when the election cycle heats up, the so-called culture wars begin. Our American Catholics begin to hear the bromides from both "sides":
"As a Catholic, you cannot, under any circumstance, support a candidate who supports abortion."
"Catholics have to consider the broader aims of a candidate than to focus on one issue."
And then there's the middle:
"You have to vote as a Catholic and not just as 'an American'" 
Finally, there's the Vatican:

All of the rhetoric begins to beat down on the priest and pastor. On one hand, we're told to LAY TEH SMAKDOWN ON TEH LIBERALLZZZ!!!1 and preach the truth. On the other, we're told not to be offensive and to be considerate of the broader interests of the Church. We're told these things by our bishops, by the way.

When I was younger, hipper and hairier, I used to throw out the ol' saw, "The Church needs to get out of the school and marriage business." As I matured (?), I began to see the value of at least the marriage business. With that comes convictions concerning the marital state and the responsibility of bringing children into the world. I get it. I so get it. Then again, some of the annulment stuff and the hem-haw approach we have to it, I don't get. But fundamentally, I'm in. Yay, marriage! Yay, human life!

Catholic schools, not so much. Except maybe schools run by orders. And that's all I want to say lest I be rendered silent.

But while the heat continues to get heatier, I advise this:
Be informed.
Be prayerful.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
And true Catholic convictions are never consistent with any political party.
Oh..and...
Pray for us priests! We need it.

Good Cheer tonight: Catholic ills and thrills...

Father Joe will join us tonight at Good Cheer to help clear up some misconceptions about Catholics and certain topics which are near and dear to some of our hearts: "drinking, smoking, cussing and other things Catholics do."

Then-Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI enjoys a good German beer.

As a "convert"to the Church later in life, I can attest to the fact that this was the impression of Catholics that I carried with me throughout my pre-Catholic childhood and formative years: that Catholics drank, smoke and cussed. We Baptists never did those things. ...right? You know the old joke that there are three truths in modern religion: Jewish people don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Protestants don't recognize the Pope as the head of the Church, and Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store. There's a kernel of truth there for some.

Now, I'm not picking on my Baptist friends and family. In fact, many good and holy Protestants that I know and love - my parents, for example - simply don't drink out of principle. And for this, they are to be commended.

But there is a big difference between individuals who choose to refrain from using alcohol and an entire brand of Christianity which paints any use of alcohol as sinful. C.S. Lewis, the darling of modern evangelical Christianity (and, for what it's worth, one of my favorite authors in matters of spirituality), wrote about the same issue when he spoke of the virtue of temperance. He wrote:

"Temperance is, unfortunately, one of those words that has changed its meaning. It now usually means teetotalism... [In the past,] temperance referred not specially to drink, but to all pleasures; and it meant not abstaining, but going the right length and no further. It is a mistake to think that Christians ought all to be teetotalers; Mohammedanism, not Christianity, is the teetotal religion.

"Of course it may be the duty of a particular Christian, or of any Christian, at a particular time, to abstain from strong drink, either because he is the sort of man who cannot drink at all without drinking too much, or because he is with people who are inclined to drunkenness and must not encourage them by drinking himself. But the whole point is that he is abstaining, for a good reason, from something which he does not condemn and which he likes to see other people enjoying. One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who use them, he has taken the wrong turning."

Nothing kicks off a fun evening at the bar like a good Lewis quote. Let's talk more about this tonight.

The fun starts at 7pm at The Library. As always, everyone's welcome!

Thomas Aquinas: In Dreams

An oldie but a goodie in light of the current pro-abortion climate...

Stojan Adasevic

The most notorious abortion doctor of Serbia, Stojan Adasevic, converted from being a champion of death to a champion of life. The Spanish daily “La Razon” reported on the remarkable conversion of the abortionist who performed 48,000 abortions, at times 35 per day.

