December 2003 Archives

Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:
Please pray for me as I struggle with what I think may be remnants of SAD (not nearly so bad as it was in Ohio). I'm waking to tremendous, unnecessary anxiety and have free-floating anxiety through the day. It will pass with the return to work after the New Year, but it is terrible right now.

For Franklin's father that doctors are able to repair the damage to his back.

For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.

For all the people who will get back into a church because of Christmas, to be inspired to come back to the Church

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.

I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

(4) From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Parish Decision

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Went back to the church in question this weekend. Once again the homily was superb. No adult female altar servers--so I suspect the caution about incense was the main cause for the Midnight Mass adult female, and somehow that endears this group to me.

The hymns were mangled once again, but mangled in such a way that it suggests more than inclusivity is going on. There is a general dumbing down of the lyrics. For example, in "Angels from the Realms of Glory" they substituted "morning star" for "natal star." This just suggests idiotic tampering that I've come to associate with a certain major liturgical press. As a congregation generally buys books once, and not necessarily on the niceties of the lyrics, one is inclined to over look this.

In response to Don below, absolutely no mangling of the readings occurred this morning. The Psalm setting was exactly as it should have been and so too were all the readings. Another point in favor.

Nevertheless, we still have certain outstanding problems. Music provided this morning was duet for New Age keyboard and Saxophone with Cantor (okay, so a diverse group is contributing to the Church's music ministry). And the stained glass is ill-considered. Rather than pedagogical or inspirational, it is merely pretty blue, purple, red with a musical instrument motif--lute, French horn, etc.

I cam live with all of these quibbles. I can thrive in this church with the resolution of two questions, neither of which involves me directly.

(1) The first thing Samuel asked when we entered this Church this morning was "Why is Jesus dancing up there?" However, I did note that there seemed to be more willingness to participate and more general involvement with what is going on--so the issue of decor may be easy to put to rest.

(2) Much more problematic is that I don't see any organized catechesis for children. I know that I can do this by myself, and I will supplement whatever he gets wherever he goes with material at home. However, I do think it is good for him to be with others in learning about the faith--from the very beginnings understanding that worship is both private and public, individual and communal. I hope I am mistaken, but it appeared that there was no real means (CCD or otherwise) of cathechizing children. And if the comment I heard from the pew behind me just prior to consecration is any indication, this is a Church that desperately needs it.

A woman was explaining to her child or grandchild what the priest was holding up (the large host). She started with "That's Jesus." Good enough. Then the child said, "It doesn't look like Jesus." And the woman responded, "Well it's just a symbol of Jesus." Yes it is a symbol, but it is not "just a symbol" and in a moment it would not be a symbol at all--it would become the reality of Jesus.

However, this, I'm sure is the state of many in Church today, so I shouldn't be so harsh. And this woman could not possibly have been catechized at this Church, so it is not the influence of the Church itself.

I'll just need to continue my investigations. I thank everyone who has taken the time to respond and to help my thought process. The reality will boil down to what this church offers in the way of assisting me to help my child understand the faith. Everything else, I can deal with. It conjures up memories and spectres of the bad-old-days of protestant-Catholicism that marked my entry into the Church. But perhaps it is time much of that is laid to rest.

Honestly, I suspect the only local Church that I would be truly happy at would be the Byzantine Rite Church that looks like a Baptist Church that had been taken over by the Byzantines. I haven't tried the Maronite Rite Church yet--and the pastor there is fantastic--a man of tremendous faith and spirituality. But most importantly I need to find a place where Samuel can grow and become the person in Christ he is meant to be.

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

For Karen Marie Knapp as she recovers from her recent hospitalization.

For all the people who will get back into a church because of Christmas, to be inspired to come back to the Church

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.

I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

(4) From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

For all the people who will get back into a church because of Christmas, to be inspired to come back to the Church

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. The cancer is metastatic from colon cancer. Surgery has taken place to treat the colon cancer.

I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

(4) From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Nevertheless, via T.S. O'Rama the announcement that Thomas, the Misplaced Protestant--well known for comments around and about our corner of blogdom, has started his own blog, one that I intend to look in upon frequently.

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Seeking Advice

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For Midnight Mass, I attended my Parish Church. I mean my actual parish which I haven't visited since we first landed here in 1997, except for a confirmation sometime back.

The experience wasn't nearly as trying as the first time; however, it had just about everything possible to disorient and irritate.

Let's start with the decor. A typically modern church with the modern "flourishes" or architectural absurdity. The altar area resembles something out of H.P. Lovecraft with convoluted angles that suggest eldritch realms beyond--but nothing of glory.

Now the crucifix--ah, that's an essay in iteself to describe everyhting wrong with it. Picture Eric Idle in a loincloth in "Life of Brian" skipping through the desert. No--here it is--imagine a devout and devoted, but not very good plaster worker who has placed Jesus on the cross in something resembling a "retirer" (or Don, is that "retir&eactue;") pose, only the foot is at the front of the knee rather than the side. Now his arms are positioned out along the bar of the crucifix, palms upward and Jesus is looking upward--giving the overall effect of Him being out for a summer hop, skip, and jump with the notion of checking to see if there's rain in the forecast. Now, after this unfortunate devout plaster worker had finished the entire work, some bumbler went and spilled water over the entire thing causing a certain about of flaccidity and dripping--think Francis Bacon's Famous Triptych (Was it of Innocent X?). Oh, and all of this with a gold lame throw discretely veiling the privates.

Okay, that has always been there, and is an unfortunate reflection of the revolution in litugical art that is truly revolting.

Now to the liturgical absurdities that the present congregation did have some control over--there was present a full-grown woman dressed in altar-server's clothing. Because this woman did nothing but handle the objects involved with incense, I thought perhaps that this was simply a safety precaution on the part of the Church to avoid having relatively young girls and boys dealing with it--overall perhaps overly cautious, but sensible.

But this came after other things had already raised the hackles. The classic Christmas carol lyrics had been all but gutted and revamped so that there would be no mention made whatsoever of "man" or "men." Now, no matter how I feel about inclusive language (and I regard it quite guardedly) I outright despise the alteration of Charles Wesley's lyrics, or those of any number of other people to cater to today's whims in Political Correctness. If you want PC lyrics, write a new carol to reflect your views, don't gut my old and cherished ones--ones to which I have the lyrics memorized and do not wish to follow along in some preprinted inclusivity fest. Similarly, don't alter the psalms and the present translation of the Bible to suit your PC needs. (They did only a little of this, but it was sufficient to be annoying, given the already putrid translations offered us by the USCCB.)

One moment I did like (contra the vast majority of St. Blogs, which I know despises this beyond words) was holding hands during the "Our Father" even to the point of crossing aisles. (Obviously the GIRM hasn't reached this particular Parish. On the other hand, some changes in liturgy and practice occur as a result of grass-roots measures. My indoctrination as a Catholic was done by a very devout group of Claretians that had a mission at my college. My introduction to the liturgy came through the Newman center there. And other than this hand-holding was enitrely Orthodox and orthopraxial, so far as I can remember. Thus I came to love this moment, and it was beautiful.) Unfortunately it was spoiled by the show-tune version of the Our Father that seems all the rage in such parishes. You know the one--where temptation becomes the nearly four syllable--temp-tay-ay-shun.

Okay, so it wasn't a satisfying liturgy. I sat there much of the time fuming. And then it occurred to me, that perhaps I should spend a good deal more time at this place. Perhaps I have been dulled into complacency by attendance at a Church that, while not spectacular, does do everything by the book. (Moreover, the homily was very, very good--emphasizing the need for a constant rebirt of Christ in all of our lives in order to carry Him and His message into the world.) I also thought that there were here many very devout, very loving people, who cherish the liturgy--in other words, people who were doing their best to express to God their love of Him. They weren't doing a job I particularly appreciated--but I didn't hear anyone else complaining on the way out.

Third, it occurred to me that attending this church would be a practice of patience and charity. Attending Mass would have at once a certain penitential and celebratory aspect--this seems quite desirable.

