Journeys of a Catholic Poster Girl

(some pet peeves ahead…)

Yes, I’ve written about inappropriate dress at Mass before, but I think that summer really takes it to new heights. Some of the girls wear shorts that would not have been allowed at my public high school, they’re that short. People wear pool-side flip flops, which are just irritating. Jeans and shorts are just the order of the day. If the mayor was showing up at Mass, or if you were going to a wedding, would you wear that? Or even to work? My answer is no, but then again I went to a wedding two weeks ago where a guest was in cargo shorts, a ratty polo shirt and Adidas sandals. So who knows. And once football season starts ,it will be all OSU jerseys, all the time. You would think you were at the ‘Shoe the way people are dressed. Yikes.

Besides the dress, though, the behavior is just driving me nuts! People are up and down all through Mass, and they just wander about! If you have to leave during the homily, or whatever, that’s fine. Do it and do it quickly and quietly. But can you wait until the congregation is standing, or reciting something, and make your re-entrance somewhat less noticeable? Don’t come charging down the middle aisle post bathroom trip during the homily! It’s rude! It’s distracting! And it’s adults doing this, not just kids!

And whatever happened to genuflecting? It seems like so few people do that anymore. Or if they do, it’s just sort of a perfunctory thing. Sigh.

Sometimes it just makes me wonder…

John 11:17-44

NOW when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.’

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, ‘the Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the billage, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in teh house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to weep there. Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fel at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, ‘where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘come and see.’ And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ’see how much he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he would opened the eyes of the blind man kept this man from dying?’

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, ‘take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And  Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.’ When he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘unbind him, and let him go.’

Today we received word that one of the young kids from Children’s transplant program had died after receiving his transplant in January of 2006. We knew his family fairly well, and he was the most engaging and handsome little boy. It is a sad day for all of us, but especially so for his family. I cannot imagine what they are going through.

Transplants are a strange thing–you are close to death when you receive one, so every extra day is a true treasure, a gift from God (as are all days, but you especially feel it after such an event, I think). To die after receiving one, either from rejection or infection, or both, is a very real possibility, even though you can be listed again. Even with the new life, the specter of death and  the possibility of another transplant is still tucked away somewhere.

Prayers for this little boy and his family would be greatly appreciated. They are a wonderful family, and their little boy’s life was filled with love from them, and everyone who knew him.

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it iw written, ‘for they sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquers through him who loves us. For I amsure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to sepearet us fromt he love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

–Romans 8:31-39

Well you didn’t really think I would blog on it, did you?? Come on!

For a complete review, go here. One thing, though, that I didn’t add in that review–the use of biblical quotes was quite amazing. Rowling’s feelings toward Christianity (perhaps her own beliefs?) come through quite strongly, and positively, in this novel. She quotes Matthew: “Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.” It’s quite a poignant scene, as it is etched on a gravestone. And of course the themes of good vrs. evil, death vrs. life, etc. are present, just as they have always been.

Right after the MP brouhaha, we get a new one regarding the Church being the “only Church” or the only way to get to Heaven. As in, we’re right and you’re right. (Well, at least that’s how the media portrays it.) And as I’ve been reading columns and letters to the editor in various papers, I have become (surprise!) more and more irritated with the mindset some people have regarding the job of the Pope, and what religion is about, in general.

First and foremost, the job of the Pope is to lead the Catholic Church. He is to espouse Catholic doctrine and teach it clearly and faithfully to Church members and to articulate it to the world. He teaches what we actually believe, and he teaches it unapologetically. This is one of the things I love about B XVI. And if the idea that the Church is the “one true Church” offends people, well I’m sorry. If your belong to a church that was founded by Luther, Knox, Calvin, the Wellesley, et al., I don’t think you can really claim to be the “one true church.” You’ve divided from the Catholic Church, which “the gates of hell will not prevail against.” Your choice, but then don’t say it’s not fair when we say that we are the one way to Heaven.

