Mary, Mother of God | Catholic LaneDAMBROSIO: The mother of the messiah has been called many things in the last 2000 years –the Virgin Mary, Our Lady, the Blessed Mother. But call her “the Mother of God,” and you’ll see some Christians squirm.
This is nothing new. One day in the early fifth century, a priest preached a stirring sermon in the presence of the patriarch of Constantinople. His subject was the holy mother of Jesus. The preacher continually referred to Mary as the “Theotokos” meaning “God-bearer” or mother of God. This was no innovation–Christians had invoked Mary under this title for at least two hundred years. Nevertheless, at the close of the sermon, the patriarch ascended the steps of the pulpit to correct the preacher. We should call Mary the Mother of Christ, said Patriarch Nestorius, not the Mother of God. She was the mother of his human nature, not the mother of his divinity.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
This year's Bethlehem Broom Brawl was a gift to news room skeleton crews...
Bethlehem Broom Brawl � GetReligionCONGER: Wednesday’s broom fight between Greek and Armenian clergy at the Church of the Nativity has come as a god-send to the editors manning the desks of news rooms this Christmas. With the year-in-review pieces done and the boss away until Tuesday, the junior editors ruling the roost have been handed a fun item with which to play.
Why so many variations in Mass depending on the priest?
QUAERITUR: Why so many variations in Mass depending on the priest? | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: In a nutshell, some decades ago in the books for the older form of Holy Mass, what we call the Extraordinary Form, there were clear indications that some “defects” in how the priest celebrated Mass were sins. The Missal said, in black and white, that if a priest did certain things wrong he committed a sin. Furthermore, since the issue of rubrics (the red writing in the Missal providing “stage directions” for Mass) was a matter of moral theology, when seminarians and priests studied moral theology and also how to say Mass, they learned specific ways to do things. There would still be a little variation from priest to priest, but in general every priest in the world said Mass more or less the same way.
30 Spectacular Examples Of Landscape Photography
30 Spectacular Examples Of Landscape Photography: As they say, Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment. But I don’t think the photographers disappointed anyone here. Presenting more brilliant photographs to continue our landscape series. Hope you like these. If you haven’t seen our previous posts, do check them out.
Thomas Aquinas, Proclus, and Dionysius
Thomas Aquinas, Proclus, and Dionysius ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: In the 1100s Gerard of Cremona discovered and translated into Latin a ninth century Arabic book bearing the title: The Book of Aristotle's Explanation of the Pure Good.
Many assumed that this Arabic text captured an authentic metaphysical book by Aristotle. It bore the Latin title Liber de causis or "Book of Causes."
Many assumed that this Arabic text captured an authentic metaphysical book by Aristotle. It bore the Latin title Liber de causis or "Book of Causes."
Two Abortion Doctors Charged With Murder In Maryland
Two Abortion Doctors Charged With Murder In Maryland: Drs. Steven Chase Brigham, 55, and Nicola Irene Riley, 46, have been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder related to a botched 2010 abortion. Both doctors were arrested following the police department’s search and seizure of frozen fetuses and fetal parts at a secret abortion facility in Maryland.
The position of bishops who do not want to retire
Vatican: The position of bishops who do not want to retire - Vatican InsiderGALEAZZI: The latest to “rebel” against mandatory resignation at 75 years of age is Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago and, until last year, President of the American Conference of Bishops. From the beginning of his pontificate, Benedict XVI has come under some pressure to abolish the rule established by Paul VI on the retirement age for ecclesiastics. So while most Western governments are grappling with the protests of citizens required by the exigencies of public finances to stay at work longer, the Roman Curia is receiving opposite signals from the Sacred College.
Under Pope Benedict, the rules of diplomatic etiquette are being deeply transformed...
Diplomatic etiquette changes - Vatican InsiderGALEAZZI: From now on, the Pope will no longer deliver speeches to new Ambassadors. The turning point in the Sacred Palaces takes place when, after the beginning of his pontificate, Benedict XVI had done away the ancient practice by which the papal nuncios visiting Rome were automatically received in audience by the Pope. For fifty years the speeches to the "feluccas" was the time in which the Popes publicly explained his point of view on international politics. The gauge of relations maintained by the Holy See with various countries around the world.
Pelicans and Flying Rays
Pelicans and Flying Rays (Narrated by David Tennant) - Earthflight - BBC One - YouTube: Pelicans in the Sea of Cortez are our guide to the incredible flying Devil Rays.
Santorum gets ‘Christian,’ not Catholic, surge
Santorum gets ‘Christian,’ not Catholic, surge � GetReligionMATTINGLY: Trust me, I realize that the Iowa GOP caucuses are getting really complicated for journalists.
I mean, you’ve got this libertarian guy who is a hero for many pro-lifers.
You have the Mormon guy who has been trying and trying to win over his fair share of evangelical Protestants voters. Problem is, some think he’s too Mormon. Others think he isn’t Mormon enough. Sorry ‘bout that.
I mean, you’ve got this libertarian guy who is a hero for many pro-lifers.
You have the Mormon guy who has been trying and trying to win over his fair share of evangelical Protestants voters. Problem is, some think he’s too Mormon. Others think he isn’t Mormon enough. Sorry ‘bout that.
The numbers are in. Over 2.5 million people saw the pope at the Vatican in 2011
Over 2.5 million people saw the pope at the Vatican in 2011: According to the Vatican, over 2.5 million people took part in papal ceremonies in 2011. The number actually shows an increase over the past three years.
According to the Prefecture for the Papal Household, in 2011, about 1.2 million people celebrated the Angelus along with the pope.
Roughly 400,000 people visited St. Peter's Square to hear the pope's weekly general audience. When it came to liturgical celebrations the number more that doubled, adding up to 846,000. Almost 102,000 people took part in special audiences with the pope.
These numbers only account for activities that took place at the Vatican or Castel Gandolfo, not apostolic visits in Italy or abroad.
According to the Prefecture for the Papal Household, in 2011, about 1.2 million people celebrated the Angelus along with the pope.
Roughly 400,000 people visited St. Peter's Square to hear the pope's weekly general audience. When it came to liturgical celebrations the number more that doubled, adding up to 846,000. Almost 102,000 people took part in special audiences with the pope.
These numbers only account for activities that took place at the Vatican or Castel Gandolfo, not apostolic visits in Italy or abroad.
Shooting Under the Polar Ice
Shooting Under the Antarctic Ice - Photo Journal - WSJ: For “Frozen Planet” director Chadden Hunter and cameraman Didier Noiret, the challenges of photographing emperor penguins rocketing through ice holes from the water below at high speeds were significant, but shooting them underwater was even more daunting. In order to show the penguins with the jet stream of bubbles behind them, they had to dive unthethered (a rope could get tangled with the camera) and film with a slow motion camera that they had never used underwater before. The only way to control buoyancy was to let air into the dry suit from the tank.
Ever wonder where your suitcase goes when you check it at the airport?
Patrick Madrid : Patrick MadridMADRID: Over the 25 years that I’ve been traveling a lot by airplane, I have checked my luggage at the airport literally about 1000 times. Maybe more. Once a bag has been tagged by the ticket agent, who then places it on the conveyor belt, it moves toward the rubber-flap draped entrance to the hidden world of airport luggage processing. This Delta Airlines video shows what your suitcase goes through from the time you check it in till you retrieve it again at the flight arrival baggage carousel.
Friday, December 30, 2011
'A bizarre discovery': Frankenstein film frame found in Vatican library
Frankenstein film frame found in Vatican library - ANSA English - ANSA.it: It was unclear how the unmarked frame wound up in the film section of the archives, which is composed primarily of footage of the pope and historical church events. The film frame was immediately identified as something outside the norm, according to the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.
Christmas Must Continue
Christmas Must Continue | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: On my evening walks I have already seen Christmas trees by the dozens kicked to the curb. For many, it would seem, Christmas is a done deal.
But for us who believe, just this gentle reminder, that Christmas continues until January 6th. And, I would argue, its power and influence must continue all our life long. For Christ, whose birth in our history and our hearts is celebrated each year, desires to come to full maturity in each of us as well, and through us, to see his Kingdom become more evident.
But for us who believe, just this gentle reminder, that Christmas continues until January 6th. And, I would argue, its power and influence must continue all our life long. For Christ, whose birth in our history and our hearts is celebrated each year, desires to come to full maturity in each of us as well, and through us, to see his Kingdom become more evident.
Why does the pope say a couple living together is “not excluded from the love of the Church or from the love of Christ”?
Christmas Must Continue | Archdiocese of WashingtonZUHLSDORF: Even though we sin, God loves us and desires us to return to the state of grace. God gives us graces also when we are separated from Him in mortal sin so that we may the easier return to His friendship.
Such a couple may be excluded from receiving the sacraments until they get things straightened out. That doesn’t mean they can’t be members of the Church or that God has stopped loving them.
Holy Church continues to hold the door open for sinners, for the Church never desires the permanent exclusion of any person from a fuller participation in the Church’s journey towards God in heaven.
Such a couple may be excluded from receiving the sacraments until they get things straightened out. That doesn’t mean they can’t be members of the Church or that God has stopped loving them.
Holy Church continues to hold the door open for sinners, for the Church never desires the permanent exclusion of any person from a fuller participation in the Church’s journey towards God in heaven.
Samoa now leads the liturgical world
Samoa now leads liturgical world | Liturgy Worship Spirituality: Samoans went to sleep last night on Thursday, 29 December, the 5th day of Christmas. But they woke up this morning on Saturday, 31 December, the 7th day of Christmas.
In 1892 they switched to be on the American side of the date line as they did most of their trading with the US and Europe. Now the focus of trade is with Australia and NZ and so it makes sense to be in synch with the working week here and they decided to switch back.
In 1892 they switched to be on the American side of the date line as they did most of their trading with the US and Europe. Now the focus of trade is with Australia and NZ and so it makes sense to be in synch with the working week here and they decided to switch back.
In Philadelphia, the shake-up begins at home -- Chaput to sell Archbishop’s residence
Whispers in the Loggia: In Philadelphia, The Shake-Up Begins at Home -- Chaput To Sell Archbishop’s ResidencePALMO: In the most concrete sign yet of his plans to thoroughly reshape the beleaguered church he’s inherited, Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap. is giving up the mansion at the city’s edge which his predecessors have called home for the last 75 years.
Less than four months after taking the reins of the 1.2 million-member Northeastern “supertanker,” Chaput reportedly decided to seek a buyer for the historic Cardinal's Residence over recent weeks, according to archdiocesan sources. No official announcement of the move is expected to be made.
Less than four months after taking the reins of the 1.2 million-member Northeastern “supertanker,” Chaput reportedly decided to seek a buyer for the historic Cardinal's Residence over recent weeks, according to archdiocesan sources. No official announcement of the move is expected to be made.
Do you have a heresy checklist? Here's one...
Do You Have a Heresy Checklist? Here it is ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: Perhaps the best way to learn the truth about the person and natures of our Lord Jesus Christ is to learn how the ancient heresies got in wrong. Here is a basic checklist about Docetism, Arianism, Nestorianism, and others, to help you along the way.
