Per Christum

The pope said yesterday that Catholic schools must follow Church Teaching. For many of us, this is a “no-brainer,” but remember that like other areas of Catholic life and culture, Catholic schools are recovering from the 1970s too. Pope Benedict made the point that ignoring Church Teaching in the name of academic freedom betrays Catholic identity and leads to confusion among students. The pope also reminded us that Catholic dogma should shape every facet of a Catholic institution’s life, inside and outside the classroom. Despite this (correct) criticism, Pope Benedict thanked Catholic educators for their dedication and generosity.

These words come as newspaper editorials observe the decline in the number of Catholic schools throughout the United States. According to the Washington Post, 300,000 students have been displaced because of the closing of 1,300 Catholic schools since 1990. Many of these closings have been in big cities, meaning that many disadvantaged kids have lost access to safe and effective schools, to be possibly returned to unsafe public schools. In my diocese, we are seeing increased enrollment because of vouchers, although many schools are still struggling. Certainly demographics play a role, since many neighborhoods that were once Catholic now have very few Catholics, which presents a real problem for Catholic schools in those areas. Also, because of heterodox teachers, and a lack of Catholic culture at some schools, some orthodox Catholics refuse to send their children to Catholic schools. In fact, the internet is full of stories of students who turned out Catholic in spite of what they learned in Catholic schools (although, the same can be said of many parishes, Confirmation programs, etc). Nonetheless, I think the biggest reason many schools are in decline, next to demographics, is cost. With gas and food costs rising, with income staying stagnant, the cost of tuition isn’t a high priority, especially if the local public school is reasonably safe, or homeschooling is an option. Also, with the decline in the number of those pursuing a religious vocation in the U.S., schools no longer have religious sisters and brothers doing most of the teaching, raising costs.

Despite this decline, and the current problems in Catholic schools (which, I need to emphasize, are similar to problems facing the wider church), the Church has always had a deep commitment to Catholic schools. Certainly the idea of a Catholic educational community, in which every facet of school life, from academics to athletics, is rooted in Catholic Teaching and values, is a good one. The Church itself strongly supports this idea. From the Vatican II document, Gravissimum Educationis:

The Council also reminds Catholic parents of the duty of entrusting their children to Catholic schools wherever and whenever it is possible and of supporting these schools to the best of their ability and of cooperating with them for the education of their children…(8).

This Sacred Council of the Church earnestly entreats pastors and all the faithful to spare no sacrifice in helping Catholic schools fulfill their function in a continually more perfect way, and especially in caring for the needs of those who are poor in the goods of this world or who are deprived of the assistance and affection of a family or who are strangers to the gift of Faith (9).

However, many find it hard to provide support to a school that is not following the Pope’s exhortation to teach what the Church teaches. Many have to worry about paying the family bills, and funding a Catholic school isn’t high on the agenda. As a Catholic school teacher, I am biased in favor of Catholic schools, I admit. However, even if I were not a teacher, I would still take an interest in the local Catholic school, given the Church’s strong commitment to Catholic schools.

It is difficult to find solutions to the decline in Catholic schools. Neighborhood demographics cannot be fixed easily. However, problems of infidelity to Catholic Teaching, and tuition costs, could be fixed easily enough, if enough people were willing to deal with them and find constructive ways forward. There are some parishes that pay tuition for every child who wants to go to their local Catholic schools, and teachers are still paid a fair wage, so solutions do exist. I suggest that whatever the solution(s) may be, it will involve less complaining, and more action, and more cooperation, and less territorialism. It will involve orthodox Catholics getting involved, working to secure funding for solid programs, perhaps working to change heterodox programs, and making concerns known to local dioceses, schools, and parishes. I would love to see a renaissance in our parishes and schools, and given the number of young orthodox priests, seminarians, teachers, and laity, I suspect if we are patient enough, we may just see it soon!

Image from another article about Catholic School closings, which sheds more light on the issue.

Barak Obama’s positions on everything from parental notification to sex shops near schools to sex ed in kindergarten to being the exact opposite of everything I stand for is discussed in this little known video from 8 months ago.

