"Lord have mercy"
Reflections (and photos) of a Catholic Dad.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Happy Michaelmas!
Today is the feast day of St. Michael. It was traditionally known as Michaelmas and was a holy day of obligation until the 18th century. The Church has added Saint Gabriel and St Raphael to the feast day - these are the three Archangels named in the bible.
Among other things, St. Michael is the patron saint for our family - all of us are named Michael or Michelle (first, middle, or confirmation name). Today is a special feast day for our family.
There is a prayer to St. Michael that the entire Church would say after every mass. Those at daily mass at some parishes still say it (they do this at my parish). We say it together at least once per day. I share it with you:
St. Michael the Archangel Defend us in battle. Be our protection against the snares and wickedness of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - Cast into hell, Satan and all evil spirits who wander this world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo? Novus Ordo. I would like to go to the Extraordinary Form sometime, and hope that it becomes wide spread, but alas, I have not.
2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there? There is one about 30 minutes away, but we have not made it. Getting there with three kids at the time it is offered would be difficult.
3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be? I prefer just "Catholic." If an adjective were required, I would go with faithful or orthodox. I wish adjectives weren't required, but it seems like they are - which is a sad statement.
4. Are you a comment junkie? Not really. Only when something really strikes me.
5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on? Sometimes. It depends on the kind of comment I have had. I try to avoid comment arguments.
6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog? No. If I am not willing to leave my name, then I should not comment. That is my thinking, anyways.
7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on? I am happy to be on the SOV2 banned list. For the most part, I like to see when my blog is listed on particular people's websites. Being on compiled lists is nice, but it really feels good to know that Blogger X or Blogger Y thinks enough of your site to add it to their personal list.
8. Which blog is the first one you check? That is a hard question. I would say Catholic Dads as I am administrating it. Other than that, I use Google Reader to show me who has something new (the list is the one I have as my "favorites" - I check those every day). Which do I check first if there are lots of new items? It is close, but I would go with the folks at Creative Minority Report, though Pro Ecclesia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate is pretty close. There are others that I love too (and for different reasons) - it really is hard to say which is first.
According to stories by Lifesitenews.com and the Georgetown University student newspaper The Hoya, the Georgetown law school has adopted a policy that will provide funding to law students to intern with public interest organizations regardless of their mission.
This change in policy was apparently made to accommodate students who had previously been denied funding for abortion advocacy work with Planned Parenthood. According to The Hoya report, Joy Welan, the president of the GeorgetownLaw Center’s student group Law Students for Choice, said “We think that this compromise is fantastic news, for students who are interested in pursuing careers in reproductive rights advocacy.”
Cardinal Newman Society Executive Vice President Tom Mead said of the abortion friendly policy, “I am absolutely stunned by Georgetown’s decision to fund abortion advocacy.
“Since the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong, perhaps a faithful law student can get an internship with a public interest organization that will sue Georgetown for false advertising regarding its Catholic identity.”
On behalf of its more than 20,000 members, the Cardinal Newman Society calls on Georgetown University President John DeGioia to exercise his authority as president of an institution that proudly identifies itself as a Catholic university and overturn this outrageous policy.
In case you didn't realize, Saturday Sept 29 is Michaelmas (the feast of St. Michael). St. Michael is our family's patron saint and we are all named Michael or Michelle (first, middle or confirmation name), so Saturday is a big day for us.
Michaelmas has been an important holiday in the Church, especially in Ireland, Scotland and Wales (ah those wonderful Celts). Michaelmas was a holy day of obligation until the 18th century, and because of its proximity to the equinox marked the beginning of Fall.
Here is a traditional Michaelmas recipe I found at Fish Eaters that we will be making this Saturday and wanted to share with you. We wanted to give you a jump on getting ingredients, since the flours are not your typical mega-mart staples (we had to go to a organic health food store to get the barley and rye). This is Celtic in origin (of course the Irish and Scots argue about whose it is, but never mind that).
St. Michael's Bannock 1 1/3 C. barley flour 1 1/3 C. oat meal 1 1/3 C. rye meal 1 C. flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 scant tsp baking soda 2 1/2-3 C. buttermilk 3 TBSP honey or brown sugar 2 eggs 1 C. cream 4 TBSP melted butter
Mix the barley flour, oat meal, and rye meal. Add flour and salt. Mix the soda and buttermilk (start with the 2 1/2 C) and then add to the dry mixture. Stir in honey. Turn out onto floured board and mix (as with all breads, don't over-mix), adding more buttermilk if too dry, or more flour if too sticky).
