tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272413582024-03-07T18:35:05.667-05:00CatholicanuckCatholic life in Canada from the viewpoint and musings of a happy Catholic.JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-58818044995293287452016-07-25T09:43:00.002-04:002016-07-25T09:43:48.915-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've crawled out of hiding to post a review for a book I was given for that purpose.<br />
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I can hardly recommend this book highly enough!<br />
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Christian women, and
Catholics in particular, have needed <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Gift-Birth-Discerning-Presence-Childbirth-ebook/dp/B01CUSXOJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469454004&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Gift+of+Birth">The Gift of Birth</a> for far too long. I
am unaware of any other book that develops the spirituality
surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. Given the childbearing is a
unique way for women to participate in God's creative work, it is
important that this books has been written.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKypBxrya8BeUZsWnzmSiBkfxir27RmQP7WtWMXzc0UHOhIJCOR2I2TQK5edhZBvyR7wE_2djUqhJ4AfSuYql_7tR0vr51CRZBVcalxPLXrT43RRxY-4ldUgUVQ1DolP2F-cD/s1600/Gift+of+Birth+graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKypBxrya8BeUZsWnzmSiBkfxir27RmQP7WtWMXzc0UHOhIJCOR2I2TQK5edhZBvyR7wE_2djUqhJ4AfSuYql_7tR0vr51CRZBVcalxPLXrT43RRxY-4ldUgUVQ1DolP2F-cD/s320/Gift+of+Birth+graphic.jpg" width="206" /></a>This book is not a “how-to”
in the same way that so many books on pregnancy and childbearing are.
Its subtitle: Discerning God's Presence During Childbirth explains.
In its pages a mother will find spiritual guidance as she progresses
through pregnancy and childbirth, as well as practical ideas to help
her achieve a satisfying birth experience. Each chapter ends with
suggestions for prayerful reflection which could serve the growing
family well, even beyond the immediate postpartum period.</div>
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The book addresses many
variations on the theme of childbirth and the author carefully
maneuvers through discussions on home births, hospital births and
cesarean births without judgment. Ms Windley-Daoust points out that
all experiences of giving birth are intensely spiritual and
God-given. Suggestions are given to reclaim a birth experience that
did not seem to achieve this.</div>
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There is a section
discussing difficulties surrounding childbirth; the unexpected
pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage and still-birth are all given a
spiritual dimension. As an experienced spiritual director, Ms
Windley-Daoust suggests ways in which the family can ease tension and
grief, while seeing God in these situations.</div>
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The Gift of Birth quotes
frequently from the writings of Pope St. John Paul II, from
scripture, as well as from a host of others sources. Quotations from
mothers, and some interviews with women who have already found God to
be present in their varying birth experiences bring a personal
dimension.</div>
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This is a book that has been
needed for a very long time. I am thankful that Ms. Windley-Daoust
was inspired to write it. It is a book I will repeatedly recommend to
the young women with whom I work.</div>
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JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-68091853490922040622015-02-19T10:43:00.001-05:002015-02-19T10:44:30.165-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This little bit of weirdness crossed my desk last night. I do not for a minute claim to be in David Anthony Domet's league, but as another Catholic, Canadian blogger, I can tell you that this has given me a sense of doom I haven't felt in a long time.<br />
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The Church Militant has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kwb8VZMP5I">weighed in</a>.<br />
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I do not know what Fr. Rosica expects to gain by this exploit. David Domet on his blog, <a href="http://voxcantor.blogspot.ca/">Vox Cantoris</a>, has had plenty to say about Fr. Rosica's commentary on The Synod on the Family. From my reading, I do not see calumny or libel. David Domet simply allows<a href="http://voxcantor.blogspot.ca/search/label/Rosicanisms"> Fr. Rosica to inform us of his views in his own words</a>. Vox simply points out the obvious and offers commentary.<br />
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Fr. Rosica's actions seem petty. What is he afraid of?<br />
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And as for Fr. Rosica, I will leave you with this:<br />
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<a href="http://saltandlighttv.org/witness/gregory-baum.php">Father Rosica's Salt and Light interview with Gregory Baum, former priest</a><br />
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Really, why is Fr. Rosica worried about what bloggers say about him? He speaks for himself rather well.</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-43539370871080818902014-09-20T19:35:00.004-04:002014-09-20T19:35:45.633-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is a link to my daughter, CatholicGinger's, blog.<br />
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Enjoy. <a href="http://catholicginger.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/brian-gallant-postcards-and-the-economy/">Catholic Ginger</a></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-80949414913129238452014-06-10T11:57:00.001-04:002014-06-10T12:08:03.952-04:00Te Deum laudamus!: Outrage Addiction: Its harm on the spiritual life ...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I borrowed this from the Te Deum Blog. There seems to be so much outrage these days...<br />
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<a href="http://te-deum.blogspot.com/2014/06/outrage-addiction-its-harm-on-spiritual.html?spref=bl">Te Deum laudamus!: Outrage Addiction: Its harm on the spiritual life ...</a>: Our main goal in this life should be to get to Heaven and take as many souls with us as possible. We not only have to learn our faith a...</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-6193914867313691762014-06-03T14:38:00.000-04:002014-06-03T14:40:08.673-04:00Book Review: Island of the World by Michael O'Brien<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<p><i><a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Island-of-the-World/SKU/23562">Island of the World</a></i> is set initially in the Balkans in the period during the second World War, just before the rise of Tito. It tells the story of a man growing up in the turbulance of this time and his triumph over horror and loss that would have broken many.</p>
<p>The books starts out with the story of the main character, Josip Lasta's, idyllic childhood and its abrupt end. It is a story of love, loyalty and endurance. It is also a story of faith and miracles. God's hand protects and guides the Josip into a manhood that would stress the psychological and physical fortitude of any.</p>