I haven't decided yet, but I've almost convinced myself that I should be at this church, assisting at Mass in such a way that perhaps through time it might change, little by little, to reflect a somewhat more correct practice. Also, it would be good to wean me from attachment to things that may matter greatly, but not so greatly as the presence of Christ Himself. And He was there in the proclaimed word and in the validly consecrated Eucharist (under both species). If anyone was out-of-tune, it was me. But I can't shake the feeling that this was a good place for me to be--that I should cherish the opportunity offered by God in this particular setting.

Any thoughts or reflections that may help me in my decision would be appreciated. I know that it is ultimately up to me and up to the prayer I share with God to discern where I should be. But it is quite difficult. This church has the attraction both of obedience (my parish) and of not fitting me to a "T." Perhaps I need to be more open and more generous in my view of things. Perhaps I also need to learn to sit quietly and endure certain kinds of hardship. I honestly don't know.

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From a Music Blog I Never Visit

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eflatmajor
Eb major - you are warm and kind, always there for
your friends, who are in turn there for you.
You are content with your confortable life and
what you are currently achieving; if you keep
in this state you will go far.


what key signature are you?
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All of which is odd because my favorite compositions are in D minor.

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My Christmas Greeting

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To All,


A most joyous, beautiful and delightful Christmas. May God bless each person and bring him or her to a closer walk.


Holly1.jpg

American Holly on Mount Vernon Grounds

shalom,

Steven

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legolas
Congratulations! You're Legolas!


Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Praise:

[to be later moved to projects] From Davey's Mom: I am with child once again and could use prayers for a healthy pregnancy.

Thank God for the short duration of Peony's ailment, and pray that she might be in fine fettle to entertain guests.


Prayers:

For all the people who will get back into a church because of Christmas, to be inspired to come back to the Church

Special intention for Katherine and Franklin as they struggle with unemployment.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Masa Real de Guayaba--Lord, keep the calories at bay.

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Prayer Requests 12/23/03

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O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.

Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

Please remember to pray for Peony Moss's rapid recovery from this debilitating flu.

Special intention for Katherine and Franklin as they struggle with unemployment.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Finished the Dorothy Day Book. And while it is insufficient to understand the intimate details of Ms. Day's spiritual life, there were elements of it that were both laudable and lamentable. Perhaps it is merely the presentation, but much of Ms. Day's activism strikes me as principle first, Christ second. Now, this is probably a result of just a striking blow at biography, so please don't let my words persuade you--they don't even persuade me.

But there is much that I like in what Ms. Day has to say. Most famously she is quoted as saying "Don't call me a saint, I don't want to be dismissed that easily." And I think that the statement is often taken out of context and misunderstood. If I read Ms. Day aright (and again, on this brief acquaintance, it's highly likely I do not) those who use this quote as an argument against canonization are dead wrong.

Ms. Day was not saying that sainthood was not a good thing or that to become a saint was not a desirable goal. It strike me that her statement is simply that once you've been labeled a saint your works are extraordinary and beyond the ability of any normal human being. It gives everyone an excuse not to try. This, it seems to me, is what Ms. Day is arguing against.

Finally, a wonderful quote, among many good things in the book:

Thank God for retroactive prayer! St Paul said that he did not judge himself, nor must we judge ourselves. We can turn to our Lord Jesus Christ, who has already repaired the greatest evil that ever happened or could ever happen, and trust that He will make up for our falls, for our neglects, for our failures in love.
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Calling all Cars

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Does anyone know where Ever-New went? One day it was there, the next--voila completely vanished.

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Time to regale you once again with my extensive reading list. I thought I'd feature just two selections that I am presently reading and enjoying. One of them by a St. Blogger (I think).

Meet Dorothy Day by Woodene Koenig-Bricker (I'm certain I've seen this name in one of my less-frequented places (H.M.S?) is one of those biographies that seems "just enough." By that I mean that it is a relatively short, nicely written introduction to Ms. Day's life and work. It is not fawning and even seems to hold Ms. Day a a respectable distance as it discusses aspects of her thought and life work that may be less-than-appealing to some. The text is liberally sprinkled with quotation from Ms. Day's writings. The overall effect is to shine a new light on Ms. Day--a light that is not overly flattering, but which is a greater help in understanding this remarkably complex and faith-driven woman than many of the premature hagiographies I've happened upon. I've never known quite what to make of Ms. Day. Ms Koenig-Bricker's book has helped me to begin to get a grip on this.

I have only just started the second book, Ross King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling. Initial impressions suggest that Julius II is one of those popes who, along with Alexander VI, forced the hand of the reformationists (or if you preferred, lit a fire underneath them.) Protestantism may have been a greivous blow to the body of Christ, but simony, and the sale of indulgences to furnish luxury for the Pope are greivous blows themselves. Now, I haven't done the research to find out if these accusations are accurate, so I shouldn't be talking out of Church. It is evident that Mr. King is, if partisan to anything, partisan to Michelangelo.

Whatever the case may be, the book is well written, entertaining, and highly interesting. The research seems impressive if not necessarily impeccable . (On this I have no grounding to comment, I would have to do my own work, and even then, I would be somewhat dubious as to my own conclusions based on so little investigation.) If you have an interest in renaissance art and politics, this may be the book for you.

(A snippet from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia entry might shine a somewhat better light on many of the issues:

In addition he was commendatory Abbot of Nonantola, Grottaferrata, and Gorze, and drew the revenues of various other ecclesiastical benefices. These large incomes, however, he did not spend in vain pomp and dissipation, as was the custom of many ecclesiastics of those times. Giuliano was a patron of the fine arts, and spent most of his superfluous money in the erection of magnificent palaces and fortresses. Still his early private life was far from stainless, as is sufficiently testified by the fact that before he became pope he was the father of three daughters, the best known of whom, Felice, he gave in marriage to Giovanni Giordano Orsini in 1506.

A third book, I have not yet started, but it looked interesting. Called The Aquinas Prescription by Gerald Vann O.P., it looks like a nice short biography and appreciation of thought. I have two different comments, unrelated to the text. One is a question to those who may know. Why do I hear so little of Gerald Vann amongst the O.P. circles? Is it that his works appealed primarily to a lay audience (and I mean that both in intellectual and religious terms)? Or is there perhaps some greater flaw?

[diatribe]
Second, why does Sophia Press insist on tampering with the great books of the past? Almost everything I get from them has been in some way altered--the index has been dropped, the text has been abridged, the copy had been manhandled. If these texts were not worthy in the first place, why present them. Why take a monumental work and present it without an index. I beleive this disservice was done to Dave Armstrong's work on Biblical Evidence for Catholicism. It is presented without an index which cripples it for apologetics purposes. What are these editors thinking? What could possibly be the reason for such treatment?

My only comment to Sophia--leave the texts alone. If something embarasses you or seems archaic to modern ears trust the readers of your texts to discern. TAN books certainly does and as an editorial policy, it is commendable. When you edit, you might consider explanatory notes and, if anything, expanding the index. Yes, I know it is tedious and terrible work, but a little SGML or even XML and you'll be able to handle without any trouble at all.
[/diatribe]

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On Return of the King

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I have read much around St. Blog's on this film and I suppose I do no service writing yet more, and yet I feel impelled.

I don't know what to make of those who say that the film is not a good film or less than art. To my mind, art is that which best invokes and reminds one of the Divine. In some cases that art may not be timeless, but relentlessly grounded in its time--inaccessible to all outside of that time. But for the moment I will put away that discussion.

Let us review the film on a more personal basis. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through the film and stirred to life again some barely smoldering fire that is stirred too rarely. The film, despite some minor flaws, hit me powerfully with the hammer of myth, reminding me for a moment of what it means to be human. I know this is not a helpful review because it is so personal. And yet, I feel that I must say it as so many may have been disturbed by the negative currents prevalent in blogland.

The bottom line--the film made me think of God, thank God, and praise God. Who cares whether that was Jackson's intention or not. There are times when the artist's intention is entirely secondary to the actual effect. There was beauty, nobility, and passion in the film and for me the experience was transcendent. I think this especially remarkable as I did not expect so much after the second film. (I enjoyed the second film somewhat, but I was not transfixed by it.)