A preview of ten big Vatican events planned throughout 2012
The Vatican in 2012: Ten events planned throughout the year - YouTube: The Vatican already knows that 2012 will be full of events, traveling, canonizations and key anniversaries.
Top 10 under-covered Vatican stories (plus a bonus feature)
Top 10 under-covered Vatican stories (plus a bonus feature) | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: By now, it's an "All Things Catholic" tradition to run down the top under-covered Vatican stories of the year. The idea is not to flag the year's most celebrated events or personalities, because plenty of other news agencies do that. Rather, I try to lift up storylines that otherwise flew below radar but that were actually fairly important.
If I were compiling a list of the biggest Vatican stories of the year, for instance, the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1 would probably be near the top. Yet it doesn't make the cut as an "under-covered" event, because it's hard to believe anybody who picked up a newspaper in May 2011, or who watched TV that day, could have missed it. Similarly, a document from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on reform of the international economy, as well as the Vatican's diplomatic spat with Ireland, both were important stories, but they were hardly overlooked.
If I were compiling a list of the biggest Vatican stories of the year, for instance, the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1 would probably be near the top. Yet it doesn't make the cut as an "under-covered" event, because it's hard to believe anybody who picked up a newspaper in May 2011, or who watched TV that day, could have missed it. Similarly, a document from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on reform of the international economy, as well as the Vatican's diplomatic spat with Ireland, both were important stories, but they were hardly overlooked.
Was Mary Saved?
Shameless Popery: Was Mary Saved?HESCHMEYER: A Protestant friend of mine related his struggle with the Catholic view of Mary's sinlessless, because Mary herself expressed that she needed a Savior, in Luke 1:46-47, when she proclaimed at the start of the Magnificat, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
I think that there's a simple response to this, which we find in Psalm 30:3, in which David proclaims, “You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; You spared me from going down to the pit.” In that verse, David describes two different forms of salvation: God saves him from “the realm of the dead” by taking him out once he's already in there. But He saved him from “the pit” by preventing him from going in the first place.
I think that there's a simple response to this, which we find in Psalm 30:3, in which David proclaims, “You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; You spared me from going down to the pit.” In that verse, David describes two different forms of salvation: God saves him from “the realm of the dead” by taking him out once he's already in there. But He saved him from “the pit” by preventing him from going in the first place.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Jospeh | Catholic LaneBENEDICT: In contemplating the mystery of the Son of God who came into the world surrounded by the love of Mary and Joseph, I ask Christian families to experience the loving presence of the Lord in their lives. I likewise encourage them, drawing inspiration from Christ’s love for humanity, to bear witness to the world of the beauty of human love, marriage and the family. Founded on the indissoluble union between a man and a woman, the family constitutes the privileged context in which human life is welcomed and protected from its beginning to its natural end. Thus, parents have the right and the fundamental obligation to raise their children in the faith and values which give dignity to human life. It is worthwhile working for the family and marriage because it is worthwhile working for the human being, God’s most precious creature.
Declassified documents show how Pope John Paul II tried to end Irish inmates' 1981 hunger strike
CNS STORY: Documents show how pope tried to end Irish inmates' 1981 hunger strike: Declassified British documents reveal the extent to which Pope John Paul II tried unsuccessfully to intervene to end a 1981 hunger strike by Catholic prisoners in a British jail in Northern Ireland.
The documents claim that, after the pope sent a special envoy, the leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners, Bobby Sands, was willing to suspend the fast just days before he died.
The offer was conveyed to the British authorities by the pope's secretary, Irish Msgr. John Magee, whom Pope John Paul dispatched to persuade the prisoners to call off the hunger strike.
The documents claim that, after the pope sent a special envoy, the leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners, Bobby Sands, was willing to suspend the fast just days before he died.
The offer was conveyed to the British authorities by the pope's secretary, Irish Msgr. John Magee, whom Pope John Paul dispatched to persuade the prisoners to call off the hunger strike.
2011's Top 10 Reasons for Hope
Top 10 Reasons for Hope - 2011 - YouTube: CatholicVote.org's Annual Top 10 Reasons for Hope from 2011. Our true hope, of course, is in Christ alone. But we live in a world of events, people, and stories that manifest this hope.
Our list is made up of news events, people, or significant developments that inspired us from this past year.
Our list is made up of news events, people, or significant developments that inspired us from this past year.
Holy families to consider on the feast of the Holy Family
Holy families to consider on the feast of the Holy Family � CNS BlogWOODEN: Since Christmas was on a Sunday this year, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family today.
At his general audience Wednesday, Pope Benedict talked about the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph being a model, especially of prayer, for Christian families.
Earlier this year, Marist Father Anthony Ward, undersecretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, compiled a list of other holy families for Catholics to imitate. The list of married couples was drawn from the 2004 edition of the “Roman Martyrology,” a thick tome listing the saints and blesseds of the Catholic Church according to their feast dates.
At his general audience Wednesday, Pope Benedict talked about the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph being a model, especially of prayer, for Christian families.
Earlier this year, Marist Father Anthony Ward, undersecretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, compiled a list of other holy families for Catholics to imitate. The list of married couples was drawn from the 2004 edition of the “Roman Martyrology,” a thick tome listing the saints and blesseds of the Catholic Church according to their feast dates.
To George, Raised Catholic, Now Maybe Buddhist
Witness: To George, Raised Catholic, Now Maybe BuddhistBULL: Blogging is like sending radio waves into space in search of intelligent life: sometimes you provoke an alien invasion (those nasty, hurtful comments), sometimes you receive a visit from an angel. George is an angel, I think.
Through an on-line exchange, I have learned that my old friend, whom I have not seen in 40 years, now lives on the West Coast; and that he was raised Catholic, but has fallen away from the faith to a degree that is still unclear to me. He may also be Buddhist, although this seems unclear to him.
Through an on-line exchange, I have learned that my old friend, whom I have not seen in 40 years, now lives on the West Coast; and that he was raised Catholic, but has fallen away from the faith to a degree that is still unclear to me. He may also be Buddhist, although this seems unclear to him.
A Prophetic Novel of the End Times
A Prophetic Novel of the End Times | Crisis MagazineMCCLOSKEY: Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson’s Lord of the World is a novel about the Antichrist, who will tempt Christians to apostasy before Christ’s Second Coming. It describes the final battle in the supernatural war for souls that has been fought continually both in heaven and on earth from the time of the Fall and will conclude with the general judgment; thereupon will follow the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. As we will see, before creating his fictional account, Msgr. Benson carefully explored the various passages on the end-times included in Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers as background for this tale of the Antichrist. The oft-cited definition of a classic is “a book that remains in print.”
Postmodern man doesn't know how to give a good party. It's up to us Catholics to reclaim this lost art and share it with the world
Party On! (It’s Okay–It’s Biblical!) – Part 1 � Catholic ExchangeTUCKER: Good parties are intrinsic to our Catholic faith. The liturgical year is punctuated with a wide array of feast days and celebrations, many of which are Christianized versions of holidays that once closely tracked the agricultural calendar of planting and harvesting. The two largest and best-known feasts are, of course, Christmas and Easter, but there are also the two Christmas and Easter spin-offs, Epiphany and Pentecost. In addition, there’s the feast of Mary, Mother of God (New Year’s Day); Ascension Thursday; Corpus Christi; the feast of the Immaculate Conception; All Saints Day (with Halloween and the Day of the Dead); and, the most famous party of all, Mardi Gras, which has strayed far from its Catholic origin as the last celebration before the Lenten fast but still embodies a certain Catholic sensibility. Above all, every Sunday for Catholics is a feast day on which we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Only in Lent and the mini-Lent of Advent is it not party time, but even in these two seasons, there are exceptions for St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Nicholas Day, and other feasts.
Christmas still beats porn, but only barely
Christmas Beats Porn But Only Barely | Blogs | NCRegister.comWARNER: Porn is one of the most searched for things on the internet, as disgusting as it is. But, according to such search trends, people still love Christmas more than porn…at least for a few days a year. Every year around this time there is a peak where more people are searching for “Christmas” than for “porn.” And this year, though some thought porn would finally reign, Christmas managed to just barely nose out our unquenchable thirst for porn yet again - for a day or so.
Tim Tebow Motivates, Challenges Catholics
Tim Tebow Motivates, Challenges Catholics | Daily News | NCRegister.com: The Denver Broncos trailed the Chicago Bears 10-0 deep into the fourth quarter in their Dec. 11 home game. Not surprisingly, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow said a prayer on the sideline.
But this time, a microphone picked up his petition.
“Dear Jesus I need you. Please come through for me. No matter what, win or lose, Lord, give me the strength to honor you,” said Tebow in a 10-minute feature from NFL Films that gave an up-close look of the quarterback that game day.
But this time, a microphone picked up his petition.
“Dear Jesus I need you. Please come through for me. No matter what, win or lose, Lord, give me the strength to honor you,” said Tebow in a 10-minute feature from NFL Films that gave an up-close look of the quarterback that game day.
A Christmas Meditation on How the Word Must Become Flesh in Us
A Christmas Meditation on How the Word Must Become Flesh in Us | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: At Christmas we celebrate the fact of the Word Becoming Flesh. God’s love for us is not just some theory or idea. It is a flesh and blood reality that can actually be seen, heard and touched.
But the challenge of the Christmas season is for us to allow the same thing to happen to our faith. The Word of God and our faith cannot simply remain on the pages of a book or the recesses of our intellect. They have to become flesh in our life. Our faith has to leap off the pages of the Bible and Catechism and become flesh in the very way we live our lives, the decisions we make, the very way we use our body, mind, intellect and will.
But the challenge of the Christmas season is for us to allow the same thing to happen to our faith. The Word of God and our faith cannot simply remain on the pages of a book or the recesses of our intellect. They have to become flesh in our life. Our faith has to leap off the pages of the Bible and Catechism and become flesh in the very way we live our lives, the decisions we make, the very way we use our body, mind, intellect and will.
Should Catholic Sex Abuse Documents Be Withheld from Courts?
Should Catholic Sex Abuse Documents Be Withheld from Courts? | Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: That’s a very good question, isn’t it?
How many times during the course of various sex abuse news cycles have we read about lawyers using various legal maneuvers to try to keep official, confidential documents pertaining to priestly sex abuses cases out of the hands of courts?
These instances only reveal what scoundrels both the lawyers are—*and* their clients. I mean, the *only* reason to try to keep a document out of the court’s hands is if you have something to hide, and that shows that you are acting in bad faith, trying to stop justice from being done.
How many times during the course of various sex abuse news cycles have we read about lawyers using various legal maneuvers to try to keep official, confidential documents pertaining to priestly sex abuses cases out of the hands of courts?
These instances only reveal what scoundrels both the lawyers are—*and* their clients. I mean, the *only* reason to try to keep a document out of the court’s hands is if you have something to hide, and that shows that you are acting in bad faith, trying to stop justice from being done.
Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for January 2012
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY 2012: Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for January 2012 is: "That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives".
His mission intention is: "That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will".
His mission intention is: "That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will".
Another sign that new eminences are imminent: The Vatican just ordered a batch of new cardinal's rings from a Roman goldsmith...
Consistory near: Vatican orders new cardinal's rings - Vatican InsiderTORNIELLI: In February - in all likelihood the 18th and 19th of February - the fourth consistory for the creation of new cardinals in Benedict XVI's pontificate will take place. Vatican Insider has written many times of the lists of possible new cardinals: the now-imminent decision is confirmed by the purchasing of the new cardinal's rings. It is tradition, in fact, for the reigning Pontiff to give a ring to the new “senators of the Church”. Up until now, Pope Ratzinger has given newly-created cardinals rings forged on the model used during John Paul II's pontificate (a rectangle of worked gold, upon which stands a cross). But now a design has been approved for a new cardinal's ring, made in the form of a cross, which will be used for the first time next February. It was created by ecclesiastical goldsmiths the Savi Brothers, who work in Borgo Pio, at a cost of around €1,500. The Savis have already worked for some time with the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations: they are the ones who created the papal “ferula,” the cross the Pope uses as a pastoral staff during Mass.
5 Simple Steps to Get Your New Year Off to a Great Start
5 Simple Steps to Get Your New Year Off to a Great Start | Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: New Year’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a Marian feast day, it falls during the celebrations of the Christmas season, and it marks the start of a brand new calendar year. Whether or not I write a detailed list of resolutions, I always use this day as an opportunity to get things in order so that the new year starts off smoothly. Some of these undertakings have been dramatically unsuccessful (tip: check the weather forecast before deciding to clean out your entire garage in early January), but others turned out to be everything I’d hoped they’d be: simple, practical actions that had a lasting impact on my whole year.
Pro-Life Teens Give Women a Voice
Pro-Life Teens Give Women a Voice | Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Teenagers make great bellwethers: when you hear one of them, you know there must be a whole crowd behind them. There is safety in numbers, and vocally pro-life teens are making it “safer” to be pro-life.
Everyone has seen true birth stories on TV; everyone knows a pregnant teenager. Ultrasound images are everywhere. For better or worse, the topic of pregnancy and abortion is unavoidable. It’s no longer a taboo subject, and it’s no longer possible for the typical socially conscious teenager to have no opinion about it.
Everyone has seen true birth stories on TV; everyone knows a pregnant teenager. Ultrasound images are everywhere. For better or worse, the topic of pregnancy and abortion is unavoidable. It’s no longer a taboo subject, and it’s no longer possible for the typical socially conscious teenager to have no opinion about it.
Anger, Bad – and Good?
Anger, Bad – and Good?RUSE: The guy behind the repair-shop counter would not accept credit cards even though, a few days before, his boss said they would. I argue, try to get him to understand that his boss said different, “JUST TWO DAYS AGO!” Young and short of cash, a credit card is all I have. Clearly, I am not getting my VCR back any time soon.
So, I get up in the guy’s face and let him have it. He quickly backs down, says he will deliver it within the hour to my apartment around the corner. I go home and wait, and wait some more. After a while I figure the guy isn’t coming so I storm back up Columbus Avenue, slam the door open, and go inside. The guy stands behind the counter with a certain look on his face.
So, I get up in the guy’s face and let him have it. He quickly backs down, says he will deliver it within the hour to my apartment around the corner. I go home and wait, and wait some more. After a while I figure the guy isn’t coming so I storm back up Columbus Avenue, slam the door open, and go inside. The guy stands behind the counter with a certain look on his face.
The Son of Mary - Cause of our Joy
Beginning to Pray: The Son of Mary - Cause of our JoyLILLES: What Child is this? When we look to the Babe, the son of Mary, we behold the illuminating warmth of the Father's heart in the dark coldness of our fragile existence. Christian contemplation clings to this Light which darkness cannot overcome. The radiant Star which draws us through nights, shadows and voids we do not understand, He Himself is the way to the heavenly homeland into which the Father yearns to welcome us.
If Mary is the Mother of Jesus, why isn't the Holy Spirit called his father?
If Mary is the Mother of Jesus, why isn't the Holy Spirit called his father? | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: St. Matthew makes it very clear that Mary is truly the Mother of Jesus, and this is affirmed also in the other Gospels many times over. Throughout the Gospels and in the Church’s Tradition, Mary is called the Mother of Jesus. Indeed, we know that (because Jesus is one divine person) Mary is truly said to be the Mother of God.
However, given that Mary is the Mother of Jesus with respect to his humanity, why do we not call the Holy Spirit the Father of Jesus?
However, given that Mary is the Mother of Jesus with respect to his humanity, why do we not call the Holy Spirit the Father of Jesus?
Eighty-four years ago, on a cold December morning, Dorothy Day was received into the Catholic Church
The Dawn PatrolEDEN: I developed a devotion to Servant of God Dorothy Day, whose cause for canonization, while reading her autobiography The Long Loneliness. Learning about her spiritual journey, particularly how she came to accept God's mercy after confessing her abortion, led me to feature her in a chapter of my upcoming book for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints. I discuss how, in her initial reluctance to believe that God had truly forgiven her, she experienced feelings analogous to those of victims whose childhood abuse causes them to doubt the depth of the Father's love for them.
God wants us to know His revealed truth, and He wants us to be humble and loving about it...
On Dissent – Proud to be right? | Accepting AbundanceTRASANCOS: Perhaps you know the experience. You know something to be true; and you know you’re right about it; and you are certain that someone else is flat out wrong; and so this overwhelming urge to correct the wrong wells up within you with such force that you can hardly keep yourself from exploding to the entire world how undeniably intelligent and virtuous you are! There’s no need to be charitable, patient, prudent, peaceful or humble – no, not when you are right. Right? Wrong. I speak from experience.
Two Chinese bishops, persecuted by Communists and ignored by the West, recognized as 'Illustrious Unknown' for 2011
CHINA – VATICAN Two Chinese bishop martyrs recognised as ‘Illustrious Unknown’ for 2011 - Asia News: At the end of the year, many magazines and Websites publish a list of people who made the news in 2011 one way or the other. Usually, they are people from the world of politics or culture; sometimes, groups are recognised. For instance, this year Time Magazine picked protesters as ‘Person of the Year’, the young people of the Arab spring and the demonstrators of the world.
26 priests, religious, lay pastoral workers slain in 2011
26 priests, religious, lay pastoral workers slain in 2011 : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Twenty-six pastoral workers--including 18 priests, four sisters, and four laity--were killed in 2011, according to the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Seven were killed in Colombia, five in Mexico, three in India, two in Burundi, and one each in Brazil, Paraguay, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Tunisia, Kenya, the Philippines, and Spain.
Seven were killed in Colombia, five in Mexico, three in India, two in Burundi, and one each in Brazil, Paraguay, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Tunisia, Kenya, the Philippines, and Spain.
In 1942, Our Lady miraculously appeared in a Mississippi prison, and asked a condemned murderer to become Catholic. What happened next is remarkable
Mystics of the Church: The miraculous story of Claude Newman & his conversion through the intercession of the Virgin Mary: Claude Newman was an African American man who was born on December 1, 1923 to Willie and Floretta (Young) Newman in Stuttgart, Arkansas. In 1928, Claude’s father Willie takes Claude and his older brother away from their mother for unknown reasons, and they are brought to their grandmother, Ellen Newman, of Bovina, Warren County, Mississippi.
Remember: It's still Christmas. Unwrap the gift of holy silence this week...
Unwrap a Post-Christmas SilenceSCALIA: The silence of which we sing so wistfully at Midnight Mass, is at an all-time premium at Christmas; it is so difficult to find a silent night, let alone sit within one and become immersed in it, that the possibility of a seasonal soothing of the heart—a quieting of the grief of the world—seems the stuff of illusion and myth.
Holiness, not hot air: The Nashville Dominicans are showing what Catholic education ought to be...
Holiness, Not Hot AirDUFFY: On a Friday morning, I walked into a room full of young women. They sat in desks arranged in a circle, with a habited Sister amongst them mediating discussion. The discussion was even in tone, conversational, intelligent. The women were discussing a text, to which they referred regularly, highlighting passages, and raising points or questions that moved the conversation forward. No one argued. The other women in the room listened intently to whomever was speaking. They read each other's body language, and waited until the speaker completed her point before anyone else chimed in.
Spirits lifted at Detroit's famous (but threatened) Assumption Grotto as priest composes mass and conducts orchestra...
Assumption Grotto: Pastor creates music for mass, lifts spirits at vulnerable parish | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: The Rev. Eduard Perrone, while on vacation last summer at his mother's home in Warren, awoke from an afternoon nap with a melody in his head. He scribbled it down before he forgot it.
Over the next few days, more musical ideas popped into his mind, often after he woke up.
That was the start of what has turned into a full orchestral piece for Catholic mass, a 30-minute composition being performed for the first time this holiday season.
Over the next few days, more musical ideas popped into his mind, often after he woke up.
That was the start of what has turned into a full orchestral piece for Catholic mass, a 30-minute composition being performed for the first time this holiday season.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Seven 2011 Events That Will Change the Church’s Story in America
Seven 2011 Events That Will Change the Church’s Story in America | The Gregorian Blog | The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: Tim Drake and others have noted the big influx of religious vocations sparked by Pope John Paul II’s Denver World Youth Day. At Benedictine College, at least two leading monks trace their vocations to that 1993 event. But apart from the event itself, Denver marked a “metanoia” for America’s Church. That was when we realized the faith could be serious and energetic, and that it wasn’t just the bastion of old age. Ever since, Americans have been organizing pilgrimages to ship young young people to World Youth Days around the world.
Top 10 things I've learned about sacred music
Top Ten Things I’ve Learned about Sacred Music The Chant Caf�TUCKER: Ten years ago, I knew next to nothing about Catholic music. I knew that something was not right in the parish music program. I had some sense that the fix for the problem was somewhere in our history and tradition, somewhere in some dusty books somewhere, and the answer surely had something to do with preconciliar practice. I intuited this just because the Second Vatican Council represented something like a gigantic shift, and older people reinforced this to me with harrowing stories of living through the turbulent times.
St. Thomas Becket, Sinner and Saint
St. Thomas Becket, Sinner and Saint | Regnum NovumGUTIERREZ: Born in 1118 to parents of some means, Becket’s life from the start was of some notable difference when compared to that of the other St. Thomas, Thomas More. Whereas More’s parents were careful never to encourage in their son any sort of profligate tendency, Thomas Becket became very used to “the good life” early. His parents, though, died when he was twenty-one, and since he had no trade or employment even though he was already in his twenties, his “means had been seriously diminished” says Fr. Butler. This part of St. Thomas’ story reminds me too much of the youth of today who, well into their thirties in some cases, live at home for lack of initiative in a particular avocation. Wealth can have a stultifying effect on the will, a truth that bears itself out in the life of St. Thomas.
What did the Pope's brother give him for Christmas this year? The same thing he gives him every year: A pocket planner...