<p>This might not be a book for very sensitive readers. There are portrayals of extreme violence and degradation; at the same time, this is not gratuitous. It sets the scenes for the book.</p>
<p>The portrayal of Catholicism in this book is very gentle. It is like a beacon for the main character which is at times more visible and less visible. Ultimately, Josip finds his way home.</p>
<p>The history of the beautiful Balkans is complicated and in many cases excruciating. Mr. O'Brien seems to have done his research and portrays history with less bias that is often the case. This writer has the strong sense that there were personal stories involved in the writing of this novel.</p>
<p>Given the size of this book and the period of time it covers, I found the compendium of characters at the back of the book very helpful.</p>
<p>As with so many of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/fuseaction/store.authorsearch/sort/relevance/productsperpage/24/layout/grid/currentpage/1/author/26">Mr. O'Brien's works</a>, this is a meaty book. The vocabulary is well chosen to craft a story that is captivating and sustained. Mr. O'Brien's ability with the paintbrush (he also designs the cover art of his own books and is a painter of some note) carries through into his writing. He illustrates his books with words.</p>
<p> </p>
I wrote this review of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Island-of-the-World/SKU/23562">The Island of the World</a> for the <a href="http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType">free Catholic Book review program</a>, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.
Aquinas and More is the largest on-line <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/catholic-books/category/2">Catholic bookstore</a>.
I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-52274040813236524112014-06-02T11:36:00.000-04:002014-06-02T11:36:03.881-04:00Book Review: Tobit's Dog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tobit’s Dog, written by Michael
Nicholas Richard, and published by Ignatius Press is a fascinating book.
It is a re-telling of the Book of Tobit from the Old Testament. This time, the story of Tobit is set in the
southern United States between the two World Wars.</div>
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The book deals deftly with
difficult issues such as racism. At the
same time, its well-developed characters illustrate human nature: good, bad and
sometimes in-between. Despite the
seriousness of the subject matter, humor pops up from time-to-time and always
seems natural to the characters involved.</div>
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The Book of Tobit is absent from
many bibles. Its use as the basis of
this novel identifies it as a “Catholic” novel.
One of the story’s very compelling qualities is that when a Catholic teaching
appears, it has no feeling of being superimposed; the Catholicism is integral
to the story. </div>
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That said, I do feel that this
book could have been edited a bit more carefully. There was more than one instance of a
quotation mark left open. Chapter Eight
had what appeared to me to be a word placement (“Almost he…”) error.</div>
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This book deals with some dark
subject matter: racism, murder and rape, which might make it unsuitable reading
for young teenagers. These topics are
discussed in a manner that is unlikely to upset sensitive adult readers. </div>
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This is a book which might well
raise awareness of the Book of Tobit in scripture. Even if it does not do that, it serves as an
enjoyable piece of summer reading. </div>
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Disclaimer: This book was supplied to me for review by Ignatius Press</div>
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JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-66922433029309364512014-05-16T13:15:00.002-04:002014-05-16T13:19:59.364-04:00Book Review: Abbess of Andalusia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Abbess-of-Andalusia/SKU/22233%22%3E">The </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Abbess-of-Andalusia/SKU/22233%22%3E">Abbess of Andalusia</a> </span>was the first book I've read about Miss O'Connor and it has not been the last.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> Flannery O'Connor's style is jarring to many. It was when she was alive, and it remains so. To understand why she wrote as she did, it is important to find out about her,as a person. Ms. Murray's work is among the books that seeks to help with this.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> Lorraine V. Murray makes her observations as a Catholic. This is very important in reading Miss O'Connor, who was unabashedly Catholic in an environment that was not always sympathetic to that. I did find that at times, there was a stridency to Ms. Murray's statements about O'Connor's beliefs that was off-putting. It is possible that I felt this way because I was already seeing what was being pointed out. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> What I gained from this book was a greater ability to see O'Connor's incorporation of Catholicism into her writing. Her writing is anything but subtle, generally speaking, but in writing for a general market, she had to be subtle in incorporating her spirituality. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> There is room for editing in this little book. There were a couple of sentences which did not make sense, and a sentence that was repeated twice on the same page. I hope that future editions tidy that up. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> I would recommend this book as a companion to anyone interested in Miss O'Connor's writing, particularly to those who are puzzled in trying to think of her as a Catholic writer. It will help the reader to gain a valuable insight into Miss O'Connor's fascinating personality and noted intellect. She faced a number of challenges which helped to shape her as a writer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> I wrote this review of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Abbess-of-Andalusia/SKU/22233%22%3E">The Abbess of Andalusia</a></span> for the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">free <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType%22%3E">Catholic Book review program</a></span>, created by <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/">Aquinas and More Catholic Goods</a>. I receive free books for writings the reviews.</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-48541394202999540062014-05-16T12:17:00.003-04:002014-06-03T14:41:21.385-04:00Book Review: Father Elijah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Father Elijah </span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">is the only book I reread on an almost annual basis, and I do not often read fiction. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I still hold this book to be the best among the books of Michael D. O'brien's which I have read. Despite its size, it is hard to put down. The story is captivating. It is sub-titled "An Apocalypse", but it is hopeful, not frightening.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> The story contains several stories in various settings; wartime Europe, post-war Israel, and Rome as well as some minor settings are present. The areas are beautifully and accurately described.