So, my word--depending on who you are and how you receive these things, this can be a magnificent, wonderful, stirring, and perhaps even life-changing film. I thank God for such a beautiful Christmas gift this year.

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Praise and Prayer 12/22/03

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O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.


Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

Special intention for Katherine and Franklin as they struggle with unemployment.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Praise and Prayer 12/20/03

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O KEY OF DAVID, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

Special Request of the Day: Special intention for Katherine and Franklin as they struggle with unemployment. Thanks.

Please pray for the soul of the priest who officiated at our (chirp and honk's) wedding, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Hendrickson St.,) Brooklyn, NY, Msgr. Brian F. Callahan who died suddenly Dec. 15.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Praise and Prayer 12/20/03

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O KEY OF DAVID, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Prayers:

Special Request of the Day: Special intention for Katherine and Franklin as they struggle with unemployment. Thanks.

Please pray for the soul of the priest who officiated at our (chirp and honk's) wedding, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Hendrickson St.,) Brooklyn, NY, Msgr. Brian F. Callahan who died suddenly Dec. 15.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Friday Five
1. List your five favorite beverages.

Green Tea
Water
Mint Tea
Water
Limeade


2. List your five favorite websites.

Blackmask
Online Books
Arts and Letters Daily
Smithsonian
Fractalvision

3. List your five favorite snack foods.

Tangerines
Chocolate-covered dried cherries
Boysenberry or Raspberry (anything--fresh berries, sorbet, cake, icecream candy)
Chocolate
Dried Mango, Papaya, Pineapple.

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.

Uno
Bridge
Parchesi
Yahtzee
Chinese Checkers

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games.

Patience (152 different types of one-two-three-and four pack solitaires)
Minesweeper
Bejweled
Railroad
Yahtzee

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Praise and Prayer--12/19/03

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O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.


Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Thanks to God and those who prayed, my [Davey's Mom] friend had a successful, normal birth with her second daughter also on December 15.

Linda is home from the Hospital! Still fragile, or perhaps even more fragile as a result of steroid treatment, but nevertheless home.

Prayers:

Special Request of the Day: Please say a prayer today at !0:00 Pacific time for the success of Franklin's phone interview. Thanks.

Please pray for the soul of the priest who officiated at our (chirp and honk's) wedding, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Hendrickson St.,) Brooklyn, NY, Msgr. Brian F. Callahan who died suddenly Dec. 15.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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St. Linus Review

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I have been asked by one of the people associated with the St. Linus Review to announce the existence of this publication. As a poet myself and one who wishes to foster the arts, I duly make this announcement, fully realizing that a great many are already aware of it. I am also aware of the "controversy" swirling around its publication guidelines and understand the reasons behind it. But I also point out that there was a great deal of controversy (of an admittedly very different type) swirling around Mel Gibson's The Passion. I'm not comparing the two artworks, but only pointing out that until the work is produced we cannot know what effect guidelines may or may not have. It is probably good to encourage a young publication and help to foster its growth, contributing either funds or written works to see if it is viable. So, take a look at the guidelines--if you are so inclined, subscribe or submit work, and for the time being, praise God that a new thing is being raised up in the Catholic Arts. Pray that it might contribute mightily to a resurgence of literature of faith, so that once again we might have a strong voice in an arena that we have all but been forced out of.

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On the Use of Imagery

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When dealing in spiritual matters, it seems best to me to use the imagery that works to bring you into the presence of God and to keep you from sin. For some, that image is a stern Father whose discipline is swift and sure, but whose love is nevertheless there. Others prefer the image of King and sovereign. Some may have other images that they cling to.

In many cases the images of authority, rightful though they are, do nothing to prevent me from sinning, and may actually encourage it. The idea of a holy and righteous person translated to human terms often comes down to one who wishes to impose a ridiculous and arbitrary system of rules and measures that have nothing to do with reality. (In a very mild sense I am a rebel, I suppose.)

The image that is most effective for me in preventing sin is the image of a deeply loving Father in heaven who can be hurt by what I choose to do. Imagine how you would feel if your own mother or father could see everything you do. Would you do all of it? What things might you choose not to do? This is the image I use to help me in temptation. And it still doesn't work very well; however, the instant the "traffic cop" God crosses my mind, I start jaywalking--just a visible sign of the flaw created in me by the fall.

So my advice to each person is to choose the image of God that most speaks to you. Acknowledge that all are true images, if limited in a way that God is not, but meditate and focus on the one image that most helps you to move toward God. Also realize that through time the image the helps your meditation and aids in resisting temptation will change. At one time it may be loving father, at another just judge. There is nothing wrong with changing images or clinging to an image, so long as you bear in mind that any single image, or even all the images you can bring to mind at once, do not begin to touch the truth that is God. The images are mere aids, to be cast aside when their usefulness has gone. The important thing is to find a way to increase your love and desire for God and to move steadily ever closer.

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Prayer Reports and Requests 12/18/03

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O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come, and redeem us with outstretched arm.

Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Thanks to God and those who prayed, my [Davey's Mom] friend had a successful, normal birth with her second daughter also on December 15.

Linda is home from the Hospital! Still fragile, or perhaps even more fragile as a result of steroid treatment, but nevertheless home.

Prayers:

Please pray for the soul of the priest who officiated at our (chirp and honk's) wedding, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Hendrickson St.,) Brooklyn, NY, Msgr. Brian F. Callahan who died suddenly Dec. 15.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Found via Disputations, this article featuring brief excerpts of a longer talk considers the principles of economic justice and what a truly just economy should seek.

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to wish you all a happen centenary of Kitty Hawk.

Today's the day when 100 years ago the Wright brothers demonstrated that powered heavier-than-air vehicles could indeed fly.

Others had flown before them. Others had even shown that powered heavier-than-air travel was feasible. But the Wright Brothers applying the principles of a great many scientists and inventors before them demonstrated repeatable success in their attempts.

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The classic editions of The Practice of the Presence of God consist of approximately four conversations and fifteen letters of advice offered by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a SEVENTEENTH century Carmelite. Hailing from the province of Alsace-Lorraine, I suppose there is some question as to nationality; however, he wrote in French and thus we might consider him French.

Ms. Deb Platt has reorganized the material thematically and produced an interesting and recommended "study guide" to the work, which makes for a more coherent reading of the main texts.

However, I will follow the classic line and look at the letters (or so I propose, by tomorrow I may have changed my mind)

from Practice of the Presence of God Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

FIRST LETTER

How the habitual sense of God's Presence was found.

SINCE you desire so earnestly that I should communicate to you the method by which I arrived at that habitual sense of GOD's Presence, which our LORD, of His mercy, has been pleased to vouchsafe to me; I must tell you, that it is with great difficulty that I am prevailed on by your importunities; and now I do it only upon the terms, that you show my letter to nobody. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire that I have for your advancement would not be able to determine me to it. The account I can give you is:
Having found in many books different methods of going to GOD, and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me, than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly GOD's.

This made me resolve to give the all for the All: so after having given myself wholly to GOD, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He; and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world. Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge; at other times I beheld Him in my heart as my FATHER, as my GOD: I worshipped Him the oftenest that I could, keeping my mind in His holy Presence, and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I found no small pain in this exercise, and yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred, without troubling or disquieting myself when my mind had wandered involuntarily. I made this my business, as much all the day long as at the appointed times of prayer; for at all times, every hour, every minute, even in the height of my business, I drove away from my mind everything that was capable of interrupting my thought of GOD.

Such has been my common practice ever since I entered into religion; and though I have done it very imperfectly, yet I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are to be imputed to the mere mercy and goodness of GOD, because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any. But when we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy Presence, and set Him always before us, this not only hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him, at least wilfully, but it also begets in us a holy freedom, and if I may so speak, a familiarity with GOD, wherewith we ask, and that successfully, the graces we stand in need of. In fine, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of GOD is rendered as it were natural to us. Give Him thanks, if you please, with me, for His great goodness towards me, which I can never sufficiently admire, for the many favours He has done to so miserable a sinner as I am. May all things praise Him. Amen.

For the complete, classic work, see here.

What is remarkable in this is the very straightforward way Brother Lawrence treats common problems in prayer. A simple bullheadedness with one Goal in mind--God Himself and nothing less. "I gave my all for the All."

