Gazizza.Net

Deuteronomy 25: 11-12 - Catholic Answers Forums

If you're like me and have the reference is to, here's the relevant verses:

When two men are fighting and the wife of one intervenes to save her husband from the blows of his opponent, if she stretches out her hand and seizes the latter by his private parts,

you shall chop off her hand without pity.

My hunch: it's God's saying "Hands off the nards" is always a good policy.

More likely: just another emphasis on the need for women to refrain from getting to close to a man other than her husband.

In response to the direct question of the poster, it's most likely a law specifically for the Jews that is not binding on Christians today. But "hands off the nards" probably is.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Since Pope Benedict did Mass at their park, the Nationals have been 8-3 at home.

(Source)

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hillary-ous Discussion |

But all that aside, how do we understand the apparently strong preference for Clinton over Obama? This question brings to mind a distinction a seminary classmate once made between what he called “Real Nuns” (RNs) and “Catholic Career Girls” (CCGs). RNs tend to be the ones in habits, ones who don’t sign petitions in favor of women’s ordination, and who seem to love everything about being Catholic. CCGs tend to wear business suits and are denizens of the CCD Congress in Los Angeles.

Obviously that’s a humorous caricature, but anyone who has spent any time at all in the Catholic Church readily recognizes the general validity of this distinction.

For our purposes, ”RN Catholics” would never vote for either Clinton or Obama, so they’re not included in these polls. Meanwhile, Clinton could almost pass for a CCG herself, and she certainly appeals to that demographic group. She is an “empowered” woman with an unthreatening, Christian-lite Gospel that would attract people who want the compassion without all the doctrine. With apologies to Professor Kmiec, I think Clinton is more of a “Catholic natural” than Obama when it comes to connecting with the religious sensibilities of lukewarm or dissident Catholics.

I think the primary reason is stated before the excerpt above: whites are trending Clinton.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I picked up this book after hearing an interview with the author on Catholic Answers Live. (Listen to the interview online.) By way of coincidence, the author Brennan Pursell is a professor at DeSales University in Allentown, run by the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales, who also run the best damn high school around. Oh, and while I'm on the subject of my high school: St. Mark's sucks!

The point of this book is to draw a picture of Pope Benedict XVI not just as a theologian or a Bishop, but as a Bavarian. It does an excellent job of showing how growing up in Bavaria impacted the Pope's life making him the person he is today. By the accounts of all who actually know him, he is a gentle, humble kind man who tries to lead and persuade, rather than impose his will as some stereotypes would have it. It should hardly need to be done, but Pursell takes the time to deflate the myths of the "Panzer Cardinal," claims that Benedict was a Nazi who shot down American planes, or that he's a hardliner who crushes all questioning on theological topics. He shows the falsity of all of those claims with specific examples from Benedict's life.

He also provides an introduction to Benedict's theological thought and beliefs which serves as an interesting starting point for learning more about his approach to Christianity. An interesting note: his thesis was rejected the first time it was presented due to his contradiction of the beliefs of a member of the board presenting it, and a poor typing job. He was given the opportunity to revise it and re-present it, only to have the board turn on each other debating his central arguments. He was, of course, ultimately allowed to pass. History could have taken a much different path had he been rejected again.

One thing I had read a while back, but forgotten, that the book brings out is that Bavarians do not really consider themselves German. Having had independence from greater Germany for much of history, they don't feel as as strong a connection with the rest of the nation. (Religious difference likely exacerbate this: Bavaria tends to be very Catholic, especially when compared to the Protestantism of much of the rest of Germany.) Bavaria was one of the most anti-Hitler regions of Germany, as it wasn't until Hitler was given dictatorial powers that there was much of a Nazi presence in Bavaria, and even then it tended to be "softer" than in the rest of Germany, while still quite deadly to those who openly opposed Hitler, and there were quite a few Bavarians who met their end this way.