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Characters are many and very well-developed. One was hard-pressed at times to recall that this is, in fact, fiction and not a work of prophecy, especially given event that have actually happened since the writing of this book. Despite the number of characters, there is no difficulty in keeping the stories straight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Roman Catholicism is the thread that ties all of the characters and locations together. The Church is presented accurately and with love. The Vatican itself is described accurately and in some detail. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> This is a book of substance. It is sumptuous in its vocabulary and in the mental images that are developed. Its discussion of history and the Church confront both the light and the darkness that can be encountered in either. Good and Evil are both on display and treated with the mind of the Church.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> A friend to whom I'd lent this book said it was the first book he'd ever finished and then immediately turned over to start it again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> On a practical note, the hardcover edition which I own has lasted well through the repeated readings and lending. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The end of the book is satisfying, but with an unfinished feel. I eagerly await a sequel.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> I wrote this review of <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/Father-Elijah/SKU/2022%22%3E">Father Elijah</a></span></span> for the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType%22%3E">free Catholic Book review program</a></span>, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/catholic-books/category/2%22%3E"> Aquinas and More</a> is the largest on-line <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Catholic bookstore</span></span>. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.</span></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-32957040144478268302014-02-07T22:42:00.000-05:002014-02-07T22:42:03.388-05:00Abortion and Iconoclasm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy. As a medical term, this can cover both deliberate miscarriage and natural miscarriage. For the sake of this post, I will be using the term to mean a deliberate or induced miscarriage.<br />
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Iconoclasm is the destruction of icons or religious images.<br />
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It occurred to me earlier today that abortion is a sort of iconoclasm.<br />
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Christians believe that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. The Church, science and common sense tell us that a baby (child, fetus...) is a human regardless of which stage of development it exists in. The DNA is all the same. Saying a fetus is less human than a newborn is something like saying a 5 year old is less human than a teenager.<br />
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An abortion destroys the image and likeness of God. To me, that sounds like iconoclasm.<br />
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The Catholic Church is, along with the Orthodox Church, about the only institution which has consistently condemned abortion. Interestingly, it has been a notable victim of iconoclasm at various periods. During the "Reformation" religious artwork and statuary was destroyed. In the era following the Second Vatican Council, many Catholic churches were stripped of their religious artwork and statuary by "progressive" Catholics. It is interesting to me that followers of both movements tend to be quite liberal in their views on abortion.<br />
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Religious artwork can lift the soul and remind those earth-bound of heavenly things, but even so does not possess anything like the value of a human being.<br />
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JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-39360357002010941502014-02-07T21:59:00.001-05:002014-04-09T18:37:18.368-04:00Where in the World...?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Imagine this scenario. A priest, during Mass steps back to permit a lay-person who has been sitting beside him all during Mass, to address the congregation.<br />
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The lay-person proceeds enthusiastically to invite the congregation to attend a Liturgy of the Word with Communion service the following Sunday, during the regular Mass time. This lay-person, employed by the government as a "chaplain" proceeds to tell a series of partial truths about Liturgies of the Word. We are told that they have been happening for a long time (which is true), and that they have been used by missionaries where priests are unavailable (which is also true). We are told that they have been blessed by the Second Vatican Council and the Pope. Almost true.<br />
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Liturgies of the Word happen all the time. They are a legitimate way for lay-people to pray without the presence of a priest. The hitch is "without the presence of a priest". They do not fulfill the obligation Catholics have to attend Mass on Sunday.<br />
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If a priest is truly unavailable for Mass, people should be directed to other parishes. Our chapel has another parish only a few minutes away.<br />
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We were not so directed.<br />
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There was someone else attending Mass with us that day. She is not Catholic. She, too, is a government employee and the head chaplain for our chapel.<br />
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She was there, it seemed, to make sure the announcement was made regarding the Liturgy of the Word with Communion service. She knew the priest did not support it. She made the decision that funds would not be made available for another priest to fill-in. There are priests who would have made the trip.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later, this governmental chaplain is again in the back of the Church. We have a guest priest, along with our regular priest. The guest has been a government chaplain for a long time. Today he is giving the homily.<br />
<br />
He admired all the children in the congregation. We do have a surprising number compared to other parishes. I thought when he started talking about the shortage of priests, we might get some encouragement to rear our children to be priests and religious. No. Instead, we get crowing about how impressive this government chaplaincy is to allow lay-people to do all this neat stuff. He said that when he spoke to priests in other countries and places about what lay-people do in our chaplaincy, it was like trying to explain a frozen river to someone at the Equator (or something like that). They looked at him like he was odd.<br />
<br />
I wonder if it occurred to him that they looked at him that way because they thought he was very misguided. <br />
<br />
We were told on no uncertain terms that the lay-"chaplains" would be preaching on Sundays, even during Mass. <br />