Some disclaimers. First, I am not pleased with the title of this video, but fortunately this vid. doesnt speak about it. Second, this vid. makes references to the “Magical Negro.” This made me a bit uncomfortable until I learned what that expression meant. Then it removed a scale or two from my eyes. The LA Times has an excellent editorial on it here.

The Magical Negro theory may explain the Obama as Messiah phenom which is also reaching new heights. In Obama’s words:

“…that a light will shine through that window,
a beam of light will come down upon you,
you will experience an epiphany
…and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls
and vote for Obama.”

—Barack Obama

Read the rest of this entry »

I aways get a good chuckle this time of year. It seems like all the Catholics come out of the woodwork, and suddenly they can’t eat this or that because they gave it up for Lent.

Giving something up for Lent is one of the last vestiges of the Domestic Church in America. Of course there is no rule in the Catholic Church that you have to give something up for Lent. Catholics are more likely to show up to an Ash Wednesday Mass than on January 1st for Mary, Mother of God. It seems that society barely gains anything from these sacrifices, except maybe the fast food chains, who bring out their seldom seen fish sandwiches. But it survives. I have a few theories why, but in the end it comes from tradition (little t).

I know many people say “the family that prays together stays together,” but I think as Catholics we are encouraged to take this a step or two further. Praying is just one important component of the Catholic home. We have so many wonderful traditions that are being ignored and slowly fading away. And yet I’ve heard many people lament that their children leave the Catholic Church when they enter college. Some of these people I know well, others I can only guess what happens in the family home. But from experience, I’m guessing that their homes have a similar make-up: church is reserved for Sundays, and religion is something to be covered only in religion classes. Feasts come, and unless society covers them, they pass forgotten. We need to bring the Church home with us.

Lately, I’ve been trying to remember customs that my family practiced in my childhood. As the years progressed, my family simplified our celebrations so much that I hardly remember details. Because David and I firmly believe in teaching our children to celebrate Catholic feasts in the home, I’ve been doing research to fill the holes in my memory. Some of the traditions I do remember include Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday, Butter Lamb on Easter (you can still get these in several Cleveland, Ohio grocery stores), and celebrating Saint or Name days. A great idea I’ve come across recently is creating Easter Vigil Notebooks. Its a great way for young children to participate in Lent and prepare for the Easter Vigil. Yes, I just mentioned children at the Vigil. The notebook not only teaches children about the Vigil, but provides them with something concrete to look at while attending the Vigil. Another idea, found on Mommy Life, is an Easter cookie recipe complete with scripture readings, to help explain the Triduum.

For anyone who might also be interested in developing their domestic church, here are a few sources I’ve found helpful. (Besides our very own ChurchYear.net. :) ) I’ve been reading Around the Year with the Trapp Family, by Maria Augusta Trapp. The actual book is no longer in print but EWTN has provided the text on their site. The Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions covers the basics of each season and provides craft ideas. I’ve also found several blogs such as Family in Feast and Feria, Family Food for Feast and Feria, Simple Gifts, and In the Heart of my Home. And of course, since I love to cook, Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf, which has been a great source for celebrating Saint Feast days or Name days.

What books or sites would you recommend? Traditions?

Cat courtesy of Lolcats ‘n’ Funny Pictures.

Lamb courtesy of Forgotten Buffalo.

Once, when riding a MUNI bus in San Francisco, I noticed a group of blue-turbaned fellows getting on with their kirpaans. I immediately thought, “Ah, Sikh transit! Gloria MUNI.”

- Tim Ferguson in the combox over at The Cafeteria is Closed.

A great deal of misinformation has been circulating about the web as to the nature of the kirpan that Sikhs wear about their person… Lest people think of modern Sikhs as some wild armed faction, it might be good to talk about the kirpan…

The ceremonial dagger is, as often as not, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and is worn underneath clothing on the thigh. I knew a gent when I was in college who gave a lecture in a sociology class about his Sikh faith… It was revealed he wore his underneath his clothing and it was rather small. When asked if we could see it, he smiled and declined… he was not interested in undoing his pants, and showing us his drawers to access it…

In all actuality, if someone had started some trouble, for him to reach for this would have entailed dropping his trousers to access it before taking on some miscreant with a small knife and his pants around his ankles.

