You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June, 2008.
Thanks to Seminarian Matthew for sharing this video. Also read this post of his about the much-maligned pope.
Please share this video with others.
In the past, as much as I may have hated the Catholic Church, I never bought into the whole “Hitler’s Pope” myth. I heard it plenty of times, and my response was always: “For cryin’ out loud, people, put yourself in his shoes for half a second, and then tell me you could have done better!” It’s awfully easy to be smug and sling mud decades after the fact.
I hope to see Pope Pius XII canonized one day soon.
I don’t know about you, but I can always use help with this virtue! I love all these quotations, and find them very inspiring.
“The power of obedience! The lake of Gennesareth had denied its fishes to Peter’s nets. A whole night in vain. Then, obedient, he lowered his net again to the water and they caught ‘a huge number of fish.’ Believe me: the miracle is repeated each day.”
– St. Josemaria Escriva
“I often thought my constitution would never endure the work I had to do, (but) the Lord said to me: ‘Daughter, obedience gives strength.’”
– St. Teresa of Avila
“On each occasion I say: ‘Lord, thy will be done! It’s not what this or that one wants, but what You want me to do.’ This is my fortress, this is my firm rock, this is my sure support.”
– St. John Chrysostom
“The Devil doesn’t fear austerity but holy obedience.”
– St. Francis de Sales
“Obedience is servility only to those who have not understood the spontaneity of love.”
– Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
“Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”
– St. Thomas Aquinas
“He who is his own master is a scholar under a fool.”
– St. Bernard
I think that last one is my favorite of all, though! :)
The voting results for The Catholic Summer Reading Program are in, and the three lucky books are:
I am delighted that The Diary of a Country Priest made it to the top three! I read it last year and found it wonderful. It’s not the easiest book to read; it is a bit dense sometimes and contains some obscure historical and political references. But it is very rewarding! The film version by Robert Bresson is excellent too, both in its own right as a film and in the fine way it evokes the novel.
I think he might have learned that from me. Or from any number of other Texans/Southerners.
I can’t recommend this strip highly enough for anyone who is a librarian, library-lover, and/or book-lover!
Catholic Exchange has just launched its new Theology of the Body Channel.
It promises to be a very comprehensive resource with something for everyone: men, women, young adults, singles, spouses, priests and religious. It also has a special section about natural family planning (NFP) and one on freeing oneself from pornography. There are many different columnists, from different states of life, who contribute.
Go check it out!
I am a little over half-way through Brideshead Revisited. What a masterpiece! What a shame I didn’t discover it sooner. But I think I have discovered it at just the right time. Up until not very long ago, I don’t think I could have appreciated it as I do now. And even now, I probably am not appreciating it fully! I think it’s a book I shall have to re-read regularly.
I have been so good for the last month or so when it comes to not spending money on books. I’ve been checking things out from the library and/or reading things I actually already own!
My fortitude and self-mastery have lately been rewarded, thanks to the excellent folk of First Things and to Seminarian Matthew of A Catholic Life! First Things sent me a copy of The Courage to be Catholic by George Weigel as a free gift with my new subscription. I’ve been wanting to subscribe forever–but throw in a free book, and I’m done for! <– Remember this should you ever have occasion to ask me for anything, LOL! That’s a book I’ve really been wanting to read, so you know I’m completely over the moon about it! :D And now, Seminarian Matthew is going to send me a copy of the book to which he’s given a glowing review, Greater Than You Think by Father Thomas D. Williams.
Now, if I can get my own books done. :/ But I feel there shall be help for that as well! This weekend we begin celebrating the Year of St. Paul! I love St. Paul to begin with, but among the many things he is, St. Paul also happens to be a Patron Saint of Writers! So, I think this coming year may be a very auspicious time for writing! And more reading… St. Paul’s letters are some of my all-time favorite reading material.
For me, the main trick is choosing one writing project… and sticking to it. With writing, as with most things, my brain just tends to go in a hundred different directions! What to do? What to do?
My Patron Saints for 2008 are Sts. Martha and Mary, the devoted disciples of Jesus and sisters of Lazarus. From what I’ve seen, however, St. Martha is the only sister recognized as a Patron Saint. Her patronage includes: cooks, dieticians, domestic servants, homemakers, hotel-keepers, laundry workers, servers, single laywomen, and travelers. I like keeping Martha and Mary together, however, as they represent active life (Martha) and contemplative life (Mary)–which, as I’ve mentioned, are two necessary aspects of Dominican life and Christian life in general.
When I was first given Sts. Martha and Mary, along with the exhortation to pray for homemakers, I was a bit puzzled. I scarcely considered myself a homemaker, and found it a little hard to identify with, or feel any special sympathy for homemakers, whom I tended to identify with married women and mothers. But eventually, as I opened myself up to a relationship with these saints and to think more about homemakers and homemaking, things began to change.
First of all, I discovered that St. Martha is Patron Saint of Single Laywomen–that is me! That made me feel more “at home” with her and her sister Mary. It made me feel like one of the sisters! And I gradually began to look at myself and my home differently. I’d never considered my little apartment to be a home–but I became intent on making it a home! After all, I thought to myself, I am a dignified, educated, professional lady! Maybe I’ve suffered some hard times and some losses and some unfairness in my life. Maybe I’m not exactly where I would like to be right now. But God, and life in general, has been good to me, and who am I to complain?! All I have to do is make the best of it–and I’ve got a lot to work with.
I’ve never been the most “domestic” person on earth. But I found myself having more and more energy and desire to work around my home, cleaning, decorating, de-cluttering. Making it comfy, orderly, and pleasant. To my great delight, I found that putting my home in shape made everything better! I found it easier to relax, easter to read and study, and easier to pray! I found myself praying while I worked, and remembering that God is part of my life and my home. I’m not just working for me, I’m also working for Him. I felt that I was pleasing Him by my work.
Currently, I am getting restless to get into cooking! I’ve always been a bit discouraged by cooking–it’s really hard to cook when it’s just you, and there’s nobody to cook for. But now I think that cooking could be a great way to express myself and be creative! Not to mention eat more healthily! Considering I haven’t been cooking for myself, I have been doing pretty well with eating–I’ve lost about 15 pounds since the beginning of the year–pounds that I needed to lose. (Actually, I give most of the credit to drinking lots and lots of water!) Also, I think my improved domestic life has provided me extra energy to exercise more too.
