Pope Struggles to Finish Homily

From My Way - News:



"The devout crowd of about 200,000 listened to his words from a field on the banks of the Gave River in the shadow of the basilica built over the grotto where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to the peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.



They cheered him like coaches for a struggling athlete when his words faltered and when he gasped for breath.



At one point he was heard to mutter softly in Polish: 'Help me,' and later said 'I have to finish.' An aide brought him some water in a white plastic cup and he finished his sermon."

Sad News

From My Way News:



"The death toll from Hurricane Charley rose early Saturday, when a county official said there had a been 'significant loss of life' at a mobile home park and deputies were standing guard over stacks of bodies because the area was inaccessible to ambulances.



Wayne Sallade, Charlotte County's director of emergency management, said early Saturday that there were 'a number of fatalities' at the mobile home park, and that there were confirmed deaths in at least three other areas in the county.



The eye of the worst hurricane to hit Florida in a dozen years passed directly over Punta Gorda, a town of 15,000 which took a devastating hit Friday."

Hurricane Charley Now Category 4

Pray for the folks in Florida...



Expected to make landfall right about now.. from CNN.com - Dangerous Hurricane Charley now Category 4 - Aug 13, 2004:



"Hurricane Charley, now a powerful Category 4 storm, is expected to make landfall in west Florida's Charlotte Harbor before 4 p.m. ET, the National Weather Service reports.



Hurricane Charley's winds had increased to 145 mph (233 kph), with higher gusts.



The storm was headed toward the Fort Myers-Port Charlotte area, after jogging slightly to the right, said Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.



Originally, Charley was expected to make landfall at Tampa to the north. "

Julia Child Dead at 91

The French Chef...



From CNN.com - Julia Child dead at 91 - Aug 13, 2004:



"Julia Child, who revolutionized cooking in the United States with her cooking school, cookbooks and television shows, has died, according to a statement from her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. She was 91.



Child died at her home in Santa Barbara, California, according to the release.



Years before any television chef said 'bam,' Child was on public television instructing Americans in a warbling voice and a mischievous manner how to prepare everything from omelets to sweetbreads to coq au vin."

Girl's First Communion Invalidated

Not the first time this has come up. In fact we did a book on this a few years ago that argues quite convincingly why the matter of the Sacraments matters, I include a link to that book which deals with all the Sacraments including marriage (man and woman being the matter) and priesthood (a male being the matter).



It should be pointed out that the young girl could receive the Precious Blood and that she would be receiving the whole Christ...but these issues usually involve someone trying to make a point rather than any real search for the truth.



FromGirl's First Communion invalidated over wheat-free wafer - billingsgazette.com:



"A Monmouth County, N.J., woman is battling the Catholic Church after church officials invalidated her 8-year-old's First Communion because she received a wheat-free wafer, contrary to church tradition.



Liz Pelly-Waldman's daughter, Haley, suffers from a rare digestive disorder and can't consume the wheat wafer that Catholics believe becomes the body of Christ during Communion.

Pelly-Waldman initially asked her priest to allow Haley to eat bread made without gluten, which is a component of wheat.



But the priest refused. And when Pelly-Waldman found a priest who would serve Haley a gluten-free wafer, the Diocese of Trenton, N.J., stepped in and declared that the Communion was invalid. "

New Bishop for Buffalo

It's official, here is an article speculating on it. Kimiec from Nashville was named today.



From Buffalo News - Diocese looks to Nashville prelate:



"The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo was preparing to announce the naming of a new bishop, perhaps as early as this morning, and speculation Wednesday centered on Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, the 68-year-old prelate of the Diocese of Nashville, Tenn.



Western New York Catholics have been waiting eight months for a successor to Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, who became archbishop of Hartford in December 2003.



Several other dioceses have been awaiting a new bishop, as well, but none is as large or has waited as long as the Buffalo Diocese.

Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz has been leading the diocese in the absence of what is known as the 'ordinary' bishop. "

Pope's Emissary Shuts Down Child Porn Seminary

From Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Pope's Emissary Shuts Down Child Porn Seminary:



"A papal emissary shut down an Austrian seminary amid a child porn investigation, saying that past procedures for selecting students for the programme were inadequate.



Cardinal Klaus Kueng said he regrets that the seminary had veered away from its mission of training young men to serve the Roman Catholic Church.



"I am closing the seminary right away," he said.



The Vatican inspector had promised a "brisk investigation" into the discovery of child porn at a Roman Catholic seminary and pledged to do whatever it takes to restore faith and credibility to Austria's scandalised church."