<br />
Catholic teaching does not support this innovation. I am very familiar with the General Instruction on the Roman Missal. And Redemptionis Sacramentum. They actually speak expressly against lay-people...any lay-people...from giving a 'homily' during the time reserved for a homily.<br />
<br />
I find it very scary that the government feels it can tell the Church what to do, even in a chapel. This is exactly the type of situation which the separation of Church and state was supposed to address. Oh, wait. We're not Americans.<br />
<br />
Oh, Canada...</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-23173868973404734852014-01-29T14:21:00.002-05:002014-01-29T14:21:30.731-05:00Blessed Salt. Don't Be Home Without It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<br />
Blessed salt is a <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/library/answers/whatare.htm">sacramental</a> in the Catholic Church. It is treated much the same way that holy water is. I like to tell people that it reminds the devil who is really the boss over our lives...and that it isn't him!<br />
<br />
The first time I heard of blessed salt, I rolled my eyes and probably said something to myself about superstitious practices. It was definitely not something I'd been exposed to.<br />
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I had had the mixed fortune of spending three of my high-school years taught by a rather liberal order of nuns. As a child, my family attended a very 'hip' and fully Vatican II-impacted (and beyond, I later learned) parish. I didn't learn to pray the rosary until I was an adult, and never did learn to recite the <a href="http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/tp/Gifts_of_the_Holy_Spirit.htm">Gifts of the Holy Spirit</a>. Popular piety was just so much ancient history.<br />
<br />
I was already beginning my impromptu crash course in authentic liturgy when I heard about blessed salt. It just seemed weird.<br />
<br />
But the Holy Spirit tends not to just let these things go. More and more I heard about people keeping blessed salt at home and using it to 'chase' apparent evil from their homes. At the same time, I was becoming more immersed in volunteer work at our parish. Smokey (the Devil) often doesn't take kindly to others working to teach the Catholic faith. <br />
<br />
At this point, our family was living in military housing. It was old. My father came to visit. He complained one morning that the overhead light in the bedroom he slept in had switched on in the middle of the night. I thought I'd noticed the hall light doing the same thing...or maybe I just forgot to turn it off?<br />
<br />
It got worse. Electrical outlets stopped working intermittently. The electrical breakers never seemed to trip, but I was getting really tired of having to reset the clocks because of the power shutting off. I was particularly bothered when my bedside light wasn't working. I prayed before bed, and not having a light made it hard to follow my Liturgy of the Hours.<br />
<br />
I asked the housing office to send an electrician, which they did. He replaced the light switch in the bedroom, but could find no other reason for the electrical trouble. Everything was fine for a couple of days, then the outlets started cutting out again. My aggravation was palpable.<br />
<br />
In my parish work, I had become good friends with our priest. One day I mustered up the courage to ask him about blessed salt. His eyebrows shot up when I asked, and he said "You're the second person in twenty-four hours who has asked me about this." He invited me to bring in some salt to be blessed. He looked up the blessing. It is no longer common thing. Father told me simply to 'use it in faith' and I would not be acting superstitiously.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I had called again about our electrical troubles. Again a frustrated electrician replaced a token receptacle, and again, the electric trouble began within a couple of days.<br />
<br />
Armed with my blessed salt, I decided to bless our home. I waited until no one else was home, and feeling a bit silly, I walked around the house sprinkling salt.<br />
<br />
Much to my amazement, as I had not yet made the connection, the electrical trouble stopped dead after I sprinkled the salt. To make it even more astounding, I discovered the the electrical circuit that had been plague with the problems was the same circuit which powered the computer. The computer had never turned off.<br />
<br />
Since that time, the only hint of trouble we ever had was a flicker in the electricity. Not enough to reset the clocks. When this happened, I said the Saint Michael Prayer and it stopped for good.<br />
<br />
I am a firm believer in blessed salt to keep a home (or office or wherever) free of evil. I do not use it a lot, but sprinkling it in a home where tensions are high, or where sin is entrenched seems like a powerful way to remind evil who is boss in that area. The <a href="http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/resources/books-1962/missale-romanum-1962-pdf.html">1962 Missal </a>has prayers for blessing salt, water and a great many other very common things such as food, animal feed, crops and machinery!<br />
<br />
We need to be aware of the presence of evil and our susceptibility to it, particularly if we are working for God in whatever capacity. We can become targets. In a way, this is a good thing, as it means we are doing something good. It can make life stressful and can affect those around us. We need to re-discover the resources our Church has for us and use them.<br />
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<br /></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-74662058027671508792014-01-06T21:41:00.000-05:002014-01-06T21:42:32.356-05:00Don't Leave it to the Experts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<br />
My husband and I were talking this afternoon about doing stuff. He's recently earned his commercial trucking licence and is meeting a different group of people than his office and computer-related work generally exposes him to.<br />
<br />
These people do stuff. One fellow created a fairly complicated machine completely on his own. He designed it, welded what needed welding and cut what needed cutting.<br />
<br />
I mentioned how, not so long ago, people where we live were not encouraged to take up trades. The powers-that-were seemed to think that only university educations were really worth having. Things have not changed much. Of course this has left us a legacy of highly educated unemployed, while highly-paid trades jobs go unfilled for lack of qualified workers.<br />
<br />
My husband and I were both in the university stream. He says he wishes he was more fearless. I laughed a little at this because of the two of us, I think I would qualify more as the fearful one. At any rate, I am not good at getting my hands dirty.<br />
<br />
We should really know better.<br />
<br />
I think it started early. About the time women stopped being able to deliver babies without "medical" intervention. Doctors became the experts in birth and child-rearing. Suddenly, mother no longer knew what was best.<br />
<br />
On it went. We became convinced that healthy baby milk came from cans and bottles. Scientifically designed food came from a store.<br />
<br />