I have to say, Sts. Martha and Mary have been quite devoted friends to me. They have “coincidentally” shown up in some important places in my life. The biggest example being my admission into the Dominican Order. March 9, 2008. The Gospel reading of that day was–believe it or not–the story of Jesus raising 
Lazarus from the dead! And St. Martha proclaiming her faith that Jesus was the Messiah. I swear I didn’t plan it that way–it just happened! :D
A couple weeks later, I was writing up things about the Triduum, illustrated by Bl. Fra Angelico works. I discovered that Sts. Martha and Mary are seated at the lower right-hand corner of Bl. Fra Angelico’s Agony in the Garden, seen at right! :D I probably never would have noticed that before!
So… all in all, it’s been an interesting and beneficial year so far! I look forward to the second half of it. I foresee cooking in my near future… buying more furniture and decorations for the apartment… getting in better physical shape… continuing to find a good balance between action and contemplation… deepening in my faith and in my friendship with the Lord Jesus… being at reasonable peace with my status as a single laywoman, and using this time to prepare myself for possible future wife- and motherhood… 2008 might be the best year ever! :D
Finally, I can’t close this post without saying: I definitely pray for homemakers now! I have the utmost respect for them! Whenever I’m tempted to be lazy or uncheerful at my own modest attempts at homemaking, I just think: If I can’t take care of myself, 2 cats, and a tiny apartment, how on earth will I ever keep up with a husband and who knows how many children?! But you know, a husband and family is what I want in my life more than anything in the world–so, it’s really great motivation!
OH–and if you would like to receive your own Patron Saint for 2008, I think it is not too late! It looks like the dear ladies at this site are providing them year-round! On the right sidebar, if you scroll down a little, there is an email link where you can request your Patron Saint. Go ahead! Enjoy your second half of 2008 with a special friend in Heaven! Of course, you may find they’ve been with you through the first half too!
From the Catholic Pro-Life Committee of North Texas:
Late-term abortion center in Dallas to close
Aaron Women’s Health Center performed abortions up to 23 weeks. Last day for abortions is reported to be Saturday, June 28th. Statement of the CPLC
- In addition to the CPLC’s regular prayerful presence and sidewalk counseling there, Aaron’s was the site of Dallas’ first 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil - the 2nd one held in the nation, from December 12, 2004 (Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) - January 22, 2005 (anniversary of tragic Roe v Wade decision) when it was remodeling to do late-term abortions
- Rumored to have been sinking financially
- Mass of Thanksgiving and Prayer Service tentatively set for Saturday, June 28th.
- 1 down, 5 to go. Last abortion center in Dallas closed in May of 2001.
Deo gratias! May the others follow suit in quick succession!
HT: Happy Catholic
“The virtue of obedience is an exalted virtue, eminently reasonable; it is not in the least servile or blind, but requires on the contrary the greatest freedom of spirit and the strongest discernment.”
–Jacques Maritain
I have learned the truth of this quotation time and time again, especially while struggling with Church teachings. Being obedient, especially to the Church, is so counter-cultural that you really do have to exert yourself, your freedom, your reason, your will. Always keeping in mind that freedom does not mean doing what is easy or what makes you feel good, but rather what is right. If you can’t exercise freedom, you will be more likely to just go with the flow. That is servile and blind! And the flow does not lead to God!
Obedience is eminently reasonable because it is about basing yourself on something much greater than your own weak, limited abilities, experiences, and perspectives. Any honest, sane person knows that they are not the be all and end all of anything. Why leave yourself to your own devices when you can rely on something much more solid, much more time-tested, like the Church?
Ultimately, obedience takes humility–seeing yourself as you really are, acknowledging that you’re pretty small. At the same time it also takes great strength and striving–realizing that you are capable of much more than just going with the flow and settling for the lowest common denominators. We are small, but we are also capable of great things. That is one of the wonderful mysteries of being human!
(Note: I received this, and many other excellent quotations, via Women of Grace Daily GraceLines. You can sign up to receive them too at that site.)
Julie at Happy Catholic has posted some capital commentary about the contretemps surrounding the new translation of our liturgical texts.
For my part, I’ve been too nonplussed by the whole kerfuffle to comment cogently.
I think I’ve hinted at my feelings about the new translations, but just in case: I want them done splendidly, and I want them done posthaste. And if they include words to stimulate and captivate my mind and spirit, that shall be more than copacetic!
From Catholic World News: Unite contemplation and activism, Pope says. Excerpt with my emphases:
Speaking to about 11,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope–who wore the broad-brimmed red hat, the saturno, to shield himself from the sun–summarized the wisdom of St. Isidore in a sentence: “Just as we must love God through contemplation, so we must love others through action.”
St. Isidore, the Pope recalled, lived at a time (560- 636) when the Iberian peninsula had been conquered by barbarians and Arians, and needed to be re-evangelized. Profiting from a rich family library, he developed “an encyclopedic knowledge of classical pagan culture as well as a profound understanding of Christian culture.” That scholarly background helped him to spread the faith in difficult circumstances, earning his title as a Doctor of the Church.
In fact, Pope Benedict observed, the circumstances of that era should be somewhat familiar to today’s Christians, who are witnesses to “the re-emergence of situations very similar to those on the Iberian peninsula in the 6th century.” Christians today, the Pope said, should profit from St. Isidore’s example as we are “called to bear witness to Christ at the beginning of a new millennium.”
Let’s see… contemplation, action, study… just add “community” and you would have the four pillars of Dominican life! Indeed, this little excerpt captures a lot of why I wanted and needed to become a Lay Dominican.
I wanted and needed the healthy and realistic balance of Dominican life, the fact that it is built on those four pillars. I especially like that it acknowledges the importance of scholarship and reason, while also bringing in the contemplation we need in order to know and love God beyond the limits of our reason, together with the love and support we give and receive through active ministry and community life. It involves the whole person. The Dominican Order is really focused on the human person, and on allowing each Dominican to be his or her own person, to develop and contribute his or her own talents, personal attributes, and experiences. The uniqueness of each person is one of the things that makes us human.