This book serves as both a useful introduction to Pope's theological views and his many theological books and a reminder that we can't understand the person Joseph Ratzinger if we think of him as German. He's not: he's Bavarian as this book amply shows and explains. It's a great way to get to know our "German Shepherd."

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Loyola Press had a promotion where people participating in a parish RCIA program either as candidates for full communion with the Catholic Church or as team members could receive a free book from their catalog. I looked at the books they were making available through the program and selected Living the Mass: How one hour a week can change your life by Father Dominic Grassi and Joe Paprocki. I didn't really have high expectations for the book, as I had a hunch based on past experience with Loyola Press that the book would be somewhat fluffy and lightweight. Plus, you get you what you pay for, right?

Well, I wasn't wrong... The book was kind of light and fluffy and I didn't find much new in the way of insight. And the authors got some stuff wrong: they belittled the "old" Mass for giving people the supposedly mistaken notion that the priest alone, without participation from the laity present, performs the consecration, changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Of course, this is exactly what happens, as the priest-author should know, especially since he relates that he often celebrates the Mass alone, as priests are encouraged to do on days when they are not publicly celebrating the Mass. If the laity's attendance were essential to the consecration, then he couldn't perform the consecration alone. (I don't think I misinterpreted what they were writing; I read the paragraph a number of times.)

In addition, they seem to develop a false dichotomy between the body and the blood of Christ saying that receiving under the appearance of bread expresses our unity with all of Christ's baptized people, since "through baptism, we become members of his mystical body", while receiving from the cup expresses our "commitment to the mission of the church." There are a number of problems with this section. First, there is no separation between the body and the blood under the two different species. Receiving either under the appearance of bread or under the appearance of wine gives us the fullness of Christ's body, blood, soul and divinity. Receiving under both species is not necessary. While describing that way might be helpful and make it more meaningful, implying that both are necessary is incorrect and against the long-held teaching of the Church. Additionally, if receiving under the form of bread expresses our unity with all the baptized, why has the Catholic Church always restricted reception to those in full communion and good standing with the Catholic Church, excluding those Catholics not yet admitted to Communion, those not in a state of grace, and non-Catholic Christians?

I can't really recommend this book. The theology is shaky and I think it really fails in its main mission of inspiring us to live the Mass during the week.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't think so either, but the American Papist spotted her wearing a Marian bracelet on the day of the Pennsylvania primary. (Follow the link to see pictures.)

In the spirit of my hopes that President Bush might join the Church, I'll repeat that all are welcome, even Hillary.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Historical Christian: Catholicism and the Pope: Articulating the Truth about Life

Sometimes it was subtle, such as in the preaching of accepted theological “truths” that, in time, I began to notice weren’t always consistent with, and sometimes contradicted, what I was reading in the bible, though they claimed to take the bible “literally.” And sometimes it was overt, like the time when, idling around after church one day, I saw a pastor heft his bible in the air and say to bystanders, “We don’t need anything but this! We don’t need college degrees, or psychology, or anything else except the bible!” It struck me as odd – especially as an intelligent, fairly intellectually-inclined woman. God did give us brains, you know. Aren’t we supposed to use them?

When I began to encounter Catholic teaching, I also began to encounter real intellectual challenge and rigor of a kind I didn’t know existed in the Christian world - I have to say the greatest intellectual challenge and rigor I've ever encountered anywhere, an unflinching, relentlessly logical examination of the reality of life, what it means to live, and how to live. The light of Revelation, explained and articulated by the Catholic Church, is no myth - it is the brilliant light that illuminates reality, shows us reality, what reality really is, and how to live in and according to it.

Anyone who thinks Catholicism is just a collection of superstitions or myths or fables simply does not know what they are talking about. They've either never examined, or not with real intellectual honesty, what the Church actually teaches, or have examined it with such deeply ingrained prejudices that they simply cannot not see the truth for what it is (and I have met a few like that). I challenge anyone to honestly study and reflect on the Church teachings of recent decades, with the aim to truly understand them, not simply mock or try to disprove them, and not come away profoundly moved and awed.