Divide dough in half, and roll each, on a floured board, into an 8" circle (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick). While heating a lightly greased skillet, mix the eggs, cream, and melted butter. Spread onto one of the bannocks and place the bannock, egg-side down, in the skillet and cook til the egg-side is browned. Put the egg mixture on the top side, flip the bannock and cook 'til the second side is golden. Repeat this application of the egg wash and flipping and cooking until each side has been cooked three times. Do the same with the second bannock. Serve warm with butter and honey.
Have a happy Michaelmas on Saturday, and enjoy. Saturday, be sure to wish a happy feast day to anyone you know named for St. Michael!
Christian love is not weak or anesthetic. It’s an act of the will. It takes guts. It’s a deliberate submission of our selfishness to the needs of others. There’s nothing “unmanly” about it, and there’s nothing—and I mean nothing—more demanding and rewarding in the world. The heart of medieval knighthood and chivalry was the choice of a fighting man to put himself at the service of others—honoring his lord, respecting the dignity of women, protecting the weak, and defending the faith even at the cost of his own life.
That’s your vocation. That’s what being a Christian man means. We still have those qualities in our hearts. We are not powerless in the face of today’s unbelieving civilization. We can turn this world upside down if only we’re willing to love—the kind of Christian love that is vastly more powerful than just a sugary feeling; the kind of love that converts men into something entirely new; the kind of love that bears fruit in a man’s zeal, courage, justice, mercy, and apostolic action.
So I leave you with this: Be men who love well. Be the Catholic men God intended you to be. Be men of courage and fidelity to your God, your wives, your families, and your Church. Put your belief into practice. Do everything for the glory of God, even the little things you have to do each day. Love those who don’t love you. Love—expecting nothing in return. Love—and those you love will find Jesus, too. Love—and through your actions, God will change this world.
Thank you God for calling me to be a Catholic man. And thank you God for bishops like Archbishop Chaput. Amen
Welcome th the Church Militant - are you ready to do your part?
Deb at UKOK's Place (one of those blogs that made it into my Google reader) nominated me for the Mathetes Award.
Here’s a quote from the orignal blog post explaining the award….
"Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) it to make more disciples. I'd like to take the opportunity to award five other bloggers with this award and badge for acting in the role of a disciple of Christ. These five all share the message in their own creative ways, and I admire them all for what they do.
In the spirit of this award, the rules are simple. Winners of this award must pick five other "disciples" to pass it on to. As you pass it on, I just ask that you mention and provide links for (1)this post as the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name and sites of the five that you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ"
Deb, thank you very much for the nomination. I very much appreciate it (and your blog). I'd like to think I am a good disciple, but I think I have a long way to go - but I guess we all would say that. Regardless, thanks.
Now for the nomination. Of course, Deb, you have made it hard because you would have been one of the five I would have nominate. But I think there are few out there that I would mention. So here are my five:
Fr. Stephanos at Me Monk, Me Meander whose insight and guidance I find profound, though I wish he would be able to get high speed access again . :-)
Amber at This Catholic Journey who has inspired and challenged us with her ongoing journey into the Catholic Church in spite of all the obstacles.
Barb at SFO Mom who shows us how to live our faith simply in our daily lives.
Sister Mary Martha at Ask Sister Mary Martha for reminding us why we miss the straightforward "between the eyes" nuns that used to be more common when we were younger.
The entire crew at Mount Carmel Bloggers who show us what it is to be faithful Catholics - not liberals, not conservatives - just faithful Catholics.
No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon. Luke 16:13
I think it worth repeating this verse from Sunday's Gospel for those of us living in the world, but striving to not be of the world (I include myself here). Whom will we serve today? Wealth? Power? Sex?
If we want to know whom our god is, then look at what we love. Look at what we are devoted to. Look at what compels us to do what we do.
May the love of God and the love of neighbor be the source of all we do. Then the one true living God will truly be our God.
Californians are very familiar with this contraption, the seismograph. After every earthquake there is always a shot of a seismograph with a talking head from someone at Cal Tech in Pasadena. Well, now I've got my own picture of one!
A Seismograph is basically a roll of paper with a pen suspended above it, and it records movement. Thankfully, nothing more than these little lines here in So Cal for a while. I doubt I will take a picture of the "big one." No, I hope to be visiting family in Indiana when that one occurs. Now if we could only predict it so I can make the travel arrangements....
I have a group of fellow Catholic men that meet weekly (most weeks anyways) to share our journeys and hold one another accountable. One question we ask ourselves each week was when we were most aware of Christ's presence. At a meeting at my parish, a similar question came up - where do I see Christ.
I find this question a tough one some times. Not because I don't see Christ, but because when I look, I see him everywhere.