The doctor dreamed about a beautiful field filled with children and young people who were playing and laughing with delight. But the children, aged 4 to 24 years of age kept away from the horrid and terrifying man. The recurring dream puzzled him as a man dressed in a black habit stood by silently watching. He would wake in a fit of cold sweat.

One night he asked the man who he was. “Thomas Aquinas” he replied. But the Serb had no clue who Aquinas was.  The saint prompted him to ask who the children were in the dream. To his horror it was the children he had killed through the abortions he had performed.

As a result the startled Adasevic resolved to perform any more abortions. But a cousin came to him to abort the four months unborn child of his girlfriend. He agreed to do so. Through the abortion the baby’s heart came out and was still beating. He was so profoundly moved; this was a human being that he had killed. He thus told the hospital he would refuse to do any more abortions.

But the persecution came thick and fast. His salary was cut in half, his daughter got sacked from her job and his son was refused entry into university. After years of persecution he was buckling under the pressure and ready to give up. Once again the great saint appeared to him calling him a great friend. Saint Aquinas inspired him to continue to get involved with pro-life causes; and return to his Orthodox faith.
http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=1318&pag=1

Thomas Aquinas: Dream visitor in Black. Take that, Gaiman!

Believe it or not, this story is an interesting take on the power of the Angelic Doctor. Aquinas' feast day is today. I hope you won't have to see him in your dreams!

The Confession Quiz

Think you know about sin and confession, try this test!

Question 1: When you go to Confession, you say:

• Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
  
• Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
  
• I know I've sinned, Father, but let's talk about you!
  
• I make a boo-boo.
  

*drop down for answer* "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned". God forgives, priests bless.

Question 2: The Seven Deadly Sins are:

• Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Pride, and Greed
  
• Doc, Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy and Grumpy.
  
• Fun
  
• Laziness, Jealousy, Anger, Lust, Gluttony, Pride and Greed
  

*drop down for answer* Both the first and the last are right. The first is more cool, though.

Question 3: Missing Mass is a:

• mortal sin
  
• good way to get a good tee time on Sunday
  
• venial sin
  
• shame but nothing to sweat over
  

*drop down for answer* mortal sin! Yep. A biggee.

Question 4: A priest may never tell what he hears in Confession.

• True. Always true.
  
• False. There are several reasons to break the confidence.
  
• True except when authorities have to be notified.
  
• True but if it's really, really good...who can keep a secret?
  

*drop down for answer* True. Always true. Biggest secret in the universe is your confession.

Question 5: Racism is a sin as declared by:

• The USCCB in the 80's.
  
• Lilly livered liberals
  
• Natural Law
  
• It's not a sin. It's a way of life!
  

*drop down for answer* Natural Law dictates that all humans be treated with dignity.

Question 6: Confessions are heard at St. John's:

• In the girls' restroom
  
• Tonight, Tuesday March 6, during Adoration!
  
• Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays during Lent and by appointment.
  
• On Good Friday
  

*drop down for answer* All of the above! Thin walls, ladies, thin walls.

Dark Knight of the Soup

Lent is a good time for soups. I've tried my hand at making lintel soup and egg drop soup but don't do as well as my capable administrator, Terry, who makes stellar asparagus soup.

Recently, being a rather obsessive Batman fan, I found a Bat-soup that may be just great for Lent. Here's the recipe:

Batman Black Bean Soup
Serves: 4

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium sized portobello mushroom, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C onion, chopped
2 1/2 C mushroom stock
4 C cooked black beans
salt and pepper to taste
sliced cheese, biscuit cutter, and knife for making the symbol or these cutters
sour cream, optional

I cooked my beans ahead of time in a pressure cooker using this time chart.  You can use canned beans if you want.  Drain beans.  Heat oil in large pot and add mushroom and onions.  Cook until onions begin to soften.  Add garlic and heat until it just begins to cook.  Deglaze the pan with a little of the mushroom stock and then add the rest.  Add beans.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes; add salt and pepper

Sounds pretty good, right. But here's what it looks like:

The Bat-soup sorta looks like Bat-poop.