Christmas with the Ratzinger brothers : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Msgr. Georg Ratzinger has joined his brother, Pope Benedict XVI, for a Christmas celebration in Rome.
The elder Ratzinger reveals that he annually brings his brother the same small gift: a pocket planner. They enjoy eating German Christmas cookies and a few other family traditions--"just old men’s things," Msgr. Ratzinger reports. Most of all, they enjoy fine music.
The elder Ratzinger reveals that he annually brings his brother the same small gift: a pocket planner. They enjoy eating German Christmas cookies and a few other family traditions--"just old men’s things," Msgr. Ratzinger reports. Most of all, they enjoy fine music.
There will be no Friday this week in Samoa...
There Will Be No Friday This Week In Samoa : The Two-Way : NPR: People in Samoa (population 193,000) want to be closer time-wise to Australia, New Zealand, China and Tonga because they do so much more day-to-day business with those relatively nearby nations than with the rest of the world. And the problem until now, for example, has been that when it's 8 a.m. Monday in Samoa it's 8 a.m. Tuesday in Tonga. Business people in Samoa have kind of been losing a working day when it comes to dealing with their nearest neighbors.
On the night before his martyrdom, 21-year-old Bl. Bartolome Blanco Marquez wrote this love letter to his girlfriend...
Aggie Catholics: A Martyrs' Love LetterLEJEUNE: A 21-year-old layman from Spain, Blessed Bartolome Blanco Marquez, was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 as one of hundreds of martyrs during the persecution of the Catholic Church during the Spanish Civil War.
Here is part of his story, and the love letter he wrote to his girlfriend.
Here is part of his story, and the love letter he wrote to his girlfriend.
The TWENTY-PLUS Days of Christmas?
The TWENTY-PLUS Days of Christmas??? | Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: This year we get an extra four-plus days of celebrating compared to what they had in the Middle Ages, and some years in some places—where Christmas is 20 days and an evening long—we get an extra eight-plus days.
Ain’t progress wonderful?
What do you think?
Ain’t progress wonderful?
What do you think?
If you like nativity scenes, visit Poland during the Christmas season...
Szopka Competition in Krakow, Poland | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities: The szopka is a traditional Polish folk art that has its origins in the Middle Ages. The tradition is a rich and colorful one, having evolved over the ages. The szopki depict the Wawel Cathedral, which is a part of Krakow’s Wawel Castle with a Nativity scene set inside its doors. Some of the models are as small as 6 inches while others are around 6 feet high.
Every year for 25 years, a father recorded his children coming down the stairs for Christmas. Here's the result...
25 Years of Christmas - YouTube: Every year, our dad would tape us coming down the stairs. This is a compilation of all the videos I could find. Relatives and pets grow up and disappear, and new extended family members appear in their place.
History shows contributions of Catholic Church to Western civilization
Commentary: History shows contributions of Catholic Church to Western civilization | Deseret NewsWOODS: About the least fashionable thing one can do these days is utter a kind word about the Catholic Church. The idea that the church has been an obstacle to human progress has been elevated to the level of something everybody thinks he knows. But to the contrary, it is to the Catholic Church more than to any other institution that we owe so many of the treasures of Western civilization. Knowingly or not, scholars operated for two centuries under an Enlightenment prejudice that assumes all progress to come from religious skeptics, and that whatever the church touches is backward, superstitious, even barbaric.
You should be paying more attention to Clinton's speech on gay rights
OSV Daily Take Blog: Shaw: You should be paying more attention to Clinton's speech on gay rightsSHAW: An address by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s on gay rights as a priority of U.S. policy deserves far more attention than it’s gotten up to now. As a statement of the views of the Obama administration, Clinton’s remarks were a remarkably candid — and remarkably chilling — exposition of official determination to make the world safe for LGBT at home as well as abroad.
Papicolist: A New Catholic Word for You on St Thomas Becket's Day
Papicolist: A New Catholic Word for You on St Thomas Becket's Day ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: When I was in Rome, I was standing on a street corner when suddenly a black car rolled up. A bishop opened the back door and Pope Benedict XVI got out. I shouted "Viva Papa!" and he waved at me. That is my spiritual papa and I will love to death by the grace of Christ. As the fourth commandment teaches: "Honor thy Papa" or something like that.
Viva Papa! and may St Thomas Becket pray for us.
Viva Papa! and may St Thomas Becket pray for us.
Their Noonday Demons, and Ours
Their Noonday Demons, and Ours - NYTimes.com: By some miracle, you set aside a day to tackle that project you can’t seem to finish in the office. You close the door, boot up your laptop, open the right file and . . . five minutes later catch yourself thinking about dinner. By 10 a.m., you’re staring at the wall, even squinting at it between your fingertips. Is this day 50 hours long? Soon, you fall into a light, unsatisfying sleep and awake dizzy or with a pounding headache; all your limbs feel weighed down. At which point, most likely around noon, you commit a fatal error: leaving the room. I’ll just garden for a bit, you tell yourself, or do a little charity work. Hmmm, I wonder if my friend Gregory is around?
The Weakness of Tyranny
The Weakness of Tyranny | First ThingsWEIGEL: Blessed John Paul II loved the Christmas season. Guests in the papal apartment during his pontificate found the seasonal decorations up early in Advent; and, following Polish custom, they stayed up until Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Christmas meal was traditionally Polish. Every year, John Paul would call his lay friends in Cracow, all assembled in one apartment, and they would sing Polish carols together for hours, over the phone.
Catholicism is the One True Faith. Period.
not all religions are created equal, sometimes I am right, and I like kittens more than being ecumenical… | The CrescatFERNANDEZ: I always have the most frustrating conversations about religion with my close friend, who shall forever be referred to here as The Non-Catholic. The Non-Catholic & I have tried without success to date on several occasions. In every possible way we are compatible except for matters of faith and religion. It is for that reason we remain such close friends, and nothing more. Sometimes love can not conquer all, which is why when asked I do not recommend people start romantic relationships with those who don’t hold their same beliefs. There will come a time during the course of the relationship where someone must make a compromise, especially if children are involved, and Catholicism is just one of those things I hold above compromise.
About negative judgments for “annulments”
QUAERITUR: About negative judgments for “annulments” | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: A reader wrote asking for help over some annulment difficulties. These are not great questions to work on through the internet. But, this is probably a common enough problem that we could look at it for a bit and offer some points.
To that end, I wanted to engage the help of a good canonist whom I trust who has also exhibited a sound pastoral sense. Here is his answer when I passed the email along for his opinions.
To that end, I wanted to engage the help of a good canonist whom I trust who has also exhibited a sound pastoral sense. Here is his answer when I passed the email along for his opinions.
Muslim extremists in Uganda throw acid in face of Protestant leader...
Muslim Extremists in Uganda Throw Acid on Bishop, Christian News: Islamic extremists threw acid on a church leader on Christmas Eve shortly after a seven-day revival at his church, leaving him with severe burns that have blinded one eye and threaten sight in the other.
The Day Nestorius Rocked the Church and an Empire
The Day Nestorius Rocked the Church and an Empire : The Integrated Catholic LifeDAMBROSIO: The mother of the messiah has been called many things in the last 2000 years – the Virgin Mary, Our Lady, and the Blessed Mother. But call her “the Mother of God” and you’ll see some Christians squirm.
This is nothing new. One day in the early fifth century, a priest preached a stirring sermon in the presence of the patriarch of Constantinople. His subject was the holy mother of Jesus. The preacher continually referred to Mary as the “Theotokos” meaning “God-bearer” or mother of God. This was no innovation – Christians had invoked Mary under this title for at least two hundred years. Nevertheless, at the close of the sermon, the patriarch ascended the steps of the pulpit to correct the preacher. We should call Mary the Mother of Christ, said Patriarch Nestorius, not the Mother of God. She was the mother of his human nature, not the mother of his divinity.
This is nothing new. One day in the early fifth century, a priest preached a stirring sermon in the presence of the patriarch of Constantinople. His subject was the holy mother of Jesus. The preacher continually referred to Mary as the “Theotokos” meaning “God-bearer” or mother of God. This was no innovation – Christians had invoked Mary under this title for at least two hundred years. Nevertheless, at the close of the sermon, the patriarch ascended the steps of the pulpit to correct the preacher. We should call Mary the Mother of Christ, said Patriarch Nestorius, not the Mother of God. She was the mother of his human nature, not the mother of his divinity.
USCCB official donated to organization led by Emily’s List head
USCCB official donated to organization led by Emily’s List head : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Mary Mencarini Campbell, who has been named director for the Catholic Home Missions and associate director of the Office of National Collections of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), contributed $252.40 in September 2004 to an organization led by the president of Emily’s List, according to federal election records.
“God’s igloo”: Germans build Catholic church made of ice
“God’s igloo”: Germans build Catholic church made of ice � The Deacon's BenchKANDRA: A church built entirely of ice and snow has opened in Bavaria — a century after villagers first built a snow church in an act of protest.
The church at Mitterfirmiansreut, near the Czech border, is more than 65 feet in length and boasts a tower. It’s made up of some 49,000 cubic feet of snow.
The structure was bathed in blue light as it opened Wednesday evening with a blessing from Dean Kajetan Steinbeisser.
The church at Mitterfirmiansreut, near the Czech border, is more than 65 feet in length and boasts a tower. It’s made up of some 49,000 cubic feet of snow.
The structure was bathed in blue light as it opened Wednesday evening with a blessing from Dean Kajetan Steinbeisser.
As Rick Santorum surges, Gingrich fades in Iowa
As Santorum surges, Gingrich fades in Iowa – USATODAY.com: Rick Santorum is the latest Republican candidate for president to gain momentum, as two other contenders, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, are either solidifying support or losing it rapidly.
The saint who was addicted to opium...
Reflections of a Paralytic � Another Patron Saint for Drug Addicts?ZIMMERMAN: St. Maximilian Kolbe is typically considered the patron saint of drug addicts/against addiction and Venerable Matt Talbot is also frequently called on to help those with addiction, but St. Mark Ji Tianxiang might be worth praying to for help as well.
I’ve never heard of him until recently. St. Mark is one of the Chinese martyrs and, apparently, for the last 30 years of his life he was barred from receiving the sacraments because he was an opium addict. It doesn’t sound like he was totally freed from addiction before he was martyred, but he tried and always prayed that he would be, so I’m sure he’d be a great intercessor for others who want freedom.
I’ve never heard of him until recently. St. Mark is one of the Chinese martyrs and, apparently, for the last 30 years of his life he was barred from receiving the sacraments because he was an opium addict. It doesn’t sound like he was totally freed from addiction before he was martyred, but he tried and always prayed that he would be, so I’m sure he’d be a great intercessor for others who want freedom.
Eyewitnesses describe horror of Nigeria church attack
Victims describe horror of Nigeria church attack - Yahoo! News: The bomb exploded as Esther Ibu walked out of the church, her five-month-old son in her arms, the power of the blast throwing her and the boy to the ground and leaving death all around her.