I see him in the priest who so reverently says mass. I see him in the charismatic man who shares our faith with our protestant brothers & sisters. I see him in the woman who runs the Life Center. I see him in the woman who uses her connections to raise funds for the parish. I see him in the young woman who is working with the youth. I see him in my wife when she is doing all that she does for our children. I see him in my children almost every time I look. I see him in the homeless man pushing his cart down the street. I see him in my faith brothers as they struggle on their journey. I see him in the posts of Catholic bloggers as they share their faith. I see him in the man struggling with his vice.
When I look, I see him. It is only when I don't look that I don't see.
One of the nice things about getting together with family is sharing stories. It was my dad's birthday this weekend and we were all together to celebrate. After the meal, but before dessert we were talking about miracles. I mentioned the story of my brother and the above and beyond actions of a pharmacist who saved his life (click here for that story). Well, my dad recounted how his father was cured from cancer through prayer.
This happened in the early 70's. My Grandfather had cancer in his kidneys. One kidney was completely cancerous and the other was 80% cancerous. He was bed ridden with tubes inserted for urination because of the condition. The doctors gave a life expectancy of 5 minutes to emphasize that he could die at any time.
My parents invited the parish priest, Fr. Flanagan, to come and administer last rights. At the time they were heavily involved in Marriage Encounter, and had activated a network of more than 1,000 people to pray for my grandfather.
About a week later my grandfather rolled over in bed, pulled out the tube, got up and said that he was better. When the doctors examined him they found no evidence of cancer anywhere and had no explanation what happened.
My dad tells me he does not think that my grandfather was even aware that so many people were praying for him. He attributed his miraculous recovery to carrot juice. He lived seven more years, and died of a heart attack - not cancer.
I wasn't sure I'd actually get a chance to use this pic. It is one of my favorites of my boy that I took some time ago. That plastic police car was one of his favorite toys.
This is shameful. Why are the powers suppressing speech on the issue of the islamization of Europe. Even a member of the European parliament was arrested.
We think what happened in LA about immigration was bad? Take a look at what the do in "enlightened" Europe if you want to take a stand.
There is a battle going on between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. It is only going to grow. The battle is for the soul of Western civilizaton. What side will you be on?
We had just started our drive home when it happened. It was a beautiful day and had just settled in for the 4 hour drive. We had not started our rosary yet. Just after our first potty break (about 15 minutes into the trip), we witnessed an accident happen right in front of us - about the distance one would travel in 5 seconds at 70 MPH. A white minivan drifted to the left, over-corrected to the right and then lost control heading off to the left at 90 degrees. The car which had been in the far right lane heading south (the slow lane), crossed the fast lane right in front of another car. Went over the brush filled area between the southbound and northbound lanes (about 20 feet wide) and went perpendicular into traffic coming the opposite direction. An SUV going 70+ MPH slammed into the side of the minivan. The image above is what was left of the minivan.
We immediately pulled over to see if we could help, but we were now on the opposite side of the highway. After calling for emergency help (along with several other people given the cell tower was overwhelmed), we resumed our journey, and started our rosary. The sole intention was for those involved.
Miraculously, no one was killed. Two people suffered moderate injuries and two walked away without injury (we found out on Monday). Thank God all survived. Again we thank Him for our guardian angels watching over us as well. It was only 5 seconds that separated us from that car - a mile or two per hour difference and we would have been next to it.
We especially thank our Blessed Mother whom we had asked to watch over us at the beginning of our weekend journey. With two potentially fatal disasters avoided, my wife and I both sensed the protection we received.
Clearly, God is not done with us, nor the people in that accident, yet.
On this anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, I thank you for letting me live in this great country. May I always remember those who died because they are Americans. May I strive to make my country worthy of the blood that has been spilt for her. May we as a nation, along with those who love peace and freedom around the world, remember the cost of freedom. May we be worthy of the price that has been paid, and stand ready to pay when the need arises.
I ask this through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
We just returned from a weekend at Pismo Beach with my folks, my brother and two sisters, and the beginnings of the next generation (my three kids and my sister's one). It was absolutely beautiful. We had a room that overlooked the ocean. After morning prayers on Saturday, I stepped out onto th balcony, and the only words that came to me were "He made the sea, it belongs to him." It was breathtaking. What a way to start Mary's birthday. The picture above is that very view from the room where we were staying.
We were in here to celebrate my daughter's birthday which just past, and my father's which is coming up. The day was planned so that we watched my daughter take surf lessons in the morning (she seemed a natural - up on her very first try), had lunch, and then my siblings, brother-in-law, wife, and I would go kayaking. The picture to the left is of my oldest having her first surf lessons.