Book Recommendation from Father Groeschel

Pertinent to this week's visit to Lourdes by the Pope.



From 8/11/2004:



"As I mentioned a few weeks ago, a remarkable book came into my hands recently called Healing Fire of Christ by Father Paul Glynn, published last year by Ignatius Press. It is reflections on modern miracles. Father Glynn has done his homework and researches and quotes not only many medical professionals who have studied the cures of Lourdes but also the critics and those who attack the miracles without ever having been there. The most famous of these was the French writer Emil Zola, but the attacks continue today."

Bin Laden Hints Major Assassination

Pray for the Pope and his visit to Lourdes this week.



From Bin Laden hints major assassination - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - August 11, 2004:



"U.S. intelligence officials say a high-profile political assassination, triggered by the public release of a new message from Osama bin Laden, will lead off the next major al Qaeda terrorist attack, The Washington Times has learned.



The assassination plan is among new details of al Qaeda plots disclosed by U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports who, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the killing could be carried out against a U.S. or foreign leader either in the United States or abroad. "

Controversial Islamic Scholar Coming to America

To teach at Notre Dame...



From Crosswalk.com - Controversial Islamic Scholar Coming to America:



"A Swiss-born Muslim scholar scheduled to begin teaching at a U.S. university next month is a controversial figure in Europe, where he is accused of anti-Semitism and advocating violence against women.



Tariq Ramadan plans to teach at Indiana's Notre Dame University, instructing students on Islam, conflict and peace building.



Ramadan is the grandson of Hassan Al-Banna, the Egyptian founder of the radical Muslim Brotherhood.



With a perfect command of the language and a tailored western look, he is well-known in France, where disaffected Muslim youths listen to his speeches on Islamic pride. But some municipalities have barred him from speaking because he is considered a threat to public order."

Father Benedict Hard at Work Again

Will be on EWTN Live Tonight!



From CNS STORY: Father Groeschel slowed but working again after near-fatal accident:



"Father Benedict J. Groeschel, who hovered near death after a car hit him Jan. 11 in Orlando, Fla., is again walking and working.



The priest, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, walks more slowly and carries a cane for extra security. At daily Mass, he is usually a concelebrant rather than the celebrant. And an afternoon nap has become a new feature of his life.



'But I walked over a mile yesterday,' he said in an interview Aug. 9."

Asking or Telling God?

From Sacred Miscellany:



"What are we asking for? Another liturgical ephiphany this morning during the "Prayer of the Faithful" I noticed that a great many of the prayers involved telling God what other people should do -- international leaders, local government officials, "our parish community" (whoever that's supposed to be), etc.



This was an unfortunate contrast to the litanies of the Eastern Church. There you ask for peace, good weather, foregivness of sins, a happy (and not too violent) death. You also ask God to watch over various people, but you don't get specific about how He should influence him. "



A side note...the editor of my book The Power of the Cross entered "faith community" to replace certian references I had to the church. I changed all of these back to my original. I despise the word "faith community" because it is totally horizontal. The Church Militant may be a faith community but part of the Church lives in glory. Those catechized in the past thirty years tend to view the church as just "us" and forget that the Body of Christ is made up of the Son of God among others both visible and invisible when we gather. Blame church architecture and design for cutting out two-thirds of the Church, who at least used to be there artistically to remind us that it isn't just about us!

Chicago and Newark Lead the Way with Priestly Ordinations

From News - Catholic News Agency:



"The largest numbers of ordinations in 2004 were in the archdioceses of Chicago and Newark, which each ordained 14 men. The Archdiocese of New York ordained 13.



Some smaller dioceses marked a significant increase in the number of ordinations. The Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, ordained five men, ranging in age from 29 to 54. The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, ordained six, the largest group in 20 years. The Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, ordained seven, its largest number in 10 years."

Service Held at Chruch that Archbishop Forbids to Mass At

From The St. Louis Post Dispatch:

Karen Wilga was baptized in St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church more than 45 years ago. She married her husband, Vince, there in 1977 and watched her 25-year-old daughter Kristy exchange wedding vows there two summers ago.



Karen, 48, and Vince Wilga, 49, both of Florissant, are concerned the deadlocked dispute between the church and the St. Louis Archdiocese threatens the church's future as a place for their future grandchildren to worship.



"We just want our tradition to be here," Karen Wilga said. "Can you think of a better place to start your family? It's beautiful here."