And that isn’t even, really, what the doctrine says. It says all Christian churches have some aspects of the Truth. But only in Catholicism will you find all of it. Why? Because we didn’t get rid of anything. We have the unbroken line of apostolic succession going back to Peter. Yeah ok there was that business with anti-popes and all that, but there was always a “real” pope in residence. But if you’re Lutheran, or Presbyterian, or whatnot, you don’t have everything the church teaches. To use a very, very crude analogy, it’s like whole milk versus skim milk. They’re both milk, but one has a lot more going on than the other.

I read letters and articles that say the Pope should foster tolerance, love, peace, blah blah blah. As I always say, Jesus did not come to Earth so we could all hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.” Sorry. The Bible gives us enough evidence to know this to be true. So why are so many Christians so wishy-washy, and think that Christianity is all about love and tolerance? Surely, Love is important. But a lot of Christianity is difficult. It’s supposed to challenge us, to make us think, to go beyond our comfort zone. And like I said, B XVI’s role isn’t to be Head Christian Cheerleader. It’s to teach the Truth. And that’s what he does. That what Popes do. (well, the good ones. ) So enough of this uproar about how the Pope is divisive and doesn’t care about ecumenism and all that. Ecumenism is great. But you can’t sacrifice truth for the sake of unity.

–As you know, I am currently nosing around for a new job. I applied for one today that I think I am perfect for and I really hope I get it. Prayers are appreciated, of course. It’s so hard to know precisely where God wants you at a stage in your life. I’m hoping He wants me at this new place. But as we all know, His will be done, not ours. Sometimes I wish He’d ask me what I want–then I realize that He already knows and knows what I NEED as opposed to what I want.

I find it interesting that Cardinal Law in Boston resigned after the abuse brouhaha, and yet Cardinal Mahoney, who is facing an equal mess in LA, is sticking around–at least, thus far. But then again I have never been a fan of his so I may be too hard on him. But I doubt it.

I don’t write much about the priest scandals because, quiet honestly, and this may shock some of you, they don’t really shake me on that level. I never expected priests to be perfect. The Church is a human-run institution. Yes, Christ founded it. Yes, the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. But remember Judas Iscariot was an Apostle. Not all of the men who serve the Church serve it well and with honor. Some of them are just bad apples and some of them are criminals. That doesn’t excuse what they do. And if what they are accused of actually happened (which I doubt, in some cases, but that’s just me), then they deserve punishment. However, some proof would be nice. I would support groups like SNAP and Voice of the Faithful a heck of a lot more if their mission didn’t also happen to include church reform and things other than victim support and getting justice for them.

Here in Ohio we had a Senate bill last session that would’ve extended the statute of limitations for crimes like these, with a 25 or 35 year “look back” period. Fortunately this didn’t make it into the passed version of the bill. I don’t care what someone did, at some point the evidence is gone, memories are not reliable, witnesses have died, and it’s just he said/she said. And who do you believe then?

I have never thought that priests were somehow supposed to be more perfect than the rest of us. They are men. Men who are ordained, yes. Who are supposed to serve God and His people well and faithfully, yes. But they are still human and they can still screw up. That doesn’t mean I’ll leave the church or stop giving in the collection basket or become disillusioned or whatever. I think the people that put priests on this incredible pedestal are the ones who are disillusioned. As the Count says in the Count of Monte Cristo: “I’m a count, not a saint.” We have many Godly men in the priesthood. We also have scoundrels. But we shouldn’t punish all priests or the whole Church because of the bad actions of a few.

I went to Mass today, and as today is the Feast of St. Benedict, the (Very short) homily was about his famous idea of “everything in moderation” for the members of his order.