This was my first time kayaking, but everyone else had been at least once. Being new, I had no say about where we launched, but where plays into the story. We ended up launching from Shell Beach, about a mile or so north of Pismo Beach. The tide was coming in, and the swells were substantial, but manageable. In that area, you do have to manage your way among many rock islands full of seals and sea birds. It is breathtaking (both because of the beauty and because the animals reek).
My youngest sister (not yet 21) started to have a panic attack as the kayak she and my other sister shared came close to some mostly submerged rocks that they had not seen (we were about 100 yards out). While I have never had a panic attack, I understood the worry about smashing into rocks. But we got her calmed without incident, but she wanted to head on back, so we did (this was about 20 minutes into the adventure).
The folks at the kayak company had told us to come back straight in between two narrow jutting strips of rock. The surf was definitely coming in, and it wasn't easy to see where you were going. My brother went first and made it to the beach - no problem. My wife and I in a tandem boat also made it to shore without a hitch. But the boat with my two sisters, overturned in the surf about 30 feet out.
If you are familiar with Pismo Beach, you probably know that it is a sandy beach where the water is only chest high a 50 yards out - easy as pie. So when my sister (the one who panicked) sent up a shout, we thought it was in joy at having finished. It took a couple seconds to realize that something was wrong.
Shell Beach is not sand (nor shell). It's bottom is a floor of sharp, uneven, slippery rocks. My sisters were getting their feet cut and unable to get into shore since they had worn flip-flops (not tennis shoes like me or gripping sandals like my brother-in-law). My brother-in-law is a former life guard. He was able to calm my youngest sister, while I helped my other sister (his wife) make it to shore. The good news was that we were able to get them in safely - plenty of cuts on feet and legs, but safe. It is scary to think about going over into those rocks like they did. A sharp rock to the head....
We thanked God for our guardian angels and for our Blessed Mother looking out for us on her birthday. Things could have gone much, much worse.
I have another story from our weekend adventures tomorrow.
Nuns to Be Evicted: It’s “wrong,” Sister Angela believes, for the small Eastside convent where she’s lived since 1964 to be sold to help pay for the sins of priests accused of molesting children. Sisters of Bethany have been serving the low-income neighborhood since the 1950s, but now must leave due to church scandals within the L.A. Archdiocese. “What hurts so much is what they want to use [the sale proceeds] for,” Sister Superior Angela, 69, told me. “In conscience, I can’t say that’s right.”
Cardinal Mahoney makes it hard to be a good Catholic. As good Catholics we want to follow the lead of our bishops. But why does he do so many decisions that appear so wrong? How do you sell a convent when you have that prison styled "cathedral" that cost about $190,000,000?
And do you know what the diocesan paper "The Tidings" headlined with this week? Celebrating 5 years of the Rog Mahal. They called the "Cathedral" an awe-filled space. Awful space is more like it.
What an absolutely horrible, horrible steward. He has closed the beautiful old Cathedral. Closed two seminaries. Has protected pedophiles (and his own legal behind). Given us a monstrosity, and then has the gall to sing its praises while he evicts nuns who actually do real ministry.
Is there anyone else who finds this sickening? As followers of Christ we are to act with justice and mercy. Cardinal, how are you doing this? How is this just? How is this merciful? You have stained and sullied the long and honorable history of the diocese of Los Angeles. Sell the monstrosity of a Cathedral. Move into one of the local parishes (maybe one that needs a priest), and save these nuns!
In the meantime, if anyone knows where I can make a contribution to help these nuns, please leave it in my com box!
Creative Minority Report is one of the blogs that I absolutely have to visit every day. Not only does it have one of the best layouts, it has writing you just don't want to miss.
So how I missed this one two days ago, I don't know. But thanks to Jay at Pro Ecclesia (one of my other "have to read" blogs) for pointing to it. You want to read this one.
"Tommy didn’t want to meet a celebrity. He didn’t want to play basketball against an NBA hero. His wish was simple: Save my School. You see, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was closing Tommy’s elementary school because much of the Catholic population had moved into the suburbs and the urban neighborhood just couldn’t support the school anymore. Here’s the letter Tommy wrote:"
There is a great article at California Catholic blog "Notes from A Cultural Madhouse" Read the whole thing, I have skipped some of the useful background and got to the meat here. My emphasis added.
So, when Lumen Gentium says the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, it is saying that it exists only in the Catholic Church. In its very substance or essence, the Catholic Church is the Church of Christ.
But in using subsists, the Council is saying something more.