Meh. I'd eat it.

Friday Reflection...

Taken from the book Death on a Friday Afternoon by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus (d. 2009). As we commemorate the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross this Lenten Friday afternoon, through abstinence and increased prayer and charity, I offer this reflection:




"Exploration into God is exploration into darkness, into the heart of darkness. Yes, to be sure, God is light. He is the light by which all light is light. In the words of the Psalm, 'In your light we see light.' Yet great mystics of the Christian tradition speak of the darkness in which the light is known, a darkness inextricably connected to the cross. At the heart of darkness the hope of the world is dying on a cross, and the longest stride of soul is to see in this a strange glory. In John’s Gospel, the cross is the bridge from the first Passover on the way out of Egypt to the new Passover into glory. In his first chapter he writes, 'We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.' The cross is not the eclipse of that glory but its shining forth, its epiphany. In John’s account, the death of Jesus is placed on the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, precisely the time when the Passover lambs were offered up in the temple in Jerusalem.

Lest anyone miss the point, John draws the parallel unmistakably. The legs of Jesus are not broken, the soldier pierces his side and John writes, 'For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."' In the book of Exodus, God commands that no bone of the paschal lamb is to be broken. Then there is this magnificent passage from the prophet Zechariah: 'And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.'

Here on Calvary’s hill, all is fulfilled. It is the glory of Jesus’ cry, 'it is finished.' The cross is the moment of passover from the old covenant to the new. Weeping at the cross, Mary is both the mother of sorrows and the mother of hope. The resurrection glory is discerned in the way that Christ dies. Now the reason for the whole drama becomes clear in the Son’s unqualified obedience to the Father, even to death, and the Father’s promise to glorify the Son. John says nothing about the risen Christ appearing to his mother. The other disciples discovered the resurrection glory at the dawn of the third day. Mary had already discovered the glory in the cross. There she took 'the longest stride of soul.'
...

"'Come follow me,' Jesus says. The invitation resounds through all the time there is and ever will be, and all who respond in faith—all who exchange their 'I' for the 'I' of the Christ who lives within them—make their way, one way or another, to the foot of the cross. There they find themselves with John and Mary and a host of bedraggled saints and sinners whose hour has come. And to each of the brothers and sisters in whom he forever lives, to each of us, Jesus says, 'Behold, your mother.' And to Mary, 'Behold, your children. Behold me.'"

Daily Show Rant.

If you're a college student, this is where you most likely get your news. Why lie? So do I

Last night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart had M. Cathleen Kaveny, of Notre Dame as the guest. According to the Notre Dame website, she's a professor of law and a professor of theology at the Law School of Notre Dame.

Click on the link to see the interview. Take your time. Watch the first part of the show where he makes fun of Catholics and contraception. Moving on. Go on, watch. I'll wait.

Done? Good. I truly appreciate some of the comments of the professor and I thought, under the circumstances, she did a fine job of explaining the Catholic position. Now here's my take:

a. Viagra. Viagra is not contraception. Viagra, I guess, can be more of an enhancement to bringing forth human life. Stewart's comment that men can use Viagra, which is covered by the insurance policies of Catholic institutions, to have sex outside of marriage is valid but Viagra in and of itself is not against Catholic moral theology. But the argument that "guys get something and women don't" doesn't wash.

b. The Church and "culture wars." Stewart's question of whether or not Catholics end up getting in culture wars with the issues of gay marriage and contraception was put-off well by the professor. However, yes, we end up in the wars but we aren't interested in civil rights. Got it? Even though the CHURCH OF THE NEW PARADIGM that DRE's have been pushing for 30 years is all about social justice, we aren't. It's embarrassing to see our Faith reduced to protesting on streets or making bumper sticker statements. The Church is not about civil rights. We are about HUMAN RIGHTS. Slavery and the oppression of black people was not a civil issue to us. It was to the secular society but not to us. It was an issue of human dignity. That's why abortion and gay marriage are secularly civil rights issues but for us human rights issues. Those bishops, priests, nuns, and others who are lukewarm on these issues may not get the difference. It's actually in the Vatican II documents. Yeah, I said it.