On Sunday, the Wilgas joined an estimated 1,200 people from across the St. Louis area at a prayer service at the 102-year-old church, just northwest of downtown. The service replaced the church's regular Sunday Mass, halted by Archbishop Raymond Burke's withdrawal of the church's two priests last week.



The archdiocese says that St. Stanislaus' system of governance by a nonprofit lay board of directors is at odds with Catholic church laws. Many of the church's parishioners see Burke's move as a ploy for control over the church's $9 million in assets and property rights.



"It is strictly, strictly, money and power," said Ben Krauze, 64, of St. Louis, a church member for more than 50 years. "It's religious extortion."

Feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Better known as Edith Stein.

"I even believe that the deeper one is drawn into God, the more one must 'go out of oneself'; that is, one must go to the world in order tp carry the divine life into it."

Terrorist Plot ?

Was Harris speaking out of turn? Makes me wonder why she would have dreamt up the Carmel, IN angle in Venice, FL? And what it makes me think about right away is the power outage that struck last year on August 14th that knocked power out in New York, Cleveland and Detroit...was that a successful terror attack that was kept secret?



Makes you wonder...



From the old home town newspaper The Lakeland Ledger atTerrorist Plot Claim Is Disputed | theledger.com:



"In making the statement during a speech to 600 people Monday night in Venice, Harris either shared a closely held secret or passed along second-hand information as fact.



A staff member of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the nation's intelligence operations, said he had heard of no such plot.



And Indiana officials in the county where the power grid is located were at a loss to explain where the information originated.



'As the sheriff of this county, I would certainly be aware of such a threat,' Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Carter said. 'I have no information to corroborate any of that.'



In an interview Tuesday, Harris would not reveal the name of the mayor who told her about the threat or provide further details.



She said in the speech that a man of Middle Eastern heritage had been arrested in the plot and that explosives were found in his home in Carmel, a suburb north of Indianapolis.



Harris, a Republican from Longboat Key who is running for re-election, grew up in Bartow.



She said the case was an example of the nation's success in fighting terrorism."

Seer Dies

One of her prophecies was about the year 2004. Perhaps she had a premonition of her own death...from Spirit Daily:



"Especially now we get the question about the year 2004, which has been mentioned, in a certain way, by Venezuelan seer Maria Esperanza. I'm not sure what she has told others, but I know what she has told me: that 2004 will be the beginning of a 'new light' from Heaven.



What that implies is anyone's guess, perhaps even Maria's.



I took it to mean that God is sending new insights to us and that these will arrive both supernaturally and through various events that in future years will lead to introspection."

Feast of the Transfiguration

One lesson to apply to your life from this mystery of light is to say to yourself, even in the most trying of moments, "it is good that we are here," all the while asking yourself why God has put you here, right now.

Tonight on EWTN--Danny Abramowicz

On Life on the Rock at 8:00 Eastern...



He'll talk about Spiritual Workout of a Former Saint, the book that I worked on with him. Great book for men and women!

Joint Letter of Three Southern Bishops

"Worthy to Receive the Lamb"



From the Archdiocese of Atlanta site:

As bishops, we have the obligation to teach and guide the Catholic Faithful whom we shepherd in the Body of Christ. A fundamental teaching of our Church is respect for the sacred gift of life. This teaching flows from the Natural Law and from Divine Revelation.



Life is a gift bestowed upon us by God, a truth underscored by the commandment: "You shall not kill" (Deut 5: 17 ). The Old Testament also teaches us that human life in the womb is precious to God: "...I formed you in the womb..." (Jer 1: 5). The right to life is a value "which no individual, no majority and no State can ever create, modify or destroy, but must only acknowledge, respect and promote" (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium vitae, 71a). A law, therefore, which legitimizes the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion is intrinsically unjust, since it is directly opposed to the natural law, to God's revealed commandments, and to the consequent right of every individual to possess life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.



Catholics in political life have the responsibility to exemplify in their public service this teaching of the Church, and to work for the protection of all innocent life. There can be no contradiction between the values bestowed by Baptism and the Catholic Faith, and the public expression of those values. Catholic public officials who consistently support abortion on demand are cooperating with evil in a public manner. By supporting pro-abortion legislation they participate in manifest grave sin, a condition which excludes them from admission to Holy Communion as long as they persist in the pro-abortion stance (cf. Canon 915).