Not very threatening is it?

In all reality most are about as dangerous as the pocket knives every red-blooded American school boy would have ALWAYS had on them in the 50s & 60s (before they would have been arrested for possession of a weapon!)… A practice my father - who never leaves the house without his altar boy rosary, wallet, and pocket knife - carries on today.

(I used to keep a small Swiss Army knife in my wallet… I lost the wallet. Now I am mostly known to travel with a wine-key/bottle opener for party emergencies…)

It is worth noting that well before 9/11 it was the practice of any Sikh who was flying to simply pack the ceremonial dagger in his checked luggage, and confirm that he had done so with security who were trained to know about this custom and were respectful of it.

So as a radical moderate on this one, let me point out that NO, they are not sword wielding extremists with daggers stained in blood like wild-eyed soldiers of fortune… and NO it isn’t that unreasonable for the Secret Service (the party responsible for US security) to ask that they check them at the door before a 45 minute meeting with the Pope in the same fashion they get check them at the airport for 10+ hour flights overseas.

I have resolved to try to post at least one of the new saints or beati daily.

Too often Catholics begin to think of saints as something in the past… Mention “the saints” and Catholic imaginations immediately go to images of statues staring at the ceiling or icons that depict other-worldly virtue in a highly symbolic fashion. To be quite clear, there is nothing, in and of itself, wrong with that sort of imagery. Nothing at all.

But I fear too many people have a disconnect between those sorts of images and the reality that saints are real, as real as you and I are. They are, in fact, as alive as you and I are. Actually, more so still!

During the Pontificate of the Venerable John Paul the Great, well over a thousand such souls were raised to the dignity of the altar. More than a few of them, had they not suffered martyrdom, would be the same age as many of the kindly grandparents we interact with daily. I really want to highlight some of these friendly God-loving souls daily (many of whom we have photographs of, some we have in color, some we have on film!) to show that sanctity is not in the past. It is difficult but not impossible. Still having love and respect and prayers with the ones that went before our modern time, I want to put some emphasis on those who were among us on this side of the vale of tears in the last 100 years when possible. Sanctity is not something “from the old days”. It is real. It is possible. It is for today.

Really when you get to know some of these souls, I imagine a good number of them were not aware in the least that they would be named saints one day. They were humble people who just begged the grace to be faithful and made it priority #1.

(Conversely as Father Isaac Mary Relyea tells us, “If you think you’re holy, that is the first sign you’re not!”)

So given this rich, rich tapestry of sanctity found even into the modern era, I want to bring some focus on these souls for personal inspiration, and also to help other Catholics develop friendship with these powerful friends of God who have already gone before us. They love God, they love us. We love God, we love them.

For a time I had thought about starting a secondary blog with a focus just on underscoring these noble souls. As I thought more about that, however, I came to realize that I rather preferred interspersing them into the sometimes somewhat eclectic posts of PC. Just as they are very real and among us still today, I wanted to keep them in the mix of our posts and our cyber-life here. I invite my 13 other blog contributors to do the same as they see fit. Please share the saints that give you friendship and share their stories with us here.

As my pastor reminds our small flock, even when there are not a lot of people in the pews, our church is always full with the angels and saints who happily join us whenever we partake in the divine and mystical worship.

And note please that the graphic on this post is the painting “The Saints” by Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico (having been beatified by our last Holy Father) is on his way to being recognized as being in the company of the saints himself.

I went to a Catholic educational conference last year. While some of the stuff was trendy educational stuff, one seminar stuck with me. The presenter reminded us that even when teaching baptized and confirmed Catholics, we may have to evangelize before we catechize.