Our Holy Father is very right when he says that the circumstances of St. Isidore’s life–or, for that matter, St. Dominic’s life–should be familiar to us today. Barbarism and heresy are not just things of the past! The needs that St. Isidore and St. Dominic saw around them–the need for Christ, the need for the faith, the need for truth, the need for conversion, the need for mercy–are still in our world, and the world needs people to witness to those things, to let it know that its needs don’t have to go unfulfilled! Barbarism and heresy and evil may be rampant, but the world is not condemned to them! The world doesn’t have to accept and give in to them! We Catholics can serve as living proof of that, just as all our Saints before us have!
Prayer, action, study, community–these are the things that can see us through, no matter how difficult life and the world may be. The Dominican Order has taught and demonstrated them admirably, but they are not just for Dominicans. They are part of our timeless Catholic tradition. And I really like to encourage all my fellow Catholic laypeople, to embrace that tradition, in whatever ways and to whatever extents their own specific vocations may allow. Not everybody is called to be a Lay Dominican or a lay member of any other order, but I do think we are all called in some way to incorporate those four things into our lives. In fact, I would consider them absolutely necessary for being a practicing Catholic.
I’ve been meaning to write about this for several days, but this post by Fr. Longenecker has inspired me.
During the last couple of months, I struggled very hard with prayer. I just felt like I never had enough time and energy to pray consistently every day. In the last couple of weeks, however, I’ve really set my mind to rectifying that. I decided that I had to get my priorities straight: God and my religious life and my duties as a Christian and especially as a Lay Dominican simply have to come first. Without them as my center, I can’t possibly be myself, and my life doesn’t mean as much. How can they if I neglect the very source of my life and the vocation He has given me?
So I just set my mind to it that, at the very least, I was going to pray Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours every single day without fail. It wouldn’t matter what else was going on, it wouldn’t matter how I may feel or how tired I may be–I would’t leave home until I’d prayed, and I wouldn’t go to sleep until I’d prayed. It was very difficult at first! I always felt so rushed and distracted… and very tempted to rush past praying. But I forced myself to just sit down, take my book and pray. And not just speed through it, but take all the time necessary.
After a few days, I found that a strange and wonderful thing happens when I take time for prayer… it is as if time slows down! And the more rushed I feel, or the more tired or distracted–i.e., the more effort it takes me to slow down and turn my mind to prayer–the more time seems to slow down while I am at prayer. And the more time I seem to have for everything else I need to do! It has really given me much more peace and relaxation in my life! Over the last couple of weeks, I feel like I have gotten so much more accomplished, and in a more whole-hearted way!
I don’t really know how to explain it, other than that God provides for those who put Him first! He provides not only material things, but also time. And He provides much more of it than we could ever ask for!
Since that first week of praying Morning and Evening Prayer every day, I have also found more time to pray the Rosary and attend Mass more often during the week, to read Scripture more, and to pray more in the course of my days, whether at work or home or driving or walking at the gym or grocery shopping. Turning to God in the midst of any old circumstance has become more natural to me. And I feel like I am living my life more fully and more properly. Everything is more ordered–not in the sense of being restricted, but rather in the sense of everything working more smoothly, and resulting in greater peace and liberty. And what do peace and liberty mean for humans? That’s right–happiness! It is ours for the taking.
It sounds like it will be really good!
Hm… it’s not until September… that gives me some time to rustle up the means to get there! :D
HT: American Papist
I think everybody has probably heard about Canada’s Human Rights Beef with Catholics by now.
Fortunately, Father Alphonse de Valk is not giving in. Unfortunately, that steadfastness and fortitude come with a pretty big price tag: it recently hit $20,000 CAD and only stands to get bigger.
Please, if at all possible, go over to Catholic Insight and make a donation to help with the legal defense of Father de Valk and his work. And please spread the word!
May Father de Valk, his lawyers, and all Canadian Catholics receive the grace of God, the protection of St. Michael the Archangel, and the prayers of Our Lady, of St. Thomas More, and of St. Isaac Jogues and the Canadian Martyrs.
Here is a June 16th press release from Human Life International (HLI):
HLI President Calls for a “Generation of Assent” to Humanae Vitae
FRONT ROYAL, VA — The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International (HLI), has announced a “Clergy Pledge of Assent to Humanae vitae,” as part of HLI’s Humanae Vitae Initiative, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the landmark papal encyclical, inviting “every Catholic bishop, priest, deacon and seminarian in the world to sign!”
Euteneuer said the pledge “is a veritable manifesto of priestly love for our beloved Magisterium, doctrine and priesthood, in the face of a whole generation of silence and dissent to this most critical of all papal encyclicals, HLI is endeavoring to form a new generation of assent, both from the ranks of the existing clergy and among those who are studying for Holy Orders.”
He continued, “It is our desire and purpose to tell the world that we will not be silent about this encyclical or its teaching. Nor will we stand by idly when Pope Paul VI’s predictions of cultural and spiritual degradation are manifesting themselves around us in broken marriages, devastated families and pernicious immorality.
“We believe that the Catholic clergy has a large part to play in turning this situation around, and only a full, conscious and active promotion of the teachings of this encyclical by the clergy will be a force for change in our present culture of death.”
Clergy and seminarians wishing to sign the pledge of assent may do so electronically here.
The pledge may be downloaded in pdf form here.
The main website for Humanae Vitae Priests is here.
Wow–assent to Humanae Vitae? I find that most refreshing and encouraging! You can hardly get more counter-cultural than that. I feel that the majority of our clergy do support this encyclical, but it just seems like whenever you say the words “Humanae Vitae,” crazy dissenters come out of the woodwork! It’s like their rallying cry, or something. And that is a profound shame.
So, I am very excited and relieved to hear about HLI’s initiative to really take back Humanae Vitae for the faithful and make a stand by it. I hope that all of our wonderful, faithful clergy and seminarians will take the opportunity to express their assent to it and to reaffirm their solidarity with our Magisterium. They need to be heard by the laity and by the world. We need their witness. Badly.
Personally, I am baffled that there is still so much dissent against Humanae Vitae, given that everything Pope Paul warned against has clearly come about in our society: broken marriages and families, oppression of women and children, and a general lack of sanity when it comes to morality. Pope Paul has been proven right. Why can’t the opponents just throw in the towel? Are they really that far gone? Have they been totally consumed by arrogance so that they can’t admit they were wrong? Are they so deranged that they believe the Culture of Death is a good thing?