I studied, and I am a Catholic today as a result. I found truth here of a kind nowhere else on earth, because it is not of earth, but of God, Whom I now profoundly believe in with both the assent of faith and with the truth of reason – God the Creator and Source and Orderer of all reality, of all that is, in Whom and only in Whom can one truly understand everything else that is.

I've had much the same experience, with the exception of being a cradle Catholic who for quite a while didn't let the Faith bother me too much. The more I read the Bible and early Christian writers and Church documents, the more it all fits together and the more Catholic I become. It often strikes me that perhaps some non-Catholics are so strident in propounding their opinions and attacking Catholicism because they're trying hard to jam the puzzle pieces together to make their picture, while in Catholicism the pieces fit together nicely and neatly creating a coherent, beautiful completed puzzle.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Available here.

Hat Tip: Disputations

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So it seems the Pope won't be performing an exorcism while at Yankee Stadium as I suggested to a friend he should. On the list of reasons for doing it, a prime one would be to remove a great source of evil from the world. On the negative side would be taking Major League Baseball down to 29 teams.

Apparently the Pope decided that damage to Major League Baseball outweighed the good of destroying the great evil that is the Yankees. Personally, I would have asked MLB to suck it up.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

For those who hadn't heard, I was fortunate enough to be given a ticket to attend the Papal Mass in DC Thursday morning. I've put the pictures I took (or those that turned out halfway decently) over on Flickr.

General impressions:

1) I understand why my pastor and associate pastor, despite having been invited were content to watch on TV from home. It was a long and exhausting day.
2) As a liturgical purist, some parts were frustrating as they didn't follow traditional norms. A friend of mine and I debated this somewhat yesterday and while I understand some of the logic behind some of the changes, I'm still not thrilled.
3) I was frankly too tired to get much out of the Pope's homily. Plus, I learn better by reading, so I'll be reading it once I have time. It was essentially about understanding our purpose in the world and centering our life around Jesus, returning to a favorite theme of the Pope's: Christianity, at its core, is an encounter with a person, not a collection of abstract ideas. Christ is at the center of everything we do, or should be. (I was very exhausted by this trip. Woke up at 1 AM to get ready for the bus. Got to the stadium about 6:15. Walked around a bit before Mass. Got home at 5:15-ish. Fell asleep at 7:15. Woke up by a phone call at 7:30. Fell right back asleep and slept until 4:30 AM. Got out of bed, watched The Office and Scrubs from the previous night on TiVo. Worked for two hours. Fell back asleep for an hour and a half. Fortunately, I was working from home. Even after that, when my dad stopped by, he took one look at me and asked what was wrong. Apparently, I still looked like hell.)
4) The DC government, given the fact it is regularly handling large events, should really have done a better job at coordinating these things, especially the departure. My mother and I walked 5 blocks, at the direction of police officers, to catch the shuttle back to RFK, where our bus from Delaware dropped us off, only to find out that the buses parked there shouldn't have been picking us up there. Fortunately, the drivers had pity on us and did pick us up despite it not being protocol. Similarly in the morning, our bus driver was told to follow directions contradicting the directions he had been given earlier. A complete mess.
5) The emphasis on diversity was bit nauseating. We're Catholics, we're supposed to diverse. Any diocese outside of the whitest areas in the country (Vermont, I'm looking at you) will necessarily have a tremendous amount of diversity. We're the universal church; let's focus on what unites us: membership in the Church founded by Christ founded on the Rock and Peter and his successors. I didn't have so much of a problem with doing parts of the Mass in other languages. (Although, let's be honest, how many speakers of Igbo, do you really think there are in the Archdiocese of DC? Interesting side note: the first two results of a Google search for IGBO turn up WikiPedia articles on the language and the people called Igbo. The third: The International Gay Bowling Association.)
6) The lines at the concession stands for souvenirs were insanely long. Why not just buy them online at PopeVisit2008.com?
7) It was very nice to sing some traditional music. When the Pope arrived, we sang "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," which is just a kick-ass song. We (well, some of us) sang verse 3 in German in honor of the Pope's heritage. That was fun too. And "Pange Lingua" during Communion was very nice too.