Amy in the LA Times

From In Spite of It All, St. Christopher Hangs In There:



"For young believers, the dichotomy between the historical man and his legend is neatly explained in a children's book, 'Loyola Kids Book of Saints,' which is sold in the cathedral gift shop.



In it, author Amy Wellborn writes, 'We don't know much about Christopher... but the stories we tell most often about Christopher [are] stories we've invented to help us figure out the best ways to serve God.' "

Coming in September--Order Now!

Horrible Tragedy the Result of Greed?

From ThisisLondon:



"Hundreds of people were left to die inside a blazing supermarket after security staff locked doors to prevent customers from running out without paying, it emerged today.



Initial reports suggested as many as 340 people were killed when the fire tore through a large shopping centre in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion after an industrial propane tank exploded.



Police have charged the store's owner Juan Pio Paiva and his son Daniel with homicide after they allegedly ordered security personnel to lock down every exit. Firefighters had to batter down the locked main entrance to the complex before they could reach hundreds of trapped shoppers. "

In New York-- Holland Tunnel Closed To Inbound Truck Traffic

From wnbc.com - News - Holland Tunnel Closed To Inbound Truck Traffic:



"The Holland Tunnel closed to commercial traffic heading to New York at 12:01 a.m. Monday, officials said Sunday evening.



The ban was "correlated to the warning about the downtown financial districts," said Tony Ciavolella, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.



He said commercial vehicles should use the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge as alternative routes. The ban would definitely affect trucks, said Ciavolella, but it was not immediately clear whether commercial vans would be prohibited.



The ban was not slated to affect vehicles leaving New York City. No ending date for the ban was set."

Goward Supports Pope on Women

From The Australian: Goward supports Pope on women [August 02, 2004]:



"Pope John Paul II won unexpected praise from Australia's leading feminist bureaucrat yesterday, when Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward branded the new papal document on women 'a small step forward for man but a great step forward for womankind'.



The Vatican document celebrates sexual difference, attacks extreme feminism for promoting a conflict between the sexes and calls for 'a just valuing of the work of women within the family', so that mothers who work don't have to choose to 'relinquish their family life'. 'What I think the Pope is recognising is that if we don't help women to work and have children we are going to see a continuation of the decline in the fertility rate and in the happiness of women,' Ms Goward told Sky News.



'When the Pope says let's get on with it and support women in both those roles, I think the game's over.'



An advocate of paid maternity leave, Ms Goward said the papal document - a Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World - could even help reverse the falling birthrate.



'We love being different and we love having children,' Ms Goward said. "

The Angry Reaction...

Over the Vatican Letter (see below)...



From Top News Article | Reuters.com:



"'This letter could easily have been written by an imam of al-Azhar,' she said referring to Sunni Islam's most respected institution of religious learning in Cairo.



'To be fair to the Catholic Church, no religion is a great friend of women,' she told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. 'They pay you a lot of compliments but when push comes to shove they ask you to stay in your place: wife, nurse, mother and grandmother.' "

Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfers

They regularly deliver golf balls to our back yard, a 1/4 of a mile from the golf course.



From CBC News: Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfers:



"Golfers often have to deal with the frustration of watching their golf balls swallowed up by sand traps or water hazards.



But at Riverside Golf Course in Edmonton, players have another type of obstacle to watch for -- squirrels. "

Zarqawi captured on Syrian - Iraq border?

Came across this, but haven't seen anything else about it.



From albawaba.com: Kuwaiti newspaper: Zarqawi captured on Syrian - Iraq border:



"Reports in Kuwait on Friday said a man assumed to be Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi has been captured near the Syrian border.



Zarqawi, whose Tawhid and Jihad group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Iraq, was captured during a joint operation by US forces and Iraqi police, Al Siyasah newspaper, quoting informed Iraqi sources, said Friday. "

New Vatican Document

LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE COLLABORATION OF MEN AND WOMENIN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

Released Today. Among other issues, presents a Biblical basis for the separation of the sexes.

First those that result from the Fall:

Original sin changes the way in which the man and the woman receive and

live the Word of God as well as their relationship with the Creator. Immediately

after having given them the gift of the garden, God gives them a positive

command (cf. Gn 2:16), followed by a negative one (cf. Gn 2:17), in which

the essential difference between God and humanity is implicitly expressed.

Following enticement by the serpent, the man and the woman deny this

difference. As a consequence, the way in which they live their sexual

difference is also upset. In this way, the Genesis account establishes a

relationship of cause and effect between the two differences: when humanity

considers God its enemy, the relationship between man and woman becomes

distorted. When this relationship is damaged, their access to the face of

God risks being compromised in turn.