I do know this: such dissenters need our prayers BIG TIME. I’ve heard Fr. Euteneuer say that much of the death- and evil-mongering of the last 40 years can be attributed to demonic attacks, and that prayer is our most powerful and crucial weapon against them. That sounds about right to me. Otherwise, I just can’t make any sense of it. We humans are supposed to be creatures of reason. I don’t see all that much reason when I look at the world around me. Even within the Church there are pockets of madness.
I pray that the tide will begin to turn now in earnest.
Happy Father’s Day to all of our beloved fathers, living and deceased, biological and spiritual! There are so many wonderful men in my life who have helped me to be a better woman and a better human being.
There is my own father, of course, who has always been a rock-solid foundation for my mother and my sister and me, always doing and giving everything he can for us and for our happiness and security. He has always given to others as well. He has long worked in service to others, particularly blind and visually-impaired people. Among many other things, my dad has taught me so much about generosity, selflessness, and forgiveness.
I will never forget this one lesson he gave me in 2002, when we lived in Louisville. I was still in my apostate phase, but I sometimes went to Mass with him at the cathedral downtown, just because it was such a beautiful, peaceful place and I enjoyed the music there. Every time we went, there was this woman outside who would ask for money as the people left the church. And every time, my dad would give her something. After seeing this a few times, I said to him, “Dad, why do you always give her money? She could be a con-artist, she could be using it for drugs or booze or something like that!” He replied, “Well, maybe so, but who are we to judge? Don’t we all sometimes squander and abuse the things that God gives to us? He knows we do it, but that doesn’t stop Him from giving to us.”
I scarcely believed in God at that time in my life, and yet I was rendered speechless. Even if I didn’t believe in God, I knew that my father himself had given so much to me in my life, and I knew I had squandered much of it, but despite that, he had never stopped giving to me. Not after all I’d done, all the anxiety and suffering I’d caused him and my mom, all the burdens I’d imposed upon them repeatedly. My dad never once gave up on me or stopped loving me! He was always, always there for me, even when I was stupid, selfish, or ungrateful. Even when I preferred bad people and bad things to him and the things he provided.
That is the true meaning of fatherhood: that constant and unconditional love and mercy, that patience and forebearance, that giving without counting the cost. These are qualities we see in our Lord (incidentally, these are the themes of our Mass readings for today). We are also blessed to see those qualities in many men in our lives and in our world–in countless good fathers, grandfathers, uncles, husbands, friends, priests and religious brothers, teachers, and many others.
I would also like to add that it is men like that who influenced me, in ways big and small, to become pro-life. It was my father, it was my late fiance, Patrick, it was men like Pope John Paul II, Fr. Frank Pavone, and Fr. Thomas Euteneuer. They have been the greatest influences upon me when it comes to abortion and other family and life issues. I have since met many wonderful and inspiring women in the pro-life movement, too, but it was those men who really opened my eyes and got through to me.
And, for the record, I give money to people who ask for it at every opportunity, whenever I am able, and whenever I feel it is safe; occasionally, I do get serious “bad vibes” about people and situations, in which case I avoid them–I assure you that generosity has had no adverse effects on my common sense! And when anybody questions or admonishes me about it, I take the honor of telling them what my father told me. I don’t know if it ever changes anybody’s mind, but it’s far too precious a lesson for me to keep to myself!
Thanks be to God for all of our fathers, and may all men faithfully fulfill the vocation to fatherhood in one way or another!
Loneliness is a part of all our lives from time to time, regardless of our state in life. Being a single person, I find it to be more of a constant than I would like. So, I have sought, and found, some wonderful ways of combatting loneliness by prayer and by the help of some of our beloved friends in Heaven!
The first is this beautiful jewel of a prayer to that beautiful jewel of a Saint, Raphael the Archangel. St. Raphael has a rather vast patronage, but thanks to his role in The Book of Tobit, he is best known as Patron Saint of Happy Meetings, and is considered a special patron by single people looking for spouses. He can help lead us into all kinds of relationships, however, with all kinds of people: friends, relatives, coworkers, religious communities, etc. If it is a relationship we seek, St. Raphael is there to help!
O Raphael, lead us toward those we are waiting for, those who are waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand toward those we are looking for! May all our movements, all their movements, be guided by your light and transfigured by your Joy. Angel Guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of Earth, we feel the need of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy, all ignorant of the concerns of our country. Remember the weak, you who are strong–you whose home lies beyond the region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene, and bright with the resplendent glory of God. Amen.
The Church has also given us St. Rita of Cascia as Patron Saint Against Loneliness. I haven’t found a specific prayer to her against loneliness, but I do often call upon her prayers and assistance. St. Rita is well-known as a “Saint of the Impossible,” among other things. She certainly lived through her share of tragedy, loss, and seemingly desperate circumstances–but she never lost her faith and her trust. She is a wonderful role-model for us all.
Last, but certainly not least, there are our guardian angels, who are our constant companions every moment of every day and, indeed, for all eternity! Each one of them is unique, and each one is assigned by God exclusively to one human being–this should make us feel very special and very loved! I think we often forget our guardian angels, especially as we grow up. We may even think of them as childhood fantasies, like imaginary friends. Or, we may think of them in warm, fuzzy New Age terms. But the Church, following Jewish tradition, teaches that they are very real and very powerful, far surpassing human beings in their nature. They are neither imaginary friends nor warm, fuzzy New Age creatures. But in their strict obedience to God, they do love, care for, guide, and protect their human charges with great devotion. And we can, and should, think of them as very special and very dear friends. As such, we should strive to form real, personal relationships with them. When I am feeling lonely, it always helps to remember that I have a very remarkable companion who is all my own and who is unlike any other person on Earth or in Heaven!
All of this, of course, is thanks to our great Lord–He is so good, so generous, and so wise! He provides for our every need and supports our every weakness. Ultimately, He is responsible for healing our loneliness. Angels and Saints and other human beings are His agents. He knows that we need them, even though He is always there for us. Sometimes, I’m tempted to feel guilty for feeling lonely when I know God is there for me. But then I remember the story of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam lived in the presence of God, and yet he still needed somebody like himself–a fellow creature, a fellow human being. God created us with that need. He provided for Adam, and He continues to provide for us. He never abandons us, not to loneliness or to anything else. So we needn’t ever despair!