Entertainment came from radios and televisions and movie theatres. People stopped going to dances and having sing-alongs around the parlour piano. Education came from school...and only from school. My mother was told not to help me read at home (I was starting to do it on my own), because she'd do it incorrectly. When I first proposed home-schooling as an educational option to my college-aged peers, the skepticism was palpable.<br />
<br />
We have become a society of one-trick ponies. And if you are of the urban, college and university crowd, you could starve to death if someone turned off the power grid.<br />
<br />
I've seen evidence of that. When neighbours found out we were taking walks along a path and picking berries, they expressed concern that we might poison ourselves. When power was lost a few years back for the period of a couple of days, huge insurance claims were placed for food lost from deep-freezers. That was odd because the cause of the power outage was an ice-storm. It was wintertime. Ice...winter...and people didn't figure out how to keep their food from thawing. It's happened again this winter, too.<br />
<br />
In the time that this has all come about, religious observance shrank to be a Sunday-only occurrence for a great many people, if it happened at all. Devotions to practices like the rosary shrank too. Why pray at home when the expert will guide us on Sunday?<br />
<br />
We have lost integrity. Many places have lost the right to raise food...even vegetables. <br />
<br />
The latest (November, 2013) issue of Catholic Insight magazine has an article on raising rabbits. For food. I can imagine the letters they'll get. I would love to have chickens, but they're not permitted where I live...in a city. We could probably get away with rabbits though. Hmmm.<br />
<br />
People need to understand the necessity of being able to care for their own needs. I am no exception to this. Grow vegetables. Demand the right to have a hen (they don't crow like roosters do...and they're much smaller and less dangerous that the ubiquitous dogs) or two for eggs. Learn how to work a drill, a saw and a screwdriver.<br />
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Do math. Sing, even badly. Dance. Cook.<br />
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Pray. I don't think you CAN pray badly. Do it often. We lay-people cannot give homilies or confect sacraments, but we can pray without supervision. And we should.<br />
<br />
Happy Epiphany. May the light which the wise men followed be one which we, too, can follow.<br />
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<br /></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-11041284592625803902013-12-06T10:04:00.003-05:002013-12-06T10:04:46.270-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Population Control and the Elephant in the Room</h5>
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Slowing Population Growth Will Have Grave Consequences, Warns Pro-Life Expert</h6>
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<em>By Joseph Meaney</em></div>
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ROME, November 28, 2013 (<a href="http://www.zenit.org/?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">Zenit.org</a>) - I am amazed at the sheer audacity and persistence of the population control crowd.<br />
Since the 1960s, they have given a single answer to every major social issue encountered. Hunger? Population control. Poverty? Population control. Racial/Religious conflicts? Population control. Communism? Population control. Women’s rights? Population control. Ecological problems? Population control. And on and on. How could powerful leaders and nations be duped by such an asinine proposal?<br />
As the old proverb goes, “Be careful of what you wish for, you might get it!” After decades of unrelenting contraception, sterilization, and abortion at the cost of billions and billions of dollars — and several billion lives killed and prevented from coming into being — world population growth has slowed so much that its peak and decline is in sight. The United Nations’ estimated world fertility rate is currently 2.36 children per woman, the result of constant declines since 1965. Global estimates, however, mask a <a href="http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">wide diversity of regional and local realities</a>. Europe as a whole averages a total fertility rate (TFR) of only 1.6 children per woman while Africa remains dynamic with 4.5 on average.<br />
Among 224 sovereign states and dependent territories, 112 have TFRs below 2.1, including two out of the three most populous nations in the world: China (1.55) and the USA (2.06). The most recent economic recession actually pushed the U.S. TFR down to below 1.9. The 2.1 TFR statistic is widely used as a proxy for the minimum fertility rate needed to prevent population decline absent immigration/emigration, hence the phrase replacement fertility. This is only true, however, for countries with extremely low mortality due to peaceful conditions and advanced health care systems. The poorest nations of the world can require 3 children per woman just to stave off depopulation. This explains why world population growth is slowing dramatically with a world fertility rate at 2.36 and dropping.<br />
The other major factor putting the brakes on population growth is the slowing of<a href="http://singularityhub.com/2013/09/26/life-expectancy-gains-are-slowing-especially-in-the-u-s/" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">increases in life-expectancy</a>. People living longer on average than ever in history and the post World War II Baby Boom contributed much of the population surge of the latter half of the 20th century. Population expert Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt often uses a simple phrase to <a href="http://www.aei.org/article/society-and-culture/citizenship/fewer-babies-for-better-or-worse/" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">describe the world demographic situation</a>: “Population did not boom because people suddenly started breeding like rabbits, but rather because they stopped dying like flies.” As societies have started aging, in some countries dramatically, mortality rates are inexorably catching up. Working populations in industrialized nations are graying in what has been called the Silver Tsunami, reflecting the fact that <a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/japan/gdp-growth" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">Japan is the most geriatric society in the world</a>. Look at the <a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/japan/gdp-growth" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">economic performance</a> over the last couple of decades of the once world leader Japan. It is not a pretty picture.<br />
There is an elephant in the room that is hardly talked about. As the Baby Boom generation begins to retire expecting pension and social program payments in the golden years, the younger generation entering the workforce is not going to be up to the task of earning those funds. The post-1973 and <em>Roe v. Wade</em> U.S. generation has had well over a million children aborted out of it every year. One must add to this those never born due to sterilization and contraception. All the while the population demagogues have shouted their encouragement from the rooftops and successfully garnered funds to spread the “blessings” of population control worldwide.<br />
