"Lord have mercy"
Reflections (and photos) of a Catholic Dad.
Friday, April 27, 2007
IMDB Meme
Tim tagged me over at The Lapped Catholic. This one looks like a fun one. Here is the procedure:
Go to IMDB.com and look up 10 of your favourite movies. - Post five (5) official IMDB "Plot Keywords" for these 10 picks. - Have your friends guess the movie titles. - Then tag three people
I just used the five tags on the main pages - some are obvious others leave you scratching your head. Can you guess?
1. Irish American / Pepsi / Fall From Tree / 1980s / Self Worth 2. No Opening Credits / Space Shuttle / Galactic War / Smuggler / War 3. Disturbing / Color Tints / Historic / Hiding Under Bed / Murder 4. Car Accident / U Boat / Zombie / Good Versus Evil / Mummy 5. Alcoholism / Train Station / American Abroad / Bar / Exile 6. War / Tommy Gun / Halftrack / Critically Acclaimed / U.S. Army 7. Psychic Power / Stylized / Psychological Thriller / Psychology / Affection 8. Peril / Ancient Sword / Hardship / Stylized / Hungry 9. Pursuit / Gore / Mind Game / Androgyny / Maniac 10. Warrior / Famous Score / Death During Filming / Historical / Battle Scene
My thoughts: Being pro-life can be difficult in modern society. Most of the world does not want to deal with it. A good friend of mine - one of the keeper kind of friends - told me he just stayed out of it because it wasn't his body. Another good friend told me that no one had the right to tell her what to do with her body. It is not always easy to stand up when your friends expect you to sit down.
When I see the pictures side by side of abortions with Nazi holocaust images, it is impossible for me to remain silent. Most Germans in WWII sat back and stuck their heads in the sand as 12 million people were murdered. Well, more than 40 million dead babies since 1972 is a holocaust that no amount of denial can change. And if I sit back and say nothing, I am like those who allowed 12 million people to be murdered in WWII.
I am in a bowling league and we had our final games in Vegas this past weekend. We had fun - the whole family took a drive across the desert and rented a house for the weekend. Now, you may think it odd that on the way to Vegas we listened to a CD on confession, but that is what we did. A friend who is part of my Cursillo 4th day meeting group gave me three CDs to listen to. I got something out of all three CDs, but the one that I wanted to share here was the on confession.
It was a talk by Fr. Larry Richards. It starts with a focus on God's love and forgiveness, but to understand forgiveness we must understand sin and our own sinfulness. He goes through a very challenging and engaging review of the 10 Commandments as an examination of conscience. Father gave me quite a bit to think about for my next confession.
The point that got me most was his discussion of the first commandment. For those who forgot, I have it here:
"'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. " (my emphasis)
Fr. Larry was talking about how we focus on the rules, but it is all about our relationship with God. People don't think about violating the First commandment, but it is most important. We are to put God FIRST. But we all fail. It got me thinking about how am I not putting God first in my life. If I can start each day asking how am I putting God first, and end each night evaluating how I did - I think I will be in a much better spot.
Fr. Larry has a site at www.thereasonforourhope.org. There is more on the site, but let me point out two directly related points of interest. You can buy the CD on the site for $7 or download the mp3 for $2 (specifically here). There is also a PDF "sin list" examination of conscience that is worth reading (click here).
Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate is a great site to visit nearly every day, but he is compiling some commentaries about the recent Supreme Court decision that are definitely worth looking at today. Click here to read more.
One of the pieces he has is part of an article by George Neumayr at Human Events about the Ginsburg dissent:
Cut through all the pretentious padding and legal mumbo-jumbo and Ginsburg's dissent amounts to this: abortion is the sacred foundation of feminism, and Americans must never touch it; if this means permitting the skulls of unborn children to be crushed, oh well.
Looks like another light week on the feast questions.
Appetizer What is your favorite kind of bread? Sourdough, of course.
Soup When was the last time you bought a new pillow? I bought one last year for my wife - one of the conforming kind that they sell in Brookstone. It was a body length pillow that was really helpful with the pregnancy.
Salad Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the ‘net? My lawyer advises me that I should exercise my fifth amendment right. Needless to say it is more hours than I watch TV.
Main Course What’s the highest you remember your temperature being? I have no idea. It was so long ago and I was so delirious, I just couldn't tell you.
Dessert Fill in the blanks: When I ____________, I _____________. When I let go, I am much happier.
"WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench."
Hooray! Progress in the greatest civil human rights struggle of our time. While there is a long way to go, we finally have movement.