St. Anthony of Padua is one of our most beloved and revered saints, and we commemorate him today. Born to Portuguese nobility, he was a learned, gentle, but also very fervent man. Witnessing the return of the bodies of Franciscan martyrs who were killed in northern Africa inspired him to become a Franciscan friar and follow in their footsteps. However, he was destined to remain in Europe, living and working in Italy and southern France. While at first, he lived as a simple friar, his great knowledge and gift for speaking was soon discovered, and he went about preaching, evangelizing, and seeking the conversion of heretics. In fact, this gentle young man became known as “The Hammer of the Heretics.”
He is well-known for the story of his visitation by the Christ Child. It is said that St. Anthony was so good and so loving that Christ desired to be held in his arms.
He is also well-known for being the patron saint of lost things. It is said that his breviary, his one treasured possession, was stolen one day. He prayed very hard for its safe return, and the thief was stricken with remorse and did return the book to Anthony. So, the next time you lose something, you might call upon him to help you find it or see to its safe return.
St. Anthony has always been especially dear to me, because I grew up in St. Anthony’s Parish (Wylie, Texas). I always loved to admire his statue that stood near the church (seen above). He has long been a spiritual friend and father to me. He has helped me through many difficult times.
May the love and prayers and assistance of dear St. Anthony be with you all, today and every day!
I came home after work, tired and preoccupied by various things. I didn’t really feel up for praying. Many times in the past, that has been that. But this evening, I just sat down with my Liturgy of the Hours book. I took some deep breaths and looked at the Crucifix hanging on the wall. I thought to myself, “He has given me this day and seen me through it… now, it is time for me to give myself to Him.” So I prayed Evening Prayer.
I then decided to pray the Rosary. Again, part of me was reluctant. I just wanted to eat and unwind. But I took my rosary in hand and began to pray. From the beginning, I found myself terribly distracted by things that had happened during the day, or things I need to get done.
Usually, I really struggle with distractions. But this evening, I tried to incorporate them in my prayers. In the Mystery of the Ascension of the Lord, instead of worrying about all the things nagging at my heart and mind, I raised them up to Him, put them in His hands. I prayed, “Lord, please take my thoughts and feelings and worries with you to Heaven and make them better.” In the Mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, I called Him down upon all the everyday situations in my life, to shed new light and new life upon them and upon all the places and people I live with.
I can’t tell you what a profound peace I felt! As if a huge weight had been lifted from me! I feel like I have been released. I have felt the grace of prayer fill up all my weaknesses and failings and transform difficulties into blessings.
All in all, June is turning out to be a peaceful month for me. I’ve seen fireflies blinking. The heat isn’t unbearable. I’ve found a lot of time to just relax and pray and read and write. I’ve been able to wake up early and feel refreshed.
I just finished reading:
The Tiber was Silver by Michael Novak
It was originally published in 1961, and has now been reissued by Ave Maria University’s Sapientia Press. I found it a pleasant read, good for summer. Maybe not the most masterful novel–though certainly masterful enough for a first novel written by a young man in his 20s! The descriptions of Rome and the surrounding countryside were vivid, gorgeous, and provided a nice mental getaway. The story of a young American seminarian in Rome, during the last days of Pius XII’s pontificate, and amid all the confusing and tumultuous changes in the world, was really interesting from a historical and cultural point of view. At the same time, much in the story was timeless and even a bit prophetic. I really identified with, and felt for the main character as he struggled with his vocational discernment, spiritual crises, all the turmoil of the day, and various interpersonal relationships. I really liked and cared for all of the characters–and still do! I wonder what happened to all of them, especially during and after the Second Vatican Council, and where they would be today.
And now, I am starting to read Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Mainly because I grow weary of feeling like the only Catholic in the English-speaking world who hasn’t read it!
At this point, I would like to thank and to beg pardon from every gracious soul who has ever invited me to join a book club (for instance, Julie). I really mean well when I accept the invitation. I do try. But my heart and mind are just too unpredictable when it comes to their book cravings. It doesn’t matter how determined I may be to read a particular book at a particular time… sometimes I just have to go wherever fancy leads me. In part, it may be a lingering reaction to my school days, when I had very little leeway in choosing books for myself. And/or a certain degree of laziness and capriciousness in my nature. There’s always that!
As for my own great Catholic novel(s), I’ve gotten a bit of work done on them as well. One of them I’ve been working on since I was in my late teens. Over a decade now. I was asking myself earlier today why it has taken me so very long to write this story… to even really get it underway!… and I have come to the conclusion that, quite simply, it has always been destined to be a Catholic story, told by a Catholic. And from my late teens up until a few years ago, I was not a Catholic, and I couldn’t possibly tell a Catholic story! But in these last few years, as I have taken a new lease on life, so has the story. Not only that, but a second story has developed (hence novels, plural). Who knows where it all may go from here?!
Oh… I wish I had more time to read and to write! But at least I am finding some time. Thanks be to God!
I hear different opinions about the Sign of Peace during the Mass. Some feel that, at the very least, it should not take place where it does because it detracts from the Liturgy of the Eucharist and from Christ’s presence on the altar. Some complain that it is simply too touchy-feely and people go way overboard with the socializing.
I can understand these points of view. At the very least, I would say that as soon the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) begins, there needs to be silence and focus back up front. And I feel that, mostly, that is the case at my parish.
But overall, I find the Sign of Peace to be a good thing. I find that it is an opportunity to minister to others in a seemingly very small, simple way. I say “seemingly,” because you just never know when that stranger sitting next to you might really and truly benefit from a smile and a handshake and simple words of kindess: “Peace be with you.” And at times, you might be that person in need without fully realizing it until you receive that little bit of kindness. I remember times when I’ve been feeling lonely, or stressed out, or depressed, or ill, and I either wasn’t really conscious of it or I assumed there was just no help for it–but when a stranger showed that little bit of kindness and connection… it made a huge difference!
I also find that at the Sign of Peace, something within me has changed. My heart has become softer and more tender toward the people around me. All during Mass, I might feel distracted and even annoyed by some of the people around me… the horribly off-key singer, the woman with the loud jangly bracelet, the lovey-dovey couple, people who whisper or read the bulletin during the Mass, the person who articulates the prayers in a loud and ostentatious way, anybody who climbs over me in the pew… there is no end of little annoyances in a crowded church! But when it comes time for the Sign of Peace, those people become people rather than just annoyances. They become people with warm hands–living people, real people, just like me–and suddenly, I can just overlook any little flaws they might have. After all, I have my own fair share of them!