Paul Ehrlich, who wrote <em>The Population Bomb</em> in the 1960s, is 81 years old now. Both he and Lester Brown, 79, of the Worldwatch Institute, will probably not be around much longer to taste the bitter fruits from the hysteria they promoted. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, will certainly be with us for a while yet. This multinational “non-profit” rakes in over a billion dollars a year in the USA alone. A shocking <a href="http://www.stopp.org/PPFAReports/PPFA_2013_Report.pdf" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">45% of that money comes from government entities</a>, and therefore out of the pockets of the American tax payer. They are the largest abortion providing institution in the United States and should be called to account for their active role in the worldwide artificially created population disaster that is looming.<br />
It is a truism that birthrates have the turning radius of a battleship, not a go-kart as Jonathan Last said in his recent book <em>What to Expect When No One is Expecting</em>. There is an incredible urgency to promote pro-child and pro-family measures and to stop those who are feverishly digging us ever deeper into this birth-dearth hole. Pro-lifers can say this quite altruistically since it mainly is <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-03-13-babybust_x.htm" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">the liberal segment of the U.S. population and in other rich countries that is aborting and contracepting</a> itself into oblivion.<br />
Feminists, at least those who truly prioritize defending women, should also enter the fight against population control. Innumerable human rights violations, mainly committed against women, have gone on for decades with coerced abortions, sterilization, and contraception as a sad fact of life in many places, most notoriously in Communist China. Population control policies and new sex determination technologies have fueled the worldwide sex selection abortion crisis. <a href="http://liveactionnews.org/sex-selection/" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">Millions of baby girls have been aborted</a> simply because their parents found out they were female.<br />
The world is indeed in a sorry state, but it will only get worse until the elephant in the room of missing and wounded people is acknowledged and addressed.<br />
---<br />
<em><strong>Joseph Meaney</strong> is the international coordination director at Human Life International. This article is published by kind permission of HLI's <a href="http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/" style="color: #0000ee;" target="_blank">Truth and Charity Forum.</a></em></div>
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JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-5350058603573307982013-08-25T20:06:00.002-04:002014-02-18T10:34:48.239-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our youngest child is wonderful. He is nine, but is not 'normal' for his age.<br />
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He is just about to finish grade two. He has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which means some or all of his work is modified so he can do it.<br />
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We have four other children, all adults now. They're a smart, talented bunch and are now making their ways into the adult stream of things. Our little man will be charting a different path, it seems.<br />
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It is a hard thing to know when to push and went to leave things alone with him. In some ways he seems non-exceptional. He's known for a long time that we don't always understand what he's saying. He has for years been able to compensate for our lack of initial understanding. He has figured out many ways to get us to understand him. <br />
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Interestingly, now that he's in school and getting lots of help, we have more episodes of frustration on his part. I can't say whether it's because he is being trained away from his natural methods of compensation, or if it's because he's trying things that are more complex and just hasn't got all the bugs worked out.<br />
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I think every parent has some anxieties about the futures of their children. Having a child with a handicap multiplies and intensifies the anxieties. Will communication difficulties prevent him from telling us things we should know? Will his friendly nature lead him into unfriendly situations? But really...don't other "normal" kids have these issues too?<br />
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Almost a year ago, our "stick-handler" (who is actually known as a coordinator of services) told us that we needed to start thinking about how Aaron will be cared for when he's an adult. My first thought was that I just wanted him to get into grade two! But of course the stick-handler is correct. With other children, it is assumed that at some point they will be on their own. With our youngest, we cannot assume that he will be able to reach this level. Will he live with a sibling? A group home? Might he be able to live alone?<br />
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There was another mother, a very long time ago now, who had a very unusual Son. I wonder if I might call on her for some advice? She has some powerful connections!<br />
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Our son has a fascination with Bible stories. It is because of his interest that I now know the Old Testament as well as I do (albeit in very simple language!). I am actually beginning to know the chronology of the Hebrew Scriptures. And I am seeing it with the simplicity of a child. The Old Testament has more than its share of adventures and destruction in it, which suits our little man just fine. He is definitely a "crash 'em up" sort of kid. I only hope that he sees Scripture as more than make-believe. On some level I am sure that he does.<br />
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Our little fellow has already received his First Communion. He was with, or even a little ahead, of his age peers. I was nervous about all this. As a catechist who tries hard to follow Church teaching at all time, I did not want things made easier for our son just because of his handicap. Although I was fairly certain he understood (as well as anyone CAN understand) the Eucharist, I was worried about his First Reconciliation, which I was not willing to allow him to skip. I shouldn't have worried about our son's speech impairment. Our priest, who did not have English as his first language, took the unusual step of asking me to come to our son's confession...to "translate" if need be. That was the only time we needed to do this.<br />
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Now, since our son received his First Communion, it seemed like his behaviour deteriorated to the point where I was ready to have him stop receiving. A priest counselled me otherwise. As long as Our Lord is in fact being consumed (and we make sure that He is!) that God can apparently account for the foibles of little boys. In a way this is comforting to me, as it makes our son normal for just a bit! So we just watch.<br />
