Non Tasarmi, Fratello!

“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There’s always laughter and good red wine. At least I’ve always found it so. Benedicamus Domino!” Hillaire Belloc

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Sunday of The Divine Mercy

St. Joseph's is honored to be the custodian of the icon of The Divine Mercy. So what's an icon, and what does it DO?

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

St. Joseph's Cathedral

 
It's been a long time since I posted a picture of a truly ugly cathedral, so I present you....

ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL IN KUCHING MALAYSIA!

This is the entrance. It looks very much like an entrance to a baseball stadium, or the gate they use at the start of a horse race. What it DOESN'T look like is the entry to a cathedral. If Archbishop Burke was in Mayasia, he'd excommunicate the architect.
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Friday, March 28, 2008

Papal Skateboard Art Design Contest

 

The Archdiocese of New York welcomes the Pope to the United States by hosting... a Papal Skateboard Art Design Contest. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.

Here are some of the submissions so far.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Freedom Never Cries



Every Sunday, we pray for our country. Without men like Fred Furguson, we wouldn't be the country we are. That's him behind the counter...

You kids know about the Choate Medical Center in Anna, right? Did you know the man for whom the Center is named, Clyde Choate, won the Medal of Honor?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Exultet

Pope Benedict XVI Says...

From Thursday's Chrism Mass...

"To be a priest, the Holy Father continued, means standing before God, representing the people. To do so properly, the priest must remain close to both God and his people, dedicating himself to service.

That abdication of self goes against the against the grain of modern culture, the Pope said, noting that our society encourages "the temptation to be totally autonomous, to follow only one's own will."

Sunday, March 23, 2008

We Are an Easter People - who DANCE!

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

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Easter Sunday Mass, 1941



The actual Mass starts around the 7 minute mark. The English commentary by then Msgr. Fulton Sheen is very, very informative.

Vengance is mine, sayeth the Lord

Did you notice that all of the Catholic schools playing in the NCAA basketball playoffs LOST on Good Friday?

If you haven't done so, make sure to fill out you NCAA brackets. That's the National Catholic Church Attendance Association brackets.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Exultet

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Bishop Braxton Responds

"Just days before my Installation, the Administrator of the Diocese informed me that a group of priests wanted to meet with me in the rectory of what would soon be my Cathedral Church. I went to the meeting with no knowledge of what the meeting was about. The meeting was with a group of priests who I did not know at all, having never met them or spoken to them before. They certainly did not know me. To my surprise, the purpose of the meeting was to inform me that I should reject the appointment by the Holy Father to be your Bishop that I should cancel the Installation ceremony and step aside so that a more suitable Bishop could be chosen. For a period of more than two hours, these priests told me that there was a "firestorm of hatred" against me in Belleville, that I was not welcome here, that I would never be welcome here, that very few people would attend my Installation, and that they had investigated my history and could not find even one person from anyplace where I have served around the country who had anything positive to say about me. They also told me they had incriminating information against me which might be released, if I did not heed their words. They were quite insistent that I had no choice but to leave."

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Father McGivney

 

From the Canadian Press:

"Pope Benedict on Saturday set the founder of the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest lay Catholic groups, on the path to possible beatification and sainthood, the Vatican said.

The Pope recognized the "heroic virtues" of reverend Michael McGivney, who in 1882 created a fraternal society for Catholic men who suffered discrimination because of their religion and immigrant origins."

If he makes it, he'll become the first American priest to attain sainthood.
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From The Charter of the Massachussetts Bay Colony, 1691

“[T]here shall be a liberty of Conscience allowed in the Worship of God to all Christians (Except Papists) Inhabiting or which shall Inhabit or be Resident within our said Province or Territory.” You can try to read the whole thing here.

This may explain why Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry are such lousy Catholics. They're afraid of being run out of the state...

Monday, March 17, 2008

The "New" List of SIns

Sr. Mary Martha adds:

1) Cell Phones, Most of the Time
2) That Woman on the Food Network Who Cooks Southern Food
3) Grill Work - For Your Teeth

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Corporal Works of Mercy

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bishop Edward Braxton

 


According to this report, 45 priests in the Belleville Diocese (60% of the total) have released a statement calling on Bishop Braxton to resign. It seems that this was a long simmering dispute that reached a head with the disclosure of the Bishop's improper expenditures of late.

The statement says in part "(b)ecause of the Bishop’s lack of cooperation, consultation, accountability and transparency, it is the judgment of a great number of the presbyterate that he has lost his moral authority to lead and govern our Diocese."

Do I understand this correctly? These priests have their cassocks in a bundle because the Bishop has hurt their feelings?

This is wrong on so many levels. For instance, the call for the Bishop's resignation comes during LENT, a time of reconciliation.

But here's the bigger problem. Every modern day Pope has made it a point to stress to priests the importance of two virtues: humility and obedience. Humility is hard work for everyone, but priests especially. Think of the enormous power of a priest. Without priests, their can be no consecration of the Eucharist and therefore no physical presence of the Real Christ on earth. Without priest, no absolution of sins through reconciliation. No priests, no absolution of sins for the sick and dying. Humililty must be especially difficult for a priest. Drawing media attention to themselves, their profound thoughts, and their superior judgement flies in the face of the whole humiliation thing, don't you think?