Of course, this change, this new surge of love for my fellow man, likely has less to do with the Sign of Peace itself than with the fact that at that point, Christ is really present on the altar, under the Eucharistic species. I know how His Presence transforms everything. I know how it transforms me. But I feel that the Sign of Peace may help us to be more aware of that transformation, that softening of our hearts.
Finally… you just never know when you might be sitting next to a future Saint. And if I have any opportunity to shake hands with a future Saint, then I’ll take it wherever I can get it!
In Canada, quite possibly so, according to this article by Peter Vere. Mr. Vere also warns us in the U.S. not to be complacent with our religious freedoms. (HT for article: Fr. Philip Powell, OP)
Gosh. To think that Catholics and other Christians could suffer persecutions in my part of the world and during my lifetime is appalling… stunning… and yet not terribly surprising! After all, I know firsthand just how much, how irrationally, and how venomously people can hate the Church and her people–I did it for quite a while. There were times when I daydreamed of Catholicism being essentially outlawed. I said, “Bring on the persecutions!” So, ever since I rejoined the Church a little over 3 years ago, I’ve suspected that persecutions might indeed be brought on in the not-so-distant future.
Naturally, that gave me some pause: Do I really want to want to rejoin this Church? Do I really want to identify myself as a Catholic? Do I really want to live with the possibility, no matter how slim, of facing persecution someday? It was a very serious decision for me. You see, I had decided that if I was going to rejoin the Church and become a Catholic again, I was going to do it all the way, and to the end. It was almost like deciding to get married. There was not going to be any easy out. I was never going to abandon my commitment. I was going to be in it through thick and thin, better or worse, life or death.
Obviously, I decided to go ahead with it. Because it’s just worth it. I couldn’t imagine giving up so much out of a silly fear. And I have never looked back. My life would hardly be worth living if I didn’t have my Lord and my Church and my faith. I’m not even afraid any more. No matter what kind of hardship anybody might force on me, I will always know that my Lord and King has already borne the brunt of it for me. To follow in His footsteps, in ways great or small, is nothing but a privilege unto me, and glory unto Him. So, whatever anybody might try to gain from persecuting me would be only illusory–in reality, they would only be glorifying my Lord! They might as well prostrate themselves before His feet!
So, by one of those funny “coincidences” of life, I feel like saying once again: “Bring on the persecutions!”
Together with other local bloggers, I have taken to dedicating First Fridays to praying and fasting for an end to Roe v. Wade and abortion in general.
I went to adoration and knelt before the Lord. I gazed at Him, and He gazed at me, and many things flowed between us, some of which I know I don’t fully comprehend. But one thing I did understand is that we, each and every one of us, belong to Him. We are entrusted to human parents, but we are His first. Abortion kills His children, by His children. And so, the little ones in their mothers’ wombs are killed physically, but everyone involved in the action–the mothers, the doctors and nurses, the staff, anybody who assisted in procuring the abortion, anybody who in any way supports the provision of abortion–is killed spiritually (though many of the mothers also are killed physically). They are killed spiritually, because by their actions, they are cutting themselves off from the Source of all Life.
As I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, I understood why He agonized and suffered and bled and died… He did it so that we might be whole and healed and have life. He did it so that we might be spared such torment and humiliation and death. And yet in our country, we violate and destroy even the most vulnerable lives, literally tearing them to pieces. Not only that, but we do so with a sickening abandon, with the support of federal law and of many public leaders and citizens–often ordinary people who seem otherwise perfectly decent. But these are the people who crowned our Lord and King with thorns, mocked Him, spat on Him, rained blows upon Him–Him and His rule and His laws. But even that’s not enough. Even the blood of our King isn’t enough–they allow the blood of His littlest children to run along with His, in great torrents every day in the United States, this nation built upon human rights and human dignity. Today, in many ways, it would be more suited to the likes of Nero and Caligula.
If that sounds like a harsh indictment of this country… well, that’s exactly how I intend it. Not because I hate this country or my countrymen, but because I dread God’s perfect justice upon men and nations. I long for that justice… but I also dread it. Our Lord knows, and understands that. He Himself would far rather grant mercy than justice, and He demands the same of us. And so, we must do what we can to fight the horrible scourge of abortion… but we must also be patient, merciful, and forebearing. I often find it a very difficult, confusing, frustrating line to walk–a narrow path indeed! It is hard to remain patient, merciful, and forebearing in the face of such outrageous evil! But I know that the Lord has everything under control… He sees everything, He knows everything, He understands everything. His wisdom and His timing, like everything about Him, are perfect.
And so, for me, praying and fasting and entrusting matters to Him (EDIT: Oh, and let’s not forget blogging!) seem like the surest way to make things right. I am open to being more active in the movement against abortion, and I have been trying to discern, with God’s guidance, how I might do that. On the other hand, self-knowledge has also taught me that where I am concerned… sometimes, less is more.
I’ve definitely decided: I need to get back to my Adult Faith Formation classes at UD. I thought I would take time to study independently, but I simply don’t have that kind of discipline right now. I need a more structured kind of studying right now. And I need studying, period. Particularly theological studies.
At the very least, i am going to take the Christology class. Because I just love Christ! I know that probably sounds absurdly self-evident coming from a Christian. But how often is it cited as a prime motivation for spending 3 and a half hours on a Saturday morning in a university classroom? I also know Christians who would tell me that I’ll never get to know–much less love–Christ by sitting in a classroom or poring over books (unless it happens to be The Good Book, of course).
Oh, that couldn’t be farther from the truth! When we love somebody, don’t we pour everything we’ve got into knowing them and loving them? Including our minds? My mind is yearning greatly for my Beloved! Any experience of Him will only be partial without the intellectual experience. I know our intellects can only go so far, but they can take us somewhere! In fact, I would consider the intellect an integral set of bricks in the road: knowing leads to greater loving… and loving leads to a greater need for knowing. I am deeply within that need right now!
In the meantime, I am trying to express my love in new and creative ways, in my writing projects. For those who don’t know, I have several writing projects, at various phases of development. Some are fiction, some are non-fiction. I write the odd poem as well, when the inspiration hits me. Now that I mention it, I think poetry might fit the bill nicely…
Dad’s operation was this morning, and all went well. Deo gratias! In fact, he called me himself to let me know! He’s back home, and the doctors think they got everything.