A light suddenly went on in my head. While I am not turning into Jack Chick, who would perhaps agree that Catholics need evangelized(!), I think it is true: many Catholics do not have a personal or corporate relationship with Jesus. It is difficult to teach students about the Trinity when they do not have a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is difficult to create an interest in the teachings and person of Jesus Christ, when he is, for all intents and purposes, just another distant historical figure. Teaching personal sacrifice that does not benefit the self is next to impossible if one has not been transformed through a relationship with the Risen Lord. Now, I am not saying that your average nominal Catholic thinks of Jesus as a distant historical figure, or denies the Trinity, but when this average Catholic doesn’t go to Mass but once a quarter, doesn’t prayer regularly, and makes no effort to follow Jesus, then in reality, Jesus is simply a distant historical figure, and God the god of Oprah and self-help books.

I think the need to focus on first on evangelization holds true for non-Christians, and this is more obvious, although sometimes we don’t always approach non-Christians in this way. I seem to remember a devout Catholic telling a non-Christian how meaningful Eucharistic adoration was, and how this non-Christian should visit the parish sometime and try it. The non-Christian sat puzzled. “You know, the body and blood of Christ!” The non-Christian again sat puzzled. The Catholic, well-meaning, was trying to speak to this non-Christian as if the non-Christian was already evangelized. Now, I am not saying we shouldn’t speak about adoration to non-Christians, but I think adoration is something that is more advanced, and for the initiated. We need to be able to defend it and explain it, but it really is for the initiated. It is like the evangelical who asks the stranger, “are you washed in the blood of the lamb?” To which the non-Christian promptly replies, “I sure hope not!”

This places a religion teacher such as myself in a bind. I have no choice but to teach more advanced doctrine. I have to provide advanced catechesis. This works well for Catholics raised in devout homes, but it presents problems for students who are nominally Catholic or even non-Christian. I am glad to do advanced catechesis, because I love teaching Catholic doctrine and morals. However, I also have to evangelize, to go back to the basic, fundamental, message of the gospel, and emphasize it constantly. I have had to rethink the way in which I teach. Trust me, despite all the idealistic pontifications of devoted Catholics in the blogosphere, you can’t just jump into the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas when many in the class can only vaguely explain what the exclamation “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again” means. However, I think that in the post-modern world, this “post-Christian” society of ours (and I am very tired of “post” language, since so many trendy Christians these days are “post” just about everything…but I think these labels are accurate), we have to know how to both evangelize and catechize effectively. We also may have to take a cue from our early Christian brothers and sisters, and reserve the more advanced material for the properly initiated and evangelized. Unfortunately for those of us in religiously mixed classrooms, or those of us blogging in a very diverse internet, we have to balance our presentation, because we are speaking to the initiated and uninitiated (and those initiated, but who have not grown since). Perhaps, rather than lamenting this situation as “unfortunate,” we are really fortunate, because this is actually an opportunity to refine our own faith and better understand how to teach others about Jesus Christ.

So, like our evangelical brothers and sisters, we need to develop an urgency of mission and evangelization, although I pray that we do not succumb to some of the hokey techniques that some evangelicals utilize. Let me leave you with a quote from John Paul II:

But what moves me even more strongly to proclaim the urgency of missionary evangelization is the fact that it is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity in the modern world, a world which has experienced marvelous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself (Redemptoris Missio 2).

Sitting in the car this morning waiting for it to warm up and the ice to melt enough to scrape off… I heard a news story on the radio that today marks the 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. I think we all grew up with it. Sitting there listening to the brief news story a lot of memories came back. When the news clip ended with the audio of Fred Roger’s singing that good-bye song he closed every episode with, it was easy to sing along in my head. I remembered every word.

To tell the truth, my eyes got just a little misty. Just a little.

Fred Rogers was born and raised in Latrobe, PA. (Home of the Benedicinte Archabbey of St. Vincent which is in turn the birthplace of Rolling Rock!) His early childhood was as an only child until his parents fostered an African American boy whom Rogers came to view as his older brother. That same older brother became a Tuskegee Airman and later taugh Rogers to fly. Yes, Mr. Rogers was a pilot.