"Before I knew it, I started seeing dead bodies, people burning into ashes," the woman in her 30s said, sobbing as she sat in a wheelchair at a hospital in the capital holding her son and waiting to be x-rayed, her right leg bandaged.
"Before I knew it, I started seeing dead bodies, people burning into ashes," the woman in her 30s said, sobbing as she sat in a wheelchair at a hospital in the capital holding her son and waiting to be x-rayed, her right leg bandaged.
As Americans celebrate Christmas in security and safety, Christians around the world have become most persecuted followers of any religion
As Americans celebrate Christmas in security and safety, Christians around the world have become most persecuted followers of any religion - NY Daily NewsDOLAN: This hatred and bigotry even has a title: Christophobia.
I recently had the honor of addressing the convention of the Anti-Defamation League here in New York. The part of my speech that got the loudest and most sustained applause was, “Jews and Catholics need to be even more closely united today, for, as we speak, somewhere some innocent Jew or Catholic is in the crosshairs of the rifle scope of a fanatic who hates him just because of his faith.”
I recently had the honor of addressing the convention of the Anti-Defamation League here in New York. The part of my speech that got the loudest and most sustained applause was, “Jews and Catholics need to be even more closely united today, for, as we speak, somewhere some innocent Jew or Catholic is in the crosshairs of the rifle scope of a fanatic who hates him just because of his faith.”
You Say You Want a Resolution?
You Say You Want a Resolution? | Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: You know why January 1 is a holiday, right? It was instituted to commemorate the deification of Julius Caesar.
Now, far be it from me to suggest that this year’s presidential candidates should honor the memory of our ancient Roman forebears by thinking of the good of the Republic and then, I don’t know, stabbing each other to death.
I do have some advice for them, though. I’m offering ready-made New Year’s resolutions for the folks who— oh, I can hardly bear to make my sad, disbelieving fingers type these words—might be our next president:
Now, far be it from me to suggest that this year’s presidential candidates should honor the memory of our ancient Roman forebears by thinking of the good of the Republic and then, I don’t know, stabbing each other to death.
I do have some advice for them, though. I’m offering ready-made New Year’s resolutions for the folks who— oh, I can hardly bear to make my sad, disbelieving fingers type these words—might be our next president:
The Vanishing: Can Faith Fuel the Future?
The Vanishing: Can Faith Fuel the Future? � The AnchoressSCALIA: To a relativist, nothing matters, not even, in the end, himself. A person of faith though, even if he despises himself, still wants to believe that he was loved into being, still has the love of God to count on and live for. If he cannot forgive himself, at least he has God’s forgiveness to hold on to.
Without that, the notion of “tomorrow” would be too bleak to contemplate.
Without that, the notion of “tomorrow” would be too bleak to contemplate.
The Mystery of a Merry Christmas
Beginning to Pray: The Mystery of a Merry ChristmasLILLES: The Christmas Season holds out for us the deepest personal joy. It is a season that begins on Christmas Eve, includes the Solemnity of the Mother of God (New Years Day), Epiphany (Little Christmas) and runs through the Baptism of the Lord (although the ancient observance of this Season once lasted until Candle-mass at the beginning of February). Throughout this time, the beautiful greeting “Merry Christmas” is as much of a challenge as it is a wish. The challenge and the wish have to do with beholding God who has manifested his glory in our flesh.
And now, the fun part...
Whispers in the Loggia: And Now, The Fun Part....PALMO: Just to be clear: much as that shot is indeed from the neighborhood, it is not the Home Office....
Still, we're not terribly off by much.
Again, gang, hope you and yours are still having a beautiful, joyous and Merry Christmas, with all its blessings, peace and good stuff.
As downtime seems to be on a Fire Sale these days -- things already blipping the wires, all set to go up in the very first days (even hours) of 2012 -- this scribe is taking a very needed breather while it's still possible and, admittedly, finally hitting the wall from this most intense of years.
Still, we're not terribly off by much.
Again, gang, hope you and yours are still having a beautiful, joyous and Merry Christmas, with all its blessings, peace and good stuff.
As downtime seems to be on a Fire Sale these days -- things already blipping the wires, all set to go up in the very first days (even hours) of 2012 -- this scribe is taking a very needed breather while it's still possible and, admittedly, finally hitting the wall from this most intense of years.
Have you seen that video of Orthodox priests brawling in the Church of the Nativity? It's sad and disturbing, but it's not surprising...
Orthodox Priests Fighting In Church of the Nativity – A Personal Reflection | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: One of the more surprising, and personally saddest things I have encountered in my trips to the Holy Land, is the encounter with Orthodox clergy. While I had been trained to expect tensions between Jews and Arabs, my experience involving the Orthodox clergy was actually the most tense and shocking. It also surprised me since, speaking for myself, I have always had great admiration for the beautiful liturgies of the Orthodox. And, while I know little of the internal realities of those Churches, I have always hoped for reunion. My experiences in the Holy Land showed me very clearly how difficult and unlikely such a reunion may be. A few personal stories.
The Vatican recently allowed an article about Sant'Egidio to be printed, but ordered numerous changes to the original text. Here they are, one by one
Vatican Diary / Sant'Egidio in supervised freedomMAGISTER: "Sant'Egidio: profile of a Christian community." This is the title of an article in "La Civiltà Cattolica" on the community founded in Rome in 1968 by Andrea Riccardi, published just after Riccardi was made a government minister.
The article also expresses glowing views on the "silent diplomacy" practiced by the Community. And this is surprising in itself, since the drafts of "La Civiltà Cattolica" are reviewed by the second section of the secretariat of state, the Vatican foreign ministry, where the diplomacy of Sant'Egidio continues to be considered more a hindrance than a help to the institutional activity of the Holy See in the world.
The article also expresses glowing views on the "silent diplomacy" practiced by the Community. And this is surprising in itself, since the drafts of "La Civiltà Cattolica" are reviewed by the second section of the secretariat of state, the Vatican foreign ministry, where the diplomacy of Sant'Egidio continues to be considered more a hindrance than a help to the institutional activity of the Holy See in the world.
Saying Yes to Life
Saying Yes to LifeLOPEZ: He will have the most amazing set of lungs.”
Paul Stefan James lived for only forty-two minutes – with a heartbeat, but never taking a breath. It seemed like a cruel coincidence that his mother’s Chicken Soup for a Mother’s Soul calendar had those words to offer on his birth date.
But within about a human gestational period, a maternity home would open in his name, and the first baby born to a mother housed there arrived a year after Paul’s birthday. “This is his lungs,” said Paul’s father, Randy James, standing in the hearth of one of the four maternity homes run by the Paul Stefan Foundation in the state of Virginia. “And it is amazing.”
Paul Stefan James lived for only forty-two minutes – with a heartbeat, but never taking a breath. It seemed like a cruel coincidence that his mother’s Chicken Soup for a Mother’s Soul calendar had those words to offer on his birth date.
But within about a human gestational period, a maternity home would open in his name, and the first baby born to a mother housed there arrived a year after Paul’s birthday. “This is his lungs,” said Paul’s father, Randy James, standing in the hearth of one of the four maternity homes run by the Paul Stefan Foundation in the state of Virginia. “And it is amazing.”
Get your shots. It's the pro-life thing to do...
Stop antivaxxers. Now. | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine: There are times when reality is so obvious, so clear, so rock-solid 100% amazingly in-your-face incontrovertible, that it is beyond belief that anyone could deny it.
And yet, antivaccination groups exist.
Let me be very, very clear: they are wrong. Vaccines save lives. Vaccines save millions of lives. And not just directly, like they did by wiping out smallpox, a scourge that killed hundreds of millions of people. But also, through herd immunity, vaccines save infants too young to be vaccinated, the elderly with weak immune systems, and people whose immune systems are compromised due to chemotherapy, genetic issues, or because they are taking immunosuppressants for other illnesses (like arthritis).
And yet, antivaccination groups exist.
Let me be very, very clear: they are wrong. Vaccines save lives. Vaccines save millions of lives. And not just directly, like they did by wiping out smallpox, a scourge that killed hundreds of millions of people. But also, through herd immunity, vaccines save infants too young to be vaccinated, the elderly with weak immune systems, and people whose immune systems are compromised due to chemotherapy, genetic issues, or because they are taking immunosuppressants for other illnesses (like arthritis).
Daily Telegraph: "Hundreds more" Anglicans soon to join Catholic ordinariate in England
Hundreds more Church of England defections expected - Telegraph: At least 20 clergy and several hundred of their parishioners are already lined up to join the Ordinariate, the new structure set up by the Pope a year ago that allows them to remain some of their Anglican heritage while entering into full communion with the Holy See.
But many more members of the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England are likely to defect following a critical meeting of its governing body, the General Synod, if traditionalists who cannot accept the ordination of women are denied special provision.
But many more members of the Anglo-Catholic wing of the Church of England are likely to defect following a critical meeting of its governing body, the General Synod, if traditionalists who cannot accept the ordination of women are denied special provision.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Of atheists and inebriation, wherein Fr. Z rants. Also, a great book recommendation...
Amazon.com: The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism (9781587314520): Edward Feser: BooksZUHLSDORF: My visit yesterday to the Catholic League’s Nativity Scene on 5th Ave and 59th (by Central Park) reminded me of their advice for attending parties at this time of year. In case you didn’t see their excellent suggestions, here they are...
Why I’m Glad the Pope is ‘Just a Man’
Why I’m Glad the Pope is ‘Just a Man’ | IgnitumTodayVOGT: “You actually follow the Pope?!” people have asked me, sure that this is just as silly as believing in fairies. “He’s just a man like you and me! What are you brainwashed?”
For many years, I wondered the same thing about Catholics. Before I entered the Church I questioned why so many people were devoted to a simple, strange old fellow in a white dress. After all, he’s just a man, right?
But today the fact that the Pope is “just a man” no longer keeps me away from the Church. In fact now it’s just the opposite; it’s one more reason I embrace her.
For many years, I wondered the same thing about Catholics. Before I entered the Church I questioned why so many people were devoted to a simple, strange old fellow in a white dress. After all, he’s just a man, right?
But today the fact that the Pope is “just a man” no longer keeps me away from the Church. In fact now it’s just the opposite; it’s one more reason I embrace her.
A video pilgrimage down 1600-foot sea cliffs to Fr. Damien's home in Molokai...
NativeCatholic.com: 'Kamiano ke Akua pu!' A journey to the home of St. Damien of Molokai, Patron Saint of Hawaii: One of my Patrons and the Saint to whom this blog is dedicated is Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC., He was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was canonized in 2009 by His Holiness Benedict XVI. St. Damien is well known for his ministry to people with leprosy, who had been placed under a quarantine on the island of Molokaʻi in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
Fighting abortion with the Eucharist: Groups bring Blessed Sacrament to places where modern-day Holy Innocents are being slaughtered...
Fighting Abortion With the Eucharist | Daily News | NCRegister.com: The Eucharist is moving into enemy territory as a powerful weapon against abortion. Across the country, adoration chapels are being set up next to abortion businesses. It’s a growing movement that Father Steve Imbarrato, chaplain of Holy Innocents Chapel in Albuquerque, N.M., says he hopes will increase.