It was nice to go to, but I'll think twice about going to another one. It's the sort of thing you should do if you have the opportunity, but once is probably enough. Although, if I ever have kids, I may want to take them if I can.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...why not learn more about him at the Pope Benedict XVI Internet Fan Club.

And get yourself the "I Love My German Shepherd" Beer Stein:

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Bush greeting pope in big way - CNN.com

The leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics has been to the White House only once in history.

That changes this week, and President Bush is pulling out all the stops: driving out to a suburban military base to meet Pope Benedict XVI's plane, bringing a giant audience to the South Lawn and hosting a fancy East Room dinner.

These are all firsts.

Bush has never before given a visiting leader the honor of picking him up at the airport. In fact, no president has done so at Andrews Air Force Base, the typical landing spot for modern leaders.

Meanwhile, we have an article some link to with the description "George W. Bush, 'closet Catholic'":

Shortly after Pope Benedict XVI's election in 2005, President Bush met with a small circle of advisers in the Oval Office. As some mentioned their own religious backgrounds, the president remarked that he had read one of the new pontiff's books about faith and culture in Western Europe.

Save for one other soul, Bush was the only non-Catholic in the room. But his interest in the pope's writings was no surprise to those around him. As the White House prepares to welcome Benedict on Tuesday, many in Bush's inner circle expect the pontiff to find a kindred spirit in the president. Because if Bill Clinton can be called America's first black president, some say, then George W. Bush could well be the nation's first Catholic president.

This isn't as strange a notion as it sounds. Yes, there was John F. Kennedy. But where Kennedy sought to divorce his religion from his office, Bush has welcomed Roman Catholic doctrine and teachings into the White House and based many important domestic policy decisions on them.

"I don't think there's any question about it," says Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and a devout Catholic, who was the first to give Bush the "Catholic president" label. "He's certainly much more Catholic than Kennedy."
...
Moreover, people close to Bush say that he has professed a not-so-secret admiration for the church's discipline and is personally attracted to the breadth and unity of its teachings. A New York priest who has befriended the president said that Bush respects the way Catholicism starts at the foundation -- with the notion that the papacy is willed by God and that the pope is Peter's successor. "I think what fascinates him about Catholicism is its historical plausibility," says this priest. "He does appreciate the systematic theology of the church, its intellectual cogency and stability." The priest also says that Bush "is not unaware of how evangelicalism -- by comparison with Catholicism -- may seem more limited both theologically and historically."

Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, another evangelical with an affinity for Catholic teaching, says that the key to understanding Bush's domestic policy is to view it through the lens of Rome. Others go a step further.

Paul Weyrich, an architect of the religious right, detects in Bush shades of former British prime minister Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism last year. "I think he is a secret believer," Weyrich says of Bush. Similarly, John DiIulio, Bush's first director of faith-based initiatives, has called the president a "closet Catholic." And he was only half-kidding.

In 2004, after the election, I went on a retreat at Malvern Retreat House. Talking to one of the other retreatants, he told me that he thought Bush was practically a Catholic given his stances on many issues. I had to agree, and stated that he was certainly more Catholic than his putatively Catholic opponent. And as stated above, more Catholic as President than JFK. (I'll not compare him to Al Smith. I've got no beef with Smith, who by all accounts was a faithful Catholic.)

His brother Jeb is already Catholic. A while back there was a photo of W. with a picture of Mary on a table next to him in either the White House or some other personal location. He's gone out of his way to consult with the Pope more than any other President in history. Maybe another Bush will crossing the Tiber soon....