Thanks to everyone who has kept him and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Deo gratias for you too! :D
Here is one last bit from the aforementioned book. Again, it is something that remains quite relevant almost 100 years later.
Is it honest
To say that the Catholic Church prohibits the use of the Bible?–
To say that Catholics believe that man, by his own power, can forgive sin?–
To repeat over and over again that Catholics pay the priest to pardon their sins?–
To persist in saying that Catholics believe their sins are forgiven merely by the confession of them to the priest, without a true sorrow for them, or a true purpose to quit them?–
To assert that the Catholic Church grants any permission or indulgence to commit sin?–
To accuse Catholics of putting the Blessed Virgin or the Saints in the place of God or the Lord Jesus Christ?–
To accuse Catholics of paying divine worship to images or pictures, as the heathen do?–
To accuse [that Catholics] believe the Pope cannot commit any sin, fault or error at all?–
To make these and many other similar charges against Catholics, when they detest and abhor such false doctrines more than those do who make them, too, without ever having read a Catholic book, or taken any honest means of ascertaining the doctrines which the Catholic Church really teaches?
Remember the commandment of God, which says: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Reader, would you be honest, and do no injustice? Then examine the doctrines of the Catholic Church, read the works of Catholics. See both sides. Examine, and be fair, for
AMERICANS LOVE FAIR PLAY.
Yes. Yes, we do.
Alas… what has become of honesty in our culture… or even within our Church? It’s heartbreaking, but experience has shown me time and time again that just because some people identify themselves as Catholic, it’s no guarantee that they and I actually believe the same things. My thought, naturally, is that if they don’t believe what the Church teaches, then why on earth do they identify themselves as Catholics? Why do they want to impose on me and my faith, as if we’re all the same?
Now, I’m not talking about people who aren’t sure what the Church teaches or people who struggle with what the Church teaches. I’m talking about people who either do know, or declare that they know, what the Church teaches–and then just disregard it, tear it down, and/or distort it beyond recognition. I’m talking about willful dissenters and heretics. Some of whom have the gall to claim some kind of authority and use it to teach their lies to others under the guise of true Catholicism.
May God have mercy on us all and help His faithful ones preserve and promote Truth! And bring back fair play!
Me? A theist? Get outta here! :p
Your Score: The Theist
You scored 0 Materialism and 10 Phenomenology!
A common mistake is assuming that “Theism” means religion. Theism isn’t religion, it is in fact metaphysics, originating with Emperor Constantine, who transformed Christianity from a minority religion to the ideological standard of Rome. What Theism simply means is that you are convinced that there is a Final Ordering Principle to the universe, that it has agency (will), that it ordains all power structures as will as instilling reality with purpose and design, and that everything must be interpreted within that context. Thinkers you may agree with: St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Iraneus Thinkers to challenge you: Bertrand Russell, Richard Dawkins, Don Cupitt
| Link: The Metaphysician Test written by Jaylhomme on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(Jaylhomme) |
More from the aforementioned book. Again, italics are original, bolding is mine.
I think this first little section should be posted in large letters in every Catholic Church in America:
Conversation in Church
With Catholics the purpose of attending Church is to worship God. The Catholic Church is more than a meeting house. It is a holy place where God dwells in the Blessed Sacrament. Out of reverence for the sacred surroundings, without intending incivility or discourtesy, the faithful avoid conversations with their neighbors in order to preserve a recollected state of mind and to show due regard for the Sacred Presence.
I have actually met people (even other Catholics) who were turned off from Catholicism because they found the churches and the people therein to be cold, unfriendly, unwelcoming. I don’t doubt that might be genuinely true in some ways and in some cases, but I wonder how much of it is simply based on misconceptions and on divergent opinions about what Church and worship should be like and what they really mean.
I think back to my childhood, when Dad would take my sister and me to Mass and CCD on Sunday morning, and then Mom and our Granny would take us to their Baptist church on Sunday evening. I guarantee you, we had more fun at the Baptist church–it was loud and energetic and sociable, and we were allowed to goof off and chew gum and eat mints during the service, and nobody seemed to take note or mind. It didn’t seem as much like, well, Church.
I’m not at all saying this to belittle or demean the folks in that Baptist church–least of all my saint of a grandmother. Those people were sincere, they were on fire, and they were worshiping God the best way they knew how. But I knew even as a child that the Mass was something very sacred and very holy… and it was something I needed, something that would have been deeply missing from my life had we stopped going. I knew that God was in the Catholic Church in a way that He is not in other places… and that He deserves more attention than anybody or anything else.
This next section is very instructive–and I think the modern Church, and modern America in general, would do well to take heed:
The Use of Latin
In sermons and instructions the Church uses whatever language is suited for imparting knowledge. It may be a sign language or any spoken language. In ritual intercourse it uses the Latin because this plan is apostolic and useful for the following reasons:
First.–A world wide religion needs a common language for convenience in intercommunication.
Second.–The Latin language is fixed; it does not change. Modern languages do; they undergo modifications which permit confusion in the sense of many words and phrases as understood by successive generations. The Church safeguards her doctrines from the danger of being misunderstood by the use of Latin.
Third.–All scholars know that the Latin language is lucid and precise, that it has power and grandeur; and the experience of many ages is that it aptly serves the purposes of ceremonial worship.
Fourth.–A common language employed in religious worship gives a character to the act which makes all men brothers. Entering a house of God in a strange land the Catholic is at home, for he finds a sameness in the mode of worshipping. The experience anchors him to home memories, and not less it exemplifies for him in a practical manner the common fatherhood of God.
Fifth.–The primate of the apostolic college, Peter, fixed his See finally at Rome, the centre of ancient civilization, which, in consequence, became the principal seat of Christianity. From this historical fact springs the use of Latin in the Church.
Basically, Latin works. It has worked for a very long time, and it could continue to work if we would let it. Contrary to popular belief, the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed this. The current efforts at re-translating the English liturgical texts to be more faithful to, and expressive of, the original Latin reaffirm this as well. Having read over some drafts of this re-translation in the past, I can say that it makes an enormous difference. It gives a much more solemn, rich, and (again) sacred character to the liturgical texts.