Before tv, people made fun of the Church with handbills.

c. The professor was saying that our Church has tried to speak to a Protestant culture. She was kind enough to say that but I would follow the dictum from one of Burgess' novels: "Catholicism is becoming Protestantism and Protestantism is becoming Atheism."  The Church is speaking to a non-Christian culture or as the professor said, a world that no longer accepts "natural law."However, in emphasizing how bad our faith comes off to the world, Stewart insinuated that the Church is polarizing, apocalyptic and triumphal in the language we use. I agree. And to his point, bishops and Church leaders, even bloggers say stupid things sometime. Or overstate a point. But that doesn't mean we are on the wrong side of an issue. We have an interest in reproduction and family life because it builds up the Church and society. And we believe no one has the right to undermine the growth of society or the Faith. That was nearly triumphal wasn't it? THE DEVIL WILL EAT OUR FACES IF WE USE CONDOMS! And that was apocalyptic.

Just for  fun.

d. Capital Punishment is mentioned. Stewart asks why a Catholic who supports the death penalty isn't denied Communion; or why a many-times divorced Catholic political candidate shouldn't be forbidden to receive the Eucharist. Capital Punishment is wrong almost all the time. Contraception and abortion, however, are wrong all of the time. We have in our moral tradition some leeway (thin, mind you) for the death penalty. However, in our faith, there's never leeway for choosing to frustrate the design for procreation or for taking the innocent life of a fetus. The professor didn't touch this but should have. Or maybe she was best off not.


Now, your moment of zen:

Good Cheer followup: Catholic Marriage

Jennifer Eidt speaks to the crowd at Good Cheer on Feb. 29, 2012.

Last night at Good Cheer, we were fortunate to have Jennifer Eidt, from the Jackson Diocese's Office of Family Ministry. She and her husband have been directing marriage preparation efforts and retreats for the past six years. Jennifer's talk was funny and light-hearted but also honest and eye-opening. In all, the evening was lots of fun and very informative.

Here's a quick synopsis of what we covered last night. Most of the info is aimed at the majority of college-aged women and men who will one day enter into marriage. Jennifer was very upfront about wanting to answer some of their questions and clear up some of their misconceptions about marriage and the Catholic Church.

Drawn from Jennifer's Good Cheer talk last night, I present to you top three most common Catholic Marriage Myths:

Catholic Marriage Myth #1: Catholics are supposed to marry another Catholic.

It's wonderful when two faithful Catholics fall in love and are eventually married and able to start a family together. But it doesn't always work out that way and it doesn't have to. Jennifer noted that in our diocese, only about 25% of young Catholic men and women who go through Church-sponsored premarital counseling are marrying another Catholic. That of course means that roughly 75% of Catholic men and women each year in the Diocese of Jackson entering into marriage are marrying a non-Catholic. Statistically, Catholics only make up about 2.5% of our state's population, so those numbers shouldn't be all that surprising. 

If you are a Catholic and you are able to marry another Catholic, that's great - but statically, in our state (Mississippi), it's unlikely. But seriously dating (and perhaps eventually marrying) a person who is not a Catholic need not be an obstacle to a happy, faith-filled and lifelong marriage. What you cannot afford to do, Jennifer stressed, is to sweep the topic of religion under the rug. Faith is not a small issue in a marriage and spouses (or future spouses) need to do their very best to address differences in this area and to get on the same page. If you are in a serious relationship with a significant other who is of a different faith from your own, you need to have some serious discussions with each other about faith and prayerfully seek common ground if at all possible. Also, honestly discuss the situation with your priest and seek his guidance. 

Jennifer's tip: Catholics who are contemplating marriage should make sure that they have a faith to share. In other words, live your Catholicism fully and faithfully - the Catholic faith fully lived out is ridiculously attractive.