God's decisive words to the woman after the first sin express the kind

of relationship which has now been introduced between man and woman: “your

desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gn 3:16). It will

be a relationship in which love will frequently be debased into pure

self-seeking, in a relationship which ignores and kills love and replaces it

with the yoke of domination of one sex over the other. Indeed the story of

humanity is continuously marked by this situation, which recalls the three-fold

concupiscence mentioned by Saint John: the concupiscence of the flesh, the

concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life (cf. 1 Jn 2:16). In this tragic

situation, the equality, respect and love that are required in the relationship

of man and woman according to God's original plan, are lost.

Then from the New Testament and how Christ overcomes this Fall for those who believe in Him:

“For all of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ... there

is neither male nor female”, writes Saint Paul to the Galatians (3:27-28). The

Apostle Paul does not say that the distinction between man and woman, which in

other places is referred to the plan of God, has been erased. He means rather

that in Christ the rivalry, enmity and violence which disfigured the

relationship between men and women can be overcome and have been overcome. In

this sense, the distinction between man and woman is reaffirmed more than ever;

indeed, it is present in biblical revelation up to the very end. In the final

hour of present history, the Book of Revelation of Saint John, speaking of “a

new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1), presents the vision of a feminine

Jerusalem “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2). Revelation

concludes with the words of the Bride and the Spirit who beseech the coming of

the Bridegroom, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev22:20).

Purpose of the document as stated in the Introduction is to spark conversation. I think it will certianly do that.

EWTN PRIME - Life on the Rock

Next Thursday, August 5th.



On EWTN PRIME - Life on the Rock:



"Danny Abramowicz , Former Pro Football Wide Receiver



Spiritual Workout of a Former Saint



Real Men Have A Spiritual Life"



Based on his new book:

Lourdes on High Alert for Papal Visit

From Expatica -- Living in, moving to, or working in France, plus French news in English:



"Some 2,700 French police will be mobilised next month for Pope John Paul II's visit to the southern 'miracle' town of Lourdes, expected to draw at least 300,000 faithful, officials said Wednesday.



Police and gendarmes will be tasked with providing security in the area and keeping traffic moving in the region, said Michel Bilaud, prefect for the Hautes-Pyrenees region.



The 84-year-old pontiff's visit to Lourdes on August 14 and 15 will mark the 150th anniversary of the 1854 proclamation by Pope Pius IX of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. "

Take the Devil Seriously, Cardinal Says

From Zenit:

We should take the devil "very seriously," but without losing confidence in the love of God, says the theologian of the Pontifical Household. Cardinal Georges Cottier gave this interview in the wake of last Saturday's murder of a priest in the cathedral of Santiago, Chile. The killing was linked to Satanism.

Q: In the great mystery of evil, how much does the action of the devil count and how much responsibility does man bear?

Cardinal Cottier: The devil is without a doubt the great seducer because he tries to lead man to sin by presenting evil as good. But the fall is our responsibility, because the conscience has the ability to distinguish what is good and what is evil.

Q: Why does the devil want to induce man to sin?

Cardinal Cottier: Out of envy and jealousy. The devil wants to drag man with him because he himself is a fallen angel. The fall of the first man was preceded by the fall of the angels.

Q: Is it a heresy to affirm that the devil also forms part of God's plan?

Cardinal Cottier: Satan was created by God as a good angel, because God does not create evil. Everything that comes from the creative hand of God is good. If the devil has become evil, it is by his own culpability. It was he who, by using his freedom badly, made himself evil.

O'Reilly - Moore

I watched the interview and I thought that O'Reilly didn't do Bush any favors. Here is a snippet from FOXNews.com - The O'Reilly Factor - Moore: Bush 'Didn't Tell the Truth':



"MOORE: So, you would sacrifice your child to secure Fallujah? I want to hear you say that.

O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself..

MOORE: Your child? It's Bush sending the children there.

O'REILLY: I would sacrifice myself.

MOORE: You and I don't go to war, because we're too old.

O'REILLY: Because if we back down, there will be more deaths and you know it.

MOORE: Say, "I, Bill O'Reilly, would sacrifice my child to secure Fallujah."

O'REILLY: I'm not going to say what you say, you're a, that's ridiculous--"

Great Quote About the Mass from Tolkien

From one of the comments. Can someone give me a citation of where it is from? I'd like to use it in the book.