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Days are busy and fly by so fast. So often I wonder if I've prayed enough. It is not just our disabled son who needs prayer, but all of our children. Frequently. Constantly.<br />
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But no guilt, right? I smile as I write that. No one ever prays enough for anyone, I'm sure.<br />
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Our disabled children are a gift. We need to understand that. We need to humble ourselves, relax ourselves enough to receive, even if we do not always feel, the gift. Just as parents are to help their children reach sanctity, so do our children help us.<br />
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Talking with other Catholic parents of variously intellectually disabled children it is so wonderful to see the effect an unusual child has on the family. Parents who are accustomed to communicating with bright children are suddenly stumped. This child CANNOT understand in the the way our other children understand. It is a whole different game plan. The parents cannot rely on the pat responses to situation. If a standard-issue child needs something repeated 47 times to allow them to learn, a disabled child may need to have the same thing repeated 147 times...or it just might be beyond them. And we must learn patience. If we cannot master patience in ourselves, we must be humble enough to ask for help.<br />
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Children are all precious. Children outside the usual are even more precious because of their vulnerability. They are the hot-house orchids among the roses. God, give us what we need to tend them well. </div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-85389172425687258902013-07-27T14:05:00.002-04:002013-07-27T14:06:55.754-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Pope Francis has been pope for what, four months now?<br />
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Another Canadian blogger referred to him as "confounding". That word perfectly describes my feelings toward the Pope, too.<br />
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Pope Francis becoming fodder for blogs and homilies. His style is so markedly different from that of Pope Emeritus Benedict XIV that comparisons are nearly impossible to avoid. Those comparisons also occurred between Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II.<br />
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It distresses me that so many see the papacies of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis as an either/or situation.<br />
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They are two different men with two different backgrounds and styles. We could add Pope JPII in there and make it three.<br />
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All of the popes I recollect (and that number is growing!) have been different in styles and all, perhaps excepting John Paul I have weathered some sort of critical situation. All have managed to seriously annoy some quarter of the population, Catholic or otherwise.<br />
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We must either trust that the Holy Spirit knows what it's doing or we don't.<br />
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Pope Francis is the Pope. So was Benedict. They will or have done fantastic things and have or will probably commit some very human screw-ups.<br />
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We have a very limited part of the "Big Picture" available to us, due to our ages, backgrounds, linguistic limitations and prejudices of some sort or another.<br />
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I really think we need to remember that when we make comments about what this or that pope said or did. We must also remember how selective the media can be. Pictures of Pope Francis doing this or that treat the situations as something novel. Frequently all that is novel is that Pope Francis is doing them, but what is implied is that Pope Francis is doing something that Pope Benedict did not, such as hugging a handicapped person.<br />
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We must remember to be charitable and to remember that there are many things we do not know about what is going on with any Pope, and within the spiritual realm in which they spend so much of their time and energy.<br />
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We must be humble as they are humble.</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-70618787539791123962013-06-02T15:41:00.001-04:002013-06-02T15:41:26.082-04:00Solemnity of Corpus Christi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First, allow me to apologize for the long absence I have taken from writing anything myself. Life called. <br />
I have been working for the past year and a half at a dry cleaner's, which left me little time or energy for writing.<br />
<br />
Now, I must elbow my way past my husband, who has made himself quite at home on my computer. I also notice that the format for blogger has changed somewhat, so we will see how this all turns out.<br />
<br />
Today is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi...The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today we celebrate the gift that God has made to us in the Eucharist...the Body and Blood of Christ.<br />
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The gospel reading was the story of the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. This story appears in all four of the gospels, which might just be a clue to its importance. That the story of this miracle of Jesus' is read for Corpus Christi points to its being a "type" of the Eucharist. This means that the story prefigures the actual gift of the Eucharist to us. It's a sign.<br />
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For my last year of high-school, I had moved back to an area with low population of Catholics relative to its population of evangelical Protestants. Having spent the previous three years in a Catholic school, this proved a shock to the system. One weekend I spent at a Protestant youth retreat. I remember someone questioning me about Catholic belief that Christ is fully present, Body and Blood, in the Eucharistic host. She said "You must think He has an awfully big body!". With no thought of my own, I blurted out "Loaves and fishes." Both of the girls I was talking with became pensive. I thought to myself "What a dumb thing for me to say!" Years later, I understood that what I had said was not dumb at all. By multiplying the loaves and fishes for the gathered crowd, Jesus foreshadowed what He would do for us with His own Body and Blood.<br />
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The reflection on the gospel we heard today brought out another thought regarding miracles in general. We were reminded that a lot of work, human work, was associated with the miracle performed by Jesus. The apostles found the boy with the loaves and fish. Then the throng of more than 5000 people was divided into groups of 50. Jesus performed the miracle. We are not told just how many actually noticed what was happening. The food was distributed. After the people ate, the leftovers were collected.<br />
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How many noticed the miracle? With all the work we do in our lives, do we notice the miracles which God still performs for us?<br />