“I want to promote Eucharistic adoration to fight abortion,” Father Imbarrato said. As the director for Project Life, he said everything he does to promote life involves the Eucharist. “The chapel is the spiritual center of all our pro-life work,” he stated.
“I want to promote Eucharistic adoration to fight abortion,” Father Imbarrato said. As the director for Project Life, he said everything he does to promote life involves the Eucharist. “The chapel is the spiritual center of all our pro-life work,” he stated.
Hey! It's Still Christmas!
Hey! It s Still Christmas! | Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: It’s really quite wonderful that something which started on the other side of the planet with a couple of refugee parents and no earthly prospect of success should now be celebrated in remote villages in the Arctic Circle (as well as in China, Timbuktoo, obscure Andean villages, and over 2.2 billion other spots on the globe. God loves defying the odds.
There’s always hope
There’s always hopeMARLIN: British Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking on December 16, 2011 at Oxford’s Christ Church celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, shook the very foundation of that college city when he said the Bible “was relevant today as at any point in its 400 year history. And none of us should be frightened of recognizing this.”
Pope expected to announce new cardinals by February, says veteran Vatican watcher
Vatican Diary / The next cardinals, name by name: In the year to come, "God willing," the fourth consistory of Benedict XVI is scheduled to take place, with the creation of new cardinals. And thanks to these new additions, the number of voting cardinals appointed by Ratzinger will for the first time exceed that of Wojtyla in the college of papal electors.
Is the Vocations Crisis Anything New?
Is the Vocations Crisis Anything New? | Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: I’ve always been a reader of historical nonfiction, and since my conversion I’ve developed a whole new level of interest in this genre. Since pretty much any story set in the West before the mid-16th century takes place in a Catholic culture, each tale is an opportunity to learn more about Church history. As I pore over books like Galileo’s Daughter, Over the Edge of the World, Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, etc., I’m always on the lookout for insights into what life was like for the average Catholic during those time periods.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A Dangerous Reflection on the Feast of the Holy Innocents
A Dangerous Reflection on the Feast of the Holy Innocents | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, all those young boys in and around Bethlehem, two and under, whom Herod had massacred in order to kill Jesus Christ. We do not know their number or their names, but the Church lists them as among her martyrs. Some have disputed that they should be called martyrs since they did not submit freely for the sake of Christ but were “merely victims” of Herod. Nevertheless, the Church has long numbered them in her ranks of martyrs.
Mass is supposed to be a heavenly banquet, not a steady diet of self-congratulation. So please, hold your applause...
Hold the applause: Save the praise for God alone | USCatholic.org: At the end of the Christmas Eve Mass at my parish last year, the pastor said, “We’re going to have to sing one more song before we leave.” I looked at my wife, Kathy, and whispered, “Oh, no. They’re going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus.”
“Yes,” said the pastor, “I won’t be here next week, and I didn’t ask his permission, because I knew he’d tell me not to do this. But it’s Father Jones’ 90th birthday next week, so let’s all wish him a happy birthday.”
“Yes,” said the pastor, “I won’t be here next week, and I didn’t ask his permission, because I knew he’d tell me not to do this. But it’s Father Jones’ 90th birthday next week, so let’s all wish him a happy birthday.”
Why celebrate Christ's birth instead of His conception?
Shameless Popery: Why Celebrate Christ's Birth, Instead of His Conception?HESCHMEYER: Since life begins at conception, why do we focus on celebrating the Birth of Christ, rather than His Conception? After all, from a Catholic perspective, the Incarnation really occurs about nine months prior to Christmas. Indeed, pro-life movements around the world have begun using March 25 as a day celebrating the life of the unborn, during the Feast of the Annunciation, nine months before Christmas. And why do we pro-lifers throw birthday parties, instead of conception-day parties? Why do we speak of being born again? Why measure our ages from the date of our birth, instead of conception?
Anchormen are not supposed to cry. So why would this one? See for yourself...
Aggie Catholics: Anchormen are not Supposed to Cry: Anchorman Scott Pelley from CBS News...
Why does the Church celebrate Christmas with greater solemnity than the Annunciation?
Why does the Church celebrate Christmas with greater solemnity than the Annunciation? | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: The mystery of the Incarnation was effected by the Annunciation, nine months before Our Savior’s Nativity. The Word was made flesh with our Lady’s fiat, and at that moment humanity was joined to divinity in a personal union. The Child conceived is already a perfect man, meriting the salvation of the whole world, praying in our behalf and offering to God perfect worship. Further, Blessed Mary was already the “Mother of God” at the Annunciation, for women are mothers from conception even before giving birth.
5 things to do over Christmas vacation...
What To Do Over Christmas Vacation? | Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Keeping the kiddies occupied over summer vacation isn’t that hard. Normally, Christmas vacation isn’t much of a dilemma, either: you put on a lot of layers, you wallow around in the snow for a while, and then you come in and demand something hot to spill on yourself (or so I’ve gathered. I haven’t actually left the house since 2004).
But we have no snow. None at all, and so far, no one has conceived a burning desire to spend long afternoons walking back and forth in the frozen mud of the driveway, even though sometimes this activity is punctuated by the thrill of a pigeon flying by and looking at you for a minute.
But we have no snow. None at all, and so far, no one has conceived a burning desire to spend long afternoons walking back and forth in the frozen mud of the driveway, even though sometimes this activity is punctuated by the thrill of a pigeon flying by and looking at you for a minute.
An Overlooked But Powerful Reading from the Christmas Cycle
An Overlooked But Powerful Reading from the Christmas Cycle | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There is a Scripture reading proclaimed at the Christmas Liturgy that usually gets overlooked. And yet it should elicit considerable reflection since it is proclaimed at the Christmas Midnight Mass, one of the Church’s most prominent Liturgies. It is from the Letter to Titus in the Second Chapter. I would like to reproduce it in full and then give some commentary following.
Did St. John Write the Fourth Gospel?
The Sacred Page: Did John Write the Fourth Gospel?BARBER: Since today is the feast of St. John the Apostle, I thought I'd ask look at a question many will be talking about: Is the Fourth Gospel written by John?
I've written on this before, but I thought I'd revisit this again in two posts today. Indeed, I've been revisiting this material lately. I am currently preparing for a graduate level course on the Gospel of John at JP Catholic, which I will be co-teaching with Dr. Scott Hahn at JP Catholic.
I've written on this before, but I thought I'd revisit this again in two posts today. Indeed, I've been revisiting this material lately. I am currently preparing for a graduate level course on the Gospel of John at JP Catholic, which I will be co-teaching with Dr. Scott Hahn at JP Catholic.
“That Your Joy May Be Full”
“That Your Joy May Be Full”SCHALL: The second day after Christmas is dedicated to John the Evangelist, John the Divine, John the Apostle, John the Theologian. The first Mass reading begins John’s first epistle, with the memorable words: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes. . . .” Three verses later, John tells us that he writes these things “that your joy may be full.”
Remember: It's still Christmas...
Still Christmas: Advent & Christmas Family Traditions | Blogs | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: All Advent long, observant Catholics and other Christians hold the line against premature Christmas, holding off on decking the halls and singing Christmas carols during what is meant to be a time of preparation.
Now, as the world is busily dismantling what’s left of its Christmas trappings, it’s time for Christians to double down on the continued celebration of the Christmas season, which continues through the Christmas Octave (to January 1, the eighth day after Christmas, and thus the day of Jesus’ circumcision, celebrated as the feast of Mary the Mother of God).
Now, as the world is busily dismantling what’s left of its Christmas trappings, it’s time for Christians to double down on the continued celebration of the Christmas season, which continues through the Christmas Octave (to January 1, the eighth day after Christmas, and thus the day of Jesus’ circumcision, celebrated as the feast of Mary the Mother of God).
Are you as smart as you think you are? How to ace a Google interview...
How to Ace a Google Interview - WSJ.com: Imagine a man named Jim. He's applying for a job at Google. Jim knows that the odds are stacked against him. Google receives a million job applications a year. It's estimated that only about 1 in 130 applications results in a job. By comparison, about 1 in 14 high-school students applying to Harvard gets accepted.
A Moment of Revelation
A Moment of Revelation | First ThingsSCALIA: A few years ago, down with a bug and seeking a bit of couchside entertainment, I flipped through endless television channels in search of something fresh and new—anything that did not seem like a reworking of something I’d seen before.
I found an unusual-looking fellow performing an obnoxious dance, complete with lewd pantomime. His audience consisted of two unimpressed record-shop clerks, and when the dance abruptly ended a conversation ensued about life and music and the consequences of sullen attitudes and selfish behavior.
I found an unusual-looking fellow performing an obnoxious dance, complete with lewd pantomime. His audience consisted of two unimpressed record-shop clerks, and when the dance abruptly ended a conversation ensued about life and music and the consequences of sullen attitudes and selfish behavior.
Are 10 EMHCs really necessary? Can they give blessings? And what if one of them is an "openly gay ex-priest"?
QUAERITUR: “openly gay EMHC, an ex-priest” | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: If it is true that an ex-priest is acting as a EMHC, you could bring the matter to the attention of the local bishop with a copy of the letter to the Congregation for Divine Worship, which issued the document Redemptionis Sacramentum.
However, you would need, first, to be RIGHT, namely, know correctly that he is an ex-priest (a priest not in active ministry for one reason or another). Then you would have to demonstrated that he actually does what you say he does, namely, that he serves as an EMHC. Perhaps a parish bulletin would have a list of EMHCs for a Sunday. Perhaps there would be a photo. Perhaps there would be some other people who would affirm that this is going on. Perhaps the pastor of the parish would defend the activity of the man in question in writing.
However, you would need, first, to be RIGHT, namely, know correctly that he is an ex-priest (a priest not in active ministry for one reason or another). Then you would have to demonstrated that he actually does what you say he does, namely, that he serves as an EMHC. Perhaps a parish bulletin would have a list of EMHCs for a Sunday. Perhaps there would be a photo. Perhaps there would be some other people who would affirm that this is going on. Perhaps the pastor of the parish would defend the activity of the man in question in writing.
Cardinal Ranjith: "The time has come for a return to the true liturgy of the Church"
How to Ace a Google Interview - WSJ.comUHX: I was delighted to read at NLM that Card. Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo (former secretary of the CDW) sent a letter to a meeting of Una Voce in Rome, voicing much the same sentiment. Here is the body of the text of the letter from Card. Ranjith. My emphases and comments.
12 things you buy that you could get free...
12 Things People Buy They Could Get Free | Money Talks News: Here are 12 ways to enjoy the free things in life – and more great examples of the ways you can save by substituting imagination and resourcefulness for money. Is there anything you can add to this list?
Catholic Herald profiles '10 Amazing Catholics of the Year'
Ten amazing Catholics of the year�|�CatholicHerald.co.uk: On March 2 masked men sprayed Shahbaz Bhatti’s car with bullets as he left his mother’s home. Shahbaz, a brilliant lawyer and the only Christian Minister in the country’s government, was murdered for opposing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. David Cameron called his assassination “absolutely brutal and unacceptable”.