"I worshipped Him oftenest as I could. . ." meaning that he did not wait until he was in a chapel or an oratory or some quiet place of continued recollection, but throughout the day of work and labor, he worshipped God. As he did the dishes, He called upon His name. As he swept the floors or attended to whatever needed done, He praised God and called upon Him. In a word--he "practiced."

And by practicing he became adept. He points out that when we often turn our thoughts to God, it becomes very difficult to deliberately offend Him. The thought of God is a bit in the mouth, a bridle that trains us to recognize his touch and respond, in the way a well trained horse needs no encouragement from the reins, but merely the pressure and signal from the rider to turn and to jump. When we accustom ourselves to the bridle, or as Jesus told us, "the yoke" we discover in it a holy freedom and an intimacy that does not make us so reluctant to ask for the graces we require to grow ever nearer our Lord.

And perhaps the most glorious phrase of the letter: "In fine, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of GOD is rendered as it were natural to us." What could possibly be a greater source of delight and joy than for God's presence to be "natural." By that Brother Lawrence means, I think, that it is expected, it becomes in the environment in which we live whether or not we are constantly attuned to it. In a sense, it becomes our hope. When St. Thérèse experienced her long dark night, she still did not fail in faith because she had grown so intimate with God His presence was natural to her--it pervaded her. Her human senses and the devil called her to despair, but her soul knew that it lived and breathed in God's Holy Presence--there could be no despair in such living. That is what Brother Lawrence refers to. We may not be constantly aware of God in our intellect or will, but in the deepest part of our spirit we rejoice constantly in His presence. His presence is habitual, and more than habitual, life sustaining. By the practice of the presence of God, we move toward the intimacy taught by all the great Carmelite Saints. By making the effort to turn to Him (an effort that is sustained by grace alone but willed by ourselves with the help of that grace) we grow accustomed to God the way spouses are accustomed to each other in a good marriage. When one is left alone, there is great longing to be again reunited. The difference is that God never leaves us alone. We are always with Him.

There is so much truth here and such a simplicity that we would do well to consider following this advice. Throughout the day hum a hymn, or speak to God, thanking Him for small pleasures, asking advice in any situation. Bless those around us with His presence with us. When we are so moved, we can perform miracles of grace and draw souls toward God inexorably because it is His Will that moves them, His Grace that calls to them, His Presence that beckons. And best of all, we can start this practice today. And if we fail in it for a while, we can start again, and again, and again, picking up with purpose and following the trail of Grace to our Sovereign Lord.

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Next Scheduled Reading

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Due to a head cold or sinus infection or some other clogging of the brain, I've been unable to come to a conclusion regarding which extended text I would next like to consider. Because I've already subjected you to one that is not Catholic, I thought the better part would be to give equal or more time to a Catholic Source. It would be better for it not to be too long (say Imitation of Christ long) and that it treat of prayer or Christian Life and not explicitly of theology (for which I can provide no real insight). Are there any opinions? I may be casting around for a few days looking for just the right thing, but once settled upon, I'd like to continue the extended treatment because I found it gave me a few moments every day in prayer as I read and commented upon the text.

I was thinking about the Sayings of Light and Love but the problem with that is that they are something like the Sayings of the Desert Fathers in that each one requires an extended meditation and consideration. It would be quite easy to get lost in the huge morass of them. On the other hand. . .

Perhaps we could give some consideration to Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence of God

Let me know if you have any opinions or considerations. (In case you can't tell, I really like the structure of extended consideration, and I don't think it necessarily detracts from other things that may from time to time arise.)

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Prayer Requests

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Linda is home from the Hospital! Still fragile, or perhaps even more fragile as a result of steroid treatment, but nevertheless home.

Prayers:

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother yesterday to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal.

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


Special Prayer Projects:

(1) Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

(2) For Katherine's Mom as she undergoes chemotherapy--that the treatment is successful and her mother comes through this ordeal with a deeper sense of God's abiding love for her.

(3) For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Christ Altogether Lovely XVI

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I'm sure there will be great rejoicing and a great heaving of sighs that we have at last made it to the opposite shore of our great journey. It seemed at times perilous and uncertain that it might happen, but we are finally there. And we end with the last advice Rev. Flavel has for us regarding the application of the points previously taught.

from Christ Altogether Lovely
Rev. John Flavel

5. Never be ashamed to be counted as a Christian: he is altogether lovely; he can never be a shame to you; it will be your great sin to be ashamed of him. Some men glory in their shame; do not let yourself be ashamed of your glory. If you will be ashamed of Christ now, he will be ashamed of you when he shall appear in his own glory, and the glory of all his holy angels. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; and among other sins, be ashamed especially for this sin, that you have no more love for him who is altogether lovely.

6. Be willing to leave every thing that is lovely upon earth, in order that you may be with the altogether lovely Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Lift up your voices with the bride, Rev. 20:20 "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly." It is true, you must pass through the pangs of death into his intimacy and enjoyment; but surely it is worth suffering much more than that to be with this lovely Jesus. "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Jesus Christ," 2 Thes. 3:5.

7. Let the loveliness of Christ draw all men to him. Is loveliness in the creature so attractive? And can the transcendent loveliness of Christ draw none? O the blindness of man! If you see no beauty in Christ that causes you to desire him, it is because the god of this world has blinded your minds.

And once again Rev. Flavel hits upon ancient themes of Christian teaching. First, be proud to be Christian, because in Christ is the summum bonum, or perhaps, more appropriately He is the summum bonum (as God is simple and cannot consist of parts but is complete unity, if the summum bonum reside within Him, then indeed it is Him, or so it would seem). By our love of Him, let us guide all of humankind to Him, neither being ashamed of our Christianity, nor halting when there are setbacks (scandals in the Church, etc.)

Be willing to let go of everything on Earth that keeps you from completely embracing His loveliness. Be prepared to leave behind prejudices, preferences, and personality. Be prepared to abandon all preconceptions, all restrictions, all modifications, all of our broken notions of God. Be willing to share of our substantial material goods and our wealth of spiritual goods. And be ready to climb out of this world into His embrace, in the next life, if not in this. But better to prepare oneself to this journey here and now. As R. Garrigou-Lagrange points out many times in Christian Perfection and Contemplation--the so called "Mystical life" is in fact the calling of every Christian. Those who obtain it here have a taste of heaven. Those who do not spend some time working it out in the life to come. We have a choice--the bliss of heaven on Earth or the rags of Earth transformed in Eternity.

Finally, we must let the loveliness of Christ speak for itself. We must be exemplars of that loveliness, and by living it, lead all people to it. Through our love, mercy, gentleness, kindness, and true and substantial caring, we should shine out like lamps on a lampstand. We are Christ's body now--His hands, His feet, His capabilities on Earth. We are His instruments, and thus the instruments of salvation to our brothers and sister who still live in darkness. Let us shine light into their lonely and frightening worlds. For once they see light, it is unlikely they will love to remain in the dark.

Thus we complete our cycle with the dear Rev. Flavel. Part of the point is to say simply that much wealth exists in all sorts of sources. We should be willing to mine those veins that yield much worthwhile. Truly there are a great many within the Catholic Church, but sometimes a trumpet from outside is better placed to attract our attention.

So, what to next? The sermons of Johannes Tauler? Van Ruysbroeck's The Sparkling Stone or The Book of Supreme Truth? St. Alphonsus's Uniformity with God's Will or The Necessity and Power of Prayer? I welcome recommendations or requests for any book related to the spiritual life of reasonably short length. I also welcome any conversation that might ensue as we pursue these works. After all, the point is to learn and to practice, we could all do with some reinforcement.

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What Manner of Poetry

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Another endlessly pleasing quiz result:



I'm terza rima, and I talk and smile.
Where others lock their rhymes and thoughts away
I let mine out, and chatter all the while.

I'm rarely on my own - a wasted day
Is any day that's spent without a friend,
With nothing much to do or hear or say.

I like to be with people, and depend
On company for being entertained;
Which seems a good solution, in the end.
What Poetry Form Are You?