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To draw the reflection back to today's solemnity, I think we can point directly to the Most Holy Eucharist. Do we realize what a miracle it is? That little papery looking host is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. <br />
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Do we notice this miracle?</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-87797302998512564612012-12-26T16:06:00.001-05:002012-12-26T16:06:07.721-05:00Christmas Myths, and the Slaughter of the Innocents<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Merry Christmas. Here, I am reposting a couple of links to some of Jimmy Akins' work. Interesting reading!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-the-slaughter-of-the-innocents-really-happen">Did the Slaughter of the Innocents happen?</a><br />
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<a href="http://vernacularcatholic.blogspot.ca/2011/12/top-7-myths-about-christmas.html">7 Top Myths about Christmas</a></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-58049633547473211992012-12-22T19:38:00.001-05:002012-12-22T19:38:20.761-05:00Saint Agnes' Fountain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In case you ever wondered about <a href="https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=wells-and-spas;c44900d8.0612">the fountain</a> made famous by Good King Wenceslaus (who was actually a duke, but anyway...), here you go.<br />
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And Merry Christmas.</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-31904613814646777402012-07-10T20:58:00.001-04:002012-07-10T20:58:25.524-04:00Why Praise and Worship Music is Praise, But Not WorshipFather puts into words some of the many thoughts I've had on this issue over the years...<br />
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<a href="http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0487.htm">Why Praise and Worship Music is Praise, But Not Worship</a>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-59460657194587106382012-04-11T21:45:00.000-04:002014-04-09T18:39:58.588-04:00Book Review: How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For both the dedicated Catholic and the sceptic, <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/How-The-Catholic-Church-Built-Western-Civilization/SKU/20467"><i>How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization</i></a> supplies much food for thought regarding the role Catholicism has played in western history. It should be in every library.</div>
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Dr. Woods has covered many subject headings including Morality, Science, Art and Law and provides well documented examples of the Church's contributions, often foundational contributions, to each one. He also meets head on the discussion of the idea that the Church was responsible for the "Dark Ages". And who says they were dark? There is a concise and fair review of the "Galileo affair" which I think most would find interesting.</div>
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I found the book affirming and often surprising. I do not think anyone would be able to walk away from this book and still believe that the Church was anti-science or anti-reason. This book is an antidote to much of what we have been taught in schools and exposed to in the media.</div>
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The many footnotes are arranged at the end of the book, so that they are not distracting. The off-white colour of the paper makes the book easy on the eyes. There is a section which included photographs relevant to the subjects.</div>
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The one shortcoming of this book, if it is to be used for serious research, is the index. I wanted to find something that I'd read in the book about an experiment in flight in the 11th century, and I ended up having to go through the book page by page to find the reference, as the only index entry was the name of the obscure monk who managed to glide 600 feet.</div>
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I strongly recommend this book to anyone involved in RCIA, either as a catechist or a cathecumen. I think the parent or catechist involved in preparation for Confirmation classes would also find this book very helpful in responding to young sceptics.<br />
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I wrote this review of <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/How-The-Catholic-Church-Built-Western-Civilization/SKU/20467">How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization</a> for the <a href="http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType">free Catholic Book review program</a>, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/Catholic-Baptism-Gifts-and-Cards/category/11">Baptism Gifts</a> and <a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/Christmas-Wafer/category/1430">Oplatki Christmas Wafers</a>.
<a href="http://tiberriver.com/" target="_blank">Tiber River</a> is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.
I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.</div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-32760136888231795592012-03-31T09:41:00.001-04:002012-03-31T09:41:48.456-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I found this article on the historicity of the Septuagint was very enlightening.<br />
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<a href="http://catholicdefense.blogspot.ca/2012/03/did-greek-old-testament-include.html">http://catholicdefense.blogspot.ca/2012/03/did-greek-old-testament-include.html</a></div>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-29198508027973305402011-12-20T21:50:00.000-05:002011-12-20T21:50:55.906-05:00Christmas Cookies; Revised Translation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Thank you WI Catholic, for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7-K3tyNd5NM">THIS</a>.<br />
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I howled.</div>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-687817220443738382011-12-16T22:08:00.000-05:002011-12-16T22:08:42.563-05:00More on Liturgy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/12/16/liturgy-is-a-language-and-so-it-must-have-rules/">A thoughtful piece on liturgical rules, and Gaudete Sunday.</a></div>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-13838129791910921512011-09-07T08:32:00.000-04:002011-09-07T08:32:13.046-04:00Jorge's Lesson in Love and Humility<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://vox-nova.com/2011/09/06/jorges-lesson-in-love-humility/#comment-111487">From Vox Nova</a></div>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27241358.post-40205826628939369382011-09-01T09:25:00.000-04:002011-09-01T09:25:38.040-04:00Black Family spreads the Message in Ontario<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/family-band-with-10-children-spreading-culture-of-life-with-powerful-pro-li?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e0acd1efc6-LifeSiteNews_com_Canada_Headlines08_31_2011&utm_medium=email">This talented family</a> is helping to get the life-giving message of the Gospels to people in Ontario. This is very good news!</div>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08433061807436268115noreply@blogger.com1