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

These are pictures of St.Bernadette who died 122 years ago in Lourdes , France and was buried; her body was only discovered 30 years ago. After church officials decided to examine it they discovered Her body is still fresh until today and if you ever go to Lourdes , France you can see in the church in Lourdes. Her body isn't decomposing because during her lifetime, the mother of Jesus would always appear to her and give messages and advice to all mankind on the right way to live on this earth.

Many miracles have taken place in this place of Lourdes and still do until today.

These pictures show her body after 122 years!

Scientist have wondered because this defy the laws of nature and instead of expecting a foul smell of a dead body, a fragrance of flowers can be experience when the glass coffin is open. Some say they experienced by just going near the coffin. You can visit the Church of Lourdes,France to verify yourself the authenticity of this truly wonderful experience,if you want to see a living miracle of our times.

Received via email

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hat Tip: Catholic Tube

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Family Guy Quotes - Peter Griffin Quotes (145 - 152 out of 362)

Peter: Woah! Is that really the blood of Christ?

Priest: Yes.
Peter: Man, that guy must have been wasted 24 hours a day, huh?

A number of my friends do find the above offensive, but I just think it's hilarious. It doesn't bother me too much for a few reasons:

1) Peter Griffin is an idiot and has misunderstandings like this all the time
2) It actually does reaffirm the truth about the Eucharist: it truly is Jesus, it's not often you find affirmation of Catholic doctrine on TV (although the Family Guy isn't bad on this front, considering the nature of the show)

It's so funny, I seem to recall they actually used it in separate episodes.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JIMMY AKIN.ORG: Calling Priests "Father" In Latin

So it seems that calling priests "Father" is something that happens in vernacular languages like English (Father) or Spanish (Padre) or Arabic (Abunah) but not (at least not typically) in the Church's official documents.

Interesting.

I said to my friend: "I bet there are a bunch of priests who don't know they are 'Lord So-and-So' in Latin."

My friend: "Let's not tell them."

The tradition of calling priests Father is likely a testament to their spiritual fatherhood of all they care for. Many people criticize the Church for this tradition, citing Jesus word's in Matthew 23:9: "Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven." (Make me wonder how some of those who cite this verse refer to their male parent.) But Saint Paul himself refers to himself as the father of the Corinthians: "Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel." (1 Cor 4:15) Plus, there are numerous references to Abraham as the fathers of all the Jews.

We obviously can't ignore what Paul wrote, and just cast it off as an error, unless we want to deny the inspiration of the first letter to the Corinthians. At the same time, we can't ignore Jesus words, either. So how to reconcile these passages.

Let's begin by taking a closer look at the context of Jesus' remark:

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,

saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Seen in the full context, this verse is an admonition against pursuing earthly honors and giving someone the honor and respect properly due only to God, not an admonition against honoring someone as having had a deep impact on your life or faith. So while it turns out that "Father" isn't an official title for Catholic priests, it's still an appropriate one given their proper role in our lives.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AmericanPapist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Photo: The Popemobile arrives!

"The Mercedes Benz "Popemobile" is transported on a flatbed truck along interstate 295 near the Delaware Memorial Bridge near Wilmington, Delaware April 2, 2008. Pope Benedict will meet top U.S. Catholic educators on April 17. - REUTERS/John Randolph (UNITED STATES)"

Hat Tip: AmericanPapist

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

See here.

The fact that there's a Father James T. Kirk up Holy Child on Naamans Road (see third listing) is a strong indication too, I think.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I remember a quote that if you find the perfect church, by all means join it, but remember that once you do, it's no longer perfect because of your membership. (I thought it was C.S. Lewis who said that, but can't find proof.) Obviously the founder of this Church didn't hear that quote.

View their website. (Note: it plays music automatically on load. I hate that. Plus, it's clearly "borrowed" from a CD, because the file name is a track number. Apparently copyright violation doesn't damage perfection.)

Hat Tip:The Ironic Catholic: Caption Contest #45

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Curt Jester: Is the Pope a secret Trekkie?

One more reason to love the Catholic Blogosphere: The Curt Jester.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God's throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night.

