Flos Carmeli

Prayer Requests--27 December 2003

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.

Well, Technically Not Realy Around St. Blog's

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.

Seeking Advice

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.

From a Music Blog I Never Visit

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?
brought to you by Quizilla

All of which is odd because my favorite compositions are in D minor.

My Christmas Greeting

To All,

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

American Holly on Mount Vernon Grounds

shalom,

Steven

Another Amusing Lord of the Rings Quiz

Congratulations! You're Legolas!


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

Prayer Requests-Christmas Eve 2003

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.

One of the Great Delights of Christmas in a Heavily Latin Influenced Area

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

Prayer Requests 12/23/03

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.

Dorothy Day: Several Hours Later

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.

Calling all Cars

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

Current Reading--Bad Pope, Great Saint?

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]

On Return of the King

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.

Praise and Prayer 12/22/03

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.