Years later Rogers would be ordained a Presbyterian minister with deep convictions for children’s welfare and education. Really, thinking about his show, those convictions shined through. Mister Roger’s never had to tell anyone he was Rev. Rogers. His actions did just that.

What is notable and special about MRN was how the program was not tainted by agendas which seem to predominate a lot of other similar types of programing. There was a sincere wish to see to it children learned some things and had fun doing so. Personally speaking, I think it accomplished just that. I still remember watching how crayons and trumpets are made. (Not at the same time, of course, though that would be cool.)

Very quickly, if anyone tries to feed you some line about Rev. Rogers being a snyper or a criminal (you know what I am talking about!), as politely as possible, tell them they are a moron.

If you, like me, have fond memories of the adventures of Rogers and his pals Lady Elaine, King Friday, Daniel the Tiger Cub, and Mr. McFeeley (named after Roger’s maternal grandfather) take a moment sometime today to offer a small prayer for the peaceful repose of this peaceful man.

From the pages of the ByzCath Forum, Father Serge Keleher, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Priest offers:
Why should Kosovo remain part of Serbia? Well, perhaps to demonstrate the much-proclaimed alleged policy of the self-styled World Leaders that territorial change cannot be accomplished by terrorism? To demonstrate that “ethnic cleansing” is unacceptable even when Mohammedans do it? Or perhaps to take historical realities into account?

It is true that Serbia was responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which was the spark that set off the terrible First World War and led to the horrors of the twentieth century. But there is plenty of blame to go around both for the outcome of WWI and for what followed.

It is also true that the relatively recent bombings of Serbia were by any definition a war crime. I remember when we were being assured that the “smart bombs” had absolute pin-point accuracy, which they proceded to demonstrate by bombing the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, of all things.

Does anyone seriously believe that the “independence” of Kosovo is going to have long-term peaceful results? Hitler famously asked “who remembers the Armenians?”. To this one might add “who realizes that the almost exclusively Mohammedan population of present-day Turkey is the direct result of ethno-religious cleansing? Has everyone forgotten Smyrna?”.

A strongly worded opinion to be sure! It is also one worth considering.

Ban-worthy?

CNA STAFF, Feb 12, 2008 / 09:02 am (CNA).- On Monday morning, American Life League (ALL) was informed by YouTube that one of its exposé videos on Planned Parenthood was evicted from their for its “inappropriate nature.” Strangely enough, the ad that the ALL was criticizing remains on YouTube.

The banned report explains how a Planned Parenthood commercial helps encourage recreational sex, which ALL’s Michael Hichborn told CNA, “helps their bottom line”.

“All we did in our video report was show a couple of clips from Planned Parenthood’s ‘Mile High’ ad and illustrate how it was nothing more than a part of Planned Parenthood’s effort to encourage recreational sex,” said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League. “If there was anything inappropriate in our report, it came from Planned Parenthood’s ad, and yet their ad remains while ours is removed.”

The “Mile High” ad features a homosexual flight attendant named Stephen who cruises the aisles, showering young passengers with contraceptives. The commercial closes with the cabin lights dimming, party music blaring, Stephen sitting on the pilot’s lap and saying, “On behalf of Planned Parenthood airlines you are now free to make sweet, sweet love.”

The e-mail sent to American Life League said, “After being flagged by members of the YouTube community and reviewed by YouTube staff, the video below has been removed due to its inappropriate nature.”

“Our video didn’t contain anything even remotely close to YouTube’s guidelines for inappropriate material,” said Sedlak.

According to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, videos that contain “pornography or sexually explicit content, animal abuse, drug abuse, bomb making, graphic or gratuitous violence, accidents, dead bodies, or speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity” are considered inappropriate material.

Mr. Sedlak claims that since their video does not meet any of these requirements, its removal “is a clear-cut case of censorship!”

However, Sedlak does not think that the fault lies with YouTube alone, “Obviously, Planned Parenthood’s attack dogs flagged our video to hide the truth, and YouTube caved to their pressure,” he asserted.