December 27: Today is Wine Blessing Day in the Catholic Church!
Dec 27: Today is Wine Blessing Day in the Catholic Church! ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: Attention all oenophiles! Pack up your wine and head to church.
Today after Holy Mass, our priests will perform the traditional blessing of wine for the feast of Saint John. Think about it, Holy Mother Church not allows us to drink wine, she blesses it! I'm packing up a box of wine. I mean, who doesn't love to get a bottle of blessed wine on New Year's day?
Today after Holy Mass, our priests will perform the traditional blessing of wine for the feast of Saint John. Think about it, Holy Mother Church not allows us to drink wine, she blesses it! I'm packing up a box of wine. I mean, who doesn't love to get a bottle of blessed wine on New Year's day?
December 27: Today we bless wine! Huzzah!
27 Dec: Today we bless WINE! HUZZAH! | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: The liturgical year guided and nourish and shaped Catholics for centuries. It does so far less now. But once, people not only followed the turning of the earth and the wheeling of the stars and the rising and setting of the sun and moon with serious attention for the sake of planting and harvesting – a life and death matter – but they also marked the passage of time with sacramentals and blessings and other customs.
Christmas vs. Christopher Hitchens
Christmas vs. Christopher Hitchens | The Gregorian Blog | The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: An infant and a corpse. They are the most common images of Christ ― the baby in the manger or his mother’s arms, the dead man on the cross ― and they offer a final refutation and a last hope for Christopher Hitchens for all time.
Hitchens, the great pugilist pundit, died a little over a week ago, and he went out with a beautiful flourish. His last essay, “Trial of the Will” in the new Vanity Fair, does what every writer dreams a last essay will do: It distills his worldview, attaches it to the moment, and leaves it as a last testimony.
Hitchens, the great pugilist pundit, died a little over a week ago, and he went out with a beautiful flourish. His last essay, “Trial of the Will” in the new Vanity Fair, does what every writer dreams a last essay will do: It distills his worldview, attaches it to the moment, and leaves it as a last testimony.
Nigerian Christians warn of looming religious war
Northern Nigerian Christians warn of religious war | Reuters: Northern Nigerian Christians said on Tuesday they feared that a spate of Christmas Day bombings by Islamist militants that killed over two dozen people could lead to a religious war in Africa's most populous country.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tonight at sunset, be sure to go outside and look west. Here's why...
The Night After Christmas Sky Show - NASA Science: The action begins shortly before sunset. Around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm local time, just as the sky is assuming its evening hue, Venus will pop into view, glistening bright in the deepening twilight. No more than 6 degrees to the right lies the crescent Moon, exquisitely slender, grinning like the Cheshire cat with his head cocked at humorous attention. This is a wonderful time to look; there are very few sights in the heavens as splendid as Venus and the Moon gathered close and surrounded by twilight blue.
My Favorite Links of 2011
My Favorite Links of 2011 | Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: I thought it would be a good time to throw together a collection of some of my favorite internet gems of 2011. So pull up a plate of leftovers, pour a cup of coffee, and enjoy this trip through some of the best blog posts and videos I came across this year
Bombs, ‘sects’ and questions in Nigeria
Bombs, ‘sects’ and questions in Nigeria � GetReligionMATTINGLY: At this point, I see no reason to say that Boko Haram is a “sect,” in terms being a heretical group that has broken off from Islam. The key seems to be that this politicized Islamist group is “radical” or “militant” and is using deadly violence in its attempts to produce a rather mainstream Islamic goal in the context of Nigeria — the spread of Sharia.
Fr. Groeschel on the martyrdom of St. Stephen and devotion to Christ
Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: Fr. Groeschel on the martyrdom of St. Stephen and devotion to Christ: "When looking for a descriptive definition of Christian devotion, I turned to the account of the first recorded prayer to the ascended Christ—the words of St. Stephen at his martyrdom."
FOCUS founder Curtis Martin leads way on new evangelization
Catholic group founder Curtis Martin leads way on new evangelization - The Denver Post: Professor Edward Sri said he still remembers the first time he met Curtis Martin in a hallway at graduate school in Kansas almost 20 years ago. "The passion he had for his Catholic faith came out in the first few seconds of conversation," said Sri, who teaches theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver.
A little Christmas treat for the Feast of Stephen
A little Christmas treat for the Feast of Stephen | Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: While the world is leaving Xmas in the dust and getting back to mere winter, may you continue to keep the Feast of Christmas for the next 12 days! Half the fun of being Catholic is belonging to a weird subculture that is out of step with our joyless commercial culture! Enjoy!
"The greatest physician in the world has passed by and nothing has changed"...
The Mystery of CharityROYAL: The most disturbing comment about Christianity I’ve ever come across is not from the scientific materialists or the New Atheists – or even the Older Atheists. It’s from a French Catholic, Charles Péguy, a figure not well known here, but of a spiritual stature akin to Dostoyevsky.
A Christmas Cookie Recipe in the Style of the Revised Translation
A Christmas Cookie Recipe in the Style of the Revised Translation | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: I do not know the source of this recipe (it’s kicking around the Internet) and some of you will have seen it (how do you like my use of the future perfect tense)? But here it is; I have reworked it just a bit myself. Please remember this is light-hearted. Smile and enjoy, it’s delicious and sometimes subtle.
Nigerians fear more church attacks after 39 killed at Christmas Mass
Nigerians fear more church attacks after 39 killed - CBS News: At a Nigerian Catholic church where a terror attack killed 35 people on Christmas, women tried to clean the sanctuary ahead of Mass on Monday while one man wept uncontrollably amid the debris.
Outside St. Theresa Catholic Church, crowds gathered among the burned-out cars in the dirt parking lot, angry over the attack claimed by a radical Muslim sect and fearful that the group will target more churches.
Rev. Father Christopher Jataudarde told The Associated Press that Sunday's blast happened as church officials gave parishioners white powder as part of a tradition celebrating the birth of Christ.
Outside St. Theresa Catholic Church, crowds gathered among the burned-out cars in the dirt parking lot, angry over the attack claimed by a radical Muslim sect and fearful that the group will target more churches.
Rev. Father Christopher Jataudarde told The Associated Press that Sunday's blast happened as church officials gave parishioners white powder as part of a tradition celebrating the birth of Christ.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Urbi et Orbi: To the City and the World
Full text of Pope Benedict's Urbi et Orbi Message (To the City and the World) : News Headlines - Catholic CultureBENEDICT: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world! Christ is born for us! Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women whom he loves. May all people hear an echo of the message of Bethlehem which the Catholic Church repeats in every continent, beyond the confines of every nation, language and culture. The Son of the Virgin Mary is born for everyone; he is the Saviour of all.
Catholic church in Nigerian capital Abuja hit by explosion during Christmas Mass
Church in Nigerian capital Abuja hit by explosion - Telegraph: The area around the scene of the blast degenerated into chaos after the blast, with angry youths starting fires and threatening to attack a nearby police station.
Police shot into the air to disperse them and closed a major highway. Emergency officials called for more ambulances as rescuers sought to evacuate the dead and wounded.
Police shot into the air to disperse them and closed a major highway. Emergency officials called for more ambulances as rescuers sought to evacuate the dead and wounded.
Three texts from St. Augustine for our great feastday...
dotCommonweal � Blog Archive � Three texts for the feastday: What praise of the love of God we should express! What thanks we should give! He loved us so that he through whom all time was made for our sakes came to be in time; he who in his eternity is older than the world became younger in age than many of his servants; he who made man became man; he was created from a mother he created; he was carried by hands he shaped, sucked breasts he filled, and the Word without which human eloquence is dumb squalled in a manger, dumb, unable to speak.
"It's Christmas!"
"It s Christmas!" | Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: I’ll never forget the first time I went to midnight Mass. It was a few years ago, when our third child was still an infant. In retrospect, it was not the best year for us to try this; considering that we were already getting precious little sleep with a three-month-old and two toddlers in the house, we would have been better off going to one of the mid-morning Masses on Christmas day. But I’d never been to midnight Mass, and I really wanted to experience it, so my husband and I made our way down to the church an hour after we normally would have gone to sleep for the night.
In the New Beginning: Reflections on the Readings of Christmas Day
St. Paul Center For Biblical TheologyHAHN: The birth of Jesus marks a new creation, the start of a new heavens and a new earth (see Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13). That’s why the first words of today’s Gospel reprise the Bible’s first words - “In the beginning” (see Genesis 1:1).
Jesus is the Word that God spoke when He said, “Let there be,” and all things came to be (see Genesis 1:3, 26). The Wisdom through whom all things were made (see Proverbs 8:22-31; Wisdom 7:21-27), Jesus is also the mighty Word by whom God sustains all things.
Jesus is the Word that God spoke when He said, “Let there be,” and all things came to be (see Genesis 1:3, 26). The Wisdom through whom all things were made (see Proverbs 8:22-31; Wisdom 7:21-27), Jesus is also the mighty Word by whom God sustains all things.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Security Blankets and Christmas
Aggie Catholics: Security Blankets and ChristmasLEJEUNE: Fr James Martin wrote this on facebook:
"Yesterday on The Washington Post chat a reader mentioned something beautiful that I had never noticed: When Linus recites the story of the Nativity in 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' he unexpectedly drops his security blanket. With the Word of God he has no need for any other security."
"Yesterday on The Washington Post chat a reader mentioned something beautiful that I had never noticed: When Linus recites the story of the Nativity in 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' he unexpectedly drops his security blanket. With the Word of God he has no need for any other security."
Approach God's birth with humility, Pope urges at Christmas Mass
Headline: At his Christmas Eve Mass, Pope Benedict XVI invited those celebrating the holiday to “set aside our false certainties and intellectual pride,” and recognize God's appearance as a child.
In his sermon at St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope warned against the “bright lights” of commercialism that “hide the mystery of God's humility” as shown in his incarnation.
Christmas, he said, calls believers to “dismount from the high-horse” of supposedly “'enlightened' reason,” to find “the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby.”
In his sermon at St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope warned against the “bright lights” of commercialism that “hide the mystery of God's humility” as shown in his incarnation.
Christmas, he said, calls believers to “dismount from the high-horse” of supposedly “'enlightened' reason,” to find “the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby.”
D'oh! Stunned Scottish couple unearths 800-year-old church gargoyle in their garden - and it looks just like Homer Simpson...
D'oh! Stunned couple unearth 800-year-old stone head in their garden... and it looks like HOMER SIMPSON | Mail Online: Whoever carved the statue would not have had TV's favourite cartoon anti-hero in mind - but there is no doubting the resemblance of this stone head to Homer Simpson
It was found by Rosalind and Donald McIntyre when they were clearing the bottom of their garden at their home in Fife, Scotland, earlier this year.
The couple were working in their garden when Mrs McIntyre picked up the head.