At Catholic Dads, there has been some discussions on the pluses and minuses of NFP (Natural Family Planning - for those who don't know it is an effective way to plan when children are born without resorting to artificial contraceptives). I don’t want to comment directly on that discussion, but I do want to share my perspective guided by my own experiences on family planning. I am not judging anyone (except perhaps myself), just hoping that insights I have gained from my experience might help a new or soon to be husband.
We got married at 23, and did not have our first child until 28. We planned it that way. We got married knowing that a family was important to us, but the conventional wisdom was to go to school and get financially settled - and we bought that "wisdom." When we got married, I was just starting five years of graduate school and Mrs. K had a year left as an undergrad and then got a masters degree. We were busy getting set for the “future.” My daughter was born about a month before I finished my dissertation - so we timed it pretty close to plan. That was more than 10 years ago.
Having children changes everything, including how you see the world. As I look back, I regret that we followed the conventional wisdom. I am sorry we waited until we had finished our schooling. The most fulfilling part of my life is my relationship with my wife and children. I waited five years to discover what God had in store for me. Further, it installed a habit of looking at family set against finance and career. My degree has allowed me to do well for myself, but I have found the the more money I have made, the less happy I have been (it takes time to make money). This makes sense when we realize that we are created to love one another, not to be consumers or workaholics. In the end, the conventional wisdom sets up a pattern of choosing financial wellbeing over family life and spiritual wellbeing.
I have some advice to those just setting out, or those waiting to have kids. It stems from my wishing I had done differently. It is this:
Don’t wait to have kids, and don’t limit your love by a number. God will provide what is needed. Have faith.
Obedience to God's will is not always about speaking up - sometimes it is remaining silent.
My wife and I were talking about personalities in my family. We were discussing how I have no fear of conflict. I love to speak in public and am a leader, which tends to mean I have no problem saying what is on my mind. Mostly this is a positive trait, but it can get me into trouble. A homily at Sunday Mass back in September has had a big impact on me, and as I was meditating on the rosary today, it came back to me again. I think the lesson is good for those like me who have no problem "sharing."
The Gospel that day was Mark 7:31-37 about Jesus healing the deaf mute. The homily really caught my attention because our priest was saying that sometimes we need to pray to have the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute. Sometimes we should pray that our ears are closed to what we should not hear and that our tongue is held when we should not speak. This is exactly opposite of what I had expected. I mean, the miracle was about how the deaf hear and the mute speak. I did a double take to make sure I heard correctly - definitely not what I had expected.
Immediately after mass the message was stamped firmly into my gray matter. Someone who fancies himself a Parish Big Wig (Mr. PBW), decided that when I read the petitions the previous week, I had mispronounced a name and I was in need of correction. I was in such need, that he did not wait until I had a donut and coffee - he didn't even wait until I was out of church - heck, he was walking across the church before the recessional hymn was finished. As Mr. PBW was speaking I could feel the blood rush to my head and several quips leapt to mind. There are lots of reasons I am not a Mr. PBW fan, and this was my chance to share my insights about his issues. But as he was speaking, I remembered the homily. I prayed for the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute. I smiled, accepted his correction, and went out with my family. I don't know if I have ever had a homily lesson that I had to put into action that quickly after mass.
As I was meditating today on the "Presentation in the Temple," I was thinking about how the rules of the temple - Mary being ritually cleansed and Christ being presented and ransomed back - were not necessary for the Holy Family. I mean, she was pure and he was, well, God. But here our Redeemer and the Blessed Mother both subjected themselves to the law. The lesson in humility and obedience was so clear. Then this homily came to mind. Sometimes we must be subject to that which may not seem fair or right or necessary. While many times these situations call for word or action, sometimes they call for silence, for subjugation, for waiting. For those like me who have no trouble speaking up, this requisite lesson can be hard (at least I have found it so).
At times, I still find myself praying for the ears of the deaf and the tongue of the mute at my parish. But I find the lesson extended to the Internet as well. I have found myself wanting to write a post or leave a comment that, after a quick prayer, remains unpublished. Not easy, but necessary.
I took this quiz tongue in cheek the first time, and came out as St. Jerome (it could have been the "hit 'em over the head" answer). Taking a bit less tongue in cheek introduced me to a saint I had not known.
You’re St. Melito of Sardis!
You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins.
I am not a numismatist nor a philatelist, but I did deal in coins as a hobby for a few years, and had some stamps from back then as well. The walking liberty half dollar (in center of picture) is my favorite US coin design.