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

Listen to it chanted

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I hurt you? Answer me.

O my people, what have I done to you?
How have I hurt you? Answer me.

I led you out of Egypt,
From slavery I set you free.
I brought you into a land of promise:
You have prepared a cross for me.

I led you as a shepherd,
I brought you dryshod through the sea;
I fed you manna in the desert
You have prepared a cross for me.

I fought for you in battles,
I won you strength and victory;
Gave you a royal crown and sceptre:
You have prepared a cross for me.

I planted you, my vineyard,
And cared for you most tenderly;
Looked for abundant fruit and found none:
Only the cross you made for me.

Then listen to my pleading
And do not turn away from me.
You are my people: will you reject me?
For you I suffer bitterly.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's common to remember in our remembrances of Jesus' death that He died for our sins, but I think that's incomplete. He didn't just die for our sins, making atonement for them; he also died because of our sins. Through the Fall, we separated ourselves from God, by choosing our desires above His Will for us. We put our own desire for safety and security above his command to us.

So, we messed up God's plan. We should have been walking with Him in the Garden of Eden and instead we ended up banished from the Garden in desperate need of a savior if we were to not only regain our Heavenly homeland and unity with God, but to keep from sinking ourselves further and further into violence and despair.

It should be indisputable that, whether one accepts Christianity or not, Christianity has been a positive force in the world. Just compare the ritual human sacrifices that were commonplace in cultures all over the world prior to Christianity's spread. Even though war is too common nowadays, rights of combatants and civilians are acknowledged now, as compared to the common practices of widespread slaughter, enslavement or rape as used to be inflicted on the losers of conflict. While those still happen, they are far less common than they used to be. And, these changes came through Christianity; it came only because of Christ.

Without Christ, we would still deny rights to those outside our immediate family; women would be second-class citizens subject to the will and desires of men; might would make right; the world would be a place devoid of hope.

It's an irony that those most likely to deny the reality of sin are also the most likely to get angry, sometimes violently so, at the actions and opinions of those who disagree. Look at the secular Left today; often denying that sin exists, most of the anger and hatred in today's political debates come from them. If sin doesn't exist, what are they so angry at? It's no surprise this anger and hatred comes from the segment of our society that most vehemently denied not only Christ, but even the need for a Savior.

He suffered and died not only that our sins might be forgiven, but that we might avoid new sins. The wonder of the Crucifixion isn't just that it wiped away our sins, but that it is the source of the Grace we receive from God to avoid committing sins to begin with. The Crucifixion is the "power source" that makes possible the sacraments, through which we receive the strength and grace to avoid sins, if only we make use of them.

So, there's still work for us to do; sin is far too common in our world and in our lives. Indeed, every time we sin, we add to Jesus' sufferings on the Cross and in his Passion. Indeed, Christ's Agony in the Garden wasn't merely fear as to the Passion and Death He was about the undergo; he was actually experiencing every sin we ever committed or would commit. This is why Catholics show the corpus on our Crucifixes; it's to remind us of the pain we cause Him when we sin. After all, as we see in the Book of Revelation, His sacrifice is still continuing in Heaven to this day. It's also a reminder that, like Paul, we "preach Christ crucified." It's not the wood of the cross that saved us; it's the person hanging on it. Every time we view the crucifix, we should remember what we do to Christ when we sin.

So, while we rightly remember all that He did for us this day, we should also remember what we did, and do, to Him.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shroud Of Turin Accidentally Washed With Red Shirt | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

The Shroud of Turin, an ancient linen cloth believed to bear the image of Christ and considered by many clerics and devotees to be one of the holiest relics of the Christian faith, was inadvertently dyed a light shade of pink after being washed with a red T-shirt, sources reported Tuesday.

...
According to Lajolo, the damage occurred when Pope Benedict XVI, whose turn it was to do the Vatican laundry, did not notice that a brand-new, bright-red Hanes Beefy-T belonging to Cardinal Angelo Sodano had been placed inside of the consecrated cleansing vessel, the Holy Whirlpool 24934 top-load washer.