It was found by Rosalind and Donald McIntyre when they were clearing the bottom of their garden at their home in Fife, Scotland, earlier this year.
The couple were working in their garden when Mrs McIntyre picked up the head.
Magnificent or Magnificat?
Standing on My Head: Magnificent or Magnificat?LONGENECKER: Having returned to the United States after a twenty five year sojourn in what I call
"the damp lands" of Her Majesty's United Kingdom I have come to love and hate both countries more than ever.
I will leave the UK for another day, but what I love about America is her upbeat, optimistic, 'can-do' mentality. We jump out of bed in the morning ready to march into battle, beat another enemy, cure another disease, make another million dollars or squander another million dollars in some great venture. We can do anything. If there's a problem we can fix it. If it's too hot we'll make it cold. If it's too cold we'll make it hot. We can do anything and we know it. Furthermore, we're not really proud and arrogant about it. We're cheerful. We're practical. We're the ordinary guy next door. We can drink a beer and sit on the porch and be successful and happy without being big headed. We succeed. It's what we do.
"the damp lands" of Her Majesty's United Kingdom I have come to love and hate both countries more than ever.
I will leave the UK for another day, but what I love about America is her upbeat, optimistic, 'can-do' mentality. We jump out of bed in the morning ready to march into battle, beat another enemy, cure another disease, make another million dollars or squander another million dollars in some great venture. We can do anything. If there's a problem we can fix it. If it's too hot we'll make it cold. If it's too cold we'll make it hot. We can do anything and we know it. Furthermore, we're not really proud and arrogant about it. We're cheerful. We're practical. We're the ordinary guy next door. We can drink a beer and sit on the porch and be successful and happy without being big headed. We succeed. It's what we do.
What's going on up there? Scientists investigate the strange case of the Christmas 2010 gamma-ray burst
The Strange Case of the Christmas Burst | Basic Space, Scientific American Blog Network: How did the Christmas gamma-ray burst explode? No, it’s not a geeky Christmas cracker joke, it’s a real question scientists have been trying to answer since Christmas day last year, when a gamma-ray burst called GRB 101225A first lit up the sky. The Christmas burst, as its come to be known, exhibted some rather unusual characteristics.
God's far from dead in the global South
God's far from dead in the global South - The Globe and Mail: What’s the fastest-growing religion in the world today?
It’s Christianity. You can be excused if you guessed wrong. For the past decade, the Western world’s attention has been transfixed by Islam. But in sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, it’s Christianity that’s on the march. Today, Christianity claims 2.18 billion believers – a third of the world’s population. By 2050, Christians will outnumber Muslims 3 to 1.
It’s Christianity. You can be excused if you guessed wrong. For the past decade, the Western world’s attention has been transfixed by Islam. But in sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, it’s Christianity that’s on the march. Today, Christianity claims 2.18 billion believers – a third of the world’s population. By 2050, Christians will outnumber Muslims 3 to 1.
Was Christ actually born on December 25? Many people (including some early Church Fathers) say yes. Here are their arguments...
December 25 is the Historical Birthday of Christ: Mary and Tradition ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor MarshallMARSHALL: The argument for Christ's historical birth on December 25 has two parts. The first part relates to the Blessed Virgin Mary's role in the Apostolic Tradition. The second part explores the the early Fathers regarding the date of Christ's birth. By the way, I'm preparing another post that will briefly look at Pope Benedict XVI's argument for the Divine Nativity having taken place on December 25. Look for that on Christmas Day.
The Senses of Christmas
The Way of the Fathers � The Senses of ChristmasAQUILINA: Christmas could rightly be called the holiday of the senses.
It is the season of lights and tinsel, choirs and carols, the aroma of pine and roasting chestnuts. Christmas comes to us with sumptuous meals, hearty laughter, and kisses beneath the mistletoe. Christmas scenes — by the old masters and by modern advertisers — decorate the walls of museums, billboards on the roadside, and cards in the mailbox. For nearly 2,000 years, the world has marked the birth of Jesus Christ as its most festive jubilee. No other day of the year offers the world so many earthly pleasures.
It is the season of lights and tinsel, choirs and carols, the aroma of pine and roasting chestnuts. Christmas comes to us with sumptuous meals, hearty laughter, and kisses beneath the mistletoe. Christmas scenes — by the old masters and by modern advertisers — decorate the walls of museums, billboards on the roadside, and cards in the mailbox. For nearly 2,000 years, the world has marked the birth of Jesus Christ as its most festive jubilee. No other day of the year offers the world so many earthly pleasures.
A Catholic priest's unexpected Christmas at the South Pole
My Faith: An unexpected Christmas at South Pole – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs: Modern men and women often live under the illusion that they are in control of their lives. Science and technology have brought us far beyond the superstitions of ancient civilizations. Confident in our abilities and achievements, we feel secure. Outside of the occasional environmental or personal tragedy, we feel self-sufficient and safe.
A Christmas flash mob featuring…Jesus Christ?
A Christmas flash mob featuring…Jesus Christ? � The Deacon's BenchKANDRA: ‘Tis the season, so why not?
The spirit here — and the unabashed proclamation of faith in the public square — is just wonderful. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be disappointed.
The spirit here — and the unabashed proclamation of faith in the public square — is just wonderful. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be disappointed.
G.K. Chesterton was a fat and happy Catholic man. You would do well do heed his advice on careless Christmas eating...
The Best Way to Eat this Christmas: Carelessly | Blogs | NCRegister.comMATTHEWWARNER: Who cares if you’re still stuffed from Thanksgiving - time to stuff the pie hole again! Just remember to do so carelessly. Otherwise, it might not be good for your health.
After being trained to always “watch what we eat,” and when most all of us could stand to lose a few pounds, this may sound like careless advice. Well, it is. But it’s just what most of us need.
Being too care-ful about food is what’s made us all obese in the first place. It’s time to care-less. And then eat to our hearts content.
After being trained to always “watch what we eat,” and when most all of us could stand to lose a few pounds, this may sound like careless advice. Well, it is. But it’s just what most of us need.
Being too care-ful about food is what’s made us all obese in the first place. It’s time to care-less. And then eat to our hearts content.
In the Incarnation We Are Touched by God
In the Incarnation We Are Touched by God | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There is an old saying that the Lord didn’t just come to get us out of trouble, he came to get into trouble with us. More of that, in a moment.
A uniquely human glory and gift – This Christmas we celebrate that God is not content for us to experience his love for us as some sort of abstraction or intangible idea. He wants to touch us, and have us touch and experience his love.
A uniquely human glory and gift – This Christmas we celebrate that God is not content for us to experience his love for us as some sort of abstraction or intangible idea. He wants to touch us, and have us touch and experience his love.
The Book of Books: What Literature Owes the Bible
The Book of Books - What Literature Owes the Bible - NYTimes.com: The Bible is the model for and subject of more art and thought than those of us who live within its influence, consciously or unconsciously, will ever know.
How to follow the Pope's Midnight Mass live on the Internet
How to follow the Pope's Midnight Mass live on the Internet - YouTube: Christmas at the Vatican means the pope will celebrate Midnight Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. He will also give the Urbi et Orbi blessing on December 25.
Mass Shift: Christmas Eve Trumps Christmas Day Liturgy
Mass shift: Christmas eve trumps day liturgy: It’s Christmas Day and it’s Sunday. Do you know where your Catholic friends and family members are?
There’s a good chance they’re not at church.
Parishes all over the United States trimmed the number of Masses they planned to offer on Dec. 25, going from several usual Sunday Masses to perhaps two or three, or even one.
That’s what’s happening at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. It’s also happening at St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Baltimore.
There’s a good chance they’re not at church.
Parishes all over the United States trimmed the number of Masses they planned to offer on Dec. 25, going from several usual Sunday Masses to perhaps two or three, or even one.
That’s what’s happening at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. It’s also happening at St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Baltimore.
Steven Spielberg's 'Tintin' and 'War Horse'
Steven Spielberg s Tintin & War�Horse | Blogs | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: It’s been well over a decade since Steven Spielberg directed a family film. Now he has two out in the same week—both based on juvenile literary source material, and both European-set period pieces, redolent of nostalgia of one sort or another.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is Spielberg’s response to a decades-old vote of confidence. Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist who created the globally popular adventure comic book hero Tintin and spent over half a century writing and illustrating Tintin’s adventures, died in 1983, but not before seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark and pronouncing Spielberg the right director for Tintin.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is Spielberg’s response to a decades-old vote of confidence. Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist who created the globally popular adventure comic book hero Tintin and spent over half a century writing and illustrating Tintin’s adventures, died in 1983, but not before seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark and pronouncing Spielberg the right director for Tintin.
Pope's schedule for this Christmas includes 7 large ceremonies
Pope's schedule for this Christmas includes 7 large ceremonies: Benedict XVI will spend the holidays in Rome and preside over seven solemn ceremonies.
His Christmas activities will begin on December 24 at five P.M. with the unveiling of the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square. The pope will appear at his window to give a blessing. That same day at ten in the evening, he will celebrate the traditional Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
His Christmas activities will begin on December 24 at five P.M. with the unveiling of the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square. The pope will appear at his window to give a blessing. That same day at ten in the evening, he will celebrate the traditional Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Long confession lines, having only venial sins, and blocking someone else's chance to confess
HeadlineZUHLSDORF: Contrary to popular belief, priests cannot both be in the confessional hearing confessions and in the sanctuary saying Mass at the same time. At a certain point he really does have to stop hearing confessions so that Mass can start on time. People depend on Mass – confessions too – starting on time.
When lines are long and you know for sure that you do not have any MORTAL sins to confess, perhaps it would be best to step aside. Venial sins are forgiven through a good reception of the Eucharist. Mortal sins need absolution from the priest.
When lines are long and you know for sure that you do not have any MORTAL sins to confess, perhaps it would be best to step aside. Venial sins are forgiven through a good reception of the Eucharist. Mortal sins need absolution from the priest.
I hate to bring this up right before Christmas but...
Creative Minority Report: I Hate to Bring This Up Right Before Christmas But..,MATTHEWARCHBOLD: A Sociology professor at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium), Felice Dassetto has published a new book entitled "The Iris and the Crescent" and he's saying that Islam is well on it's way to becoming the most practiced religion in Europe, and will soon eclipse Christianity, according to the Examiner.com.
I'm just wondering - with Muslim's infamous tolerance for all things Christian and especially their love for the Pope, I'm wondering how the Vatican will fare in a Muslim dominated Europe.
I'm just wondering - with Muslim's infamous tolerance for all things Christian and especially their love for the Pope, I'm wondering how the Vatican will fare in a Muslim dominated Europe.
What's wrong with today's Christmas movies? They've replaced misery with manufactured merriment
Too many turkeys from Tinseltown - Features - Films - The Independent: Picture the scene: It's a wild and snowy night. A man stands on a bridge, staring into the icy river rushing below him and contemplating his life. We have already been witness to extortion, fraud and domestic abuse. Over the next hour, this man's little brother will drown, and our character will plunge into depression, assault a police officer and crash his car while drunk.
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