Something to remember here is that Tolkien is undoubtedly speaking about Mass before Vatican II for all those who tend to think that everything was perfect back then.



J. R. R. Tolkien said:

"I can recommend this as an exercise: make your Communion in circumstances that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar friar; and a church full of the usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children -- from those who yell to those products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle is opened sit back and yawn -- open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to Communion with them (and pray for them). It will be just the same as a Mass said beautifully by a visibly holy man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people. (It could not be worse than the mess of the feeding of the Five Thousand -- after which our Lord propounded the feeding that was to come."

Thanks to Elaine! It is from here:

 

More Priest Problems in Scranton

From Scranton Times Tribune:



"An allegation about the incident 'recently' made its way to the diocese, according to spokeswoman Maria Orzel. When confronted, Father Shoback admitted responsibility and faced immediate removal from the ministry, according to a diocesan statement.



Ms. Orzel would not specify when the diocese received the allegation or when Father Shoback was officially removed. She said he was gone before the Most Rev. Bishop John M. Dougherty, auxiliary bishop, addressed the congregation during Saturday Mass."

Recommendations

Great ecumenical commentary on Matthew... (in two volumes)

Dolphins' Williams Retiring

At 27! Wannstedt should probably do the same before he is fired.



From Dolphins' Ricky Williams retiring from NFL:



"The Dolphins' series of off-season headaches turned into a crisis this weekend when star running back Ricky Williams told coach Dave Wannstedt he is retiring - a week before training camp.



Despite attempts by friends and colleagues to talk him out of quitting, Williams said Saturday he was overjoyed by his decision, one that has been months in the making.



'You can't understand how free I feel,' Williams said before boarding a plane in Hawaii and heading to Asia to begin several months of travel. Williams, 27, has played five years in the NFL, including the first three with New Orleans. He said he plans to file his retirement papers with the NFL on Monday or Tuesday."

Getting the Most Out of the Eucharist

Is it I Lord?



On the night before he died, Jesus shocked the gathered disciples with, "One of you is about to betray me." Everyone of them questioned him, "Is it I, Lord?" except for Judas who said, "Is it I, Teacher?"



In one of my favorite Churches there is a massive icon of Our Lord as teacher and judge. It looms over you as soon as you enter the church. It is not a kind and peaceful Jesus, but a Jesus who comes again to judge the living and the dead. Whenever I enter that church I think of Our Lord's Last Supper and find myself asking him, "Is it I, Lord?"

• Am I worshipping you alone or do I place an idealogy above you?
• Do I seek first the Kingdom of God or am I serving some other king?
• Do I listen for your voice or does the accuser (Satan) keep me from hearing you?
• Do I seek to be the judge or am I content to allow you to judge?

In a nutshell, am I handing over Christ or receiving Him at the Eucharist?

Getting the Most Out of the Eucharist

Thanks to all who have left comments so far on the posts below, if you haven't commented yet please do add your comments. I was mentioning to Amy the general tone of most of the comments (you can read them for yourselves under the appropriate posts)and in a nutshell she captured the ultimate source of frustration--powerlessness to change the situation. Ironically, if you quizzed the majority of priests, liturgists, choir directors about the state of the liturgy they would all say exactly the same thing. Who they would blame would differ depending upon who you asked but I know from experience that just about everyone involved feels the situation is out of their control. I even heard Cardinal Arinze speak to this recently. Feel free to comment on this, it is a work in process and all the reaction helps me to clarify my thoughts.



So where do we start and I mean all of us?





Realize that God is in control...

even when the modern Judas (fallen Apostles), Caiphas (priest who've forgotten God), Pilate (politicians who do what they think the crowd wants), and the rest of us who like the Apostles are never quite sure if we too might betray Our Lord and ever need to ask "Is it I Lord?"

Jesus told his disciples to expect persecution. "If they do this to the wood when it is green, what will happen when it is dry?" St. Paul told the early disciples to "Walk by faith not by sight."



The Eucharist is the memorial of the Lord's Passion. We should never lose sight of that! Whatever we experience at the Eucharist we should never lose sight that God is in control and we should trust in God more than anything else that irks us. We need to crush our own egos--all of us, priests, musicians, ushers, and the rest.