Priests aren't ordained for themselves but rather, for others (like you and me). They also have to WORK with others, and that includes the other priests united within the Church hierarchy. Bishops must be obedient also. A priest is obliged to submit his free will to the Bishop UNLESS the Bishop is not obeying the Vicar of Christ. As far as I can tell, Bishop Braxton has not disobeyed his superiors.

These priests need to reconsider their choices, and pray for humility and obedience. And we should join them in that prayer.
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Archbishop Burke of St. Louis

 

Yesterday, Archbishop Burke excommunicated two more people for being in schism. It's a long story, but it has to do with the closing of St. Stanislaus Church. The Archbishop wanted the church closed; some members of the church decided they wouldn't. They decided to set up a "Catholic" church outside the purview of the Bishop.

The Archbishop Burke warned the two individuals three times NOT to join the Board of St. Stanislaus Kostka, but they didn't listen.

That makes FIVE excommunications in two days!

There's more information here.

By the way, Archbishop Burke is from Wisconsin, home of the 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest.
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And on the 6th Day...

 

God created a Guyer cheese from Switzerland (winner of the 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin). And crackers.

On the seventh day, He rested. And watched the Green Bay Packers in high def.
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Friday, March 14, 2008

Women Priests

 

Some people think the Church should start ordaining women. Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis is not one of them...

"I have communicated with Ms. Fresen, Ms. Hudson, and Ms. McGrath, and informed them that if they participated in an attempted female ordination, they would be excommunicating themselves from the Catholic Church. In the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed that the Catholic Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women. This teaching is to be held definitively by all the faithful as belonging to the deposit of faith. Because they participated in the attempted ordination, Church law requires me to publicly declare the excommunication."
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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hi, Mrs. Whalen!

HEY! I thought you guys said you were GERMAN! My PSR Class Can Cut the RUG!

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

New SIns?

The Regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, has found SEVEN new sins to confess to! Things like international drug trafficking, degrading the environment, and fetal stem cell research are now on the list of things that we shouldn't do and must confess.

At least according to the media.

A couple of points:

1) Can I borrow your list of sins? I can't find mine... OH WAIT! It's because one doesn't exist! To suggest that there is such a thing means that sins are determined by the men of the Vatican. They're not. Sins are the violation of GOD'S laws, not man's.

2) The Catholic Catechism states:

"Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law."

A sin is a sin is a sin. What the media calls "new sins" are nothing of the kind. They are sins. Always have been, always will be. And no, the "Seven Deadly Sins" are categories of sin, not a list.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Those Crazy, Kooky Mormons

At least they didn't behead a real person like some other cultish religion would have.

Feast of St. Kessag

 

St. Kessag was an Irishman who went to Scotland as a missionary, setting up shop on Monk's Island in Loch Lomond. He was martyred. That's about all we know about him. BUT...

The ancient Colquhoun clan became the guardians of his crozier. The Colquhouns were lords of the land west of the Loch, which was given to them in the early 13th century for their support of Robert the Bruce in the battle for Scotland's independence.

So who was Robert the Bruce, you ask? He became the actual liberator of Scotland, but in 1303 he and all of clan leaders surrendered to the English with the exception of one - WILLIAM WALLACE. And who was William Wallace? "Braveheart"!

Robert the Bruce is buried in Dumfermline Abby, but his heart is buried at Melrose Abbey...his heart took a detour to Grenada after being carried there for inspiration by Scottish troops during the Crusades.

The picture is of the Colquhoun Clan's tartan.
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What Will The Pope Say to American Catholic University Presidents?

Become more Catholic... or ELSE!

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Missionaries

 

We talked in class a few weeks ago about St. Francis Xavier (he's the guy whose body is in Goa, India but his right arm is in Rome). He's the patron saint of foreign missions. I saw this picture and it made me think of him.

It must be hard work being a missionary...
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Iditarod Update

 

Last year's winner, Lance Mackey, was the first one out of Kaltag and is on his way to Unalakleet.

He wears #13 because his father (Dick)and older brother(Rick) both won the Iditarod wearing the same number. His dad won is 1978, his brother in 1981.
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Last Sunday's Class

 

Last Sunday, we talked about Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to the U.S. and the interfaith meeting he is going to hold. The Sikhs were balking about attending because they would not be allowed to bring their kirpans ("Swords of Mercy"). This is what a kirpan looks like. I think I understand the concerns of the Secret Service.

Of course, when we honor Saint Boniface on June 5th by carry our axes around, we can expect the same kind of treatment.
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Saturday, March 01, 2008

Change the Formula?

When I read this headline, "Feminist formula makes Baptism invalid, Vatican rules", I couldn't figure out what they were talking about. You can't change the formula for water, can you? What else is there? Well, salt is used. Don't think you can change that either, unless you use sea salt or something. Chrism? that's has to be it - it's a mixture of balsam and oil.


But NO! It's talking about the WORDS used in the baptism. It appears that some priests have changed "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" to "In the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier". Why? because some feminists get all wobbly in the knees and take to the fainting couch when they hear masculine nouns!

Well guess what? The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says that if you were baptized using the new lingo, you better get baptized again because your first attempt isn't valid.

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