Let me be clear here: we're not talking about one party making a half-hearted conversion or (even worse) being compelled to accept a faith that is not their own. This can do more harm than good. But the reality is that inter-faith marriages are difficult, so you if you're serious about your marriage lasting, have some honest and pointed conversations about faith. And if you're Catholic, be a strong and faith-filled one. A Catholic who faithfully lives out their faith (and understands it, too, so that they can answer questions when asked), is one of the strongest magnets to the Church. 

Catholic Marriage Myth #2: When a Catholic marries a non-Catholic, both spouses have to agree to raise their children as Catholic.

According to Jennifer, there was a time when both potential spouses entering into a mixed-faith marriage (the Catholic and the non-Catholic) were required to make a promise to raise their children as Catholic. In modern times, passing on the Faith is certainly still important, but now only the Catholic spouse in a potential mixed-faith marriage must promise to do all that he or she can to raise their children as Catholics. The non-Catholic spouse is not expected to make any such promise.

Nor should they. Faith is a personal matter and adults should not be forced to do things, in the realm of faith and religion, with which they disagree. A disgruntled, non-Catholic parent who feels forced to take his or her children to Mass will only sow ill will and discord and these are not ingredients for a happy, holy and lasting marriage.

If you are a faithful Catholic who enters into a mixed-faith marriage, however, you are expected to try (to the best of your ability) to raise your children as Catholics. If you are true to faith, this is no imposition - how could want to do anything else? Remember - if you are Catholic, you don't leave your beliefs and the teachings of your Church at the door each time you enter the room with your spouse of significant other. This applies to dating, too. One touchy subject Jennifer mentioned in her talk bears mentioning again: cohabitation; living with your boyfriend or girlfriend outside of marriage. Beside the fact that non-married couples who decide to live together for the longterm are doing something that specifically goes against Church teaching, there are some other facts to consider.

Jennifer's tip: Living long-term with your "significant other" before getting married (AKA: cohabitating) can cause many more problems than it solves and can lay the foundation for a failed marriage.

Some couples argue that they should live together to "work things out" before they make a commitment in marriage. But, according to Jennifer and contrary to popular belief, couples who live together before they marry actually significantly raise their chances of their marriage ending in divorce. In fact, research shows that couples that cohabitate tend to be more reluctant to make long-term commitments and are much more likely to call the relationship quits when serious problems arise. Cohabitating is nothing close to a "trial run" for marriage because the entire relationship for a cohabitating couple is built upon a premise of being able to leave in the face of difficulties - a premise which fosters attitudes and mindsets that actually make a lifelong and successful marriage more difficult. Cohabitating couples, then, may be less motivated to develop support and conflict resolution skills.

Catholic Marriage Myth #3: Catholics don't have to be married in a church - they can be married anywhere. 

Short answer: False. And Jennifer's answer really makes sense, when you think about it. In the Catholic understanding, marriage is a sacrament of the Church. Sacraments, whenever possible, should be celebrated in a church.

Again, it's really important that Catholic couples contact their local priest and the priest of the parish in which they hope to marry soon after they get engaged. This is a huge help in scheduling necessary appointments for premarital counseling and even in helping to reserve use of the church for the wedding.

For Catholics who are marrying a non-Catholic in a non-Catholic ceremony, the Catholic party should also contact his or her priest as soon as possible after being engaged. This is really important (and often overlooked) because the priest can help to provide important guidance to the Catholic bride- or groom-to-be on how to have their marriage blessed and remain in good standing with the Church.

Jennifer's tip: Your priest should be among the top five people that you call after you get engaged - whether or not you plan to be married in a Catholic church.

For more information and/or for help in registering for an Engaged Encounter retreat weekend in the Diocese of Jackson, visit the Office of Family Ministry.

Happy Anniversary, Pope BXVI!

Today you're the 6th oldest pope in history.

Somehow that can't be totally a compliment.