The Passion of Christ which every celebration of the Eucharist makes present begins in Matthew's Gospel with Jesus announcing it! In Matthew 26, the Apostle tells us that "When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and he Son of man will be delivered up, up to be crucified," (Matthew 26:1-2). The next verse details that "then" the chief priests set into motion their plan to kill Jesus. The evil they intended only could happen, once God allowed it to happen. This is a great mystery but one that applies to every aspect of our lives and is applicable to what we do when we attend Mass.



Some might think that the "novus ordo" or the "new order of the Mass" is the problem. I attended a funeral a few years ago that was conducted by the schismatic SSPX and I encountered as many "liturgical abuses" at that celebration as I have at any Mass I have attended over the course of my life. The priest, a convert stumbled over the Latin prayers, allowed a lay man who clearly was directing the Mass to do parts that are reserved for the priest alone and the same poor taste in music was illustrated throughout.



I have attended an Eastern Catholic liturgy in the past year where the lay women stopped the priest in the middle of the liturgy to screaming that they did not know where he was in the books they were using to follow the liturgy.



Abuses, imperfections in the liturgy are inevitable. Human beings are imperfect. St. Paul even says that we do not know how to pray as we ought but that the Spirit makes up for what is lacking.



The first step to getting the most out of the Eucharist is to accept that God is in control, not me. Whether I am the presider, the cantor, the reader, the congregant it is not about "me" it is about doing what Jesus told his disciples to do. Trust in God!

Stromata Blog: "Terror in the Skies, Again" --But Is It True?

Interesting take, update, etc. at Stromata Blog: "Terror in the Skies, Again" -- But Is It True?

Terror in the Skies Again?

Annie Jacobsen continues to detail her experience that may have been a "dry run" for a terror attack in the skies.



Find the original and follow-up stories at Home - WomensWallStreet

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"Married" Gay Couple Seeks Divorce

From CNEWS - Canada: Lesbian couple seeks divorce:



"Barely a year after an Ontario court gave its blessing to same-sex marriage, a lesbian couple is trying to untie the knot in what critics dismissed Wednesday as little more than a judicial stunt to test the limits of Canada's divorce laws.



The pair, identified in court documents only as J.H. and M.M., were together for five years prior to their decision to get married last June, but were separated just five days later - two weeks after the Ontario Court of Appeal legalized same-sex marriages. "

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Contrary to the fiction of the Da Vinci Code, the Church reverences Mary Magdalene and today is her day!



From TheOffice of Readings:



"When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord's body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: The disciples went back home, and it adds: but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.



We should reflect on Mary's attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved. "

Catholics Skeptical of Bishops' Handling of Sex Abuse

From CNS STORY: Survey finds Catholics skeptical of bishops' handling of sex abuse:



"U.S. Catholics regard the clerical sexual abuse scandal and the bishops' handling of it as two of the most serious problems facing the church, according to a study by two leading sociologists.



They found that most Catholics questioned in a nationwide telephone survey think bishops are covering up the facts about sexual abuse. Older and more active Catholics tended to have more confidence in bishops than did younger Catholics or those less involved in church activities, they reported. Nearly three-fourths of the respondents said the failure of bishops to stop the abuse was a bigger problem than the abuse itself."

"Judging" Keeps Us From Hearing Voice of God

Overcoming judging is my key priority in life.



From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:



"The temptation to judge others is the greatest obstacle in listening to God, says preacher of the Pontifical Household.



Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa made that comment today in reference to John Paul II's affirmation Sunday, when the Pope said at his Angelus address: 'To listen to the Word of God is the most important thing in our lives.'



Father Cantalamessa told Vatican Radio: 'In addition to the external obstacles imposed by the rhythm of modern life, there is an even more dangerous noise: the one which impedes our hearts from listening to the Word of God when judging others.'



This attitude 'makes us judges who judge the whole world. This silent 'noise' of the heart must be silenced in our minds -- at times even with violence,' he said.



'Enough, enough of this sort of reasoning, of complaints!' the priest said. He said people must tell themselves: 'I want to read the Word of God, I want to listen to the Word of God, I want to repeat within me the Word of God.'



It is an exercise that helps 'to pass from useless, noisy, egoistic thoughts to thoughts that come from God,' he added."

Pro-Life Democrats Will Rally Against Abortion at Democratic Convention

43% of Democrats identify themselves as pro-life...



From Pro-Life Democrats Will Rally Against Abortion at Democratic Convention:



"Though they constitute a sizable minority, pro-life Democrats are often the forgotten element of a Democratic Party increasingly dominated by abortion advocates.



To make their case that the party's extreme pro-abortion stance is alienating voters, members of Democrats for Life of America will conduct a rally at the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston.