Planned Parenthood has engaged in these types of organized campaigns in the past.

Most recently, the Golden Gate chapter of Planned Parenthood ran an e-mail campaign to have radio spots created by the U.S. Bishops promoting marriage taken off the air. The same radio ads were targeted in San Francisco and Seattle by the abortion provider.

American Life League’s video, “Planned Parenthood Sells Sex” can be viewed at www.allreport.blip.tv/#596865.

The titles of the Planned Parenthood videos that remain on YouTube are “Mile High”, “Safe is Sexy” and “Angel”.

Anyone who thinks that this is more offensive than say THIS animated feature depicted men having anal sex (no, you probably don’t want to watch it) is an idealogue with an agenda. They are NOT concerned about decency.

In fact this censorship was nothing more than Planned Parenthood goons setting out to silence a pro-life message. No two ways about it. Today might be a good day to send YouTube some complaints about the PP ads… PP supporters may otherwise be too occupied with their project to “Send a valentine to Sen. Obama! Thank him for supporting women and healthy families on Valentine’s Day!”

Happy Valentine’s Day, yourselves. Sigh.

UPDATE: The video seems to have been restored to YouTube!

Fra Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie, the 78th (and first British) Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, served for nearly 20 years from 1988 until his death February 7th.

Elected for life to lead the SMOM, the grand master carries the title of prince, and his position is equal in rank to that of a cardinal. He was also, as head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta the head of a uniquely positioned non-state entity that enjoyed diplomatic relations with 99+ nations.

Rest in peace Fra Andrew.

H/T: http://catholictoledo.blogspot.com/

Often I hear folks refer to the different elements of communion (under the appearance of bread and wine) as “the body” and “the blood”. It is understandable enough that the more solid (like flesh) element and the liquid (like blood) elements would respectively be thought of in that fashion.

When a friend of mine expressed dismay at the choice of some Catholics to “not recieve the Blood too” it was much to my chagrin. More accurately, those folks are opting to not partake in the Eucharistic species that is under the appearance of wine.

The smallest “crumb” under the appearance of the host, or the smallest “drop” under the appearance of wine could equally be said to include the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Christ. In fact it is wholly complete under the tiniest amount of either.

The USCCB reminds us:

The same body, however, is under the form of wine and the blood under the form of bread, and the soul under either form, by virtue of the natural link and concomitance by which the parts of Christ the Lord, who has now risen from the dead and will die no more, are mutually united.

Sadly, the double form of communion has lead some people to thinking it is “incomplete” if they don’t recieve under both elements. But I also wonder if common practices today are re-enforcing and emphasizing beliefs, or serving as a bit of a contradiction.

I now ask our 12 readers:

Do you feel the post-concilar trend of administering under both species added to difficulties in catechesis? What think ye Latin types about more widespread usage of intinction?

It isn’t just old age that helps one forget some of the drek cradle Catholics of a certain age grew up with. I am not talking about the tired “bad old days, ruler-beating nun” lore that folks of a certain generation feed on. If you were born in the 1970s and went to suburban parochial school in the post-ethnic Rust Belt, you know a little (or a lot) about what I am referring to here.

It is in fact a special grace that allows us to move on and forget some of the horrifying things that I have seen in the name of liturgical reform or modern relevance. Better still is the ability to move past some of the things we were told in from the pupit, or during the pastor’s trendy “rap sessions.”

20 years ago sitting in a classroom full of other 5th graders wearing their blue pants, red sweaters and faux tartan jumpers the stage was set. Our grade school’s parish pastor, wisely and knowingly like a good professor “blowing the mind” of an 18 year old freshman, gave us a crash course in “higher criticism” & deconstructionsim. He explained to impressionable 11 year old (all 60+ of us) that the the miracle of the loaves and the fishes was really the miracle of sharing…

In other words, the gathered crowds, in the presence of the Lord, weren’t so inspired or enamored by Him to be honest. They in fact all had food on them, but just lied about it at first because they were greedy and did not want to share. Through the “miracle of …” (I dunno, charity? sweet-talking? humility?) they were enticed to actually share what they had. No miraculous multiplication had occurred you see, dear children! God just inspired them to quit lying about not having food and share what they already had - they were given nothing!