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A Note on the Post Below

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I don't much care for the military imagery of Christianity. "A Mighty Fortress" "Onward Christian Soldiers," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," etc. Since I have a tendency toward an extreme pacificism, one might see how these images would fail to appeal.

However, I cannot but acknowledge that we are locked in a battle with powers not of this world, and the victory has already been obtained. I think of us rather like the Ents at the end of The Two Towers our responsibility now is to stand fast against the raging flood waters and to hold our ground. Even this we do not do alone, because of ourselves we can do nothing. We rely completely upon Jesus Christ, Lord, Savior, source of Strength, as we stand in this battle. We also rely upon the prayers of the Saints and the Prayers and actual spiritual armies of the Angels.

So, while I do not care for the language, nor necessarily for the imagery, it is undeniably Biblical, and undeniably given us so that we understand the extent of the siege. So, please consider joining forces with those around the world who in their daily lives stand fast and wage battle against evil, both natural and supernatural.

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Special Prayer "Project"

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Ramon's surgery was sucessful!

Linda is home from the Hospital! Still fragile, or perhaps even more fragile as a result of steroid treatment, but nevertheless home.

Prayers:

Special Prayer Project: Chris Keith, the young lady whose biopsy went poorly got the results of that biopsy--carcinoma of the liver. I don't know if it's a primary or metastatic. Either way, I paraphrase her mother:

"We [members of the family] are standing on the Rock and are rock solid. We are all okay and we are looking for a few prayer warriors to help us in this battle." Because this mother means so much to me for the great good she has done for my friends, I plan to stand with her and her family in this battle, and I invite you all to join me. Expect to hear about this on and off over the next few months.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother yesterday to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For Katherine's Mom for diagnosis and proper remediation of the chemotherapy crisis of this weekend.

For Davey's Mom's friend who is having another child shortly that her labor and birth be easy and light and both mother and child come through it safely.

For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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For Future Reading

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This wonderful blend of the best of H.P. Lovecraft and the worst of Jack Chick. Very nice.

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Postmodernism??

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Now, from Mixolydian Mode, a quiz result with which I am truly, truly happy.

not postmodern
Whether you harbor some vestige of modernist
morality or simply fail to see the irony in
Reality TV, one thing is clear. You are just
Not Postmodern.


What kind of postmodernist are you!?
brought to you by Quizilla

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Christ Altogether Lovely--XV

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Almost there. We're in the final stretches--the place where Flavel gives concrete advice about what to do in order to demonstrate proper love for and devotion to Christ. And surprise! surprise! It sounds just like what every mystic from the time of St. Paul on says!

from Christ, Altogether Lovely
Rev. John Flavel

APPLICATION


1. Is Jesus Christ altogether lovely? Then I beseech you set your souls upon this lovely Jesus. I am sure such an object as has been here represented, would compel love from the coldest breast and hardest heart. Away with those empty nothings, away with this vain deceitful world, which deserves not the thousandth part of the love you give it. Let all stand aside and give way to Christ. O if only you knew his worth and excellency, what he is in himself, what he has done for you, and deserved from you, you would need no arguments of mine to persuade you to love him!

2. Esteem nothing lovely except as it is enjoyed in Christ, or used for the sake of Christ. Love nothing for itself, love nothing separate from Jesus Christ. In two things we all sin in love of created things. We sin in the excess of our affections, loving them above the proper value of mere created things. We also sin in the inordinacy of our affections, that is to say we give our love for created things a priority it should never have.

3. Let us all be humbled for the corruption of our hearts that are so eager in their affections for vanities and trifles and so hard to be persuaded to the love of Christ, who is altogether lovely. O how many pour out streams of love and delight upon the vain and empty created thing; while no arguments can draw forth one drop of love from their stubborn and unbelieving hearts to Jesus Christ! I have read of one Joannes Mollius, who was observed to go often alone, and weep bitterly; and being pressed by a friend to know the cause of his troubles, said "O! it grieves me that I cannot bring this heart of mine to love Jesus Christ more fervently."

4. Represent Christ to the world as he is, by your behaviour towards him. Is he altogether lovely? Let all the world see and know that he is so, by your delights in him and communion with him; zeal for him, and readiness to part with any other lovely thing upon his account. Proclaim his excellencies to the world, as the spouse did in these verses. Persuade them how much your beloved is better than any other beloved. Show his glorious excellencies as you speak of him; hold him forth to others, as he is in himself: altogether lovely. See that you "walk worthy of him unto all well pleasing," Col. 1:10. "Show forth the praises of Christ," 1 Pet. 2:19. Let not that "worthy name be blasphemed through you," James 2:7. He is glorious in himself, and he is sure to put glory upon you; take heed that you do not put shame and dishonours upon him; he has committed his honour to you, do not betray that trust.

Nothing new here, just what our stubborn hearts and heads need to hear over and over again before it sinks in. If you love Jesus show it by how you esteem Him above all things. Show it by how you represent Him to the world. And by that how you act toward those who have less than you do, or who through no circumstances of their own are in humbler circumstances than your own. Frequent communion, fervent prayer, frequent confession, charity--all of these things fill hearts and minds around us with thoughts and images of Christ. Be aware of your temperament, treat all with respect, show true love to those that you would rather not.

Detach from the innumerable doo-dads and thingummies that fill a life with debris and focus on what really matters. During this season that may be more important that all the other advice. We all know that gifts and lights and decorations and cookies are not what the Christmas season is all about. And yet, we struggle to place the Person foremost in our hearts in our hurry to see that every material desire of those we love is met to the fullness we are capable of. Let us love the lights, the joys, the delights, and the wonders of Christmas, not for the transient material things they are, but for the reflection they given of the wonder of an Infant born more than 2000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem. Let Him be the source of our hope and delight and our season will have true depth and true light.

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Praise and Prayer

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Give thanks to God, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Ramon's surgery was sucessful!

Linda is home from the Hospital! Still fragile, or perhaps even more fragile as a result of steroid treatment, but nevertheless home.

Prayers:

Please pray for me. I have a wracking cough that I'm fairly certain is sinus-induced as it came to prominence yesterday during a particularly rainy spell here in Florida. Pray please that it is not contagious (as I guess it is not) and that I can recover from it quickly and resume doing what needs to be done.

For Carol K. and family who suddenly and quite unexpectedly lost her mother yesterday to pneumonia.

For Christine's father who has an undiagnosed but severe potassium defficiency that has everyone around him extremely concerned. He's on liquid Potassium now, which can have severe effects, please pray that these will be minimal

For Karen (Mother of 9) who is seriously ill and for her husband that God grant Him the strength to bear up under it. (I'll be making special prayers for this one because I understand how it feels under much less stressful conditions (1 Child and minor hospitalization).

For Katherine's Mom for diagnosis and proper remediation of the chemotherapy crisis of this weekend.

For Davey's Mom's friend who is having another child shortly that her labor and birth be easy and light and both mother and child come through it safely.

For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.


I welcome the addition of other requests via the comment box. Thank you for keeping this poor Carmelite employed.

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Otherwise it sounds like idle boasting to little or no purpose. The point was that I would greatly appreciate it if any newcomers to this blog who have their own would drop me a line to let me know about their blogs as now I have no means of finding them.

I'll need to figure out where to post that on my blog as a permanent message.

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Removal of Sitemeter

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With the removal of Sitemeter, the page should load more quickly.

I have long contemplated this, reluctant to remove it because I have found so many very good sites by tracing back through Sitemeter. But the time has come to abandon it--I may be slower about finding those of my visitors who choose not to comment, but I will not have the burden of checking the Sitemeter readings and of allowing it a certain measure of control over my actions.

Like sin, some things once abandoned open up great worlds of possibilities. This is one of those ventures.

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Christ Altogether Lovely XIV

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We're almost at an end. I intend to break the application up into two posts, so after this merely two more and then I may start a discussion of St. Alphonsus's little treatise on prayer or on Uniformity with God's will. We'll see.

from "Christ Altogether Lovely"
Rev. John Flavel

Fourthly, Christ is altogether lovely in the relation of a friend, for in this relation he is pleased to acknowledge his people, Luke 12:4, 5. There are certain things in which one friend manifests his affection and friendship to another, but there is not one like Christ. For,

1. No friend is so open-hearted to his friend as Christ is to his people: he reveals the very counsels and secrets of his heart to them. John 15:15. "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what his Lord does; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.