The pope then started a load of white vestments, including the shroud, only realizing what had happened when he returned to remove the sacred artifact, which is always line-dried
...
Though the discoloring of the Shroud of Turin has come as a shock to many Catholics, it is not the first time that a holy relic has been damaged. In 1983, several pieces of the True Cross were water-stained after being used as coasters during Pope John Paul II's birthday party, and in 1572, the knucklebone of St. Olaf was accidentally thrown out with a plate of half-eaten chicken wings.

Hat Tip: The Curt Jester

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Why I Am an Astronomer and a Catholic by Professor Dermott Mullan Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware

On Monday, March 17, 2008 at 205 Gore Hall, University of Delaware, Professor Dermott Mullan will continue the Catholics in Science Symposium with a talk that reflects on life as a working astronomer and a practicing Catholic, two identities which in some people's minds appear mutually exclusive.

This talk is free and open to all. It runs from 7-9pm. Refreshments will be served.

Hasn't modern astronomy proved that the account of the beginnings of our world in the Book of Genesis must be wrong? And hasn't the Catholic Church been opposed to science since the days of Galileo?

In his career as an astronomer, Professor Dermott Mullan has learned that the answer to both questions is a resounding "No." The God of the Astronomers is the same God Dr. Mullan has met in the Catholic Church and in the Bible.

The notion that science and faith are in conflict is a commonplace these days. But is it so?

Come to Dr. Mullan's talk and prepare to hear that truism challenged and turned on its head.
For additional information, contact Kate Rogers at 302-831-8480 or krogers@udel.edu. This event is sponsored by Students of Western Civilization, Catholic Scholars of Delaware, and the Catholic Campus Ministry!

# # #

But wait! There's more! Join us for

Why I am a Medical Technologist and a Catholic, Dr. Mary Ann McLane, March 24, 7-9 pm at 205 Gore Hall
Modern Physics and Ancient Faith, Dr. Stephen Barr, April 14, 7-9pm at 205 Gore Hall.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For the first ever, I actually laughed at an LOLCat:

see more crazy cat pics

Hat Tip: The Anchoress

Now, this doesn't change the fact that cats are pure evil and therefore beyond redemption. So, obviously abstaining meat would be pointless for them.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Singing In The Reign: A Biblical Basis For Mary's Perpetual Virginity? - a discussion of Numbers 30:3-15:

Now, what this means is that if a young Jewish woman--say, Mary, in this instance--took a vow of sexual abstinence, and her legal husband--in our case, Joseph--heard of the vow and said nothing, then the vow stands, and she is bound to keep it. This provides a solid historical basis for Joseph and Mary having a perpetually virginal marriage: indeed, Numbers is very explicit in the final verse that if the husband changes his mind "and makes them null and void after he has heard of them," the the sin will be upon him: "he shall bear her iniquity" (Num 30:15). One can easily imagine a situation where some husbands would think better of deciding to accept such a vow! But as Matthew's Gospel tells us: Joseph was a "righteous man" (Matt 1:19), and obedient to Torah. If Mary took a vow of sexual abstinence--and her words "How can this be, since I know not man?" in Luke are evidence that she did (Luke 1:34)--and if Joseph accepted this vow at the time of their wedding, then he would have been bound by Mosaic Law to honor her vow of sexual abstinence under the penalty of sin.

Hat Tip: Catholic and Enjoying It!

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So said the priest during the homily at the funeral Mass I attended this morning. I'm pretty sure he meant to say "grain" but it still works.

Posted by Paul Smith Jr at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Catholics Come Home: An seemingly excellent apostolate calling lapsed Catholics, and non-Catholics, home to the Catholic Church.

They've produced this excellent short video reminding people of all the good the Catholic Church has done over the millenia we've been around:

Jesus went to all the trouble to found us, the least we can do it join His Church.

Hat Tip: Driving Out The Snakes

Posted by Pau