This weeks feast seems a bit on the light side. Which is not bad given a surge in work requirements.
Appetizer When you were a child, which crayon color was your favorite? Blue. Definitely blue. In fact, it is still my favorite.
Soup On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how likely would you be to change jobs if it required you to move? 2 - the only reason it is not a 1 is that I leave open the possibility of divine correction. But I have moved from So Cal to Portland to the Bay area back to So Cal and then to Atlanta, all for work. I am back in So Cal for good. At least that is my plan.
Salad Take all the numbers in your birthday and your phone number and add them up, one by one. What’s the total? 85. And...?
Main Course Have you ever “re-gifted” anything? If so, what was it and who did you pass it on to? Sort of. I have re-gifted a box. It was a wood wine box. It held one bottle and was decorated nicely. It really served no function - I used the wine, put in a new bottle, and gave to my boss. I think I saw a fellow employee with it at a later point.
Dessert Name something you need from the store. Diet soda and tri-tips for grilling.
While I am not a supporter of the groups that got arrested, I think laws against feeding the homeless are pretty much on the wrong side of right/wrong. I don't know about you, but I think money speaks louder than anything. Isn't there a couple big businesses in Orlando that depend on tourism? Not sure they are doing enough to foster the correct atmosphere. Perhaps money would best be spent elsewhere.
I have added Mission San Luis Rey to our list of California Mission sites. Unfortunately, they do not allow pictures inside the church - but let me tell you the altar and art work are awe inspiring.
"The reason gay marriage seems plausible to some people is that our understanding of masculinity is blurred, thanks to 35 years of hostility to authentic manhood in the universities, in the media, in the arts. There's a masculinity crisis in our society and in the Church. The divorce rate is at 50-percent. Fatherless families are common. Catholic priests are in crisis. Many men aren't doing what they're supposed to do."
"IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED today that the Christian concept of God as Father is under attack. Specifically, various religious writers, primarily feminists, have proposed that God should be called Mother, or possibly the androgynous Father/Mother or Mother/Father. In some instances the term God as Parent has been proposed. In contrast, this paper will explore the psychological case for the orthodox understanding of God as Father. Obviously, this is a sensitive subject today—but where angels fear to tread, psychologists rush in."
Happy Easter! This has been a fabulous weekend. I took Friday off for Good Friday observance, then Lynn & I went to the Easter Vigil. It is a joy to watch people come into the Church. Mags had to serve at 7:15 mass, so we went then as well. After all that, the family feast was at our house (I have finally mastered the art of prime rib).
After Easter Vigil, we drove straight to somewhere I could buy a nice big Diet Coke. I gave it up for Lent, and missed it every day. I know some people who have given up things never to miss them again. Not the case here. The first thing the 7 year old said when we woke him up Easter Sunday - "I can eat fries again." It was interesting how giving up something for 40+ days can add to the joy. Hmmm. Maybe this Catholic stuff makes sense. :D
Check out Amber's Easter post. She became a Catholic (with thousands of others) at Easter Vigil on Saturday. Welcome, Amber!
The Easter Triduum starts this evening with the Mass of the Lord's supper where we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist, peaks during the Easter Vigil Saturday night, and ends with evening prayers on Easter Sunday. This is the holiest time in the Church Calendar. Because of this I will be offline through Easter Sunday.
To my blogging friends who will be officially joining the Church this Easter Vigil, I'll be praying for you and celebrating your homecoming at our own parish's Easter Vigil.
May the peace of the risen Christ be with all of you and your families.
“In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). If a father goes but irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s devotion, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will find themselves coming to church regularly or occasionally.
A non-practicing mother with a regular father will see a minimum of two-thirds of her children ending up at church. In contrast, a non-practicing father with a regular mother will see two-thirds of his children never darken the church door. If his wife is similarly negligent that figure rises to 80 percent!”
"....You cannot feminize the church and keep the men, and you cannot keep the children if you do not keep the men."
I think our example as men doing what is right while facing the “realities” of the world is the most powerful weapon we have in safeguarding the faith of our children. As a church, the battle is clear - to ensure our future, we must engage fathers.
Vatican, Apr. 2, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has announced the prayer intentions of Pope Benedict XVI for the month of April 2007.
The Pope's general intention is: "That, allowing himself to be enlightened and guided by the Holy Spirit, every Christian may answer enthusiastically and faithfully to the universal call to sanctity."
The Pope's missionary intention is: "That the number of priestly and religious vocations may grow in North America and the countries of the Pacific Ocean, in order to give an adequate answer to the pastoral and missionary needs of those populations."