2. No friend in the world is so generous and bountiful to his friend, as Jesus Christ is to believers; he parts with his very blood for them; "Greater love (he says) has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13. He has exhausted the precious treasures of his invaluable blood to pay our debts. O what a lovely friend is Jesus Christ to believers!

3. No friend sympathizes so tenderly with his friend in affliction, as Jesus Christ does with his friends: "In all our afflictions he is afflicted," Heb. 4:15. He feels all our sorrows, needs and burdens as his own. This is why it is said that the sufferings of believers are called the sufferings of Christ, Col. 1:24.

4. No friend in the world takes that contentment in his friends, as Jesus Christ does in believers. Song of Songs 4:9. "You have ravished my heart, (he says to the spouse) you have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck." The Hebrew, here rendered "ravished," signifies to puff up, or to make one proud: how the Lord Jesus is pleased to glory in his people! How he is taken and delighted with those gracious ornaments which himself bestows upon them! There is no friend so lovely as Christ.

5. No friend in the world loves his friend with as impassioned and strong affection as Jesus Christ loves believers. Jacob loved Rachel, and endured for her sake the parching heat of summer and cold of winter; but Christ endured the storms of the wrath of God, the heat of his indignation, for our sakes. David manifested his love to Absalom, in wishing, "O that I had died for you!" Christ manifested his love to us, not in wishes that he had died, but in death itself, in our stead, and for our sakes.

6. No friend in the world is so constant and unchangeable in friendship as Christ is. John 13:1, "Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." He bears with millions of provocations and wrongs, and yet will not break friendship with his people. Peter denied him, yet he will not disown him; but after his resurrection he says, "Go, tell the disciples, and tell Peter." Let him not think he has forfeited by that sin of his, his interest in me. Though he denied me, I will not disown him, Mark 16:7. 0 how lovely is Christ in the relation of a friend!

I might further show you the loveliness of Christ in his ordinances and in his providences, in his communion with us and communications to us, but there is no end of the account of Christ's loveliness: I will rather choose to press believers to their duties towards this altogether lovely Christ, which I shall briefly conclude in a few words.

Summary--no friend is as open-hearted, generous, sympathetic, impassioned, and constant. No friend is so able to bring contentment, peace and delight to all His friends. No friend loves as this Friend.

Jesus is our friend, our advocate, our constant intecessor, our companion. When we grow unaware of Him, it is not because He fails, but because we are weak and stubborn.

The Friendship of Christ is a prize beyond measure and beyond accounting. And that friendship costs so little. Indeed, even in making friends we gain much. We spurn a spurious "freedom" that enslaves one to the things of this world to achieve a true freedom that allows one to serve as part of God's Kingdom. We abandon the lies that substitute as a life and learn the Eternal Truth. We quit false comforts and seductions, and take instead the true Comfort of the one true Comforter, friend and advocate who prays for us when we do not know how to pray.

Jesus is a friend whose friendship is beyond our reckoning wonderful. His friendship is at once the most important thing and the only thing. Praise Him in His perfection as Friend.

Soon, we'll talk about what this entire long sermon means and how one actually uses anything said to improve one's life in God. That's one of the things I truly love about a well-constructed sermon or homily--one takes away something to act upon.

(And that reminds me of something I was remiss in not saying. I attended only a daily Mass at which Father Jim presided, but he gave a wonderful short homily--not spending the entire time trying to tell me the intricacies of what the particularly Bible passage meant [althought there was some of that], but instead gave me one solid positive thing to act upon. Which I did for about a week, which is why good homilies are important every week. Because, poor mortals that we are, our attention is captured for perhaps a week at a time and then trails off. Anyway, if you're out in the Woodbridge area, you could not do better than to stop in at Our Lady of the Angels. Each priest there is wonderful in his own way, and I was blessed by my attendance.]

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Report on Dylan

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Dylan may have posted elsewhere yesterday, as you might imagine, I have had little time to really read my regular route, so I offer this small infobite as I have received a short note from him.

Dylan reported that the change expected for 10 December did not occur. He seems to be in reasonably good spirits, all things considered. He requests our continued prayers and looks forward to rejoining us (perhaps) sometime in the spring.

That's all for now, and I apologize if it is redundant.

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Prayer Requests

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For Ramon, who needs a miracle to survive.

For Dylan, as it turns out, his status did not change as expected. Please pray for a complete recovery.

For Katherine's Mom that the chemotherapy is a relatively easy course.

For Chris Keith, who suffered greatly through her biopsy, nearly dying, and who awaits the results of that biopsy. Please pray that the biopsy reveal nothing that modern medicine cannot contend with

For Davey's Mom's friend who is having another child shortly that her labor and birth be easy and light and both mother and child come through it safely.

For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.

For Linda, Samuel, and me.

Thank you all for your prayers--they help more than you can know.

Please add your own requests via the comments box.

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Christ Altogether Lovely XIII

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Now seems to be a good time to continue our reflection on Flavel's remarkable sermon and his vision of Jesus.

from "Christ Altogether Lovely" Rev. John Flavel

Thirdly, Christ is altogether lovely, in the relation of an Advocate. 1 John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the Propitiation." It is he that pleads the cause of believers in heaven. He appears for them in the presence of God, to prevent any new alienation, and to continue the state of friendship and peace between God and us. In this relation Christ is altogether lovely. For,

1. He makes our cause his own, and acts for us in heaven, as if for himself, Heb. 4:15. He is touched with a most tender understanding of our troubles and dangers, and is not only one with us by way of representation, but also one with us in respect of sympathy and affection.

2. Christ our Advocate tracks our cause and business in heaven, as his great and primary design and business. For this reason in Hebrews 7:25. he is said to "live for ever to make intercession for us." It is as if our concerns were so attended to by him there, that all the glory and honour which is paid him in heaven would not divert him one moment from our business.

3. He pleads the cause of believers by his blood. Unlike other advocates, it is not enough for him to lay out only words, which is a cheaper way of pleading; but he pleads for us by the voice of his own blood, as in Heb. 12:24, where we are said to be come "to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Every wound he received for us on earth is a mouth opened to plead with God on our behalf in heaven. And hence it is, that in Rev. 5:6 he is represented standing before God, as a lamb that had been slain; as it were exhibiting and revealing in heaven those deadly wounds received on earth from the justice of God, on our account. Other advocates spend their breath, Christ spends his blood.

4. He pleads the cause of believers freely. Other advocates plead for reward, and empty the purses, while they plead the causes of their clients.

5. In a word, he obtains for us all the mercies for which he pleads. No cause miscarries in his hand, which he undertakes, Rom. 8:33, 34. 0 what a lovely Advocate is Christ for believers!

For the complete sermon, see here

"No cause miscarries in his hand." What a wonderful and powerful reflection. When we consider that Christ's advocacy is an advocacy not merely of words, not merely of action, but of His own Precious Blood, poured out for us--more than sufficient--utterly efficacious. In this we obtain all that we need but know not to ask for. We obtain the reality of who we are in God. Once lame, we walk. Once blind, we see. Once deaf, we hear. All of our infirmaties are encompassed and abolished by the completeness of His offering for us. He is an advocate whose pleading cannot be resisted. He is a Lord who loves beyond all loving and who gives to the very last measure. He is indeed altogether lovely as advocate, as tender brother, Lord, and friend. Praise Him and welcome Him into your home--this most precious advocate, this most generous Soul, this most loving companion, this very Son of God who is the source of our hope and our salvation.

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Prayer Requests

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For Dylan, as it turns out, his status did not change as expected. Please pray for a complete recovery.

For Katherine's Mom that the chemotherapy is a relatively easy course.

For Chris Keith, who suffered greatly through her biopsy, nearly dying, and who awaits the results of that biopsy. Please pray that the biopsy reveal nothing that modern medicine cannot contend with

For Davey's Mom's friend who is having another child shortly that her labor and birth be easy and light and both mother and child come through it safely.