'This is a homecoming party for the many pro-life democrats who have left our party,' says DFLA executive director Kristen Day. 'We are dedicated Democrats who are tired of standing outside the big tent.'



Members of the pro-life Democratic group will sport buttons with the phrase '43 percent of Democrats can't be wrong.'



That's a reference to a January 2004 Zogby poll that found 43 percent of respondents who call themselves Democrats take a pro-life position opposing most or all abortions."

Getting the Most Out of the Eucharist in an Imperfect Church

Please keep posting your comments in the post for Monday on what "obstacles" you encounter. In this post I'd like to hear what are the ways you find that in spite of the imperfect liturgies you attend, what helps you  deal with the imperfection?

 

I'd also appreciate it, if you'd react to some of these suggestions in how to deal with the imperfection:

 

Give Thanks! We all know that Eucharist means "thanksgiving."

• My attitude in dealing with the imperfections of liturgical ministers, whatever their rank is to often grow angry with their performance. In the process I realize that I'm falling into the trap set by the enemy. I'm in the presence of Christ that is reason enough to give thanks! "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" "You'll never wash my feet." "Doesn't this man know what kind of woman this is?" are all statements of discontent leveled at Jesus both by his followers and his enemies--how can I, realizing that the perfection of the Kingdom is only partially revealed here at this Eucharist rise above the foibles of the human agents? I realize by fostering an attitude of thanksgiving.

Take Up Your Cross--Realize that you have a sacrifice to offer with Christ at the Mass

• There are somethings that happen at some Catholic Churches that are wrong even by the Church's own admission. Enduring these abuses are painful to those who are aware that they are abuses. Embrace that pain, see it as part of the sacrifice you are offering with the one sacrifice of Christ at this Mass. Further, take up the cross to educate yourself to find out if in fact what you are experiencing as an abuse, truly is an abuse and if it is to confront the guilty parties face to face.  The cross is never a fatalistic approach but one that leads to the victory of resurrection. Expect that your cross will lead to a deeper conversion to trusting in God alone.

Reconciliation--Some of what bothers us at the Eucharist is due to the division that exist within the Body of Christ.

• Jesus told his disciples that if on the way to the Temple they realized that there was some rift that existed between a brother and them to go to the brother and be reconciled first and then go with your brother and offer your sacrifice together. For too long we have allowed the fractured body of Christ to limp in and out of our churches. We need to seek out those who we are irreconciled with and in Christ come together. Ironically this may mean excluding some who refuse to be reconciled to the Church.

Pope Sends Apostolic Visitator to Austria

To look into the situation there:

 

The Holy Father appointed Bishop Klaus Kung of Feldkirch, Austria as apostolic visitator for the diocese of St. Polten, Austria and in particular for the diocesan seminary.

From the Comments on Gay Priests

In reading over the many comments from the piece on Bishop D'Arcy's statement was one that I found both interesting and thought provoking. I'm including it here for others to read and to comment on if they'd like.  I would add to the comment below that the writer is absolutely right about parish life and heterosexual priests; while seminary life in a mostly male environment may be a little too tempting for  a homosexual seminarian, parish life with the large number of women present is just as tempting for a heterosexual priest.

 

Here is the comment of a reader:

 

As I have often mentioned before, Bishop D'Arcy's view is inconsistent, because it also precludes gay men from going to college if they're going to be living in a dorm, and gay boys from participating in gym class if they're going to have to change in a locker room. It would also preclude gay men from participating in team sports, among other things. Yet the Church has never taught that gay men cannot live in college dorms, participate in gym class or play team sports. So it seems to me that the Church's motivation for preventing gay men from becoming priests is not that it's unfair to them.

 

Also, Bishop D'Arcy's assertion that priests should be men who would make good husbands and fathers is absolutely true. However, this should be determined from individual to individual, not just by lumping all heterosexuals into the category of "good husbands and good fathers" and all homosexuals into the category of "not." On the one hand, there are many heterosexuals who would and do make terrible husbands and fathers, and there are many heterosexual priests who have no business being in the priesthood. Conversely, there are many homosexuals who would make good husbands and fathers if they were heterosexual, and there are many good homosexual priests.

 

One could argue, by the way, that there are many heterosexual priests who should not be thrust into a parish where they must work with and around women, while also trying to maintain a celibate lifestyle. So this is not just a homosexual issue. There are both heterosexual and homosexual men who should not be priests.