The greedy bastards just learned to share! It was a miracle!

When it came time to answer questions about the purpose of the petitions, which we as grade school children were expected to write ourselves for our parochial Masses (I recall writing many in my time!)… Father was kind enough to explain that in vocalizing these prayers, we were most essentially bringing them to mind for our benifit. God was not going to grant peace to the world. We were just helping to remind ourselves to internalize these things… really, it was up to us, having reminded ourselves “at the celebration of Eucharist” to work towards this end, we were told. Can we say hippie with a Roman collar?

For good measure, it was also explained to us that the Scriptures we had today, were largely written at least a century after the events they report transpired. Certainly the writers were not there, they mostly heard it second hand, and the nuances of translation precluded much accuracy. To demonstrate this, we pre-teens were treated to one of our first adult party games, “Chinese whispers” or “Telephone”! How fun!

Father whispered something in the ear of the first student who was to do the same to the person next to them. You could not write it down, or have the person telling you repeat it. By the time it got to the last student, and the garbled message was repeated, the point was made. And it was clear. The original message was lost, with only some vague similarity to what had really been said.

I was in for more of the same. I went to Jesuit high school.

Through the prayers of untold and unseen saints and angels on earth and in heaven, this situation is changing, but there are still hold outs who advance such reckless and idiotic notions. May they have less opportunity to deconstruct and damage youth until the day comes when any well formed child would do what I now do - laugh and roll his eyes at such silliness.

Happily, as seminaries begin to return to capacity, young families begin to take the duties and obligations of married life more seriously, and religious orders with men and women that look and act the part are growing, the death knell of this hippy ascendancy has been soundly sounded.

At least in the Church. Sadly, it sometimes takes a generation or two for the world to catch up with The Church. (sigh)

“Some evangelicals turn to monasticism, suggesting unease with megachurch religion - and the stirrings of rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church.”

This is an interesting piece just published in the Boston Globe about Evangelicals developping sorts of religious communities - The Unexpected Monks.

Especially interesting is how we have seen this before. John Michael Talbot (though his conversion came first), Anglican Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, Frère Roger of Taizé, the venerable souls of the Oxford Movement all come to mind. It has been done, there is precedent to varying degrees.

Invariably, monasticism of one stripe or another is the conclusion many an honest deep-thinking scripture reader. To live the beatitudes and commands of the Gospel, there seems to be little choice but to consider that it may be the case community life and the total dedication of celibacy will be required for some. Wheel re-invention seems to be too maddeningly common.

Some of them sound, blessedly, rather Romeward bound. If I had a few boxes of the Divine Office laying around, I would ship them over, post-haste…

Let us keep them in our prayers!

H/T: CVSTOS FIDEI

For Eastern Catholics (and those in the Orthodox Church of Finland!) who use the same reckoning for Easter as the Roman church, Lent (or the Great Fast) begins today. Every few years, Eastern and Western reckoning for the date of Easter coincides (like last year). Most years it does not. Easter will next occur on March 23 in the year 2160 for the western churches… Frankly, I hope to not be around to see it!

Some have asked why the Eastern Great Fast doesn’t start on Wednesday. It is a simple matter of reckoning what days count for Lent. In the Latin Church Lent starts Ash Wednesday and ends Holy Saturday. Not counting Sundays that gives 40 days.

For the Eastern Churches Lent starts the Monday before the Latin Ash Wednesday and ends Holy Thursday. Not counting Sundays that gives 40 days.

By and large, we don’t do ashes. Although the Maronite Catholics do celebrate “Ash Monday.”

A venerable bishop who came to our parish to give a mission made an excellent observation worth passing on. 40 days represents a tithe of the year - rounding up, it is a little more than 10% of 365 (or 366!) days for the year. In a special way, we are offering a tithe of our year during this season.

For you Roman types, don’t eat too many pączki tomorrow!