For Katherine and Franklin, Christine and Gordon, Janet and Louis, and for all who are seeking employment and suffering through difficult times as they wait.

For the men and women of the American Armed forces who will not be able to spend this holiday season with their families, that this may nevertheless be a season of "comfort and joy" beyond their greatest expectations.

For Jane, Janet, Shirley, and for all for whom this season of the Nativity is a time of hardship and difficulty because of the pain of the past.

For Linda, Samuel, and me.

Thanks for your faithfulness in prayer. Please add your prayers by mentioning them in the comment box.

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Thanks for all the Support

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As many predicted, Samuel is taking this all in stride, although he has a disconcerting way of talking about Linda's sister (who died a couple of years ago) and other dead people he has known or that he knows of. As far as he's concerned, Mommy's absence simply means that he gets to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed--so there's little trauma.

And no word yet as to the extent of the stay or the real purpose. Linda tends not to tell me things, thinking, perhaps that it would be less worrisome. . .

I'll try to answer e-mails, but I'm sure you'll understand if I am slow about it.

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Linda will be admitted to the hospital this afternoon. At this point I'm uncertain of duration, reason, or any number of details. Please pray. Particularly pray that Samuel will be okay with all of this--he's too young to know the implications, but I'm sure that he will be bothered by it.

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Prayer Requests

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This is an especially important day for Dylan, please remember him in some special way today.

Katherine's mother is about to undergo some arduous treatment via chemotherapy--please remember her in your prayers.

Please remember those who long for children and those who have suffered the great sorrow of miscarriage.

Franklin and Katherine and Gordon and Christine and Louis and all of those in search of gainful employment that they may find it quickly and return their families to stability.

For Janet, Jane, Shirley, and all of those who feel a special burden at this time of year, that their pain may be eased by the triumph of Love.

For Linda and Samuel, for recovery from their respective illnesses.

Please add to the requests via the comment box. Thanks so much for your faithfulness in prayer--it makes a world of difference.

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Prayer Requests

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Dylan, who is to undergo a change in status tomorrow if all goes according to schedule and who will need the additional support of our prayers.

Franklin and Katherine and Gordon and Christine and Louis and all of those in search of gainful employment that they may find it quickly and return their families to stability.

Chris Keith who undergoes a difficult medical procedure this morning that the procedure goes without hitch and the results are good.

Linda and Samuel for recovery from their respective illnesses.

Your prayers are greatly needed and more greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Hows This For Remarkable?

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Don't know how this person came up with their results, but it's pretty darn close to my favorite color and certainly in the very near family. The perfect colors--once streaked through with refractive wave-bottom yellow-white to look like the sand under the still water behind a Caribbean reef.

you are mediumturquoise
#48D1CC

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.

Your outlook on life is brighter than most people's. You like the idea of influencing things for the better and find hope in situations where others might give up. You're not exactly a bouncy sunshine but things in your world generally look up.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
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Carrying Our Crosses

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An excerpt from a remarkable little book produced by St Paul's, Questions Jesus Asked:

Jesus instructs us to "take up" the corss. The assumption here is that the cross will be readily at hand, well within our reach. Experiencing the cross is inevitable in our life. It does not present itself as an option for us to consider at our leisure. It can and will come in many forms, emerging within any dimension of our life--physical, emotional, psychological, relational, spiritual. If we are alive, the cross will come. The only point we need to consider is whether we will take it up or pretend to ignore it. The latter approach will consume a great deal of time and energy without contirbuitng to our growth and deveolpment toward union with God. Gradually we learn that taking up the cross is inseparable from following Jesus.

It is intriguing to note the Jesus does not instruct us to search for the cross. The very fact that the cross is inevitable, and thus accesible, would preclude the need for any extensive search. But there is a more significant point here that touches the quality of our growth and development in the spiritual life. If we search for the cross, then we risk creating and customizing it according to our own preference and convenience so it does not disrupt our scheduled plans. Self-created crosses are truly expression of pride regardless of how weighty we construct them to appear. Ultimately, they are decorative and designed to shine the spotlight on us, to draw attention to ourselves. . .

Wow! Isn't that a slap upside the head?

We're supposed to "take up" our crosses, not construct, deconstruct, invert, implode, or otherwise tamper with them. They are uniquely ours and they represent our share in working out our own salvation, but also our share in the salvation of all who surround us. Paul told us that he "made up what was lacking in the sacrifice of Christ." What could possibly be lacking in that sacrifice? It is a puzzlement, but I accept it as truth and from it conclude that we all have some duty to do the same. One thing we present to people that may "be lacking" is a sense of the immediacy and the intimacy of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. As we toil through Advent and thirst with the ancient peoples of the desert, awaiting our Salvation, we can take steps to make His presence known. Among those steps is taking up our crosses, not begrudgingly, but thankfully--knowing that by this sign we are saved and we proclaim salvation.

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Urgent Prayer Requests

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Please continue to pray for Linda who makes a slow, uneven recovery from near-pneumonia.

Please pray from Katherine and Franklin and family as they go through some difficult straits ahead.

Please add Christine and Gordon back into your prayer list. His contract was not renewed and so he is once again seeking employment.

And as always, please remember the women and men of the American Armed forces abroad who are unable to spend these holidays with their families. Pray for a swift and safe return.

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Even sans laptop and without a connected PDA, can use the exceedingly crude hotel access to annoy people at a distance. Oh, technologty is goodly, wonderful thing. Praise God for these small wonders, and for the gorgeous palms bending in the wind just outside this room. No time to get to the beach today, but it is nevertheless a truly wonderful day. Pray for me as the trip continues, and please pray for my beloved wife who is quite seriously ill--pray for complete and rapid recovery--things are so bad that we even had to cancel my annual pilgrimage to Islands of Adventure to revel in the Spiderman ride!

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In the course of my trip to Virginia, I met with five different figures from the blog-world (well, considering the presence of another small one--six). It is perhaps significant that two and a half of these meetings were initiated at a Church, one and a half at a bookstore (one was at a bookstore in a church, hence the half), and one in a Museum (Natural History to be precise.)

It seems that this sums up the motions of my life--God, Books, and Fossils. I met with Tom of Disputations, Kathy the Carmelite, Therese (who has no blog, but who frequents many and provides innumerable cogent comments), Peony Moss and Child (an utter delight, wonderful in every way), and Father JIm of Dappled Things (I went to Mass regularly at his Church).

Every one of these meetings was a blessing. Three were pretty much as expected, two people were totally unexpected. Since Fr. Jim has posted pictures of himself on his blog, there were no surprises to be had there. And Tom was exactly as I had pictured him, a wonderful surprise in itself. Ms. Moss was almost exactly as I expected, and her son was one of the great highlights of my trip. We spent the better part of two hours taking him through the various exhibits and I enjoyed myself tremendously. (Especially lovely was when we joined my family for lunch and Samuel was so forthcoming about sharing his food--he has learned very, very well.)

Therese was a complete surprise, and that has more to do with my prejudices with regard to the name than with Therese. (I know a great many hispanic and Philippino ladies by the name of Therese). And Kathy was a surprise to me. I guess because I had formulated no notion of what exactly I expected.

Each meeting was wonderful beyond words, illuminating, and worth everything all parties had to go through for the meetings to occur. I hope that all those I met were as rewarded as I was through the meetings.

Therese very generously gave me a book. It is this book that I am taking around with me as I drag my carcass through the various cities I am about to visit. It is R. Garrigou-Lagrange's Christian Perfection and Contemplation I've read about a hundred and twenty pages, understood perhaps as much as ten percent of it, and am bewildered and mystified as to why anyone would regard the life of a mystic as a "problem." But as Therese noted, given that it is a study of the mystical life according to the traditions of St. John of the Cross and St. Thomas Aquinas, it is the perfect gift from a Dominican to a Carmelite.

My thanks to everyone I met for taking the time and trouble to meet with me. I can't tell you how much it added to the trip and how much I enjoyed each meeting. Now, someday, we shall all have to meet in one place--oh say the Natural History Museum Paleontological wing, and I can give you a general tour and analysis of the invertebrate life in the fossil hall. I can provide minimal insights into the vertebrates--but I think we'd all have a great time. Thanks once again for the fantastic experience.