As the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s June 29 “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church” indicates, the Vatican Council’s use of subsists indicates the simpler is, but with this twist. Subsists, says “Responses,” “brings out more clearly” than is “the fact that there are ‘numerous elements of sanctification and truth’ which are found outside her [the Catholic Church’s] structure, but which ‘as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, impel towards Catholic unity.’”
In using “subsists,” the Vatican Council attempted to get at the truth of the nature of the Church of Christ in a way that takes into account the very real salvific elements found in non-Catholic groups.
“Subsists,” however, does not stop at a simple recognition of the character of non-Catholic groups. It implies an ecumenism which finds its fulfillment It implies an ecumenism which finds its fulfillment only in conversion. For if elements of the Catholic Church exist outside her visible confines, they do not exist in the way that Christ willed for them to exist but as broken and scattered. As “Responses” said, only in the Catholic Church do we find that essential characteristic of the Church of Christ – unity – which gathers all the elements of truth, making them part of one substance. This being so, Catholics and non-Catholics alike are impelled to seek for themselves and each other that unity which, as Lumen Gentium says, “subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him.”
This work of conversion is not one-sided. For while it certainly implies, for non-Catholics, full entrance into the Catholic Church, it demands something of Catholics as well -- the recognition of non-Catholic Christians as real, if separated, brethren and the zeal to bring our brethren home to the Church of Christ, which is, and subsists in, the Catholic Church.
The problem with some Catholics who reach out to our separated brothers and sisters is that they stop at the recognition of salvific elements outside of the Church. But we are called to more than that. We Catholics are challenged to invite our brothers and sisters home. That the we may be one. This requires a conversion on the part of our separated brothers & sisters. And it requires an active evangelization on our part. This isn't relativism in action - it is a call to heal division through a conversion of separated Christians to unity with the Catholic Church. This is not "separate but equal," and it is not about negotiating on matters of faith or morals. No, it is reaching out and teaching with humility.
I was mentioning to the RCIA head at my parish (in response to questions about an adult faith formation series) that I was looking for a going deeper in understanding my faith. I said that I am very well catechized and knowledgeable already. She told me that I won't get what I was looking for at a parish (which is sad in and of itself).
I told her that I see myself as a teacher of the faith in the future. And I had indicated that my spiritual advisor had recommended the distance course through the Franciscan University at Steubenville. I am seriously considering this - especially as it has a reputation as orthodox in its teachings (btw, if anyone can give me insights on the program, it would be greatly appreciated).
Well, she told me that I would find it tough getting work in the Diocese of Orange with a degree from Steubenville. That was a rather surprising statement. But after doing a little research, I suspect that she is correct about biases among many in leadership positions in the diocese given the public statements of some well placed priests in the diocese.
Why should being faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church make one less desirable to many of the leaders of that Church (at least out this way)?
The risks of amniocentesis to the unborn child have long been known but now a new analysis by a British doctor has shown that using the tests in seek-and-destroy missions for Down's syndrome and other genetic abnormalities results in the deaths of hundreds of healthy babies every year in Britain. ...
With about one in every 1000 children conceived having Down’s syndrome, and with amniocentesis carrying a one in 200 risk of miscarriage, Dr. Meire, wrote in the Journal Ultrasound that if all pregnant women took the amniocentesis test as many as 3,200 healthy babies could die by miscarriage every year. ...
In North America, earlier this year, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) has recommended that all pregnant women, not just those over 35, should be screened, including with amniocentesis. (Emphasis added)
Do you think they set out to ask how many babies they can prevent being born? Kind of reminds me of the Police song "Murder by numbers, one two three...."
The Vatican daily, Osservatore Romano, has published a scathing editorial, condemning a double abortion performed in a Milan hospital.
The incident happened at the San Paolo Hospital earlier this summer but only emerged over the weekend in newspapers. A woman, carrying twins, decided to have one of her babies aborted after learning that it would have Down’s syndrome.
Doctors mistakenly aborted the healthy baby instead. After the mistake was discovered, the 38-year-old woman returned to the hospital and aborted the surviving fetus. She later went to police to report the doctors.
Doctors at the hospital said the two babies appeared to have changed positions in the mother's womb after the medical scan. Milan’s prosecutor's office has opened a file on the case, although no crime is suspected at present.
"It is the culture of perfection which forces people to exclude anything which does not appear beautiful, splendid and positive," read the Osservatore Romano editorial. "Nobody has the right to suppress another life. Nobody has the right to take the place of God. And yet the innocent continue to die."
Today is the feast day of St. Michael. It was traditionally known as Michaelmas and was a holy day of obligation until the 18th century. The Church has added Saint Gabriel and St Raphael to the feast day - these are the three Archangels named in the bible.