And frankly, in many cases, it grants greater clarity. One Latin word can shed more light on a concept than a clunky, multi-word English approximation can every hope to. Just one example: that Christ is consubstantial with the Father makes a lot more sense than that Christ is “one in being” with the Father. Frankly, I think “one in being” has a rather cheesy New Age feel about it. Gosh, I just hope that the new translations come out soon–and that the final forms are as good as the drafts I have read. Dear Holy Spirit, please!
I found the fourth point to be a very poignant wake-up call for white, English-speaking Catholic Americans such as myself: not so long ago, white Catholic America consisted of people from numerous faraway lands who spoke only the languages of those lands. Catholic immigrants left Catholic nations to find themselves in strange new regions, often on the frontiers of civilization, and often marginalized by a predominantly non-Catholic society. They left ancient parishes for mission churches often feverishly attended to by single, overworked priests, often immigrants themselves.
I think that many white, English-speaking Americans today have lost sight of this immigrant past and lost any concept of what a difficult and frightening experience it must have been for many of our ancestors. So, naturally, we don’t realize how important it was for those people to be able to enter a Church and find something familiar and comforting and to be able to understand the language, and perhaps to be drawn into greater fellowship with fellow immigrants from different lands, to be able to start to form a new American community with them. An American community that we, their descendents, usually take for granted.
And in our multiculturalism-crazed culture, we have forgotten about how hard our ancestors worked to become one, one America, one great culture built upon the best characteristics of a variety of cultures. Not in order to deny those cultures, but to mutually buy in to and build up what was held and valued in common.
So much we have lost… so much to learn!
This is a section from the aforementioned book. It is a nice bit of apologetics defending the divine origins of the Catholic Church–using Scripture, no less! I’m guessing this was written by Fr. Huebsch, who seems to have been an very erudite man. It said somewhere that he fluently spoke eight languages, and delivered his sermons in English, Bohemian, German, and Polish–which gives you an idea of the cultural make-up of Gonzales, Texas and its environs. The second paragraph made me ROFLMAO. Italics are original; bolding is mine.
Who Founded the Catholic Church?
Macaulay, Channing and Bancroft* recognize the greatness, the permanence, and the Christian character of the Catholic Church, but attribute this to “human skill and sagacity in religion,” and regard her as “a monument of human genius.” These men are like those Jews who looked upon Christ as Elias, or Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
What truth is there in this theory? Let us see: Here is a Church that possesses unity of faith and an unchangeable code of morals, which counts three hundred millions of men as her children, which has lasted for nineteen centuries, and bids fair to last until the end of all time. Now, to tell us that this is all due to the sagacity and genius of Catholics is much too flattering to be true, and we honestly cannot so accept it. Without any claim to an unusual degree of humility, we may, on the part of Catholics, venture to express the opinion that they are not endowed with any more skill, sagacity, or genius than other folk. We disclaim all natural superiority, as Catholics, over our fellow-men. The defenders of this theory hardly believe it themselves, but they put it forth in order to avoid the necessity of acknowledging the true character of the Catholic Church. For there is no other way of giving a rational account of the Catholic Church, except by recognizing that she was founded by Christ, and is guided and upheld by the Holy Spirit of God.
The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. That Christ intended to found a Church there can be no question. Here are His words: “And I say to thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church” (Matt. xvi. 18). No Christian will venture to doubt that Christ fulfilled this promise.
He promised that His Church should never fail; for, after having made the promise, He added, “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. Xvi. 18). Hence the truth of the saying, “Once the Church, always the Church.”
Christ gave to His Church the commission and command to preach His Gospel to the whole world: “All power is given to me in heaven and upon earth. Going, therefore, teach ye all nations” (Matt. xxviii. 18). A command which the Catholic Church alone has fulfilled. He promised to remain with His Church always. “And behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” Hence the Church is always holy, for Christ always dwells in her.
Be not deceived, sincere reader; it is not human sagacity or genius that has founded the holy Catholic Church, but the word of Jesus Christ, the God-man, who has said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away” (Matt. xxiv. 35).
Be no longer misled; it is not ignorance or superstition which so strongly attaches Catholics to the Church. It is nothing of this sort; but it is their firm faith, grounded upon the express words and promises of Jesus Christ.
Do you, reader, believe firmly in the divinity of Christ? If so, be a consistent follower of Him, and believe, also, firmly in His word, and acknowledge the Catholic Church, “which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. iii. 15).
____________________________
* I think he is referring to prominent 19th-century historians, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Edward Channing, and George Bancroft.
Beautifully said, I think! I know I would be greatly flattered if someone were to attribute the Church’s greatness to human ingenuity! But we don’t hear that these days. Instead of polite gentlemen like Macaulay, Channing, and Bancroft, we get Dawkins, Hitchens, Pullman, et al., snotty TV and radio personalities, batty non-Catholic church leaders, etc., etc., etc. Some of them seemingly sincere, while others are merely surfing the currents of fashionable anti-Catholicism. Today, Catholicism is all lunacy, ignorance, diabolical possession, oppressive socio-econo-political tyranny, lust for power, mass hypocrisy, ancient conspiracy, organized crime, and/or shoddy rip-offs of other traditions. Blah blah blah blah blah.
Never mind the actual evidence to the contrary, to be found in history, science, art, philosophy, theology, education, and social work, not to mention the parish church down the street! Never mind the very real, genuine, reasoned, passionate, and unshakable faith and devotion of Catholics great and small, past and present, rich and poor, sophisticated and simple, old and young. Never mind the holiness that pervades the Church and is bravely carried into the secular world by ordinary people like you and me. Never mind any of that, because guess what–there’s no way for our critics to explain any of it! And these days, when you can’t explain something it simply mustn’t be real. Can’t explain why the Catholic Church is so great? It mustn’t be great at all, then! Case closed.
I wonder what Fr. Huebsch would have to say to today’s critics…
One of the things I love about my job is that I often get to see, and catalog, some really fascinating things. Naturally, I get especially excited when I come across something Catholic-related. A while back, there was this gem:
Year Book
of the St. James Catholic Church of Gonzales, Texas,
and the Missions of Ottine and Monthalia
Rev. Dr. A. A. Huebsch, Rector
1915
It was a very small book, but it had some really interesting things in it! As luck would have it, I came across some parts of it that I had retyped. I’m telling you this, of course, because I plan to share it with you! :D
There’s a lot, so I will break it up into manageable portions.
Stay tuned!
OH, and should you ever wish to see the original, you can find it at Southern Methodist University’s DeGolyer Library!