I’ve always wondered exactly what that meant. If I’d rather be reading all day, but I only read for 3-4 hours, is that moderation? It’s easier with food–don’t eat all the cookies at one time!, etc. But more leisure activities, I find it harder to discern what exactly is moderation. Work, however, can sometimes require more effort to reach a moderate level; I’m sure most of us would rather do less work and more leisure than try to have moderation in all things.

How to you keep this maxim? Any ideas?

Well, OK, technically it’s two years tomorrow, but we got the call at about 8:45 P.M. on July 10, so I guess this counts.

I cannot believe it has been two years since my t/x. That just amazes me. For more, head to The Bucket to read the story of How It All Unfolded. Needless to say, God is good. Wonderful and mysterious are His ways. For in order for me to be here typing this, a family in Minnesota had to lose someone. And for them, it has been two years without her. But my family and friends have had two years with me.

I am still trying to discern where exactly God wants me. But for now I am happy and content to bask in His love and thank Him profusely for the second chance He gave me, with this Gift of Life.

If you are not an organ donor, BE ONE! If you live in central Ohio, you can go here for more information and to sign up to be a donor. As I have stated previously, the Church looks favorably on organ donation and sees it as a great charitable act. Each donor can save up to 17 lives! How amazing is that?

And some of them are people like me, who will be forever grateful for your gift.

Think about it, will you?

Wonderful column (h/t: Rod)

From the Dallas Morning News (h/t: Rod)

Virginia Arbery: Ending Down syndrome pregnancies bears all the marks of a pogrom

09:06 AM CDT on Sunday, July 8, 2007

The year Julia was born in New Hampshire, 1987, I was the only geriatric pregnancy in the state issuing in a Down syndrome child. When I recovered from the pediatrician’s insult – I was 37 – I learned from him that the other nine mothers in the state to deliver Down syndrome babies were still in their 20s.

I asked him why this was the case; conventional wisdom had led me to believe that the likelihood of giving birth to a Down syndrome child increased with maturity. When he told me that most woman over 34 usually had amniocentesis done to avoid giving birth to a Down syndrome child, I was stunned. After first being dismayed by – what to call it? – my demographic solitude, I soon turned my attention to what Down syndrome meant practically for my new infant. The books we quickly read, and the instruction from excellent social services helped us. Operating outside the realm of reason and structure were other powerful supports – call them graces.

At the end of Julia’s first week, I learned that a publisher friend of ours had lost his wife to colon cancer. We had known them since graduate school, and the widower came over to tell us that his wife gathered their eight children around her bed to pray for Julia and us every night of that first week.

(Read on …)

From a new blog I’m reading, Bonfire of the Vanities: (emphasis is mine)

From Continuing to digest the ‘Old Mass’ Motu Proprio

I might well have other things I might do on my day away from parish business, but I am giving a lot of thought to what the Holy Father’s recent decision, regarding the use of the “Old Mass,” means for the near and long term.

A lot of people who are getting all panicky, really, calm down, won’t you please? No, you won’t? Okay, I tried.

No, it’s not going to mean that anytime soon, you will show up for Mass and “it’ll all be different.”

But yes, it may mean that sometime down the road, some places, there will be scheduled, either at new times, or as part of the current schedule of Masses, the Mass according to the old — and what the pope now calls the “extraordinary” — form of the Roman Rite.

And (here is the speculative part, clearly) I believe it means that way, way down the road — I mean over many years and decades — we will all see the celebration of the Mass, in its ongoing, “normal” form, will gradually shift. It will regain at least some Latin, and in some cases, significant amounts of Latin. Chant will return (it already was returning; and it never went away, even if you haven’t heard it for awhile). For lack of a better way to talk about it, there will be a reconsideration of the “ethos” or mindest or “spirit” of the liturgy — because beyond the details (English or Latin? Haugen or Palestrina? Stand or kneel?), there is the question of the overall approach, or feel, of the liturgy.

Oh, here goes the panic again! There some folks go screaming from the keyboard. Come back when you feel better, okay? Let’s continue… (Read on …)