Now, T.S.--I'm going to be in Cleveland Thursday--want to run up from your abode? Just kidding--won't have time to even visit the Natural History museum there (They have a great Dunkleosteus(or here--fierce Devonian Fish) or my usual Polka Barn hangouts or even Stan Hywet Hall. Oh well, it is, after all, a business trip.

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Blogspot

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It appears that a majority of blogspot blogs are out of commission this morning. I had cause to be up in the wee hours of the morning and noted the beginning of the cascading failing, but not it seems epidemic. And I have so few days to access and catch up. Annoying, but c'est la vie.

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On Catholic Community

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While discussing things much out of my depth at Disputations, it occurred to me that I have long been interpreting a certain verse of the Bible far too narrowly and the worlds that this verse opens up are vast, wonderful and puzzling.

St. Paul tells us somewhere (I will supply the reference in the near future I hope), that "All things work to the good of those who love Him." All things--everything--all that is. Not just those things that happen in our own experiences, but all things. That is a hurricane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has some place in God's salvific plan for me individually, and for every individual who loves Him. We cannot know what that place is, nor can we begin to see what the fullness of that plan means. However, we can know and must assert that ALL things work to the good. Things that in themselves are not good--war, crime, poverty. Does it mean that these things should continue unabated? As Paul says with regard to sin elswhere--"Should we sin the more that the glory be greater? Far be it from me!" And yet, even these terrible things work to the good of everyone destined for salvation. How this might be is deeply mysterious. But we do ourselves a disservice by interpreting the verse too narrowly.

And then--what are the implications for Catholic Community. There is a sector of the Catholic population that would prefer to believe as John Bunyan portrays in A Pilgrim's Progress that we are all on our own, just me and God on the road to salvation. But that seems not to be the case at all. If so, why would we need priests or reconcilation, or any of a thousand other things that draw us together as both ecclesial and social community? (And make no mistake, the social aspects of that community, while they should never predominate, are integrally important in the economy of Salvation and the life of the Church.) If all things work to the good--that means the confession of my neighbor, works to my good. The Eucharist taken by someone I don't even know contributes to the Divine economy.

I'm sorry I'm so hurried, I'd like to pursue this further, but this is a start, and a most wonderful thought. Now everyone, let's all join in a chorus of "The Circle of Life."

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Another Hiatus

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Regrettably, I shall be going away again on business, so there will be another brief interruption in what I would like to continue unbroken.

Ah well.

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I had Erik especially in mind during the week I was in Washington. Events conspired to keep bringing him forward. First, I found a lovely set of typology from Jonathan Edwards, and a few new poems by Edward Taylor--I immediately thought of Erik's fondness for our Puritan forebeings.

Then I went to the West wing of the National Gallery of Art. There they had just opened a sculpture wing featuring some of Degas' sculptures and some studies for larger pieces by Rodin. I love Rodin's method of seizing solidity from the numinous--figures emerge from and sink back into the medium with eerie and wonderful effects. I thought of Erik.

I trotted over to the east wing where there was a fairly large gallery of "Modern Art," including some burgundy, brown, black and white canvases by Rothko. I remember Erik speaking highly of him and really tried to get something out of it, and perhaps succeeded. In addition, even if not there were a few pieces by Constatin Brancusi (whom I love), and Alexander Calder (both mobiles and stabiles--wonderful intricate, moving pieces.) Then there was a series of paintings by a person who I have first heard of from Erik, although I had seen these before. Barnett something, or something akin to that name. It was a series of 14 stations of the Cross so bereft of anything moving, interesting, worthwhile, or exciting that the last time I recall being so repulsed by a work of "religion and devotional art" I was walking through the new chapel of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, trying to puzzle out what those little squiggles on the floor meant. Anyway, I didn't get a lot out of looking at these largely white canvases--Modrians without the sense of design.

Finally I saw a magnificent painting/sculpture/installation called Zim Zum--the artist was German, and of course I thought of Erik for the mere coincidence of the thing and wondered for a moment what Erik would have made of it.

I crammed all this in between subway stops as I was on my way uptown to see one of St. Blogs' own.

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On Progressive Catholicism

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First, I want to thank M. Jcecil3 for the removal of labels from some people on his site. I think my point may have been misconstrued, so I do want to make it clear--I don't stand opposed to being labeled (that is part and parcel of humility), but I do find the use of labels not terribly helpful, and potentially lacking in charity--but these are subtle issues. I wanted once again to engage in dialogue with M. Jcecil because he is so lively and courteous a correspondent.

First I thought I would address the following list of "controversial" topics that he lists on his site--with each point, I will indicate my own position. This is more a reminder list so that I might be able to address those points on which we disagree.

M. Jcecil's list:

(1) I believe that God can be called Mother as well as Father--For me, not a matter of controversy--it has been done throughout the history of the Church and within the Bible itself--at least tangentially and by implication. Most radically, the hymns of St. Anselm to Christ our Mother.

(2) That inclusive language in reference to the people of God should be used in liturgy--I don't know about this. I suppose if it is a proper and accurate translation fine--however, if it is the hideous jumble that often results from the over-the-top attempts at inclusivity, I'd rather not.

(3) That women could be ordained ministerial priest, and perhaps should be ordained (The Pope has clearly said no to this one)--We will disagree on this.

(4) That married men should be ordained--some are--usually converts from other faiths who have faculties within those faiths. And certainly in Anglican Use and Eastern Churches this is already done. I don't feel particularly attached to this discipline of the Church, but perhaps I have too vague an understanding.

(5) That even with original sin, we image the divine and we are inherently capable of some good--We will disagree on this. I am with the traditional teaching that argues that self is sufficient for sin alone--good may only be accomplished through the power of God.

(6) That the ancient rite of adelphopoiesis could be restored as a union for homosexual Catholics--We will disagree--I hope to spell out my disagreement in more detail.

(7) That divorced and remarried Catholics can participate in the life of the Church--I leave this to the Canon lawyers; however, I think not.

(8) That artificial contraception in marriage is morally equivalent to natural family planning--While I disagree with the notion, I do find it interesting that the morality of either is not commented upon.

(9) That ecumenical dialogue is essential to contemporary Catholicism and we can learn from non-Catholics--Unquestionably.

(10) That social justice is part and parcel of the gospel--Absolutely, depending on whether one intends that to mean also the fullness of the gospel, in which case it is not true.

(11)That salvation is integral for the whole human person (involving liberation)--Uncertain what the codicil (involving liberation) means; however, if it indicates liberation theology, we will most probably disagree.

(12) That there is room for democratic forms of Church governance--There certainly is room for it, and then one ends up with what happens in the Anglican communion. Historically, this is a very unstable way to govern churches--22,000 different denominations of Protestants are a fairly strong argument against this.

(13) That Catholics should be committed to conserving the environment--Certainly, we are stewards of Earth's resources, we must care for them and see to it that they are used wisely, or in some cases not at all.

(14) That Catholics can conscientiously object to all war on principle--I think this may be true--I find just war doctrine a case of special pleading that has yet to really convince me. I don't know that just war is possible--although I wonder about conscientious objection to something like WWII. But I can be persuaded.

(15) That Catholics should be opposed to the death penalty in the modern world--I believe the Holy Father basically says as much, despite what justice Scalia may remark on the point. I agree.

Here are fifteen "controversial" issues on which I agree in whole or in part with nine. Now, I may be agreeing to something not proposed, and may not be agreeing on issues of subtlety--but some of these issues are, it seems to me, only controversial in a very small part of the Catholic population as a whole. I doubt seriously whether many well-informed Catholics would suggest that the Earth is ours to pillage and destroy as we will. There might be a few, but vanishingly few.

So it seems on some issues of controversy, I find myself at least sympathetic to the views likely to be espoused by M. Jcecil3. On the issues wherein there is disagreement, I hope to spend some time later.

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Back from a Long Break

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After hellish travel and nearly 16 hours in a vehicle, I'm back and ready to talk again. I'm still processing much that happened in the course of the week and will probably talk some about it as things progress.

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